Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-21
OVER IN MEckLENRURe.

The FARMERS Oh MeCkieIlpuTS CoohlS
were very much disappointed at the
failure of the recently proposed bond
issue for road purposes, voted on some
days ago, to carry. They are not dis
couraged, however, as they propose to
keep up the agitation and win out be-
fore they quit. They are satisfied that
a bond issue is the right thing and
there are not a great many country
people opposed to it.
Mr.. Writ Pegram Of Shopton, Meek
lenburg county, was in Yorkville last
Thursday accompanied by his mother
on a visit to the family Of his half
brother, Mr.. J. B. Pegram, and while
here he spent a half hour or such a
matter at THE ENQUIRER office dis
cussing affairs generally over In Meek
lenburg and in the northeastern part
of this county. Mr.. Pegram Is far
mer, fine specimen Of manhood phy-
sically, we'll developed Intellectually
and altogether a creditable representa-
tive of the splendid citizenship that
makes up the population along both
sides of the Catawba between Meek
lenburg and York.
"Yes. w, were defeated on the bond
proposition" he said in reply to the re-
porter's suggestion Of the subject. The
bonds failed by a narrow margin and
the good roads movement has back
set for a year or two-some say ten
years or more: but I am hopeful that
1t Is not quite 80 bad as that. But 1t
was not the fault Of us farmers IN the
country. I'd have you know. We gave
1t majority, and it died only because
of lack Of interest on the part or It's
friends. Over our way, you Know
bonds can be issued only on the ap-
proval Of a majority Of the qualified
voters. Every vote cyst irt an election
for bonds may be favorable; but unless
a majority of the qualified voters reg
lister their ballots, the issue fails.
Now, Of course, l would not have
YOU understand, that our farmers were
unanimous on this question" contin-
ued Mr.. Pegram. I'VE have some who
are not willing to pay the tax, and still
others who already have macadamized
roads by their doors. This latter class
Is not unanimous in its opposition; bu,
good many of them take the selfish
position that since they already have
all the benefits Of good roads, they
do not care to pay extra taxes tina,
their neighbors may enjoy the same
benefits. They do not put the matter
so plainly as that; but that is about
the size Of It"
You can hardly have any idea OF
the benefit our people have already de.
rived from macadamized roads. Lei
me tell you of a country merchant neal
nv house. He used to haul out his
fertilizers about four sacks at a time
with two mules, and now he sometimes
hauls as many as twenty or thirty
sacks, and makes two or more loads
from Charlotte ten miles distant In g
day. And as for cord wood, they are
hauling it to Charlotte from dis
tance Of twelve or fifteen miles and
getting $3.50 a cord for it. I live
twelve miles from Charlotte and two
miles from the beginning Of the maca-
damized road, yet at almost any time
you can see wagons from below me or
their way to Charlotte with cord wood
Why, it . is fact that people over In
York county, even are hoping for the
completion of the road to the river
and the building Of a bridge so they
also can haul wood to Charlotte"
Mr.. Pegram says cotton Is fairly
good in his neighborhood; but corn
does not promise great deal. There
has not been nearly so much rain over
on his side Of the river as on this side
and crops are not so promising.