The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-28
GOOD ROADS.
Essay Read by Judge II. f.. Hill Be-
FORE the AbbeviIle County Alliance
July I6-Need for Good Roads and
How 70 Get Them.

HOW 10 UcG lhcINs
The question Of good roads is occupying s
prominence 10 the minds OF our people at TIT
present time far In excess OF anything OF the
Kind heretofore existing. and the increasing
Interest everywhere manifested In this I'M
portant matter IS having a far more wide
spread effect and is OF much deeper sign,1
canoe than anyone who has not given the
matter special Consideration would suppose.
Within the last few years 1t has begun to De
realized that the question OF good railroads
and good dirt roads Is to be a prominent FAC
tor in the prosperity Of this Southern country
and the owners OF the different railway sys'
TENS, acting Upon this conviction, have gone
to work In q way which Indicates that before
a great while, If not already, we Will nave al
finely constructed and as fully equipped rail-
ways as can be- found in any country.
THE IAN WAKING UP.
While it Is to be regretted that similar
progress has not been made In the way Of
improving our dirt roads, still our people
have begun to move In the right direction
and we may confidently look for q radica
improvement In the near future In the meth
dds Of road. working In this country:
Owing to the vast extent OF our pubic hlgn'
ways. the spsrseness OF populatlon, tne Poo
bility 10 bear the requisite tax, we cannon
hope for many years to come. TO have suct
magnificent roads as they have IN oIoel
many and France, but the time has come
when we should begin to lay the foundation
which will ultimately eliminate In ina re-
suit.
without the expenditure Of money, and even
TO make but @ small beginning In that direc
ton involves q considerable outlay OF money,
as whatever is done on that line should De
we'll done.
HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY.
The question then Ia, How can the needed
funds be raised without imposing too heavy
a burden on the tax-payers OF the country.
what in my Judgment would be the bes'
methods OF working the public roads IN 40
beville county and the most practlcaole
mode-the least burdensome to our people
this Important work, l would say In the first
place, that my idea ls hat there should De q
fund Of at least $4,000 raised In said county
annually. to be expended on the roads and
road and bridge fund, and TO be used for nc
This fund / believe 1t Is possible to raise
without Its being materially felt by the tax,
payers of the County and certainly without
making the tax levy for County purposes ex-
ceeu 8 mills. which is about what 1t has been
for several years past.
THE CITIZENS CONTRIBUTIONS
How propose TO do this will be seen from
what Immediately follows.
The total taxable property OF AoDeville
County, according TO the recent assessment H.
In round numbers, 81 GOO. 600. A levy Of ]
mill on this will raise $3.50. Then, there are
about 5000 persons in this county liable to
road duty, and Judging from the past, at least
three. fourths OF these will pay the one onIiaI
Communication tax rather than work. Ihls
will raise S.
TO PAY ACCORDING TO USE.
Az another means of raising this proposed
fund I would impose q license tax on all wa2
ons, carriages and other vehicles used on the
public high ways-say. for a ~four.horse wagon
81: q %two-horse wagon, so cents; carts and
other ~two-wheeled vehicles, Is cents-Whlcn
will raise not less han 81, 600. (ds from the tax
duplicates l find there are 3.2U such venlcles
owned and used IN this county, we thus
$1,000.
The County Treasurer could be furnished
with tin tags with the denomination apd year
stamped thereon, who. upon the eppllea.io
and the payment OF the tax, would denver 70
the party the required tag TO be securely ias.
tened on such vehicles and ne owner OF any
wagon, carriage or other venice llaole 70 seSn
license tax using or suffering TO be used Inc
same without the required license tag being
fastened thereon should be liable 10 punish
ment as for q misdemaanor.
Having thus provided for what may be oy
considered a pretty large sum for such a
purpose, | shall now proceed TO give you my
Ideas as 10 the most advantageous way 10 use
the same, the object being TO get the most ont
of 1t In the way Of good roads.
A USE FOR ROCKS.
The County having already as many scra-
pers and mules TO operate them az are
needed, I should out Of this $1,000 fu1d pnr.
chase, TO begin with, one Improved rocR
view TO beginning the work Of Macadamizing
those portions OF our roads thai become, ID q
manner, impossible in the winter months;
also construct and keep In repair Inc prlogesi
pay for all needed labor: feed the mules, &c.
The next year I should do the same thing
and keep on until l hxd al least a bali dozeI
rock crushers and engines, II so many could
be used ad vantageously on the roads.
ALL HANDS BUSY.
There being some 5000 persons In this County
liable to road duty, those who failed TO pay
the Communication tax. which number, Judging
from the past, would be from !OW to lNO
should be required to work on the roads I'm
by law, or assist In hauling rock and deposit
ing the same along the roadside, preparatory
to being crushed.
Then. as all convicis whose sentences are
for terms less than three years are sent 10 IN,
cbsingang, we can safely est mate the average
number who will be assigned TO such duty a
not less than fifteen, and as these. while q
work, have to be kept In q somewhat com
pact body In order to guard against escapes,
should have this force 10 spread the broker
stones on the roads.
BY means OF the road machines, supple
mented by such work as can be done by thos'
who preferred to work to paying the commu
tation tax, the roads might be kept In YER.
fair condition from about the first OF April u
the first of November-providtd SOUND, prac
tical Judgment In the matter OF road.work
ing be exercised by those In charge OF ines
machines.
chimes should be housed and not USED agar
until the following April. During this time
the hands and mules that had been employed
lp operating said machines should be EN-
ployed In collecting and hauling up. rock ano
depositing the same on the roadsides, read.
TO be crushed.
SYSTEMATIC PERSEVERANCE.
Az IL will take q good while before even an
consid cradle portion OF what are considered
very bad places In our roads can be Macad
amized, Judgment should be exercised In the
seJection OF the places to begin with-an ey'
being had 10 the proximity and accessibility
or the stones, the amount OF travel over or puo
licity of the road, etc-the most public thor
oughfares being selected upon which 10 beglr
these permanent improvements, In order u
az widely as possible advertise the advantage
of q good road.
THE INEVITABLE IMPROVEMENT.
There Ia another matter which am salts
fled would contribute no little toward solving
this question Of how to have good roads anc
that ia the matter Of wagon tires.
am fully persuaded that II our farn
wagons were made with tires OF not less thar
four inches in width and with the front aXlt
49, r4as 1ra on that n