The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-08-23
METHOD OF MAKING
RICHLAND'S ROADS.
The Claylng of Sand and the
Sanding OF Clay.
eHAINaAHGsVs FREE LABOR
3, tha Eaisor Of TIE State

tie Editor of Tie State
Since the publication Of Jour editorial
saomnenss on road work in this county
haYe received several inquiries from
p1iuns parts Of tho oca utry asking for
s. aesaiied ascouas OF our method of
kioe clsy and sand roads. and the
|say,psraes sc said .ork SO if you will
indlg permit ne, I will avail myself
m gour ooIunne 60 make . general reply
|sso ksaoh pquiries.
Tha road 10 Be worked with sand and
sc,sY composite shoald be lined off the
ssisad xidth, which is usually % feet
fpn ditch 10 ditch. then deep ditches
Should hs cut 20 catch the sand and
,sser. and also to compel vehicles to
sceo ia the road and thus prevent them
from breaking OFF the edge of the clay
hro1 she dirt to she centre OF the
s1oaa leave ehe claV in the bottom OF the
iIisehes Gf there is any there fer the
ss ssoD sc the road. Then grade the
soiar bills, covering with sand for about
~ inches. Do net throw out the
SIND "a the road. for the deeper the
SIND nader the clay Che quicker it will
Sahaor5 aud draw water from the top
aarface Pos the sand on the clay
sls5iiilst Il issHet and boggy and until it
hss about the consistency OF q sun
s5sick The quantity of the sand to be
sasea depends on the quality of the
aolia or chalk will not do. for
IS hare sxperimep ted with it and iDd
tEst wilI not pack hard, and it
sbsorbs water. Where there are no
sclsy hills oa the road-and that is the
oase ia some seosicns Of our county
sza haul clay from the nearest mounds
son tie roadside. aud it gives me pleas
s;nfe 10 state that the land owners in
ms ssash seosions worked By us have readily
sd generally allowed Us 20 haul the
Slsy oG from their lands free of all
charge aud I have no doubt they would
as slo likewise in any part Of the State.
Fes have tried eand on clay roads and
met With "a much euccess as We have
vosking>cisy into aand roads, and
s1heneyer clay gets boggy ue propose to
suspend eisyiog saud and viii sand the
;clay for then il will work without
.spicking TIE clay. which is an expense
Nhioh should be avoided Bhensyer pos
able.
Now g. word as TO the cost. The
nslInate given you some time ago. viz
$50 per mile. is approximately correct,
bnt ills proper for me to say that 10
estimating the cost we do not iuclude the
aoss Of our chaingang plant, 70. that
ne regard as in the nature Of a perma
lnens Investment We merely estimate
4he actual cost for maintenance of the
|poaTicss, the feed Of the mules. and the
.sear aed tear Of road .eels. With an
as4essge fsroe Of so coovicts we can
snske four miles Of composite road per
dons Tree, We have not thus far
done 90 for the reason that the chain
Gang mas lad TO be occasionally employ
Sd as emerge5cy work in other
but if employed exclusively
in 50 making composite roads 50 coovicss
ean make four miles per moeth at coat
as aboys estimated
desire Il to be understood that
10 do 10, claim, aad have never claim
Cd sast saod and clay composite will
mate az durable road as properly
.consssncted maeadam. sed it is proper
sto ssy also that also that ours has ye: TO
a.asd the test of contisuous rainy
season, though i. has been tested BY
some heavy sunme. rains and stood the
sest admirably. Al tha, We do claim
7of onr sand snd clay composite is that
where, as is the case generally through.
s;vas South Carolins, 6naecial conditions
do not admit Of macadam road building.
che next best thing is the sand and clay
.composite, for It makes smooth. hard
xpadbed and costs less than the repairs
alone Of the maeadsm would cost
When the people become thoroughly
save to the necessity Of good roads ADD
are Hilliog to tax themselves to build
them. then our roads. especially sbose
ssdiseent to cities aud towns, could be
msc.dsnixed. and it seems to ne that
such law as that recently passed ic
che Sss.e of New York weuld then be
10 adyaotageous ooe for Us here io
5ou:h Carolina. That law acquires the
State to pay SO per cent the county IS
pee cent, aud the landowners on each
side Of the road that IS to be improved
IA per cent OF the cost of the road
improvement
i started ous merely to answer irquir.
les as to the manner o. building and
the cost OF construction OF the sand aud
cla7 composite road. bat having drified
somewha: beyond that point. let ne 60
l:.Af. f...Lo. onJ oov that in my