The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-31
SOME SUGGESTIONS
ABOUT GOOD ROADS.
ProT. Holmes Valuable Ad-
dress to Legislators.
n Stst. J.n. %.

( )
The legislature of South Carolina
last night listened to an enjoj able
aod much enjoyed common sense
talk on the subject Of good roads
This theme did not occupy the entire
time of Prof J A Holmes Of the
University Of North Carolina and
State geologist, but he referred briefly
to many latent resources which
should be developed, fostered and
maintained
Mr. Holmes is q native of South
Carolina, and though young man,
is among the foremost of those
who are devoting time and
brain to the upbuilding of toe south
in the development of natural riches.
He is self made man. and the most
forcible illustration of the cost Of bad
roads which be used last night was
taken from his own life He recited
how when boy be had made three
bales of cotton to aid in obtaining an
education To haul that cotton from
Laurens to Newberry cost him SIS,
and consumed FIVE days. on account
of the horrible roads-as much an
expense as a trip to New York on
the cars.
Mr. Holmes began his lecture by
referring to the splendid growth of
South Carolina in her cotton mill
industries, aud illustrated with bis
stereopsicon the water power Of Pei
ger and of the Columbia canal Rap
idly running from water power to
water itself, be gave good advice
about the sinking of wells 80 as to
escape typhoid germs
Forestry was beautifully illustrated
and ably discussed He showed on
the canvas the splendid pine forests
of North Carolina in their virgin
state, and deplored the fact that this
great source of revenue was nearly
extinct on account Of forest fires.
The loss to North Caroliua had been
81 100000 annually on shis account
South Cardinals pine forests are not
so much ruined TIE causes of this
devastation are sometimes careless
ness and sometimes cussedness, and
in North Carolina the forests have
been killed, the eeed germs destroy
ed and the land made a desert by
these fires. He appealed to the leg
isiature to throw safeguards around
the pine forests anl also to protect
the gum and the cypress in the
swamps, where the land is being sold
to foreign numbering corporations for
pittauce.
He spoke of the good which the
bureau of geological survey was
efeciing in causing diversity of
farming in North Carolina, and said
that the farmers we're not complain
ing of the cost of this bureau, for it
had brought $10,00O,000 of foreign
capital into the State and had helped
the farmers to practice economy
There is no use. be said, for South
Carolina to try to get appropriations
from congress to help in such work
unless the State does something
itself Our representatives in con.
g7ess are crying "paterbalism run
mad I" and the western and eastern
men are saying. "give as appropria
tions for our waste places and we
will do something ourselves -
BE then came to the subject upon
which be was to address the general
assembly by ipvitation-good roads
He laid down the proposition that
those people who have not good roads
are paying 'mud, sand and hill
tax" and for this they get no bene
ft. No creature in the animal or
vegetable kingdom is benefited by
bad roads. not even tadpoles for
they die in dry weather From
letters written to 10000 farmers, he
had been able to estimate that the
mud tax" has cost North Carolina
100000 yearly, and the cost in
South Carolina is half as great
With his stereopticon be showed how
in other sections of this country hills
were graded and the roads made
smooth ard firm
IL California convict labor is used 20
prepare the macsdau a. cost of about
25 cents day, against IS cents 10
North Carolina for free labor He
suggested that State rock crushing
plant could be established at or in COZ
uec,ion with the South Carolius
peni;eotiary aud by convict labor the
cost reduced to minimum. The
couoties could arrange with the rail
roads for nominal rate of trsnspo,ta-
,ion Tue poorer counties might say
that it was very we'll for GreenyiI!e.
Spartan burg, Anderson, etc to
Undertake this work, but they
themselves could not Prof Holmes