The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-07-24
GOOD ROADS A NECESSITY.
Some Sensible Remarks About
Laurens County Highways that
would Apply 10 Abbeville Roads,
If Names Were Changed.

Clinton Chronicle.
II there Ia anything which can be consider
ed as preeminently, important TO the farmer 1
Ia good roads. The cost Of bad ones, In tn
loss OF time. the injuring Of stock, the wea
| and tear on vehicles and harness Is some
oceasioned BY hauling light loads with grea
difficulty through deep mud. There Is NJ
reason why our people should consent u
draw their wagons along muddy roads a.
prog ressive spirit which makes US poor ant
K eeps Us 30.
Laurens county could not do better thinl
than 60 heavily In debt for good roads. Tnt
Offset the cost.
The first thing 10 do In establishing a good
road system is TO desert the old one, except
where the road is good one. and this occurs
very seldom In Laurens county.
To give few instances OF badly laid of
roads there is stretch Of two miles of road
from Col. Williams place three miles east ol
Cross Hill. running towards Vaughnsville
road which is almost always bad and some.
times practically impossible for loaded teams
II this road were to incline to the left at
Col. Williams place, running from hundred
yards to q quarter OF q mile north OF the old
road for these two miles, the distance would
be shortened and not a single hill would have
10 be climbed In the entire distance.
Again II the road from the Sullivan place
by the double bridges across the two Rabun's
towards Lsnrens were laid of from Mr.. Wat
Nickle's place. running south OF the old road
turning gradually down the hill west Of
South Rabun, crossing that stream several
hundred yards below the present crossing
and keeping along the foot of'the hills TIL
North Rabun is reached, i've bills, steep,
rocky and always rough or muddy would be
good road is practicable and the distance
would actually be shortened. This IL one Of
the worst roads In the con nty and It could be
made one Of the best. we could mention
the old road has been almost criminally laid
out in the worst possible way for travel and
for keeping 1t In order. few thousand dol.
road beds would be the first and most :mpor.
tsnt work In road reform In Laurens County.
Why do our farmers not insist upon this i'm.
mensey important improvement. rather
trying to get their products to market over
impossible roads7
After We have properly surveyed roads, we
should then purchase road machines
form SO that they will shed water. Next, the
sandy roads should be treated with coatings
OF clay to give them solidity and the clay
roads should be given sand TO keep them from
cutting up. In this way solid roads may be
had the year found. Later, MoAdam roads
might be built, or dirt roads oiled and made
into permanent boulevards.
We have no figures 10 give. but we are Inn
presR ed that the immense loss now entailed
upon our farmers by the miserable roads
which they have TO travel could be cut in
half or even further reduced by an expendi.
ture Of say hundred thousand dollars in
road making. The county could float bonds
TO that amount at par on four per cent
basis, now while money is cheap. No better
time could be had for such reform than the
present and we will never be q prosperous
and wealthy people un til we spend this mon
ey. County officials who have no progressive
Ideas, should be retired from Office Those
who are willing TO get on the band wagon and
lead the procession OF progress should be re-
tanned. But people and Office holders alike
should start at once to make the county an
uptodate, progressive, money making and
money saving county. Old methods have be-
come ridiculous. They must give place TO!
the new.
There is nothing on the face OF the earth
less aggressive and progressive than county
government as 1t Ia Administered In South
Carolina. But the people will not put up
with II indefinitely. We must get rid OF our
bad roads, relic OF a half savage state:
otherwise we will never keep up with the
material progress Of other states and counties.
Anderson and Pickens have already bad
the If roads surveyed and worked with road
machines. Greenwood and Abbevlle have
done something In the same line. Richand
and Darlington are setting an example OF
making good roads by mixing sand and clay.
Laurens has done nothing, nothing. nothing.