The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-25
GOOD ROADS DEPARTMENT
By the Good Roads League.

A8$ Ii oSiioI1 VI tI1e uoiiN iSE'>'~
N We have for general distribution
M M,opies Of the Act AUTHORIZING the elec-
ion on the bond question. We hope
khe friends Of the cau:se Will help us
Fn seeing that cor& Of the Act gets
into the hands Of each voter.
Good voads are so important to the
Bancial. social, educational and re-
;.ou> well-being of a community
hat no enumeration Of their advan-
ages is likely to INCLUDE all the ben
Pitts.
A The following propositions are sub
nitted for the thoughtful consldera-
kion Of the people, and We shall try
Bto demonstrate these propositions as
II occasion presents itself:
lk l. Good roads permit the cultiva-
ton Of crops not otherwise market
2 able.
A 2. Good roads reduce the cost Of
Transportation.
# 3. Good roads enhance the value OF
property.
4. Good roads make it possible to
market raw material, such as wood
and stone, which is valueless under
n pesent conditions.
u 5 Good roads add to the social and
intellectual NellIbeing Of communl-
ty.
s. Good roads are necessary to the
very life Of our county churches.
7. Good roads will increase our
rural population.
s. Good roads help the cities,
towns and railways.
The attention Of the people OF
Newberry county is earnestly direct
ed to the following article on the
roads Of Richmond county, Georgia.
This article is full Of meat. Here we
have a county that was devoted to
cotton raising almost exclusively only
2: few years ago, changed by good
roads to county of diversified farms.
Newberry will always be a one-crop
county under present road conditions.
Attention is also called to the fact
that the gravel for these roads was
gotten from this State 33 miles from
Augusta, and yet these fine gravel
roads cost only $1,000 per mile.
Read the whole article for yourself,
it will open your eyes:
In spite Of the fact that the New
; England and Eastern States are cred
tied with the best roads IN the eoun-
try, it is refreshing to note that all
the good roads are not confined to one
section. While most Of the New Eng
land and Eastern States follow the
State aid system Of road building,
the South follows the county unit
system. Individual counties in the
South. therefore, show the widest
possible range in the condition and
extent Of road Improvement.
Richmond county !, Georgia, affords
one of the best examples found any
where in the country Of the benefits
resulting from road Improvement; an
example which many other counties
would do we'll to emulate. There are
but few counties in the United States
which have a greater mileage of first
class roads, and there is probably no
county in the South which surpasses
Richmond county in this respect.
Out of total of about 800 miles
Of public roads. nearly 500 miles have
been graded and surfaced, some with
gravel and some with sand clay mix
lures. The gravel Of which they are
built consolidates and binds so we'll
that the roads are less dusty than
most macadam roads. In fact, most
Of them are practically free from
dust.
While the average for one horse
on the roads of the Southern States
is only one bale Of cotton, the aver
age load on these roads is about three
bales (1.500 pounds), or SIX bales tor
a two-horse team. As a general rule
the farmers Of this county figure on
hauling as much TO market as the
wagon will hold up. In other words,
they load for the wagon and not for
the team, which is the case IN all
counties which have bad roads.
Garden-trucking is the principal
occupation Of the rural classes. The
climate being mild and the soil fer
tile. two or three crops are produced
on the same soil each year. The city
Of Augusta, the county seat. is sup
piled with fresh vegetables and fruits
from nearby farms. After supplying