Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-20
WRITES
OF GOOD ROADS.
Article Contains Much Data Of Especial In
terest to Those Favoring Movement.

the attentlon OF FroI. j. "A. homes OF
Office of public roads at Washington
he came here and inspected my work
and distributed pamphlets from his de-
partment recommending the sand and
clay roads. Later on. in 1901, Prof.
Spoon examined the roads Of this
county, but was not fully satisfied that
they would last. He then came back
in 1903 and saw that they would last
as well as any road. He then very
strongly endorsed my work In the
government year book Of 1908, with
photographs and detailed descrip-
tion Of the method. ! doubt whether
the sand and clay roads would be
success in the northern states, even II
they had sand, where the land freezes
deep.
Method Of Building.
AS to the method Of building. the
first thing to do is to grade the road
and give 1t very slight crown, not
over two inches to every ten feet from
center to ditch; then the clay should
be put on six inches deep. then sand
on the clay, as clear Of vegetable
matter as possible; this keeps down
dust; 1t depends entirely on the quail
ity Of the clay as to the necessary
amount Of sand; II 1t Is pipe clay or
challky kaolin it requires a great deal
more sand; same has to be applied az
ter each rain until the clay stops cut
ting and begging; the ruts should be
kept closed and the proper crown kept
on the road with road machine until
1t becomes hard. The important
thing is the sand. It should be as
clear of soil as possible. If the sand is
fine and badly water worn the result
Is not as good.
"As to the cost, that depends entire
ly on the haul Of the clay; in real gen.
uire sand hills like portions Of this
county and Lexington, where clay can
only be found by digging pits on the
hillsides in the bottoms, II. costs about
$400 per miles for 30-foot road;
where the clay can be found near the
roadside and often in the bitches by
digging two or three feet, 1t Ii much
less.
Gravel roads are often mistaken
for sand and clay roads. They are as
old as macadam and 1t does not re-
quire the skill and care to build srav-
ell roads as 1t does those Of sand and
clay, especially where the clay changes
from half sand and half clay, and from
that to red, sticky clay and some-
times white chalk or stiff pipe clay,
which Is the condition In our sand
hills. It requires close attention In
the application OF sand where this is
the case. I have never recommended
sand and clay roads In the northern
states, although possibly 1t would do.
/ have had as good results putting
sand on clay roads as have clay on
sand.
Durability.
"As to the durability Of the sand and
clay reads, they viii last as long as
macadan. There are stretches Of
sand and clay roads In this county.
where they are ,evel. that are In good
condition that were built ten years
ago, while the macadam road built to
Hyatt's Park twelve years ago, was
entirely rebuilt last year. Then too,
the sand and clay roads are easily and
cheaply repaired, for the reason that
the material Is always convenient just
here. I would say my experience Is
that automobiles improve sand and
clay roads. I think the opinion Of all
road experts is that they damage ma
cadam roads very much. Since the
automobiles are here and more are
coming every day 1t Is absolutely nee
essary to widen our roads to at least
thirty feet.
"One thing would like to mention.
that is, in building sand and clay
roads, very little machinery Is need
ed. I have never used roller. All
the tools that are necessary are
road scraper, wheelers, dumpwagons
or carts, and the road plow. A great
deal of harm has been done the good
roads movement by shrewd machin-
cry men loading up counties with i'm
practical and unnecessary machinery.
There are no drains. The crown
extends to a Jaw" at the roadside,
which carries all of the surface water
better than a cut drain. Through
swampy places the road bed is raised
and underdrained."