Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-18

lanta. working out one-half of the prob
lem between here and Atlanta via the
north route during the day and spending
, the night in Toccoa probably. The sue
ceeding day. If the same good fortune
continues that has blessed the heroic
White Steamer thus far, 1t will continue
on into Atlanta, arriving probably dur
ing the afternoon or early evening.
South Carolina roads surpass those of
north Georgia, and unless the influence
of the Journal-Herald contest had been
brought to bear would today antedate
4 the latter by at least a generation.
SOUTH CAROLINA ROADS.
So has the scouting party learned, to
the keen regret Of the Georgians in it.
Ever since the scout car crossed the
South Carolina border II has reveled in
roads that are luxurious compared to
some of those that 1t had just previous
" struggled over in Georgia. Main
highways in South Carolina thus far are
comparatively boulevards. ways of kings,
and where they are not actually so, can
be made so with the expenditure of
little more money and labor-both Of
which will be spent before the date for
the big reliability run south from New
York to Atlanta next fall And the roads
that have not yet become highways are
incomparbly better than roads of even
the highway class in northeast Georgia.
y
stands in the estimation of the scouts is
that which is being rapidly worked in
sections between Lavonia and Commerce
and will have been completed before next
fall. The Lavonia-C Commerce highway
will be thirty feet wide, well graded, we'll
drained, well summed, even and straight.
II is the first passing over the border of
the South Carolina spirit for good roads.
From II will have to spread through
ocf CaOrCfa ~ not through other
and more favorable parts of the state,
the class of road that The Journal and
the New York Herald have pledged them
selves to encourage.
But not altogether to lack of local pride
and wakefulness on the part of the
northeast Georgians is the sad COMPARE
son to be charged. Their work will be
under greater difficulties than their
neighbors over the river have encoun-
tered in South Carolina. Hardly across
the width of the dividing stream, pro-
nounced difference in the topography of
the country is to be noticed. South Caro-
lima is rolling plateau in this part OF
the state, resembling the fertile broad
| country of South Dakota near the Black
Hills more nearly than 1t does the billy
broken country of Georgia only a half
dozen miles away. For the main part,
too this section of South Carolina is
open and under prosperous cultivation,
while the principal acreage in the north
east Georgia footihlls-which become the
Blue Ridge above here-is shaded. South
Carolina, in Anderson, Oconee and Green
Vile counties, is thickly settled, more
over On these points, at least from
Georgia's standpoint. there is some ex-
cuse for the lesser advancement. But
Georgia has been walked now, and here
after the very counties themselves will
not take shelter behind excuses. AT
greater cost and with the favor Of fewer
natural advantages, those northeast
Georgia counties are going to build high
ways that will not suffer by comparison
| in the eyes of people from beyond the
border. Their officials so declare, and
the work has already begun.
! GOOD DAYS TOUR.
/ IN Greenville. tonight, the scouting
party has concluded a good days tour
of more than a hundred miles, over half
of which was travelled in one county on
two routes to the river before the scout
ever started this way from Anderson.
No minor feature of the days tour as
| strikingly demonstrative of the spirit OF
the South Carolina countryman toward
the projected highway, was that of the
party's lunch, at noon, under the trees at
| the Beaver Dam Presbyterian church, at
/ Fair Play settlement, in Oconee county.
/ There the whole party from three auto
/ mobiles, scout and escort, was pressed to
| partake Of delicious country good things
prepared by the hands of the ladies for
| the days lunch at the laymens meeting
/ in the church. No excuses would be con-
| sidered The automobiles were hailed and
stopped when they would have tried to
! pass with as little disturbance as posi-
| BILE; and their party was pressed into par
| taking of the edibles which they blessed
| their good fortune. few moments later,
| for having led them to. And while they
| ate, they listened to the pledges from
| the county's most substantial men, gath
cred around them, that the roads of the
county will be their slogan and their par
! amount local issue henceforth. All this
was completely unexpected, unsolicited,
and revealing. II struck home upon the
convictions of the scouts that the move
ment has gripped the country, more SOL
| idly than has any other of their expert
| ences.
PLOTTED INTO ANDERSON.
| Into Anderson from across the river,
| Saturday night, the scout party had been
accompanied and piloted by Jesse Strib-
ling, county engineer, who had met II in
his own car at Royston; and ]. N. Bleck-
ley, B. ]. Smith, Archie Todd, ]. ]. Pear
man, Anderson county commissioner, and
Mr.. Hodges, who had met it at Hartwen.
E. c. Horton, mayor of Williamson, s..
c., and editor of the Anderson County Ad-
vertiser, was also a member of the escort
over the river.
For the passage over the river, o. c..
Brown, owner of the historic and pic
turesque Browns Ferry that many tour
lists have photographed and passed over.
had donated the services of his ferry to
the good cause of the contest, and would
hear of no pay. I'm glad to have you
/ come by, gentlemen" he said.
At Royston, Saturday afternoon, the
Hartwell delegation was waiting for the
scout Senator-elect Julian Benson Nc
Curry headed it. others were Represent
ative-elect A. A. McCurry, T. S. Harper
and c. D. Turner.
The Royston escort had met the car in
! Commerce, where Il was waiting Friday
afternoon when the car arrived from At
lanta. But the car then was bound for
Lavonia. They returned to Commerce,
Saturday morning, and piloted the way
to Royston. They were j. F. Lee, w. d.
Bowers, Miss Joe johnson and B. L.
Bond. In Royston the band waited for
hours, Saturday, and a good feast went
untasted, while the scout car worked and
it's party put off lunch till duty was per-
formed. In Royston, too, a beautiful bou-
| uuet of magnolias tied with a silk ribbon
was presented anonymously to the party.
At Commerce, DR.. s. B. Vow and ].