Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-03-09
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A Campaign OF Education.

In explaining his vote for the postpone
mont of tho widc-tire bill until tho next
session of the Legislature, Senator Hen
derson said that ho was not opposed
to tho adoption of tho wide tires, but
that ho wished to DO moro fully informed
upon tho subject. There is no lack of
widc-tiro literature, and, perhaps, this is
good time to begin a campaign Of cdu-
cation. Tho bill which Mr.. Henderson
helped to delay, and probably to defeat,
was almost wholly in tho interest of tho
farmers of the State. 1t was introduced
by very practical man, and it's merits
wcro evident to all practical men. Its
adoption would have resulted in the gen.
oral improvement of tho public roads
without npprcciablo cost to tho people
and would have effected an annual say
ing of hundreds Of thousands of dollars
to the farmers and others engaged in in
dustrial pursuits. Tho Raleigh On. c.
Post recently printed n communication
from Mr.. w. G. McMackin, in which ho
said:
"Many experiments have been made,
both by the United States Department Of
Agriculture and by experiment stations
with marrow and wide tires, in order to
thoroughly and scientifically ascertain
the value Of wide tires as compared with
narrow ones. These tests wore made on
meadows, >tubblo land corn and cotton
gron @, pl"ughcd gronnd, and on dry
and Il, roads to very wet and soft ones :;
the RESULT in every instance il in favor of
do l,xv
Tho principle of wide tries should be &C
knowledged in America as in other coun-
ties. Europe prescribes tho use Of wide
tries by law. Austria has 44-inch tires;
Franco, 3 to 10 inches; Germany, inches;
Switzerland, inches, and SO on. Wide
tires roll and harden the roads, either
clay or rock, and keep them in good con-
dition, while narrow tires destroy them.
"A team that can draw 1000 pounds on a
wagon with I4-inch tires can just as
easily draw $500 pounds on G-inch tires,
and at the Same time work the road"
There is probably no State in the South
with worse public roads than South
Carolina. They arc as bad now gencr-
ally as they woro IL hundred years ago,
and they will never be improved as long
as our present imprOvidencc continues.
In many parts of the State the roads arc
woll-nigh impossible during the rainy
season, and the ordinary method of
"working" them has proved its utter in
efficiency. Tho advantage of wide tires
has been proved by actual experiment in
many foreign counties, and in many parts
of this country. They are not now and
untricd invention. They would do as
we'll in South Carolina as in any o,hcr
State, and thoy arc as badly needed here
as they could be anywhere. We shall try
to pile up information upon tho biect
during tho next twelve months, SO that
the bill will pass at "tho next session"
without objection.
The nows from the Philippines is not
very rcassuring. 1t looks like ono of our
regiments has been compelled to retreat
from its advanced position and the in
creasng heat is causing great deal of
suffering among our soldiers, and fur
ther one of our gunboats was unable to
dislodgc the Filipinos from their hiding
places in the jungle after terrible shell.
ing. This is but forctaste of what is
Ill store for us. When it comes to fight
ing in tho open air tho American soldier
ranks with, or perhaps surpasses, the
best soldiers in the world, but when it
comes to fighting hidden foo in tropi-
cal swamps and junglcs and that the foo
aided by tho enervating heat and tho
miasma and malaria exhaled from tho
oxnherant tropical vegetation which will
destroy and disabln moro men than tho
bullets of tho enemy, it will bo readily
seen that we have undertaken q very
large contract and an exceedingly diff
cult Gne And when to that is added
tho fact that this ono island of Luzon
has about 900 miles of coast line to pa
troll for which VIC have about n dozen
vessels the difficulties arc seen to be On
HANGED greatly. Tho natives have only
10 Keep away from tho coast and with
thoir knowledge of the junglcs and the
mountains they can probably hold the [
interior OF their country against all |
comcrs.-Andcrson Peoples Advocate.
Buttons from the uniforms of Cons |
'io', o"Ckhoh, morgan, johnston, llill |
BeaurcGard and others have been made |
into necklace, ornamental comb, brace
lets, breastpin, oar-drops and cuff but
tons, upon the order Of an old Confcdc-
rate veteran, and presented to Miss Lucy
Leo Hill, daughter Of Gen. A. Z. Hill,
who will wear them at tho Confcdorato
reunion at Charleston n0xt MAY. Each
button has been baptized in tho blood of
Its former bravo owner.
The United States Senate has accent
ed thrco historic paintings ty tho lato
John Blake White, of Revolutionary
scon,> in South Carolina. Ono ropre.
sents General Marion inviting British
officer to share his meal of roasted sweet
potatoes, while another represents tho
patriotic action OF Mistress Motto, of
Edgefield District. s. c., in furnishing to
General Marion and Light Horse Harry
Lee fire with which to destroy her own
thcn hold by tho British and
u"ed by them as % fort. l.