The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-12-24

three discreet free-holders in each
township in the several counties, re-
commended by tho representatives In
the Legislature and appointed by the
Governor. The cillco of county super
visor is created and made elective
every two years. Tho supervisor has
general jurisdiction over all public
highways, roads, bridges and ferries
over tho paupers and all matters re.
lating to taxes and disbursements OF
public funds for county purposes, and
invested with authority to administer
Oaths in matters appcrtatning 10. MS
Office. The supervisor: together With
the chairman Of the township boards
Of commissioners, constitute the coun-
ty board Of commissioners, with the
supervisor rs chairman OF the board.
From this board one mcmbcr is elected
as u member Of the State board OF
equalization. The supervisor and
chairman of tho township boards arc
required to lay off into convenient
sections roads, bridges and ferries,
and number them for the purpose of
letting out same to DO worked and
maintained by contract. ADVERTISE
mcnts are made for bids, which bids
must be submitted in writing. The
contract system is not made obligatory
upon tho county boards.
"Tho board having tried last year the
plan Of letting the working Of roads by
contract, have abandoned that system
and now work the roads under the
following provisions Of the State law.
The county board Of commissioners
have the right to omploy overseors to
supcrntCnd the working Of highways,
whether the contract system DC adopt
ed or not. A communication tax is
provided for which may be paid in
lieu of personal labor. Road over
seors are appointed by tho township
boards. The courts arc required to
sentence all ablo bodied male cOnvicts,
whose tormS arc not over Two years, TO
hard labor upon public works Of the
county in which conviction is had.
These convicts are organized into u
county chain gang, under the control
Of the supervisor, but arc not per-
mitted to be worked in connection
with or near u road contractor or over
seer. The communication tax provided
! for in this bill was -, but it was found
that many preferred to perform work
| instead Of paying, and in March, 1895,
! this tax was reduced to ST.. This re-
! duction met with approval aud is
found to be satisfactory us u source Of
revenue.
''lnasmuch as the contract system
was left discretionary with the county
board Of commissioners, and the system
was new, without rules Of prccedents
to guide in the details Of tho work,
very few Of the counties have adopted
it. In fact, Anderson county alone APP
pears to have fully adopted it and
taken the initiation in demonstrating,
unaided, that the Esystem is thor
ough and satisfactory in cost and in
giving the best roads the South has
ever had. The first supervisor, w. +.
SnclgrOvc, was elected two years ago,
and is again renOminatcu in the Demo
cratic primaries by au vnrwhclming
majority. IL is very sis niiicant that
almost all Of tic other Supervisors III
the State were defeated before the phi
marics.
From the very beginning Mr.. Sncl-
el owe has exhibited Il marked interest
IN this new road SYSTEM, aud in the
plans adopted by him has clearly
proven his fitness for this difficult posi-
ton. In Anderson County there are
seventeen townships. Up to this time
Mr.. SrcigrOVc has purchased for these
townships seven Steel Champion road
machines. which arc manufactured by
the American Road Machine Company,
Kcnnctt Square, Ia. The Sc ma
chimes were selected after careful
CoiI tSOH Will OiiIcI Siiulldf ma
chimes manufactured by others, and
they have given perfect satisfaction.
These machines shape, grade and
ditch, leaving smooth track slUping
from the centre TO tho SidC bitches,
forming Il kind Of watershed, which
prevents the standing OF water on the
r0aG-bed. 1t is found that each Cham
p on does the work Of about sixty hands.
The supervisor intends to put ~ Steel
Champion machine in each township
in the county in the course Of II year
or two. There is only one squad Of
cOnvicts in the county ut present, and
n the different ownships work has to
be performed by hired labor, but the
machines have gone over nearly the
whole county, cutting down the hills,
rounding up the roads in good shape,
and leaving them in " condition to be
easily finished.
at tho convict camp there arc
about thirty convicts. Tho camping
outfit is complete. There is suo-
atautial tent for the convicts is by 10
feet At night tho men arc placed
with their feet together, chained and
guarded. The tent for tho guards is
l. by II feet, and conveniently located
unique article, perhaps, Of this camp
built Of corrugated iron and placed on
wheels. This kitcnen is 7 by ~ feet,
with IL stove boitcd down securely.
1t is arranged inside with shelves,
tables and everything necessary for
cooking purposes. Ventilation is pro-
vidcd by means Of wire gauzo doors.
Two mules only are required to move
tnis kitchen from place to place.
Every thing has been working smooth
ly at the camp so far. No attempts to
escape have been made, but among the
necessities OF tho camp arc blood
hounds. Several of these dogs have
boon purchased and are a terror to the
convcts.
Tho task OF trans forming a mlllion
miles, or more, OF bad roads into good
oncs, IL task which involved the dis
rupti0n OF century old systems, the
development Of new lines OF legislation
in all the States Of the Union, and in
many even the changing their con-
stitutiCns, and which has threatened
TO require an expenditure running into
billions, has commonly been deemed
so vast and difficult as TO be utterly
hopeless but it suddenly appears that
h,, f,m ii hn bnl