The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-14
For the Anderson lnteligencer.
PENpIEroN, April s, 1S7


FRIEND HoYT: I am pleased to see you
have in the last L,telHgepcer published "An
Act to provide for the construction and the
keeping in repair of public highways and
roads," 1t is the first time have ever seen the
Act, and, judging from the operations of the
so-called Commissioners, it may be the first
time that most of them have seen it. see it
was to take effect Immediately" after its pas
sage, which was on the first of March, 1871 (;
but the effect SO far has been scarcely visible.
The roads in many sections are only unpleas-
antly passable- bridges in dilapidated state,
many of them down and impossible. I have
not been "much about" nor have the Commis-
sioners, it is presumed, and only speak of the
condition of our own Township" Il ask your
pardon for using the term, the township law
now almost or quite defunct,) which l have
partially passed over. On the Three-and-
Twenty Mile Greek, know of no bridge from
Deep Creek, near its mouth, to Passmore's,
above Major Simpsons, some twelve or fifteen
miles, with some four or five public roads cross
ing it through this gap. On the main road
leading from Pendleton to Anderson, the "Poor
House" bridge has been gone for several years.
At this point, (the railroad crossing,) good
ford may, with but little labor, be made; but
the road has been abandoned by the road
workers, and is but little used except by per-
sons living south of the creek in passing to and
from Pendleton. No bridge is necessary at
that point now, the Factory road being trav-
eled altogether in passing to and from Anderson
and intermediate points. On this road, at the
old factory mill, there should be built good
and substantial bridge. None of your hem
COOP trestles, as is too common. by bridge con-
tractors, but one that will stand for years.
This may be done at no great expense, by
widening and raising the present stone abut-
Notwithstanding it out to the upper corner OF
the mill-house-raising slight abutment on
the opposite side of the creek, from which
bridge not more than fifty or sixty feet may be
thrown across, some FIVE or six feet higher than
the old bridge was-for there soos BRIDGE
private one, think, once at this point; but it
has long since "gone up" or rather gone down.
The stone abutment yet remaining, with the
large amount of stone now at the place, recent
" washed down from wing of the broken
dam above, will considerably lessen the labor
and expense of the abutment to new bridge.
In building bridges the customary rule is to
let it out to the lowest bidder-a very bad rule,
we think, in most instances, especially when
Commissioners happen to be so soft and ac-
commodating as to receive the work when
done, no matter how badly performed. 1t is
not our business, Mr.. Editor, to say to the Com
missioners who should be employed to do this
work, only that they should employ compe-
tent man, and one interested in its being well
done. In this have no doubt they will fully
agree with me, and will here state that it is
believed that Mr.. Perry, right at the place, and
more interested in having good and substan-
tial structure than any other individual in the
county, would do the work better, and probably
as cheap, as any other contractor would. He
has efficient workmen and a force sufficient to
accomplish the work in short time. This
work is much needed, the ford at the place be-
ing so much blocked up by rock from the
broken dam above as to be almost impossible
by carriages. The creek is now, at this writing
past fording, which is the third time within
two or three weeks. It is a long stream, and
when it gets up remains so for some two, three
or four days, as was the case after the last two
freshets, to the great annoyance and hindrance
of would-be passengers. s5s
Then again, Mr.. Editor, we Of Old Pendleton
have another annoying grievance to lay before
the Commissioners, and this is one of the strong
points that calls US out. On the road leading
from this place to MaxwelPs bridge, and thence
on to upper Georgia, and also to Cherry's Fer
ry and Walhalla, one bridge is down, "as fiat
IS founder" EVEN dangerous for footmen to
pass oyer-so much 80 that we heard one gen.
tleman, the other day, cautioning his neighbor
who occasionally takes on as freight too much