The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-08-25
COUNTRY HIGHWAYS.
ECONOMY OF GOOD ROADS GENER-
ALLY RECOGNIZED.

|
first organized movement for the i'm
provement of our rural highways 1t
| must be admitted that they wanted bet
| ter roads that their cycling trips might
| be rendered more pleasurable, but it
must also bs acknowledged that in
! qualifying their arguments for their
| purposes they have found CUe of the
| basic rules Cf domestic economy.
They started with the idea in view
Of having or country highways im-
proved so that trip awheel would not
entail scramble through ruts mud,
rocks, uneven and poorly drained sur
faces and generally unridable thorough
fares They will end by proving to the
| satisfaction Of farmers that first class
! highways mean vastly increased loads.
| hauling ut all seasons of the year. saw
| ing of time and all at a positive saving
| of cash outlay.
In these states the most bitter and the
most biSotcd opposition to highway imt-
| provel9ert was encountered. This op-
! position at first WAS so obstinate and so
| well organized rs to seem invulncrable.
| but the wheclncn, with characteristic
energy. continued their unceasing ugi-
| tation. until tie defense began to
weaken Later some of their strongest
| opronents became convinced that the
| bicycle riders were right III their claim
that first class highways are Il public
necessity. not to say blessing. Once
| convinced, they came over to tho side
! of the whcelueu. ana now the bicycle
riders and farmers arc working in the
| most absolute harmony.
The whccinen are convincing the
farmers that. though bicycle riders are
| benefited ny better roads. the farmers
are also sharcrs in the profit and that
all classes ere interested in ridahle
| highways.
This has been accomplished by DEM
onstrntInY 20 the farmers that paved
highways are economical in actual an
nual cash outlays for road bnilding
Heretofore it has been the general GUS
tom for counties ana townships to ap-
propriate certain amount each year
tor road building. which was worse
than farce. The money so approuri-
ntcd was used principally in paying
salaries OF oversecra. who directed tho
dunpinH here AID there OF Il lead Of
dirt into IL hole. The next rain washed
this out AID let the road IL its previous
condition. When the money was cy-
pended for the bUilding Of n new road
! it was spent in cutting ditch on either
side of the proposed road. heaping tic
earth SO secured upon the center and
turning teams loose on it. the road be-
ing called completed.
In either case Of building CIR repairs
the money was absolutely lost. for it
a iDl n I,
coming of tic next year 1t is this sys.
TEN OF waste that the whecmcn have
sought and are now seeking. with the aid
OF the farmers association. to change
That it can DO done they are prepared
to demonstrate. They refer particularly
to the work accomplished in New Jef-
sey. Massachusetts. Pennsylvania and
Connecticut. where the farmers who
have had their highways improved
would rot return to their previous con-
dition for double the outlay
The dirt roads. as ordinarily built
arc almost impossible fully half the
year. In winter ard spring they are hnb
deep Ill mud, and riding or driving over
them Is next to an impossibilty In
summer they are nothing but dust sew
eral inches deep, ard almost as bad for
use rs III the raining months Every one
using country dirt road knows this,
and no one any better than the farmers.
To haul agricultural products over
such roads Is what farmers in nearly
every state in the union are compcllcd
10 DO, and each time they do it they
I are beng taught q lesson. which has
but recently been needed. This lesson is
one OF finances. 1t shows that every
tllnc Il farmer hauls anything over such
ROAD 10 has to reduce his load from
onc-tltth to Onc-half his wagon CARRYING
capacity. 1t shows him that he is losing
from onc-half to four-fifths of his time.
and his broakdowns and repairs teach
MIN that Il dirt road is expensive al
most to the point OF luxury every time
he uses it,
TO overcome :hia unnecessary outlay
ana make the uSc of cur highways more
comfortable it is proposed that they bo
Dnlit Systematically upon scientific
principles. To this end students Of tho
SUBJECT have devised what is known "a
state Ald to Highway Improvement,
"system by which nearly all the burden
Oh Dul'dlnS Is taken from The shoulders
of thc property owners as individuals.
Ih"'r t!lS system. as outlined in 4
law f'sSoi hy the last legislature of tho
state of S." York. the statc paws 80
f,' 'T"t g! the total cost. the county 35
per r'": "nd tho PROPERTY owners on
ei'hc. ,ido OF the improved highway
eacn -: !."r cent.
Il ha" hecH estimated that mile OF
macaca:A or tciford road cCsts, co an
average from 50, 900 to So. ODO. It will