The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-04-29
GOOD ROADS.
Ahssrses Of Address Delivered ~ the
sssss Carelisa Coed Reaas ces-
ventso0.

The public highways 10 this county
are composed largely Of clay roads,
which make the best roads during the
simmer months. During the winter
nonlhs. which constitute our rainy
season. at which time the roads are In
constant use by the farmers In hauling
produce 10 and from the towns, the
roads are literary torn To pieces. and
made hub deep In mud, and are practi-
cally In an impossible condition. The
epS,v.. of money available In this
] for behavinslv sufficient for such road
%, an bs done with
lie came slowly neare ,uv tho leading
was about to turn r.svslsd. were laid
u! !yIsxrs sso: They were run straight 1
have been In those days TO get there
I'm the shortest possible distance; put
Ne haze found by sad experience that
20 10 farther on an easy grade around
the hills, rather than to climb the
seeep Inclines, 10 the better plan. Dur.
inr NV term of ofllce, the past too
ycSys. q great portion Of my time has
bcen eaken up In relocating roads,
rOIne around hills; and about hfty
nlleS Of the obs thousand In nay coun.
ty have bean changed duysng the Las:
w have but few miles Of sandy
roeds. Much has been said IN the
Good Roads MsgRzine n TO mixing
and with clay on clay roads and clay
WITH sand on sandy roads, with which
ooncur and freely admit from expert
enc and obeervation that . proper
mIrture of clay and sand makes o
permanent and first class road.bed.
In counties, where sandy roads pre-
dominate the deep sand gives the
useEs or roads In the summer more
trouble than the mud on our clay
roeds doss In the winter; but ! am
tod by che representatives OF the lower
oounsiss that they, as . nominal cost.
saro making Hsst cisss permanent roads
81 dlgkin9 through the sand and
t6roVin9 the clay In the centre Of the
rcad beG thoroughly mixing clay With
ehe sand. which am told makes 0
ART clan permanent road, both winter
and suuimef. But In. my county
seudy roads are few Ind far between :
c0r c,ay fuads arc claSr0n top and clay
a kosSom, % We cannot dig through
cla1 % nst sAnd 70 place on the road
81 We can only find sand In thss
difCAee or occasionally ~ hmiteo
0uantjtias, % IL seems that the only
hOue q making Q permanent improve
ment on our public highways u by
the ,see Of stone or gravel; the latter
In my opinion - preferable snd more
eoeaomioai.
] have c0Dstructed durtng the iast
fkll and winter about one mile OF pup
lac mad near tho city Of Anoeviiie,
which coated with gaavei. Fofmei-
IL this road was almost impassible
daring tbs winter months, having
bssn cross laid for Is years With poles.
In tho spring Of l9O2. these poles hnv.
inG become rotten, In many place.
deop holes were cut into the road.
Tue polas werc taken up ana thrown
into the ditches on the sides OF tne
rua3; tha road scrapeS were run over
the Foad, which vas put In good con.
dlticn for summer travel. On the 10th
Of Oesnber the county convict gang
ves put 70 work on this road. The
yued was wldened 70 o distance Of 70
fest, giving good drainage: The teams
were at once put 70 hauling gravel,
vhteh va speseo over tne foa@ ~ AZ
avssage dspen OF incneSs tn. ,ta..'ino ITna
wao sormseiy Q te1or 20 tne GsnS S,sssuS
puosief ena vas 1nOWn ~ u."., oauo
Lara, nnt y no ioDget 10 usslsnss'sSS go
tnsseilo u y spoken oI ss oSe " .L .Le
best roads ever constiucteo III tue
county ann pefnaps 10 !ne Nate. !! -
pefiectiy smoCtn 2. an unsS: "a anu S..| ,Le
oouunuea Wes veetDo. Hnu - so ~
o. wlnSsreeens GUY 70 iIP.so E
Wsnis ve msy nos wss hnw: ,r,cn %" ;n
eesM c0nvonis.l la S,,na. .vs;i.
sveryl locality. y We naa lunSs sva.i-
ehse 10 utilize tne sanle. In tnis coun
~ ve opefa'e tnIee ioso sclsPe.s ~,
sefnetng Up tne fs, suu ~
opanioc tnese foeo mscnIues sIe
Judielous ano economicsi Invss.ueh.. .l.
We pi0w ana PICK tne diit irom tne
sltes Of the roads, and use the macnln.
es % convey the dirt 70 the centre OF
the rOed, thus eievating the centfe Oh
the road aud allowing the water isii-
ing on the rcad to run Into side oitcn-
@. These machines also remove the
send collected In the bitches 10 the
centre OF the road. No consideraole
amount OF sand 10 placed on the ROAD
by this mcehod In one year OUT snis
je repeated from year to year, ana
many secaicus Of road that were a..
usost impaaeable IN vet weather pfevi.
oue % tho nso ofscrspers are now good
roads sll tbs year round, by reason OF
the sfssaal mixture Of sand with clay.
In The past few years several thousand
feet Of terra-cotta piping have been
used to convey the water across the
roads, thus doing away with hundreds