The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 13, 1913, Image 7
Turkey Creek Drainage !
District Proposed.
Forty-Five Hundred Acres Would Be Drain?
ed By Proposed Measure at Cost of
$20,000-Part of City Af?
fected By Measure.
Property Holders in Turkey Creek Bottom East of City De?
sire to Form Organization for Issuing Bonds By Which
Steps for the Proposed Work Can Be Accomplished?
Would Deepen *n<* Wider? Turkey Creek Canal and Ex?
tend Lateral? for Distance of Fifteen Miles.
A move of great Interest to those
living In the eastern half of the clti
of Sumter end to property owners
holding land* immediately east of
the city Is that now on foot to form
a drainage dlatrict of this territory
for the purpose of permanently drain?
ing all of the land In the district
through Turkey Creek Canal and
lateral dltchea running Into the Tur?
key Creek canal. The proposed move
ment has been agitated for a number
of years, but it has been only within
the past few month* that any defi?
nite stePa have been taken to form
the area into a drainage district.
The proposed district covers an area
of 4.180 seres and the estimated co t
Is 120,000. In order to secure th's
money bonds will he Issued by the
Turkey Creek Drainage District as
soon as It Is formed and the land
which la benefltted by the drainage
will be taxed to pay off the bonds.
The proposition of those interested is
to widen and deepen Turkey Creek,
so that It can take care of all of lbs
watsr which now runs into It and
the additional water which will run
lato It from the bays and ponds whi? h
will be drained by means of the ditch?
es which will be extended throughout
the district. The canal will he widen?
ed to fifteen to eighteen feet and will
be deepened from two to five
feet, according to the needs at
the various places along the
canal In accommodating the volume
of water which Is poured into the
canal In order to make the work
permaaen? It Is probable that a num?
ber of sand traps snd other me?
diums will be provided to catch the
drifting sand and prevent the canal
from tilling, as It has done every few
years In ths past.
The organisation of the Turkey
Creek Drainage District, which is
now under way. cornea under the a^t
of 191 l. providing that property nold
ers within a csrtstn area may unite
In the formation of a drainage dis?
trict for the purpose of issuing bonds
to raise money for the required work.
ATT of the land which is benefltted by
th< drainage Is bonded and will be
ta ed proportionally to the benefit
received by It by the drainage of the
'and.
Under this act the property hold
era In the proposed district circulat?
ed a petition several months ago
which was signed by a large majority
In the district, (the law only requires
a majority of ths property holder - to
?Iga ths petition ) The petition was
then tiled with the clerk of court for
Sumter county and he appointed a
Board of Viewers, under the terma of
the act. consisting of Messrs. A. B.
fltackey. W. A. Bowman and Joseph
Palmer, civil engineer, who have been
over the lands in the proposed dis?
trict and who on Tuesday filed their
report with the county clerk. Thl*
report Is very favorable to the form?
ing ol the drainage district and con?
tains much Information as to ttu
work which will have to he dons and
the good which will he accomplish
The clerk of court now has to set a
dsy fa* ? hearing of the matter, In
case there Is etjetttesj of some .>f tin
property holders within the district to
the forming of the drainage dlstn? t.
1 ?ne feature of especial In: rest to
thoss h\ing In the city, more than
half of area of which Is within pro?
poned district. Is the taxation of rit)
property for the proposed improve?
ment In the past the i hj hot gap!
up ths Turke\ Creek Canal and many
of the proprrty holders in the coun?
ty havs benefited by the city work
without having to p.i\ any of the
cost No doubt the city will receive a
great share of benefit from the pro?
posed work, but *h?( share of I he
coat It will pay Is a Itataffi whi h i
vet undecided Anoihci heueiti io tin
city Is ths probable impto\em?nt id
the health in the eastern hair of tm
city by bstter drainage or me land
In the Immediate vicinity or Mo
and In ths city, hi I I or the tradl
cation of ths breeding pi i ? nl me
qultoes. There are about 1.1 an ?> rrs
in ths rtty which are gffaeted hj ilo
propo-ted drainage dlstrb't. while the
rest of the district, 3.1X0 acres, la
In the county and la of advantage pri?
marily to the property holders with
out ths cit>.
