The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
Good Roads for Low Cost.
Iutereat in the in nportant subieo,

Interest in the important subjeo, of
road Improvement is evidently
spreading aud deepening in thi.
State very fast, and the time is prob
ably not far distant now when our
towns aud villages will not be so many
islands surrounded, 80 to speak, by .
sea Of mud large part of the year, or
a sea of sand all the time, and having
free and easy Communication with each
other and the rect of the world only
over causew.ys Of orossties. Il ia
pie asaut and encouraging, therefore. to
note every effort that is made BY aoy
county or CON muoity 10 the movement
for better conditions, as it is safe to cay
that every mile Of good road that is
made any where insures another aud
another io shor, order, both because
of the virtue there always is in good
example, and of the discontent that is
bred 10 the most thoughtless and care
less minds by travelling on bad road,
OF section of bad road, after expert
eoce of travelling over a good one
.Improved" roads 10 spots meaus i'm
proved roads everywhere 10 the pear
future, and it is expedient. therefore,
to give the widest advertisement to the
.sspots' wherever they are developed.
Summerville affords the latest noted
instance OF suoh development. At the
meeting of the town council, few
nights ago. the intendaut reported that
"Messrs E. W WAGNER & Co. have
presented our town with. abou. forty
carloads of clay gravel subscribed for by
them and some Of our public spirited
citizens for the purpose of improving
the public roads Of Summerville," aud
added that the expense to the town Of
hauling and laying the material 10
place would coat only "abous four dol
lars per carload" 1t would be used.
be further said, to continue the length
Of good roads already begun, and the
purpose was 20 extend the clay gravel
system until it covered SummervilIe.
We cote the facts for the sake of the
excellent example they afford to ''pub
lie spirited citizens" everywhere-io
town aud country alike. Clay-gravel,
We suppose, is ..dirt cheap" wherever it
is to be found. and1the cest to the con
tributors should be little more than
that of hauling it to it's des.ioation
The cost to the town for distributing it
in place is only 81 carload. as noted,
aud carload would make good many
rods of good road out of as many Of
bad road. We should like to have
from cur correspondent at Summerville
q statement Of the total cost per yard,
or rod of road or street Improvement
by this meaus io Summerville for the
public spirited citizens and authorities
in the many other SANDY" towns and
villages in the State.
Ws do not miod saying that we do.
nos knos just what are the superior
merits of clay gravel to straight clay
for the Improvement of sandy roads and
streets, but it has been proved .has the
common clay is good enough for all
practicable purposes. making turn
pike of a aaad bed. and clay is to be
bad nearly every whore. Some Of the
towns whose streets sppear to have
been worked with plough ooly. and
some of the townships whose roads
present the same appearance should try
it on the Summerville cooperative
plan. The material costs little. re-
quires no other road machine than
cart with crack under the tailboard,
and its general application would save
the cost of the Improvement to the
community every few mouths. aud
make The middle and low country
vehicuiar paradise News and Courier.