The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-13
Good Roads.
A Cheap and Substantial Way
to Build Them.
Aiken journal and Review.

Aiken journal and Review.
All will admit the great Importance
Of this subject. especially in Aiken
county, where we have SO many hun
dred miles OF poor roads whose worst
features are the sand beds If by any
means we can kill them, we shall be
able to change the above expression
to good roads anG the main difficulty
will be done away The bony car
caeses of our horses and mules show
cniy too plainly the terrible strain
going on year by year
1t is poor preacher, who after
showing the people their sins does
not poiut out a remedy, and this is
the object of this short article.
First We have TWO of the best
elements to build with, sand ard
clay The latter is easy to reach
throughout the County, but we cannot
build house unless We have good
foundation. and the same rule will
have to be applied to road By
some strange provision of nature on
all sand bed roads will be found
below the loose sand hard and porous
bed, forming substantial foundation
to build upon 1t would take a
scientist to tell us how and why this
occurs, nevertheless, it is All impor-
tant fact.
Second: Tae main difficulty is to
get rid OF or change the loose sand into
hard road bed By actual measure
The top sand varies from two to four
inches deep Our plan is very simple
aud cheap cpe, by spreading clay on
the top from oDe to tSo inches thick.
according to the depth of the loose
sand and mixing it by plo"iog or
narrowing so the sard aud clay will be
thoroughly mized together. Ooe aud
one half iuchs Of clay on three inch
bed thoroughly mixed will make good
first class road after few rains. Do
not put the clay on top without mixing.
The suscess is 10 the mixing, and you
Will be surprised to see how little clay
it takes to kill saud bed, and bow
ipexpepsive mile could be changed to
q good road
Now word about the width of
roads The Graniseville, Langley and
Mootm oreuci roads should be twelve to
fifteen feet, bu. most of cur county
roads from six 70 eight feet and we'll
rounded up to the cente:.
We propose that every ueigbborbood
through the county form road
olab, appoint a manager, and every
farmer voluntarily furnish team.
shovels and picks go Tar as able, then
have road bed for certain days when
all could uoite and work together 10
push the work. November, Decem-
Der and January are the best months
of the year Do not wait for our
County Commissioners or the chain
gang or you will never have road.
We must remember that they have
hundreds of miles to look after and
besides they are DOT elaying the sand
beds aud are not prepared for this kind
Of work.
[. can best be done by peigbborbood
clubs bringing out their teams, meu,
etc. It has been published that it
sould cost $50 to clay ten foot road
mile long The plan suggested will
cost little. Not dollar in money aud
uile Of sand bed could be killed 10
few days. By actual test on several
| roads it has been found that little clay
need be hauled, especially oo narrow
roads. One ipci Of clay where sand
is two to two and o half inches deep +;
ore inch and half where three iucbes
deep two inches where four and
con mon turn shovel is the best tool to
mix it With.
Now is the time to push the work all
over tie County. Let the pew ceotury
dawo upon Us With many a nile OF
terrible sand beds killed.
Robert Powell.
Chairman of Road and Streets Commit
tee, Aiken Improvement Soc.
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M IS Sorth Carolina Ger.