Mr. Frank <i Ivn.m, of flairlss
ton, United Stales drum o^e engineer;
for South Carolina, way in the City
Tuesday to look over the proposition
und it has his unqualified approval.
He went over the lands comprised in
the proposed drainage district and
talked the proposition over with en?
gineers and property holders within
the district. He stated that he thought
that the formation of a drainage dis?
trict would he of Immense value and
would he the only successful and the
cheapest method of draining the lands
in the district. At other places, he
stated, much good land had been re?
claimed in the same way and there
was no reason why the same results
would not he accomplished here. Mr.
Eason is doing good work looking af
t??r the reclamation of lands around
Charleston and has been called to all
parts of the State to give advice con?
cerning the draining of lands, which
were under water. He makes ad?
dresses on this subject, drainage, at
Summerton and Sardinia on next
Wednesday and Thursday, having
, been Invited there for this purpose by
the people of those sections.
In view of the fact that there is
general Interest In the matter a large
part, of the report of the Board of
Viewers is given:
The boundary of the said district
may be described as follows:
Beginning at a point on North Main
street near Bland, northwest corner,
thence south westerly to the junc?
tion of Broad and Chestnut streets,
thence down Chestnut to Hayns?
worth, thence eastwardly with Hayns?
worth to Church, thence down Church
to Calboun, thence with Calhoun east?
wardly to Washington, thence down
Washington to Liberty, thence east
with Liberty to Main, thence down
Main and Manning avenue, south to
road just south of lands of Sjmter
Realty and Investment Company,
thence with said road eastward to the
C. S. 4k N. R. R., theme down Tur?
key Creek to the South line of the
Berry Land, thence with Bern, line
to Central railroad, thence up rail?
road to Reynold's south line, thence
along the south line of Reynold's and
J. R. Brunson's to J. R. Brunson's
eastern corner of fifty-four acre tract,
thence along M. S. Seabrook's south?
ern and eastern lines to land of C.
L. Tlsdale, thence with Tisdale s
eastern line to the Radical Road at
a point near the Rev. Metz's house,
thence wi'h Radical Road north
westwurdly for a distance of three
fourths of a mile, where the road runs
almost due west; thence northwest?
wardly across lands of N. J. Freder?
ick and Mrs. Bayer and of Purdy to
a point on the new road about one
half mile from the Plowden Mill
road, thence nearly due north to a
bfjSjd in the Plowden Mill road at a
bouse where Hatheld resides on
I ? I
land of it. O. Purdy, theme along
Plowden null road to intersection with
Mayesvtlle road, thence southwest
wardly along Mayesvtlle road to a
point opposite the northeastern corn?
er of Royle s H-acre ttast. them e
northwest to the A. C. I,. railroad to
a point about I,Ml feet above the
Hrick Yard road, thence BOUthWest
along A. C. L. railroad to a point
about IN feet from the Brick Yard
crossing theme northwest along the
rftdgje across, lands of the Race Track
Association to a corner of Lev I land
on Moses load, thence up Mos??:, road
to a Point about ten chains above
corner Of Walker and l*evi on same
road, thence northwestwardly through
lands of Ba< ? Walker and R. B. Bal?
er to a point on Be leer's west line
about ?? chains from northwest corner
o1 Lavl'g -'?> acre tract, thence south
tvestwardly through Lorlng land to
ward north line of R, J. Bland to
a point where the B, C. W crosses
Rland's north line, thence westward
i\ with Bland line to North Mam
I reel I he !,? ginning polni.
in accordance with the require*
ments ol said acl which requires us
to ,ei forth In this report:
W hcthct the proposed dialnage |fl
practicable of not
We And thai the drainage propos
? <i I i practicable. The full from
the head waters of T?rke) Creek, or
ihe beginning <>f Us preaeni canal, al
the lu notion ol I*ortng*a land with I In
a. c I. railroad to Ihe public htgh
crossing al Dingle's Mill being
21 feet, and from the northern
boundary of the proposed distii< i
above the present head of said can
al at a point 200 yards from Mile
Branch, would make its fall 33 feet
And from Calhoun Street to said
Dingles Mill bridge, the fall being 22
feet, and the fall from Mauser street,
near Graham's barn, to Dingle's
Mill bridge being 17 feet.
