Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-04-03
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
GOOD ROADS :
VS.. :
J BAB ROADS. :
HOW TO DO IT.

inhabitants, that as an economic
pronositio,> il would be a wise ano
paying thing for the county to &C
to the expense of building a com.
,plete s. stem OF nacadam roads
through the county to cuunecf
with Augusta, merely to make
city of that size available to !he
country. Edge6eld county is pecu,
liarly we'll placed at the threshold
of such a large city. There is not
a city of Augustus sjSa il North
Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mis-.
sissippi, or Arkansas. We are
blessed if we would just build a
system of fine hard roads to make
the city available in the best man.
ner, and enable us to get the best
out of the situation. It would be
worth several million dollars to
the county. Such a system would
make the county develop marvel.
ously--more than anything else.
A fine system of roads on account
of it's closeness to Augusta would
do Edgefeld county more good
than such system would do:any
other county in the State, except
Aiken, also near Augusta, Rich
land around Columbia, and Char
lesion county. 1t would make the
people of Edgefeld county inde.
pendent Of the railroads. The
macadam roads would be as good
as and better than railroads for us.
They would enable the farmers to
haul to ,Augusta from eight to
twelve bales of cotton at load
with two mules at less cost than
they now haul them, because bet
tor time would be made, and it
would enable them to bring back
heavy loads of freight OH return.
Why, from Philadelphia and such
cities in This country, and hun
dreds of places IN Eur 'pe, farmers
haul the stable fertilizers for
twenty miles and over into the
country to put upon their lands.
For this purpose alone-to make
available the refuse of Augusta for
the building up of the farms-lt
would almost, if not quite, prob
ably pay to build macadan roaGs
for twenty miles out of the city
into the county.
Iadvocate the building of such
a system, by the issuance OF bonds.
I do not believe in waiting. I do
not know when the county will
ever be able to-do this than now;
and If it would develop US, enable
us to make more money and in
crease the value of our lands, it is
the thing to do.
A fine, hard, macaaam system
of roads would be worth several
million dollars to Edgefeld county
even if shs were far from a city of
the size OF Augusta, but with her
nearnsss to that large place the
profit would be greater. Such
hard, properly graded roads save
30 much in hauling that it puts
hundreds of thousands into the
pockets of the people. 1t costs in
Edgefield county aoout 80 cents
per ton per mile for every ton of
freight hauled in the county; on
macadam roads the cost would be
only from 9 to IL cents.
Augusta is going to be larger
oity, it is growing every day. We
should act in this matter so as to
get the benefitas coon as possible.
This county with such system,
with the rest of the country in
South Carolina and Georgia with
out such reads would cause an
influx of population to the county.
Leadership is what counts; don't
wait till everybody has good roads,
but act promptly.
We need railroads some people
! think for development in Edge
field county. and they do not mind
bouds to build them. But that is
a mistake. What We need most is
macadam roads. AS shown they
would make us largely illdepend.
ent of the railroads, they would
make the present railroads availa.
BILE 10 the people, and they would
Offer co-apeti. ion to the railroads
saving us thousands of dollars il
freight. Railroads do not increase
the value of land, but left to them
selves they impnverish the people
with hign freight rates.
Experience has shown every.
wherein hundreds of counties il