The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-07-19
\ GOOD ROADS
Mn Sight At Last.
ChGpgang And Road Machine.

Last week will, or should be 9
memorable one in the history o.
Union County. In years to come
when our county shall be trans,
formed from what will then be deemed
a wilderness, into a garden, the
second week in July 1895 will be
looked back on as the birth day OF
good roads-the Inauguration of the
changing system and the use of the
road machine. Nobody has ever
doubted the civilizing and christiani-
zing influence of good roads nor has
the efficacy and utility of convict Ia
Dor ever been doubted, but somehow
or other, probably by reason of the
law of inertia, or the disposition to
do like we have been doing, we have
waited until now TO 10 that which
ought to have been done long ago.
We have only four convicts now,
all negroes. They are carried out
early in the morning, worked all day
and brought back to the Jail at night.
Their shackles are never taken off of
them, not even at night. 1t is shock
ing to see human beings chained,
with shackles and handouts, but the
object of the inffiction of the penalty
is to punish the offender and at the
same time prevent others from COM
mitting the offense, and surely the
chaingpng system is more efiicacious
in either of these views than the old
method ofletting them lie in jail.
Il. A. Hancock is employed at
$500 per month to guard them. 1t
is quite probable that arrangements
will be made to work our prisoners
and the prisoners of Laurens County
together and divide the time.
The road machine was worked sew
eral days last week but did not have
. fair test w Thursday, when one
mile . Of road setaslspSa psSSaaahHtEea. vas
road was bad, but ten hours work
put it in almost as good condition as
a street. Hers is the cost itemized,
one mile of road worked in ten hours:
6 mules @ Toe $3.50
2 drivers $3.50
l operator $l.5O
guard for convicts 10.
3 convicts @ 40c s1.2O
l water boy .25c
Total S9.65
Supervisor Scott is very much
pleased with the result. The day
was hot, the ground was hard, one of
the convicts was sick and unable to
work and neither the hands nor the
mules had become accustomed to the
work. The result however was very
encouraging. 1t is estimated that 1t
would have cost $50. or $25. to put
the same piece trroad in it's present
condition without the use of the
machine. The machine is made al
most entirely of iron, and would
look much like a large wagon but for
the two wheels, used to guide the
scraper which is attached underneath.
AS it stands however, ap.yintelligent
man might we'll be3afdoned for ask
ing the questioHp~what is it, if he
had neveS,seen one before. 1t cost
$3.50, His may look like big money
tabMy out for a machine, but if the
machine will accomplish what is
claimed for it, and the indications are
that it will, it is a very economical
outlay for the county. a machine
which will transform bad roads into
good roads for $40. per mile is worth
using.
The Republican State Executive
Committee met Mt Columbia Thurs
day night July II, and passed some
resolutions the purport of which may
be of interest as showing the attitude
of party weak here but strong in
other places-the arch enemy of
democratic principles.
They reaflirm their adherence to
the National Republican party, OF
course. They proceed:
Resoiyed 9 Tint while odhcr;np