The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-11

uuIllOI VI ollCStNldIu.
Most of the paragraphs above have
been condensed from "Highway Con-
struction," by A. II. Byrnc, and from
the Encyclopedia Britannica. They
would have been quoted outright had
space permitted.
In .he United States the road ques-
ton came into prominence at a very
carly date. AT the beginning of the
present century Congress sci aside a
certain part of the proceeds of the
sale of public lands to road building.
The ninth Congrrss passed an act pro
viding for the construction of the
"~Cumbcrland road" from CuTber.
land, Maryland, into Ohio, and from
1910 to 1916 appropriations were made
Tor continuing This work amounting to
$3.50 900 and $50 miles were built.
In 1917 John G.. Calhoun introduced
a measure in Congress providing that
the bcuus and dividends received by
the United States from its newly char
tered national bank be set aside for
roads and canals, amounting to about
$6oO,OOO per year. In support of this
MIR. Calhoun said in part "The man
ncr in which facility and cheapnrss of
intercourse add to the wealth of a
nation has been SO often and ably dis
cusscd by writers OF political economy
that | presume the house to be per.
tcctly acquainted with the subject. 1t
is sufficient to observe that every
branch of national industry-agricul.
lure, manufacturing and commercial
Is STIMULATED II rendered by it more
productive. The result is to diffusc
universal %opulcncc. 1t gives to the
interior the advantages possessed by
the ports most eligibly situated for
trade. IL makes the country price,
whether in the sale Of the raw pro-
d'lct or In the purchase Of the articles
Tor consumption, approximate to that
OF tne conimerc1at~ tow6s. iii fact if
we lo2k-in into the nature of wealtl, we
lMnFthat nothing can be more favor
able to its growth than good roads and
canals. Every portion of the
community, the farmer, the mechanic
and the merchant will feel its good
effects and what is of greatest impor-
lance, the strength of the community
Will he greatly augmented and its polit-
zeal prosperity rendered more secure"
Henry Clay also spoke IN favor of this
measure, defending its constitutional
NY, but it was vetoed by resident
Monroe on the ground that it was I'M
constitutional.
From 1906 to 1888, in addition to the
Cumberland road Cnngrrss expended
81 ,6OO,O 900 ON various highways one
leading from the frontier of Georgia
towards New Orleans, one from Detroit
to Chicago, one from Memphis INTO
hrkansns, and one from Nashville to
Natchez. From 1854 TO 1860, another
period of activity, 81 SOC, 900 was OK
pended chiefly in the territories.
South Carolina took up the road
problem very early in her history. On
the Goth of May, 1852, the colonial
assembly passed the fist road law ell
titled can act for highways" In 1877
an act was passed directing a road &c
be built to Orangeburg from esthc head
OF the path that leads from Dorchester
to Gait. Izard's COW pen.n In l742 an
act was passed providing for a ferry
across Santce river and a road made in
connection with il "to facilitate The
passage OF travellers from Charleston
to Williamsburg and others, the north.
western parts of this pr~ovincc.n From
1903 to 1856 the following roads were
provided Tor From Eutaw Springs
through Manchester, Camden and Ian
caster Z. H.; from Fort Motto tc
Ilshlng Creek from Society Hill tt
Bcnnettsville, Marion, Conwayboro and
Georgetown :; and from the same point
to Darlington, Kingstrec and For
Note, from Orangcburg to Ninety.
SIX, Abbcvllle and Pcndlcton fiom
Augusta to Edgeiicld, Ninety-Six and
Fish Dam and from fridays ferry
on Congarce liver to Augusta.
In 1888 a general road law was pass.
ed requiring II days work or a com.
mutation tax of 81 per diem, and in
1889 the funds derived from tavern
licenses were appropriated to road i'm.
prOvcmcnt.
These early roads were, as a general
thlng, located with remarkable skill.
and well built, us the present condition
OF many of tI,cm will prove. Dray.
n's"Vlcw of South Carolina" pub.
llshed In 1902, says "The roads in
the State are well adapted to travelling
and transportation, even to the noun.
talns and hence wagons find no diff
Guilty IN coming from the upper coun-
ties, bringing with them the cnmmodi.
Ties OF that distant region. Cross roads
10 n from each court house are made
throughout the State and a wagon road
mas lately been made from thc north
FORK OF Saluda river over the noun
tains 10 Knoxville, in the State of Ten
n%cssee, by which wagons lave passed
carrying loads of $500 pounds weight.
. . . And at this time a carriaoc
and four may be driven from any parl
OF this State to the other, from the sea-
shore to the mountains, without any
other difficulty han such as naturally
arise in long journeys.
AS a further proof of the high de
gree of efficiency of these old State
roads, the cost of transportation by
wagons between Columbia and Charles
ton, In 1921, as given by MIR. Robert
NILS, was only IL 22-1OO cents per
ton per mile. Standard authorities
give the cost at Is cents per ton per
mile on The very best earth roads,
WINE the average cost in tits State
now is variously estimated at from 25
to 40 cents.
Since the beginning of the railway
er".in the 3Os the history of the public
loads In this State has been entirely
without interest, recording only q steady
and unbroken decline. An effort was
made about 10 years ago by the writer
% aWaKcn some interest in the subject,