Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-06-04
A GOOD ROAD COUNTY


Fine Reads u. That County Con-
structed and Maintained by Con-
vfst L.bor-Fssa Very succe..fsi.
Road work Ia south Carolina.
Richmond claims to be the banner
county OF Georgia IN the matter Of
good roads. and Its claim is well found
cd. There are about $50 miles OF graz
cd roads IN the county. OF which from
seventy-hve to hundred are gravel
roads and the rest sandy roads surfac-
ed with clay. The county annually
raises about $4,000 for the mainte-
nance OF its chain gang and road Inn
provement. The roads are entirely con-
sructed and maintained by convict Ia.
Dor. Richmond county has a UNIQUE
system.
William +. Eve. who is now and has
been for nearly twenty years the com
missioner OF taxes and revenue. has
complete authority for making and ex.
pending road appropriations He COM
bines in his office the power usually
given TO the board OF county commits
sioners. This system OF one man
certain action. and where the office il
held by a man who is such n thorough
believer In road Improvement as is
Judge Eve there viii be constant i'm
provsment In the highways, says the
Louisville Courier-Journsl
Richmond had only one or two i'm
proved highways previous TO Judge
Ewes election TO the Office or road com
missioner. About the time he took the
ONCE the county organized and placed
in charge Of the road department a
road engineer and organized the mis-
demeanOr cOnvicts into a road force
A report made by Judge Eve some time
since on the roads of Richmond county
is as follows.
THE class OF work done In the county
was, first. the effort to reduce the
grades and give the roads proper drain
age. The gravel roads OF Richmond
county are made from gravel obtained
from South Carolina at a point about
seventeen miles from Augusta. This
material consists OF water worn quartz
pebbles, cemented together by iron OK
ide and sandy clays. IL possesses all the
essentials OF first class road material
and its cheapness C65 cents per ton on
board the cars ut Augusta Insures it's
general usage on the highways OF Rich
mOnd county"
The cost OF constructing roads OF
this material has been estimated by
Judge Eve at $1,000 per mile. This
seems an unusually low estimate when
the excellent quality and durability OF
these roads are taken into cOnsidera-
ton.
The chain gang OF Richmond county
consists OF about seventy-five convicts.
each Of whom is said 10 c0st the cOun-
ty 80 cents per day. This estimate
includes board and clothing OF the
convicts and the salary OF supern-
tendent. night Waterman and eight or
ten guards.
The testimony as 10 the convict work
is that IL is eminently successful and
that no better disposition Of the con-
victs could be made than to employ
them in this way. 1t is a pleasure 10
drive over the improved roads OF Rich
mOnd county. They have raised the
values OF the farm lands I'm the vicIn-
ity OF Augusta very much and have
undoubtedly contributed greatly 10 the
growth OF the city, which is one Of the
most beautiful and enterprising OF the
south, having large commercial and
manufacturing interests.
South Carolina has moved. In the
matter OF improved roadways. Several
counties have insugurated systematic
roadwOrk. and the state transfers 10
the counties from which they were
convicted all convicts that were SEN
fenced to a term OF less than ave years,
and these, with the misdemeanor con-
victs, give to each county a good road
working force. Most OF the counties
have purchased more or less improved
road machinery. Several road bills are
pending I'm the legislature now I'm SEES
sion. One OF them is to levy a tar OF
l mill in each county for rOadwork.
Another is to adopt q state aid system
with an annual appropriation OF $780,
900.