The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-04
BUILDING GOOD ROADS.



have fE some months been scream
ing themselves black In the face over
. goods roads movement throughout
the South with special reference to
q highway from New York to Atlanta
Tor automobiles. They have been
farEesy surrendered to-: long and en-
thusisstic accounts Of the more or
leo ,snFracticabie roadways and the
alleged ecstasies of the natives over
the prospect Of an early betterment.
Everywhere the special commission
ers" o. "stan correspondents" or
whatever the. newspapers please to
call their respective Wandering Will
hies have been received by country
mayefs. leading tradesmen. and so
Qn- Farmers have spelled" their
steems and looked over fences and
eheercd on general principles. At last
the readers Of the newspapers In ques-
tson k"ow what the residents or the
vario~s sections In question have
knewp MI the time. that Southern
roads are not as a rule adapted to
tourist automobiles from the North.
and the huilabaloo Is gradually sim
mojne down. 90
n AEesowhiie a vast froth and scum
~ been brought to the surface along
the koes that have been explored.
Leading citizens" are writing to the
1our newspapers to say that they are
sheart and soul for good roads. and
village 0Gsciais are slowly setting up
rm tNe tried chicken and buttermiik
that have been consumed in the ex-
ritsrpr.i Letters come from Huckle-
1efry Bend. Hog Wallow. Squirrel
foro. etc. 10 say that the writer's are
sremcndousiy worked up over good
roads and ready to stand by and see
thom constructed at any cost to some
BODY else. With one voice they bid
thc roeabullders godspeed. and then
get back to their corn pone and yell
Aoxsed tcgged chicken with sense OF
hayiRe acted very handsomely and
ubcrsssy toward a projected improve
unsnt w their neishhoshood.. Nothing
could be more encouraging than the
S1bisc sentiment that has been work.
- ne over the feasts OF watermelon
and uesrbcer that have blossomed
along the routes pursued by those ar
dsnt pscWeers. Everybody Ia the dis
tyjct O. eeedv for good roads. Every
bsdy " visiting for the good work to
hagin.
Now that the junketing and the
1ubilstioa sre over. however. who Is
getng 10 build the roads? There has
been . whole food Of talk and an air
fun o. toterchanging compliment and
D0vinx eesttculation. but what individ-
ual O. what community In the South
n goiog down into the pocket to inau-
gsrate the much lauded enterprise?
I'm nesriy al Southern neighborhoods
ere roads are very bad for automo-
biIes. tsd even for the local traffic,
n'st oac-haf as good as they ought TO
D.. anyhow: but everywhere they are
sB the people desire or deserve. II
tHhe rocds around Charlotte and
8Rauutco or around Leesburg and
Winchester are comparatively excel
Bent u ~ because the taxpayers of
enose vieinities will have them so and
10 hesr profit In II. II they are bad
elsowkere u is because the property
hssders DO not see any money In MAX
- thew better. Who expects them
o. Yisc MI as one man all along the
nne fcom New York to Jacksonville.
via Aiss~ia. agree upon a continuous
sehsne cor a luxurious highway and
Dour o~t their dollars for Its construc-
ton W Che thing Is not done In this
fnahiew. <,ow IL II to be done and who
- soieg 90 do It,
Beesusc a cOrporal's guard OF va
grast reporters so bustling about the
&Suth dtaating on the advantages to
oewebody Of q first-class highway to
IL feV South. are the Joskinses Of
vkgin's. the Carolinas. Georgia and
ESsrsdn ~ turn out and pave the way
Scr jos sidcrs from unknown lands !?
10 ses~s. io US on the contrary. that
she xspr these flying prophets talk
about he automobiles to come the
Dsrc tho Joskinses will keep their
Dseksts suttoned and let the automo-
bsSes s~d their various occupants stay
n home New York Sun.
Mr.. Taft may succeed In ending