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

unQer tn2 present SySlolu, Jul ole
convenient season for working the
roads and that is when the crops arr
laid 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
il the public roads. Certainly no
one blames them as individuals for
bad roads. It is the system that is
at fault. Now, as I 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. A
brush gets into a side-ditch; it rains
and this little brush chokes the ditch
causing it to overflow and run down
the middle Of the road. In. few
weeks after a few rains you've got
ditch hundred yards long right in
the middle Of the road that places
your horses back on a level with
your dashboard, and job that one
man with a shovel could have eEecut-
ed in three minutes becomes a task
that will hold a dozen men an aour
when the crops are laid by. Again,
where is the carrier who can't point
with a sickly kind of pride to a
beautiful red and yellow mud puddle
on the tip top Of hill somewhere on
his route? It stands there from De-
cember until may or June nuisance
to the travelling public all because it
is no particular persons business to
go there and work maybe fifteen.
minutes to give the water al outlet.
At agother place there is cloister OF
stones protruding several inches
above the surface Of the road-bed.
You are going at brisk trot but when
YOU reach this place you must slow
down to waikiki order to save your
vehicle froln damage and your horse
from stumbling or falling. A man,
a shovel and a few shovels-full OF
dirt would fix it and the next time
you pass you can keep up your speed
without any discomfort OF. damage to
vehicle or horse. Now. right here.
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 Tar
YOU could be on your way II you dld
not have to slow down to a walk you
will find the: time saved would put
Won hack to the postoffice from an
bour to tvo hours earlier every day.
AS for your horse. it will be lot
easier for him to keep up steady
o.ait over smooth roads than to 60 at
break-neck speed over short
stretch of coed road il order to gain
little time and then come to a
walk as he tugs aad strains to pull
Won and your vehicle out OF hole
in the road deep enough to bury him
in. when he dies or to pull you over
q bridge with the approaches SIX to
tan inches above the road level.
The fixing Of such places would be
the duty Of the laborer referred t. to
in the 18th resolution, under the d.
reetioa Of the rural carrier on that
road. I: ana aware that this plan
would not be ezpedient on a road
! vhers there was no carrier or other
nerson travelling the road regularly
every day to see that the laborer
rendered bona fide service. Since the
carrier travels his road daily he
would know just how mucn work had
been accomplished from the same
time the preceding day so that the
laborer would have little or no chance
of "playing off, or "killing time"
on 2 carrier who is anxious to nave
his roads improved.
Carrier No. 3, Newberry.
T. E. Wicker.