The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-28
SARGE PLUNKETT.
The Old Man Lingers Along With tho Road
Workers.
Atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
Smoke is on the mountain, the birds
sing sweet and the sun shines bright,
but the hickory buds are belated and
I'm afraid she is not here-spring, l
mean.
This morning down in the field |
watched the dogs race with rabbit
and saw them roll and tumble in the
plowed ground as they ran over him
and got turned back only in time to
see him scoot into the briars at g
little branch to one side. The boys
stopped their plows and yelled in such
manner as to cali back the spring
mornings Of years long agone, but [
am scared to count on such signs. A
better sign I thought I had at noon
to-day, as I watched Brown saunter
along up the spring branch with his
hoe on his shoulder. He fingered on
the little fence just back Of the house
long enough to leisurely bite Of his
finger nails before he started for his
seat on the back porch, where he
always stops to pull off his shoes in
warm weather. When I saw him frail
his socks against post as is his way
during work time, I was almost ready
to think that spring was here, but the
summer grin was lacking on his face
and for that I shall watch before l
announce that ssshe is here"
/ fingered along with the road work
ers yesterday. Road working is
another sign of spring--of course they
will wait till pretty weather and a
busy time to warn hands to tie roads.
The matter of working the public
roads has grown to be much-talked
Of "problem.' To see what a scanty
force is in attendance at these road
workings is discouraging to the few
who must work, and removes all cause
for a surprise at the bad condition Of
public roads as one travels along
them. Under some spreading tree
|: along with these road workers is the
place to find the correct way of doing
most anything you may name. The
average road worker has plenty of
time to study and discuss any "prob-
lem" that may come up. On the
green grass under tree along the
road they are supposed to be- working
is the best place I have ever seen to
get opinions on road working. They
are all opposed to the present system,
but hardly two agree as to just how it
is to be remedied. Most all are in
favor Of turning the chain-gang to
advantage in this way, but many disa-
rreements come Up about their man
apement and of the moral effect upon
the criminally disposed class. Some
say that the most Of these criminals,
if worked on the public roads:in their
own counties, would have no horror Of
being convicted, and that a younger
set becoming familiar with the gangs
along the roads would be ready to
embrace it at the first opportunity.
The expense to taxpayers and the
insecurity of keeping the worst crimi-
malls. is another question with these
road workers. One suggestion, I had
never heard before, was to build good
roads and charge toll. The advocate
Of this plan stated as his position that
the State should build good thirty
feet roads-one- half macadamized, the
other dirt, side by side, but so built
that vehicles could not change from
one to the other except at stated
places. At these places there should
be q toll gate and a "nickel in the
slot" for fare should be collected if
the macadamized side was used. Of
course, in good weather there would
be no collections, as every one would
travel the dirt road, but in bad wealth
er, on the other hand, every one would
pay the toll and take the solid road.
A toll gate every FIVE miles under this
plan would not be extravagant and
would pay all the expenses of the
chain-gang system. 1t is the opinion
Of this advocate that there will be no
grumbling OH charges, as every one
would rather pay for a good road than
to pull stock on bad road. l think
it would be mighty hard to keep peo-
pie from grumbling, and 1 know not
what would be the best plan, but that
the present system of working public
roads is unsatisfactory. One only has
to inger along with the road workers
to be convinced.
Some are already planting corn in
our settlement and to judge by what
you hear there will be a large acreage
planted and small acreage of cotton,
but it is hard to tell how this will be,
as "talk" is not sustained in many
instances. 1t is hard to make many
farmers believe that there is any more
cotton made in these years than in
years long ago. These argue that it is
inst the bales made smaller now than
formerly. It is fact, they say, that
200 pounds is the average bale now,
| where it used to be 500, and that the
| men who fix up the statistics give nc
credit for this deficiency. The truth
| is, that with all the talk every year
about this time, the farmers put in
about all the cotton they can handle,
and . further truth is that when you