The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-01-21

omv tnot presume the llOu66 10 Oe
perfectly acquainted with the subject.
IL is sufficient 20 observe that every
branch Of national industry -agricul-
ture, manufacturing and commercial
lis stimulated and rendered by it
more productive. The result is to
diffase universal opulence. 1t gives
to the interior the advantages pos
sessed by the ports most eligibly sit
uated for trade. 1t makes the country
price. whether in the sale Of the raw
product or in the purchase of the
articles for consumption, approximate
to that Of the commercial towns. In
fact if we look into the nature of
wealth We find that nothing can be
more favorable to its growth than
good roads and canals.
Every portion Of the community, the
farmer, the mechanic, and the mer-
chant, will feel its good effect; and
what is Of greatest Importance. the
strength of the community will be
greatly augmented, and its political
prosperity rendered more secure
Henry Clay also spoke in favor of
this measure, defending its constitu-
tionally, but it was vetoed by Presi-
dent Monroe on the ground that it
was unconstitutional.
SOUTH CAROLINA
took up the road problem very early
in her history. On the Goth of May,
1852, the Colonial Assembly passed
the first road law, entitled can Act
for Highways" In 1887 an Act
was passed directing road to be
built to OrangelIurg from 1.-THE head
Of the path that leads from Dorchester
to Capt. lizards COW pen." In 1742
an Act was PASSED providing for q
ferry across S;lntee river, and road
made in connection with it to ''facili-
tate the passage of travellers from
Charleston to Williamsburg and
others, the northwestern parts of this
province" From 1853 to 1856 the
following roads we're provided for
From Eutaw Springs through Man
chester, Casnden and Lancaster G.
H.; from Fort Mott to Fishing Creek;
from Soctsty Hill to Bennetsville,
Marion, Conwayboro and George
town, and from the same point to
Darlington, kingstree and Fort Mott:
from Orangeburg to Ninety Six, Alb
beville and Pendleton; from Augusta
to Edgefield, Ninety Six and Fish
Dam, and from Fridays ferry, on
Congaree river, to Augusta.
In 1888 general road law was
passed requiring twelve days work,
or a commutation tax of$2 per diem,
and in 1889 the funds derived from
tavern licenses were appropriated to
road improvement.
These early reads were, as q gen
eral thing, located with remarkable
skill, and well built, as the present
condition of many of them will prove.
Drayton's "View of South Carolina"
published in 1902, says: "The
roads in the State are we'll adapted
to travelling and transportation, even
to the mountains, and hence wagons
find no difficulty in coming from the
upper counties, with them the com
modities of that distant region. Cross
roads to and from each Court House
are made throughout the State, and
wagon road has lately been made
from the north fork of Saluda river
over the Mountains to Knoxville, in
the State of Tennessee, by which
wagons have passed, carrying loads
of $500 pounds weight. < * And
ut this time q carriage and four may
be driven from any part of this State
to the other, from the seashore to the
mountains, without any other diff
Guilty than such as naturally arise in
long journeys.
AS a further proof of the high
degree of efficiency of these old State
roads the cost of transportation by
wagons between Columbia and Char
lesion 1921, as given by Mr.. Robert
Mills, was only II 22-lOO cents per
ton per mile. Standard authorities
give the cost at Is cents pc: ton per
mile on the very best earth roads,
while the average cost in this State
now is variously estimated at from
25 to 40 cents.
Since the beginning of the railway
era in the thirties the history of the
public roads in this State has been