The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-18
OUR PUBLIC
Practical Suggestions for their Ini-
"prOveInent -.- The Great Necessity
Tor Thorough Work.
Ectrqct from u Private Letter


Ertract from u Private Letter.
AS reader of the Press and Banner I have
noticed with pleasure your editorials upon
the necessity of improved public highways.
and although your remarks are intended
arc equally applicable to this4and the other
counties IN the upper portldA of the State,
where we have hills and daleHmud holes anu
clay. 1t may DC that in the more Southern
counties, where they have Il sandy soil and
level land they need no improvement save
an occasional causeway across a swamp. but
ccrtai My. in this Piedmont belt, "better
roads" IS the great want OF the country.
l have often remarked in private conversa-
ton in tho last few years, that If l wanted 10
mount another hobby, now that the Stock
Law was adopted, it would be a permanent
Gen. Butler took hold Of the MATTER Il year or
two ago | ventured to congratulate him upon
the stand he had taken upon this question:.
Kid hf |i Ts ! .ne 'h bit t of 1 Htse"f ihan f he c m;id
chaw." It may be that he came to that con-
clusion, but rather, | think, he found that the
general "at1airs OF the nation afforded too
much employment to permit him to work out
q plan.
1t is true, as a general rule, that most rcvo-
luliOns move slowly, and that our people
seem to be as much welded to these old roads.
and the old time method of Keeping them up,
as they were to the old fence law. | am salts
fed, however, that the more rejecting are
having their eyes gradually opened to the
truth, and that with proper effort a bettersyss-
TEN can be inaugurated. What Is needed is
to rouse public opinion to the Importance OF
the matter, :S you are doing, and TO formulate
q scheme. Your suggestions so far correspond
so entirely with the ideas that have occurred
to mc that l nave concluded we arc probably
on the right track and that 1t will be found SO
on sounding the public. / thought at one
time of submitting my views to the public
into the facts and figures as I wanted to do,
and therefore withheld them: AS Mr.. Petit
CRU said, Law is a Jealous MISTRESS ana al
though its rOtaricS, or many or them, pltch
ntO everything that comes along, they Scn-
orally have enough to do to attend to tho bus.
! mess contlded to them. But you, as Il news
paper man, and All educator OF public sentl-
ment, can well afford to go TO the very pot
tom Of the subject. I give y0l for what they
are worth such thoughts rs have suggested
themselves to me, and
1st. AS to the Improvement needed.
y road bed OF a certain or prescribed width,
elevated in the centre and Sl0ping to the sides
like IL water shed, with drain bitches on each
side to carry OF the water. This would avoid
mud holes and with the proper side slopes
! would require slight and perhaps only annual
repairs. If the rain runs OFT as 1t falls and
the drain bitches are Snt1icientand Win prop
or outlets to carry it off there would be far
less cutting from wagon wheels, and they
would dry more rapidly as there would be no
accumulation of water. The stiff clay Of this
country, in roads thus constructed. would be-
come hard and compact nine months out OF
the tW Give and cut far less in the winter sea-
son than our present flat road beds, where
the water is not drained of.
l think also our roads should not exceed q
certain grade. This would make 1t necessary
to re-locatc many, if not all on: preeent roads
in part. We no longer need to climb over
the tops of high hills OF the roads OF our fore
fathers, to took out for the smoke ascending
from some Indian Wigwam. The hollowS
outlets to go round the hills at easy grades,
instead OF going over them, and | don't know
that we even need the services OF county sur
veyOrs for this purpose, as u practical man
can determine by his naked eye the nesesSa.
the Surveyor. ~ greater difficulty to be en-
countcrcd and overcome will be the oppoSi-
ton of persons living on the present public
roads who will be left off the relocation. As
q practical question the opposition OF such
men will be an important factor In the prop
err location of our roads.
.. Now as to the mode by Which this I'M
pr0vcmcnt is to be effected.
l think it should be done by convict labor as
you suggest, and | believe 1t will be more Oil
GENTLY done by farming out the work to con-
tractors under a law prescribing their duties.
A tax would be necessary to pay for the work
and keeping it in repair, unless Il system OF toll
gates would accomplish the purpose, ana be-
licvc the average Democrat would kick against
such an innovation, and indeed tolls would
perhaps do no more than keep up the ncccss;l-
~ repairs.
As already intimatcd I have not gone into
! inc figures OF SltSllStlcS anu llcftlS tilIcW wv
these crude suggestions or hints for you to di-
gcst and to accept or reject us our more ma
! turCd views shall determine.
l lave very little faith in our County Com
misSioncrs as ut present constituted to super
wise and accomplish such Il work. They would
always keep one car open to the suggestions
and objections of ncighbors, along the line OF
road, and to the caviling public, and entertain
the chances of reelection as 4 taet0r OF the
work. 1t would he better perhaps If we had
but one commissioning appointed by the Cover
nor, or at least require the Board to hire out
the work unde a law prescribing the duties OF
the contractor.
Bat l have spun out my letter to such a
length that I will not attempt to elaborate
these views. In sitting down to write, my sole
purpose was to applaud you for your efforts in
this direction, and to give you such encourage
mcnt as Il single private citizen might offer.
You are on the right track and go ahead. The
man who inauguratcs q system OF better pub
lie roads will be - public bencfactor. | think
you have taken hold Of q subject of more i'm
%pOrtance than any other You could discuss and
my sole purpose is to urge you to keep up the
discussion until the public is brought round to
your views, and something practical Is done.