Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-10-20
No. 5O9.--Vclume LIX.--No. 43.
JAKE COOK PHILOsOpHIsEs.
"GOod-bye, Boys; God Bless You;
But Old Folks Need Roads,"

we have written The Courier {, line.
We have been too busy most OF the
time, but we have ii little idle time
now.
A while ago, when the road Ques-
tioh was being discussed so much,
we tried to be as mum on that mat
ter as we could, owing to the fact
that we knew the road officials did
not have any money to build roads
with. But VIC feel now like saying
few words In self-defense. Please
say to cur friend Phillips that the
road from Hopewell church to Madi-
son Is getting very rough and we
can't see any cause for it. There has
been, | think, forty-fi"e or fifty dol
lars communication tax paid into that
road, and that much money wiz nut
that road in pretty good condition,
owing to the fact that the greater
part Of the road was built on
grade, was put there by a surveyor,
and, therefore, would be easily put
In shape. Once in a while we need q
doctor at our place, and the nearest
place to get one is Westminster. Tho
only road that they can travel at all
to get to our place Is the road by
way vi the Jenkins's bridge. My
friend, DR.. Walker, came to our place
few days ago, and he said the road
by Hopewen church and Jenkins's
bridge was so rough that he returned
to Westminster by way Of the Bryan
bridge on Chauga creek He said he
had no idea that DR.. Cook or Com.
mander Peary had to climb anything
like that Bryan hill between New
York and the North Pole, and have
an idea that If t,r' North Pole was sit
uated in some parts OF Oconee coun-
ty neither DR.. Cook nor Peary
would ever have found it, unless they
would stop and go into the road
building business for while. If they
had all the Eskimos and dogs In ex-
istence they would all fail and turn
back when they struck the Bryan
Hill on Chauga creek.
Some of the citizens Of our town
said they saw flying machine pass
over our .own this morning, going
South. / suppose whoever they
were knew that was the only way
ley could. travel in our county. His
head was level whether his machine
was or not.
l asked one OF our citizens about
how many miles of road we had in
the county, and he said re supposed
there are about one thousand miles;
but / thought that If he had said
opoul VI IOdo ana D ID miles
OF gullies he would probably have
been nearer correct in his caicula-
ton.
There are few citizens still not
satisfied with the resolutions passed
by the road convention some time
ago at Walhalla. But they -proba-
bly, did the best the- could under
the circumstances. OF course we
know that the two dollars commuta-
ton tax and the 2-mill tax levy on
the property will not be enough TO
put the roads in good condition; but
we have to take this kind of medi-
cine In broken doses or 1t will MAKE
us sick enough to vomit, but after
we try 1T while, and see its good
results, we. will be willing to in
crease the amount by having our
taxes raised a little more. Every
man wants good road, but the ma
Jority OF us think that the other fell
low ought to build it. We don't only
think the other fellow ought to build
1t. but we fully believe 1t is
his duty to do 1t. Every far
mer In the South knows that the
cotton acreage should be reduced
from the simple fact that we get
more money for little crop than
We get for big one; but we think
the other fellow should plant the lit
tie crop and let us plant a big crop
on the sly. We will go to the other
fellow and tell him that it is his
duty to plant small crop of cotton
and reduce the acreage, when we
have already made arrangement"
with our tenants to plant b!
crop. 80 ".r
But you might say to our friend
Phillips, road supervisor, that eyevy-
thing looks favorable for him and his
men in the future. The probability
Is that he will get rid of all this
young smart, fast set: They won't
need any roads in a year or two
more. They are going 10 fly. The
county officials may have to climb
up and top some of the highest trees
on the mountain peaks and remove
some Of the telegraph and Telephone
wires, especially around the coca
| cola stands, so that they can light
and get drink and a bunch of ciga-
rettes and go on their way rejoicing.
And that's all right. Go it. boys,
while you are young. If the roads
are so rough you cant travel them,
get up into the upper region, where
everything is smooth sailing-no
ruts and gullies; no rocks and
stumps; no wagon breaking down
and tires coming off; no horses to
shoe, no blacksmith bills to pay; no
mud holes to pull through Good
bye, boys; IL you are gone, God
bless you. We hope our Supervisor
will remember that the old folks
need some roads.
Yours, ETC., ]. A. Cook.