The Easley messenger. (Easley, S.C.) 1883-1891, 1883-11-02
for the Messenger.
Public Roads.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. !

OH roads; I have some experience, as
/ have had something to do with the
public roads for nearly twenty-five
years, and have kept up one or two
miles Of private ones for the same
length Of time, and cOntentl it is the
next thing to- an impossibility to do
without them. No sirs If YOU are
going TO compel me to help keep the
public roads in passable condition
without them, or Macadamizing,
think am ready to emmigrate at once.
And why? My recollection is that we
have an annual rain fall OF about 80
inches. Half Of this frequently falls
III two or three of the winter or early
spring months. Now our wagon
wheels are about feet apart. Hun
dreds Of people, for the sake Of econo-
my, go to market immediately after an
all-day's rain, with a three-horse load
on a two-horse wagon. This heavy
load OH narrow tire drive them to the
axle, so that it matters not how much
the road is raised in the middle, no
more water ever getsacross those rtlts.
but stands between or in them. Let
some OF you who are fond of figures
tell us how much water will fall on a
piece OF road half mile long and 5
feet wide with column of water Is
inches high, on each square inch. Sup
pose this Is a hill half a mile long and
elevated, at an angle Of almost 45 de-
grees, we will have ruCs washed and
worn out that are almost bottomless,
Sometimes we scarcely see the Sun for
twenty days. the mud still remains,
and you had just as we'll fill these ruts
with water or snow as to fill them with
mud.
You never can get me to acknowl-
edge the man who advocates the work
ing OF roads without turn-outs, as my
Solomon on this question. We have !,
great many Of these turnoutS that are
dreadful; they are too high, sharp.
and are not across the roads at the
proper angle /; they ought, where it is
possible, run the water each way from
the middle Of the road, and be built OF
timber. You had just about as well
expect snow to stand against the wag-
on wheel as to expect dirt to in wet
wcathev. I know these turn-outs or
breaks are awfully cursed by such fel-
lows us are fond Of driving at break
neck speed, and who can not brook the
idea Of being stopped in their wild ca
reer for moment. They are wise
enough to require no moro time for
pausing to reflect; they sometimes
cause the girls to get an awful jolt too.
Well, | am sorry for them, until they
learn better what sort Of boy to
choose to drive for them.
TO stop jesting, this is question Of
vital Importance, and we ought to have
ir handled by the clearest heads among
us: Some of our people spend almost
half OF their time on the roads for
instance, preachers, doctors, mail car
riers, etc. If the roads were better
they would be used still more. It
would increase almost.ever branch Of
business, from Church-going to going
q courting. / believe the public has
determined (and If it has not it ought
to have better roads ut all hazards.
even If it has to take the hats off our
heads, with all the tobacco and boxes,
whisky barrels and jugs, to fill up the
mud-holes and gullies. We must have
better roads else the law will be
changed, and l don't know what might
happen. Keep this subject before the
DeODle son all OcoasioOc ond on,,,o