Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-02
OUR PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
SENATOR BUTLER EXPLAINS THE LdW AND
SHOWS ITS DEFECTS.

EDGEFIELD, July 2O.-By Section 602 of
the General Statutes of South Carolina "the
connty commissioners elected in pursuance
O ,ection 49, Article ~ Of the Constitution
shall have Jurisdiction OverrOadS, highways,
ferries and bridges"
Section ,OS3 provides "that each town.
ship in the several counties of this State
shall constitute highway district, and it
shall be the duty Of the board of county
commissioners of each county, annually,
during the early portion Of each year, to ap-
point some suitable person superintendent of
highways for each highway district" &c.
Section 1854: "The superintendent of
highway districts shall divide the highways
in his district into suitable sections or dis
tricts of not less than two nor more than
tivemiles each, and he shall appoint an over
seer of roads for each of said sections or dis
tricts." "He shall divide persons liable to
road duty into convenient squads or compa-
each overseer," &C., &c. He shall require
the ovesseer to call out the hands assigned,
&C., &C., to Worl the roads, &C., whenever
he may deem it necessary, after twelve
hours notice, and shall require ''every road
hand to bring with him for use a hoe, axe,
mattock, spade or other tool for working on
the road or bridges" He shall determine
the number of days for each working and
the tools to be brought by each hand. Pro-
vided, "that not more than twelve days
work are required of any one hand in a
year." &c.
Section 1,OS6: "On any extraordinary oc-
casion, when any highway shall be sudden
ly obstructed by storm or otherwise so as to
require immediate labor to remove such OBJ
struction, it shall be the duty of the over
r. icfr crInI nhcf or
ours to proceed forthwith to have such OBJ
struction removed, and for this purpose shall
summon to his aid sufficient number of
workmen to open and repair such highway"
&C., &c. "And if any person should work
more days than is required by law he shall
receive dollar day from the county COM
missioners for such overplus of labor"
Section 1889: "All able-bodied male per-
sons, between the ages of 16 and 80 years,
shall be liable annually to work on the pub
lie highways and roads not less than three
nor more than twelve days under the direc-
ton of the overseer of the district in which
thew may reside" "The overseer shall
make out a list for the warner, and require
him to give notice what kind of tool each
person is to bring, and every employer is
required to give a list of the persons liable
to road duty in his employment" &C. In
CIldIlCSIOl ollO 1Oelo stSoN 40 oSo"NSih
IS and As, and the requirement is not less
than three nor more than six days work.
Section 1000: "Members of State and
county boards of examiners and school trus-
tees, members of the board of assessors for
the assessment of real estate for taxation;
teachers, students of schools and colleges
and ministers of the Gospel; millers en-
gagged in grist or merchant mills that are
kept open six days in each week guards,
keepers, employees and other officers Of lu-
natfc asylums and the warner for five days,
shall be exempt from road duty"
Section 1,O9l provides that "any person
having been notified or warned" "may
commute by paying one dollar per day for
each days work to the county treasurer OF
the county to be applied by the county COM
missioners, in the districts to which they
belong, to construction and REPAIRS" &C., &c.
And by Section 1902 ''overseers have au-
thority to cut down and make use Of any
timber, wood, earth or stone in or near the
road, for the purpose of repairing the same,
&C., excepting timber and shade trees re-
served by the owner" &c.
These are the general outlines of the road
law in this State, and may be said to be the
principal parts Of the machinery for work
ing the roads. Now, let us see where and