On this point of practicability, we
also further find thai all of the
cypreaa ponds, brick yard holes, and
ail low places within the said drain?
age district can be thorough!? drain?
ed into the central canal of Turkey
t'reek by means of lateral drains here?
inafter described.
The present canal of Turkey Creek
will have to he deepened from Dingle's
Mill bridge to its upper end at Lnr
ing's land from two to four feet be?
low the present bed and be widened
from Dingle's Mill bridge to Heuser
street ho aH to make its width not less
than Lin feet, from Hauser street to the
A. C. L. track leading to Darlington
not less than 15 feet wide.
The necessity for deepening and
widening the present central canal
is ?lue to the fact that lateral ditches
or canals are to be constructed as
hereafter recommended and the
hardening of the streets of Sumter
causing the water to How in more
rapidly than heretofore.
We recommend the following later?
al drains:
1. A lateral following the natural
drain through lands of Berry, Rey?
nolds and Brunsen to lands of C. L.
Tisdale, approximately two miles.
L*. Lateral following the natural
drain through lands of Berry, Rey?
nolds, Commander and Moses farm,
about 3-4 miles.
3. Lateral from canal at a point
where Graham and Richardson cor?
ner, east along Graham and Richard?
son lines through lands of Graham
to Pond? of Moses farm. Reardon and
Graham, lands of H. L. Tisdale, Dick
Kennedy and Gaham Moses, one
mile.
4. Lateral running eaHtwardly
through lands of Graham to point
where the Radical Road and the New
Rogsd intersect, thence through lands
of Dr. China and Tisdale, about t
1-2 miles.
5. Lateral on Graham place, about
1-2 mile.
6. Lateral on Graham place just
below Intersection of Hauser street.
.?astA'ard through Graham land to
lands of China, 1-2 mile.
7. Lateral from intersection of
Radical and New Roads, northeast
along New Road to lands of Gra?
ham. China, Purdy and others, one
mile.
8. Lateral running northeast along
Mayesville road to lands of China,
Graham, Ryttenberg, Boyle and
Purdy, 3-4 mile.
y. Lateral east along Calhoun
street road to Moses road, thence up
Moses road to lands of Levl and Zach
Walker, about one mile.
10. Lateral east along line of Lor
ing and Levi, thence north along lines
of Levl, LOling, Roach. Bland and
Belser, said ditch to follow a natural
drain about 1 1-4 miles.
11. Lateral starting at eanal cross?
ing of Turkey Creek and C. 8. & N.
railroad from Turkey Creek running
north on west side of C. 8, & N. rail?
road through lands of Lorlng, Roach
and Bland, ditch to follow natural
drain 3-4 mile.
II, Lateral running west from C. S.
& N. railroad at Loring southern line
towards Main street, about 1-2 mile.
13. Lateral running west along
Calhoun street, about 1-2 mile.
14. Lateral west, about midway be?
tween Calhoun and Liberty streets to
8. C. W. railway depot, about 1-4
mile.
15. Lateral running west along
Liberty street, 1-4 mile.
1?. Lateral west along Hauser
street, 1-4 mile.
17. Lateral west to lands of Perry
Mosel and Mcllwaine, 3-4 mile.
I nder the inquiry as to "Whether
It Will bencHt the public health or be
conductive to the general welfare of
the community," We beg to report:
In the Judgment of your board, the
proposed drainage would be decided?
ly beneficial to the public health of
the community, both within the pro?
posed drainage district, ami for some
distance beyond the same and espec?
ially to a large proportion of the In?
habitants of the city of Sumter.
Thai the same will not only be
conducive t<> he. 1th, but to the gen?
eral welfare ol the community by
enhancing the value of the property
within the borders and adjacent
t hereto,
And thai the same will be bene?
ficial of the public streets of Sumter
and several of the public highways
of the county.
'Hee third Inquiry of the act,
"Whether the Improvements propo
ed will benefit the lands i? u^l?t to he
benefltted: "We beg have in re?
port lhal in our lodgment no improve*1
menl could i>e made which would
more generali] enhance the values
of the land within I he holders of
the said district, doubling and in
some Instance* tripling the present
values for agricultural purposes.
