The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-06-24
THE NEW ROAD SYSTEM.

eIauIo eppoSitlou auooS es1
but this finally died out, and after careful
consideration it was found to be a good
law. By this means the County was
given somewhat of a start owe the other
Counties, and the seed planted years
age is now beginning to bear fine fruit.
Supervisor Snelgrove took in the situa-
ton and has gone TO work in earnest to
givethe people the best road system that
they have ever enjoyed. The system
thus far has given entire and perfect sat-
isfactlon, and all the main thoroughfares
in the County are being put In such con-
dition that the farming class especially
find it more of q pleasure than anything
else to travel around more than ever be.
fore. Mr.. Snelgrove talks very interest
ingly of the work 30 far accomplished,
and it is a matter of importance to the
whole County to know what is being done
in this direction. In speaking of this he
says:
1--WE have only n squad of convicts
in the County, 80, of course, in the dif-
ferent townships the work has to bedone
with q small amount of hired labor. The
road machines have gone over nearly the
whole County and rounded up the public
highways in good shape. AS far as Dos
si6le we will work out from the . in
sill directions, cutting down the Mills,
blasting out the rock that cannot be taken
up with the machine, and eventually by
changing the location of the roads in
come places will get a number one sys-
tenn.
This year we will collect in commu-
tation tax about Sc 500 in Anderson Couu-
ty. The tax is Sl.OO, and we find that
this car be collected better than where it
is twice that amount. This feature will
prove a blessing in this County. At our
camp we have % convIcts, but this num-
Der will probably be increased after the
prisoners at last weeks court are sem
fenced. The camping outfit is complete.
There is q substantial ent for the con-
victs is by 40feet. At night the men are
placed with their feet together chained
and guarded. The tent for the guards j.
- by IA feet. BY far the BEST arrange
ment is the portable kitchen built of cor
rigate6 iron and placed on wheels so that
1t is very easy matter to have it moved.
The kitchen is 7 by IL feet, with a stove
bolted down securely, and the car is ar
ranged with shelves, tables, and every
thing necessary TOR cooking purposes
Ventilation is provided by means of wire
gauze doors. Two mules can easily car
~ this to any place desired. :.
"We have six mules at this camp, all
of which are used to pull the machine
when at work. at some of the townships
we have oxen. as it was cheaper 10 buy
them and our amount was rather short.
The oxen do first class work, but of
course not as much as what mules can do.
When we go to move the camp from one
location to another, two mules pull the
kitchen, two carly the machine and the
others bring the wagon loaded with the
tents and small articles. Everything
works smoothly and we have no trouble
in controlling the men. Since Christmas
we have purchased ~blocdhounds aud
none of the convicts have attempted to
escape. These dogs are q necessity at a
convict camp and are a terror to the pris-
oners.
ave have no extra help than is abso-
lutely necessary at our convict camp.
Three men are employ ed. One runs the
machine, while the others do guard duty
and superintend the work. All three of
them guard the men while at work. If
we weregworking the same number of
free laborers the services of three men
would be required. II can be seen that
there Is no useless expenditures, while at
the same time we can get a great deal
more work out OF. the convicts than we
could from free laborers.
"Ihe machine used in this County Is
the Steel Champion, manufactured by
the American Road Machine Company.
There are seven in the County, one ID
connection with the camp and nj ma
chine to every two townships. These
machines have given entire satisfaction.
Before we purchased any we first saw the
work done by the same machine here in
the city, and after careful investigation
of other makes we decided to purchase
Champion 8. There is mo way that I know
Of that the roads can be worked better
than with the road machines, especially
If that machine be Champion. The work
can be done much better and cheaper
than without them.
The story Is told of a una who always
bought his axe handles in the rough, as
1t was cheaper to wear them smooth with
his hands than to have them sandpapered.
Much the same idea OF economy seems to
govern the construction and repair of q
large part OF. the roads in this country !;
they are made in the rough, SO to speak,
to be worn smooth by traffic. This plan
may have its advantages, but they are
not apparent to those who are Obliged to
jolt owe the rough and unrolled surface
of a newly made road. The road ma
chine has the advantage of doing away
with all this rough and almost impassi.
BILE part of the roads, and the work is
left a. smooth as can possibly be found.
The task Of trans orming y million
miles, or more, of bad roads into good
ones, a task which involved the disrup-
ton of century old systems, the develop
ment Of new lines of legislation in all the
States of the Uniob, and in many eYen
the changing their constitutions, and
which has threatened to require an ex-
panditure running into billions, has com.
moaly been deemed so vast and diff. nit
as to be utterly hopeless; but 1t suddenly
appears that the Jew good citizens who
have had the courage TO attempt it here
and there, have reasoD to be astonished
at their W success. Not only have the
ways and means been found without OPP
oppression to the taxpayer, but the &C.
tual cost of good rad making has been
brought tar below the early estimates.
Sixteen States have passed new road
laws, more or less radical in their pature,
and one has amended its constitution to
permit the adoption Of such laws. Many
hundreds of miles of good roads have al
ready been built, in localities widely sep
arated, under varying conditions and
through various methods Of administra-
ton, finance and construction. In the
South more especially the question Of
better roads has been thoroughly dis
cussed, and active steps have been taken
TO have the plans carried out.
To get some idea of the work accom-
plished in Anderson County in the last
six months, a representative of the In
TELLIGENCER visited the convict camp
last week and made a personal inspec-
ton. The road leading from the city to
Earle'J Bridge, on Seneca River, has
been made as smooth almost as q glass,
and in every place where it was found
possible &c do so the route was changed
IN order to get around the long and steep
bills. Every farmer who has any haul
ing to do in winter when the roads are
muddy knows what it is for a team to
pull a load up a steep hill. The hills,
where it was impossible to get around,
were dug down to some extent, and the
road widened all olong.
Other thoroughfares leading to Ander-
son have been put into fine condition. In
the various townships the work has been
somewhat limited, but in every case it
has been we'll done and shows splendid
results. The township feature, as it is
now worked in this county, is done with
hired labor. An overseer is employed,
toSether with as many men as are neces-
sary, and he is responsible to the Super
visor for good service. This can be
worked just as we'll II not better with the
Communication tax, and through the Coun-
" it has been q very easy matter to COL
Iect the one dollar where it was almost