The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-11
i Far The. Anderson lnte1Ssgencer. 90
woRKTNG THE PUBLIC ROADS.

WORKING The FUDkAO NVA"o'
Mr. EDITOR: AS it is not long until road
working. ,e tinae ss viii attempt little comment
unon road.Working and the late road law. #
can 90 for whatit is worth, if you will give it
place in yonr valuable, columns. M
The present road law, I think, is great i'm
proxemant upon thelaw lastlin, operation, It
is moretangible, defines the duties and sets the
penalties Of all parties concerned ina more
practicatwa than did the former law, making
it the duty Of the County Commissioners to
lay of the County into highway districts,
without any expense Of surveying, suppose, J
and gives them latitude to make the districts
small or large, and appoints overseers to take
charge of the districts, one to- each district
tells the oyerseer just how he is to act in haV-
ing the roads worked; and fines him it ne does
not do it. ALSO, fines or imprisonss all able
bodied men who are liable to work the roads,
ifsthey. do not work, or fail TO- work according
to the directions of the 'overseer. The' only
objection T have to the present law is, it does
not allow any cotnpensation to overseers, and
their duties as laid down are arduous, and their
responsibilities pretty heavy. But, as l have
said, the law gives the County Commissioners is
considerable, latitude in laying off the road
districts, and in order to make it tolerable to
the oyerseels,i they can tighten their dnties by
Iaying off theYdistricts small enough to only
need 2one company Of woodworking hands to
each district, and to each overseer say about
three miles Of road, which would 'be in accord
anee with the law, though the law will allow
several road working companies to each dis
trict but does not allow but one oYerseer, which,
think, would make the duties and response;
bilities of the overseers too heavy to perform
without, compensation. But, if the. County
Commissioners will lay off the districts so it
will need but one company to work it, IL think
the overseers will have but little room.to com.
plain. 80 'fes' ''.''f' IN. - ~.
Well now, Mr.. Editor, what hindc.s us from
having good roads to travel on in our County ?
If the County Commissioners execute the law
as it now,stands We certainly can have pleasant
travelling, which + deem would be no lit little
boon. Travelling should always be g pleasure
even to the farmer taking his produce to. mar mar
ket And IT. would be SO sifs ;he5 had good
roads-ifi ihei;could carry q reasonable load
without killing his team, and without. being IN
c,nstant fear Of breaking his wagon OR being
compelled to whip, cut and slash in order to
get alonng: at all. why, sir, I have had some
little experience in that direction, and when !
could go on smoothly, in a. good humor, have
achaneeito take my eyes off the, road and my
team, look out upon the farms, see theiropera-
tions, the growing crops along the roadside, and
if I met sbasther. farmer or afriend, / was in
agood huimor, and in a mood to talk and ex-
change ideas. Why, sir, it was great pleas
ure to travel. # we had good roads when we
ride out ON a pleasure excursion, We would not not
be disappointed, and in lieu of pleasure have
iolts, tired limbs, buggy smashiups, cost OF re-
pairs, lame horses with bad humor and our
counteuances jerked out ofsah shape. But
givea,is good roads, and we will have real
pleasure in travelling, the farms i' and crops
growing would, interest US, the birds. would
sing sweetIy, the flowers would look pretty,
friends would be kind, and we would GO home
smiling, and our homes would smile on u.s.
Think you it would not raise the price OF our
lands two dollars per acreif we had good roads
in every part af1our County. Is believe it
would. Persons from a distance would natu-
rally suppose we were a refined people, and
would Be desirons Of moving into our County,
wonld purchase lands, thereby increase the
population, bring in cspisal, and help 70 de-
Velop our resources. In fact, Mr.. Editor, /
am persuaded to put the roads in a good per-
manent condition would be equal o'iany emil
grafton movement that could be put on foot
ir our County. $50 :, :. q 2 81 - ''' .'
AS I have said, all that is wanting to put the
roads in proper condition, is for the County
Commissioners to execute the law as it now
stands, and as it stood in the old law but they
have failed toexeeute it 'is.stood9 Theylaw,
past and present, said emphatically that those
who are liable to- work the roads should not
work less than three dsysteach year. Well, I
know whereof speak, and I know that some
road companies work only one day, and others
two and three days !. and also know that the
reads are now, and have been, in bad condi-
tion.. Yes, left in q bad condition, the road
hands running over it in one day, and leaving
il inc bad condition and it will always be so
while the County Commissioners allow the
road hands to work it in that manner. An
other bad result is, it giges rise to dissatisfac
ton among the road-worksrs: I have heard
many complaints against the County COMMITS
sioners on the score of inequality in road
working No set of hands will be satisfied to
worklthree or four days, knowing at the same
time that other companies get over their por-
Sion of the road in one or two days. 1t is a
bad system, resultsoin dissatisfaction and bad
roads, and the County Commissioners have the
remedy in their own hands, and hope they
will apply It tbs year, and see the result: LAY