Most of these lands are composed
of black rich alluvial soil and the im
prosed drainage proposed will no
doubt serve SB the inducement for
Building a Teacher's Profes?
sion in South Carolina.
Address Made at Conference for Common Good by Prof.
S. H. Edmunds, Supt. of Sumter Schools. _
If J had the ear of every South
Carolinian today 1 should say in
t? rnis unmistakable: Do you wish an
era of safe and sane progressiven***
In this State of ours? Do you wish
to raise our race, in the words of
Wade Hampton, "redeemed, regen?
erated, and disenthralled?" Place in
school every child that should he
there (and surely in this republic of
ours every child is entitled to a fair
chance in life,) place into every
school room a teacher in all respects
worthy, and make it worth their
while; not because the teachers of
our State are working for money or
for fame; but because, while making
lives for others, they are entitled to
at least a living; because they should
not be compelled to be meticulously
timid and apprehensive that a single
extra expenditure made necessary by a
laudable desire to meet the demands
of dignity or decorum may insure to
them a penniless old age.
This protest is not personal. I am
?peaking not in behalf of the individ?
ual; but for the, sake of a cause: 1
an? speaking in the name of justice
and in the hope of the school's fu?
ture welfare.
Have you no reason to fear that the
schools may suffer, because tho com
pensation is Inad?quat* to attract and
to hold the. most efficient? I believe
that there is no profession whose
members are more consecrated to dis?
interested service than the teachers of
South Carolina; but what right have
we to demand that they shall do the
missionary service of the world? What
right have we to deny to them the
blessings that may come from vol?
untary self-sacrifice ? What right
have we to constitute ourselves the
guardians of their consciences? And
finally, what right have we to offer
to them the choice of spending their
old age in poverty or becoming the
pensioners of another's bounty? Let
nothing decrease the spirit of disinter?
ested service; hut let the sacrifice be
voluntary. Pay them what is their
?lue and, if they suffer in old age.
they will have only themselves to
blame for their improvidence. The
mc-st hazardous policy that may be
pitr*U*d in the interests of the
schools is the attempt to declare a
financial dividend at the expense of
the pupils and of those who are giving
their very life's blood in their obe?
dience to the demands of duty and in
their devotion to the cause ol educa?
tion. If the real good of the schools
la desired make the compensation such
as to retain and attract those teach?
ers who In every way are worthy. If
we are ever to have in South Carolina
a profession of teaching worthy of
Ch* name, we must have as its follow?
ers those who will make the pro?
fession dignified by their own worth?
iness. Governor Folk of Missouri has
said: "No school is better than the
teacher makes it or worse than the
teacher permits it to become." On
the same occasion the president of
the Conference for Education in the
the tile drainage of these lands, which
so greatly increases the fertility In
the soil.
The fourth inquiry of the, act is:
"Whether or not all the lands which
are benefited are Included in the
proposed district."
Some lands outside of the border
of the proposed district will of course
be benefited, especially along that
portion of the eastern boundary line,
where the apex or beginning of the
slope towards Turkey Creek has been
located was not prominent, but m rely
on a level with the waters going the
other way towards Alligator Bay and
towards Mulberry Branch, but the
acreage which would receive some
benefit by reason of the drainage pro?
posed is of small area comparatively
and lies between the Moses public
road and a short distance beyond the
new public highway to Bhlloh, bene
ntting a width of from a few feet to
a few hundred yards beyond the bor
4 *$IIIUMHH
It would be difficult to establish a
drainage district that would not be
of some benefit to some small area be?
yond its border lines.
Roughly estimated, the cost of con?
structing the main canal and later?
al?! which we recommend, will be
about $20,000, or between lour and
five dollar* . ?r acre.
Should this preliminary report be
entertained by you. and should you
publish notice of a date when you
shall hear any objections which shall
he offered t?> this report of the Hoard
of Viewers, we will attend before you
and give such further information as
we ma) be aide to offer and explain
in detail
Respectfully!
