The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-23
The Good Roads Special.

A train of twelve cars, to be known
as 'The Good Roads Special" is to
be sent out from Washington on the
lines Of the Southern Railroad about
November I to stop at ten or twelve
Of the chief cites reached by the
system and aid organizing good roads
associations The tour will end about
January l, and will include the follow
ing municipalities: Danville, Va,
October 20: Raleigh, N. c., November
7, and 8; Asheville, n. c., November
12 and 13; Columbia, S. c., November
Is and 19; Greenville, S. c., November
20 to %: Atlanta, Ga, November
25 to %; Birmingham, Ala, November
80 to December 4 Montgomery, Ala,
December 5 to 10; Mobile, Ala, Decem-
Der IL to a; Chattanooga, Tenn,
November 16 to 19; Knoxville, Tenn,
December %. This itinerary is sub
iect to change-possibly in the substi-
tuition of either Greensboro or Sails
bury, N. c., for Raleigh or Asheville-
but will otherwise be fulfilled prac-
ticaHy as given. The train will carry
a full equi pment of road-making ma
chinery and party Of eighteen per-
sons, all skilled in the manufacture Of
good dirt and macadam roads. It is
the third such train to be organized
through the efforts of the National
Good Roads Association-one having
been sent along the route of the Illi-
nois Central from April to July, and
second having traversed the district
between Chicago and Buffalo along the
routes of the Lake Shore route and
the New York Central. Everywhere
the meetings have been widely attend
ed and have produced permanent or
CARNATIONS determined to better the
country roads Of the section concern
ed.
The tour of the South is largely the
outcome of the convention of good
roads workers held at the Pan-Ameri-
can Exposition from September l6 to
September q. The delegates who at
tended that meeting represented over
10000 members Of the national asso-
citation, forty States and four foreign
countries and letters were received
from over 5000 persons who favored
the good roads movement. The. South
ern Railroad sent delegates on the
ground that SO per cent of all agricul-
tural products intended for rail ship
lnent must be carted to the railroads
over ordinary dirt roads. From the
organization Of the system President
Spencer, of the Southern has been a
consistent advocate of improved wagon
ways throughout all the country
traversed by Southern tracks.
Mr.. Martin Dodge, director of the
Office Of public road inquiries in the
agricultural department., and NJ. 0.
Eldridge his assistant with Mr.. W.
Fl. Moore, president of the National
Goods Association. will have charge
of the "good roads special" Under
their direction fourteen road experts,
Mr.. r. W. Richardson, secretary Of
the National Association, and several
clerks, will undertake to organize
in each of the cities named a perma-
nent good roads association. To
this end they will confer with the
mayor and city council of each city
and the officers of its commercial
organizations. arrange that suitable
hall shall be hired and obtain the use
of ten or twelve teams, as many men
and sufficient supply of crushed stone
W COuSGIu uC1 q 4OliS tA VI SOoo AOeo HS
sample. When the train arrives the
engineers will begin at once to build
about mile of dirt road with the
teams, men and materials furnished by
the locality. They will then surface
or 1nacadamize as much of that road
as their time will permit. When the
practicability of the movement has
been thus manifested the mayor and
commercial organizations will unite
in call for public meeting to or:
ganize an association. In some cities
on the two other routes these meetings
have been attended by from 1000 to
5000 perssns, representing district
100 miles square. The view given
them OF roads in the course Of con-
struction the demonstration that good
roads can pe easily provided for the
funds now spent on poor roads, and
the cooperation of the many COM
mercial interests represented at these
public meetings have never failed to
stimulate most profitable interest In
the Observation-Disclosures Star.