Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-19
THE COUNTY CHAINGANG.

n EepOltoi loi 1hE cNSoAN'SAs "e''
from Newport to Ebenezer last Sat
urday, on a bicycle, over the roao
on which the chaingang has been EN-
ployed for the past few months. His
object was to see the work that hac
been done and get a general idea ss tt
what is being accomplished by the
county road plant.
The chaingang has been employed
on the section of road mentioned since
about the 1st of February. Up to the
9TH instant, its labors were confined tc
grading-cutting down hills, filling ir
hollows, throwing up the centre, and
rolling the roadbed. Since the 7tt
instant, the crusher plant has been al
work, and the gang has been putting
down macadam.
The grading work referred to ex
tends over distance of about three
and a-half miles, most of which is
comparatively level, though severa
pretty heavy hills are included. Along
the work there are two or three cuts
from four to six feet deep, and at least
two fills which are as many feet ir
height. Where the road was compar
atively level, the work includes the
digging of bitches on either side when
necessary, and the throwing up of the
centre and afterward neatly rounding
the bed with a roller. Owing to the
wet weather during the progress O.
this work and since, the road bed is
now considerably cut up, of course
but, all the same, it can be Travelled
with more or less comfort the whole
distance on a bicycle, and with similar
ease by other vehicles.
At the time of the reporters visit
the crusher plant was located on 8
small run a few hundred yards west
of Ebenezer church. 1t had been
there since the 7th instant, and during
that time a strip of macadam from five
to eight inches thick, and eight to ter
feet wide, had been put down for
distance of about 700 yards. Super
intendent Gordon was absent on bust
hess in Rock Hill at the time of the
reporters visit; but according to the
estimate of Guard Whitner, who had
charge, the crushed rock was being
spread along the road at the rate ot
somewhere between rs and 100 yards
a day.
The county road plant now consists
of a 12-horse engine, a crusher and
separator, six mules, two wagons and
two carts, II convicts, and an abun-
dance of picks, shovels and other tools.
The convict gang, taken altogether,
consists of strong, ablebodied Negroes,
including at least half dozen TRUSTEES,
and is we'll organized. Such of the
convicts as have to be kept under
guard, are employed about the crusher,
some breaking the larger stones, some
loading wheelbarrows, others rolling
to the crusher, and still others feeding
the machine. The loading Of the
crushed rock on the wagons and carts
is done directly from the bins of the
separator, through conveniently ar
ranged chutes, and the two wagons
and two carts seem to be easily equal
to the task of keeping up with the
output of the crusher and spreading
down the same even for distance OF
a mile or more.
The crushed rock comes out of the
different bins in three sizes. The
largest size is being put down first, then
the next large size, and then the
smaller, which is really for the most
part a fine powder. The first and sec
ond sizes ure packed down firmly be-
fore the third is put on. Up to Satur-
day, none of the macadam work had
received the finishing touches; but
there seemed to be every reason to be-
lieve that when it was completed, it