(Sinned) A B. BTUCKBY,
W. A BOWMAN,
JOKKPH PALMER,
Civil Engineer, Board of Viewers '
South said. "When the country real
j izes its oblhjatlon to the teachers of
America, the least appreciated who
I serve society or the State, then Will
appear the Golden Age. The teacher.
; not the millionaire, is the hope of
j the State.'* Speaking for his com
I mittee President Johnson of Wln
j throp said at the recent meeting of
the National Educational Association:
"The dog-catcher of the city of Wash
Ington, P. C, the seat of our Gov?
ernment and supposed to be the centre
Of enlightenment in this country, re?
ceives a salary greater than the av?
erage of the grade teachers of that
city."
While the teachers are far from
being mercenary, we are certainly
forced to the conclusion that one
method of building a teachers* pro
f? BSlon in South Carolina is to make
the salary such as to dignirly the call?
ing by an adequate compensation.
Again, if teaching la ever to be
made; a profesalon in South Carolina
the standards requisite to becoming a
teacher should be made higher. As
long as anyone who finishes a well or?
dered high i chool can earn a first
grade certificate and thus become a
teacher in the fullest acceptation of
that word as required by the laws of
South Carolina; as long as these laws
prescribe an examination that ap?
peals to the memory of a few facts
and not to reason or mature judg
' ment, as long^ as there are as many
standards as there are County Boards
of Bducatlont so long will the teach
! ing profession of South Carolina be
I
( but B name and membership therein
Will confer little honor or distinction.
As long as this condition exists we
have no right to expect that deferen?
tial esteem which teaching in the
abstract demands.
What Is tbe remedy? What is the
specific cure for this particular 111?
Let this Conference place itself on
record as favoring a Central Board of
Examiners, whose duty it will be to
give stub examinations as will test
not only the scholarship, but also the
reasoning ability and maturity of
judgment of the applicant; whose duty
it will be to standardize the requisites
for admission into the teachers call
I ing; and finally whose duty it will
be, while having a minimum require?
ment of scholarship in all applicants,
to arrange the examinations in such
a way as to test the peculiar aptitude
of the applicant for some special phase
of teaching.
Halse the standards of admission
into the profession, make it more diffi?
cult for one to become a teacher; hut,
after he has met the requirements,
do not humiliate him by compelling
him to stand another examination ev?
ery few years. What would S clergy?
man, a lawyer, or a physicia.i say, if
the sovereign State of South Caro?
lina should pass a law requiring the
members of these professions to
stand additional examinations every
two years? Why lower the dignity
, of the calling that we wish to make
a profession by making this demand
of teachers? There can be no real?
ization of the ideal of the profession
of teaching in South Carolina unless
definite measures are taken to elevate
the standards ant thus win the defer?
ential esteem of our fellow men.
Our distinguished State Superin?
tendent of Education and the mem?
bers of the State Board of Educa?
tion would welcome a Central Hoard
of Examiners; for they, perhaps more
, keenly than others, realize the great
'importance, of elevating the standards
of the profession of teaching and
this Board of Examiners would be a
Potent means to, a very much desir?
ed end.
If the salaries of the feat hers are
made adequate and if the admission
requirements are raised, there will re
suit thai other condition precedent to
jthe building of a teachers' profes?
sion in South Carolina?tenure of of
lice. It' one knows that he will have
to posses.; a definite and broad equip?
ment, before he Can become a teach?
er; if one knows that after he has
passed this test, he will receive a
?alary commensurate with his seal
and ability, he will enter this calling
with serious determination. Ttlii de 1
termination, with the equipment thai
Is Imperative, will make bun one to
he desired in any community so
mm h desired indeed thai the disti 1 I
will Itself provide his pla< a of real 1
deuce?and the teacher Know:, that
when he is employed It will he with
the hope that he ma> make this his
pertnancnf home lie at once becomes
a cltisen, etilen Into the life of the
community, and li keenls alive to all
of its Interests, He plan; deeply i , t'
broadly for the schools under his
charge and look:- fai Into the future.!
when he ho pea to see some of his
map; nh als t eallxed.
Gentlemen, J wish to say In all
t
earnestness that no community will
? vir have tho school that it should
have, no Khool will ever keep the
t? a. her that h ought t<> keep, no real
progress will ever he marie in build*
Ing a teachers' profession In south
Carolina until are make our standards
higher, pay the teachers adequate
salaries, and establish a tenure of of
lice thai Will insure to all of it: mem?
bers some degree of permanency and
stability.
