The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-31

them on the road. Again, there is,
under thc present system, but one
convenient season for working the
roads and that is when the crops ar.
lnid by. OF course no one can
blame the farmers for this, for they
get their living from the cultivation
of their fields and not from digging
ill the public roads. Certainly no
one hlamcs them as individuals for
bad roads. 1t is the system that is
at fauli. Now, as l have just said
the most convenient season for work.
ing the roads is when the crops are
laid by: then, afterwards, all the
holes, all the rough places, all the
deep ruts must stay there until they
are actually worn away by travel or
until the next crop is laid by. Lets
take an example TO illustrate. 4
brush gets into Il side-litch; it rains
and this little brush chokcs the ditch
causing it to overflow and run down
the middle OF the road. In few
weeks after Il few rains you've got
a ditch a hundred yards long right in
the middle of the road that places
your horses back on level with
your dashboard, and job that one
man with a shovel could have eXecut-
ed in three minutes becomes task
that will hold dozen men an hour
when the crops are laid by. Again,
where is the carrier who can't point
with Il sicl1ly kind Of pride to q
beautiful red and yellow mud puddle
on the tip top Of hill somewhere on
his routcq 1t stands there from De-
cember until may or June nuisance
to the travelling public all because it
is no particular PERSONS business to
90 there and work maybe fifteen
minutes to give the water al outlet.
AT ANOTHER place there is cloister Of
stones protruding several inches
above the surface OF The road-bcd.
You are going at brisk trot but when
You reach this place YOU must slow
down to walk in order to save your
vehicle from damage and your horse
from stumbling or falling. a man,
Il shovel and few shovcls- Of
dirt would fix it and the next time
you pass you can keep up your speed
without any discomfort or damage 10
vahiclc or horSe. Now. right here. a
word as to time lost on account of
these bad places. IF You will take
notice of the times YOU are compelled
to break your speed on account Of
bad places and then figure how far
YOU could be on your way if You did
moi have to slow down to walk you
will find the time saved would put
vou hack to the postof1icc from an
hour TO two hours earlier every day.
As for your horse. it will be lot
easier for him to keep up a steady
gait over smooth roads than to go at
break meek speed over short
stretch Of good road i'll order TO gain
n little time and then come to a
walk as he tugs and strains TO pull
you and your vehicle out Of hole
in the road deep enough to bury him
in when he dies or to pull You over
a bridge with the approaches six to
ten inches above the road level.
The fixing Of such places would be
t'he duty of the laborer referred to
in the 4th resolution, under the di
rectioa Of the rural carrier on that
road. I: am aware that this plan
would not be eNpedient OIL a road
where there was no carrier or other
person travelling The road regularly
every day to see that the laborcr
rendered bona fide service. Since the
carrier travels his road daily he
world know just how mucn work had
been accomplished from the same
time the preceding day so that the
laborcr would have little or no chance
Of "playing OFF, or "killing time'
on a carrier who is anxious to have
his roads improved.
Carricr No. 3, Ncwbcrry.
II. f. Wicker.
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