Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-20


number of the Good Roads Magazine
is to be found very interesting arti-
Gle by Commissioner Watson on the
improvement Of roads in South Caro-
lima. Several pages Of the magazine
are given up to illustrations, showing
sections, completed and under con-
struction, Of the sand-clay roads of
Richland county. The article con-
tains much data that is Of especial in
terest just now, In view Of the fact
that a good roads movement is sweep
ing over the state. 1t Is pointed out
that good roads throughout South
Carolina will save in freights to the
cotton producers of the state alone,
$450,000 annually. In reference to the
number of miles Of roads In the state,
the paper says: Probably at this time
fully 5000 Of the 41,S30 miles Of pub
lie roadways in the state have been
worked, the bulk of these finished
roads having been given the sand
clay mixture treatment. There are
something over 100 miles Of shell road
and possibly 200 miles Of granite ma
cadam. Everywhere road building is
being engaged In at this time, no
county neglecting It." 1t is explained
that the shell roads are in the coast
counties, where oyster shells are cas-
lily obta.nable, oyster fisheries and
canneries being numerous. The road
way, generally through deep sand is
prepared for width Of about twenty
feet, properly crowned and then the
shells are placed thereon from dump
wagons and spread to an even depth.
Steam and horse rollers are worked
over the shells, crushing them as adj
ditional layers are put on. The final
depth is about five inches. The actual
cost of constructing Is heavy, being
about the same in the end as that Of
a good macadam road-approximately
$4,000 to $4,000 per mile.
Sand Clay Roads.
OF greatest interest is the sand
clay road, which ia destined to become
the standard Of the state, because Of
its durability and cheapness Of con-
struction. The paper says: THE
father of the sand-clay road in Amer
lea is the present county supervisor
of Richland county and he has rep
utation fer building lasting roadways
that Is almost national. BY his exam
Pile all Of the counties Of the state
have been enabled to undertake the
building Of good roads. This man is
S. H Owens, and he has just COM
pleted a long stretch Of 30-foot wide
sand clay speedway over which have
ridden in heavy motor car at q speed
exceeding fifty miles per hour-indeed
with more satisfaction than over many
of the best roads in England and
France over which have motored.
Convicts are worked in gangs Of twen-
ty-five and they are housed in COM
Portable tents.
1.-The food bill Is 12a cents per day
per man. This gives a substantial
bill Of fare-corn bread, -four bread,
bacon, always vegetables In season
and beef twice a week. This is ac-
complished by strict economy in the
and the men do not suf-
fer for lack Of food. The striped suits
cost 81 per suit and each suit lasts
from three to four months; the shoes
cost $1.50 per pair and the underwear
rs cents per suit, each lasting about
three months. Each squad Of twenty
five convicts has one overseer, four
guards and ten head Of mules. The
real cost is in the feeding Of the mules,
this amounting to SIG per month per
mule. The squad operates one road
scraper, costing $3.50, one dump was-
on to each pair of mules, five wheel
ers" (two wheel scrapers) and sup
ply Of shovels. No roller or harrow Is
used, such implements having been
found unnecessary. The mixing Of the
sand and the clay Is accomplished by
the passing Of traffic over the surface
THE total cost Of construction Il
one mile of the best 30-foot wide
sand clay road, taking all Of the above
items into consideration is not over
$4O0 per mile as an average. The cost
of maintenance does not average over
$40 per mile annually, II the repair
work is done constantly. If the sea-
son is a rainy one repair work should
be done once a month. A floating
gang Of two or three men-all that Is
maintained for this pur-
pose. With two or three men four or
five miles a day can be put in perfect
condition"
This year Mr.. Owens has $4,000
to spend in the conduct Of road-build-
ing work. in 1899 he had $4,000; In
1908 $4,000 was spent, but a consid-
erable portion Of that was spent on a
macadam speedway. Routes
Of roads are being changed to reduce
grades and all work Is being done on
O-foot wide roadway basis. One stretch
Of seventeen miles, built since Janu-
airy, is pronounced by experienced mo-
torists to be one of the finest and fast
est speedways in the entire country
RiehIand County Roads.
In a personal letter Mr.. Owens pre-
sents the following facts regarding his
methods Of constructing sand-clay
roads:
"As requested l will give you a
short sketch of the sand and clay
roads of this county. In January.
1899, took charge Of the roads of this
which were then in deep sand
in two thirds Of the county. the bal
ance being through sticky clay hills,
with the exception Of about two miles
Of macadam roadway which had prov
en- too expensive for our county to|
continue to build.
Il commenced the sand on the old
Camden road with clay to about ten
inches in depth. At first the people
we're displeased. 1t had rained great
deal and they were not accustomed to
seeing muddy roads. I continued tol
throw sand on the clay until it quit
begging and sticking to the wheels,
keeping 1t crowned with an ordinary
road scraper. After had built a few
miles of the road and Ii became hard