If are shall awake from nur lethargy
and do our full duty in this matter,
we ?hall have reason to realize that,
while benefiting the teachers. we
shall receive a gerater benefit for
ourselves; for the salvation of any
State is a well trained teacher in ev?
ery school room and every child in
school. As in everything, ho in teach?
ing, nothing Is half so expensive an
inefficiency and, by securing a teach
er who is really efficient, we save not
only the time of our childdren but
also the wear and tear of their ner?
vous systems.
To make teaching a profession will
produce a worthy pride in its mem?
bership, will make one feel that to be?
come a teacher is in itself a distin?
guished honor and that he is eli?
gible only because of his equipment.
Hi will feel a loyalty towards his pro?
fession altogether commendable and
will know that only those who are
professional teachers need hope to
procure the positions of honor and
trust incident to his profession.
The teacher's lot will be a happy
one; for, in addition to the pride that
he will have in his profession, his
work will be altogether constructive,
every dollar that he may make will
confer a blessing upon others, every
soul that he may release from the
bondage of ignorance will be a star in
his crown of rejoicing.
If today this Conference may begin
to lay the foundation of the bidding
of a teachers' profession in South Car?
olina; if in the years to come a grate?
ful membership, rejoicing in the
glory that Is theirs, may look back to
this day and exclaim, "It was then
that wisdom decreed our emancipa?
tion;" if hereafter an educated citi?
zenship, glad in Its latent power, may
gratefully render the homage that an
intelligent and far-seeing breadth of
view may justly demand?this fact
alone will justify this gathering of
thoughtful citizens and will loudly
proclaim to all the world that this
Conference was not in vain.
Ill v I; l \ <. ON FATAL WRECK.
Kallroad Commission Sets August
21 for Inquiry into Derailment
Near Chester.
Columbia, Aug. 7.?Hearing for
August 21 on the wreck on the Lan?
caster & Chester railway, which oc?
curred several days ago at HoopeCs
creek, near Chester, was ordered yes?
terday at the meeting of the railroad
commission of South Carolina. .Ml
officials of the road and the train crew
were ordered to appear before the
commission.
"All interested parties have the
right appear before the commis?
sion and give testimony," said G. Me?
tallic Hampton, member of the cons?
ul issiei yesterday.
It was stated at the office >f the
railroad commission that reports on
the wreck had been prepared by two
members of the commission, but that
these would not be made public until
the hearing. "We have prepared re?
ports on the wreck and I will submit
mine at the hearing," said Commis?
sioner Hampton.
BOl'tiHT BY WINTHROP.
Tomato Club tilris Made a Big sale.
The State.
"I have closed a contract with Win?
throp college for 600 gallons of toma?
toes to be delivered in the fall," said
Miss Edith Parrott, Sti?te agent for
the girls' tomato club work, yester?
day ; who la in Columbia attending
the Conference for the Common
Good. The tomat ?es will be supplied
by the members of the girls 'tomato
clubs In South Carolina.
Announcement was made several
days ag ? 'hat Miss Parrott had sold
l,##6 gallons of tomatoes to Clem
son college. In the past the college
has secured the tomatoes from the
Western markets
Heal Estate Transfers.
T S Joys, et al. to Marie Telcher.
et al, lol on Salem avenue. f:t.O00.
John D Epperson to Mary A.
Dawes, et al. lots- on the W. C and
Augusta R K , at the Intersection of
llarvin and Divine streets, and lot
containing i> Til acres near city, $1 0<?
and other considerations.
Mary A. I'aw es, et al. to John D.
Epperson, homestead of late Mary A.
Epperson on East Liberty street. $1 <?
and other consideration.
w ii Epperson to Mars a Danes,
et al. his interest to lota as follow*
on W. c. ami a R K , lot at corner
of llarvin and Ihvine streets, and
tract of (.73 acres, $!.#? and other
consideration.
W H Epperson, et al to John l>.
Epperson, their Interest hi ihe Mary
\ Epperson homestead, *?'? eg and
of her consideration*