Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-08-31
THE MATTER OF GOOD ROADS.
Meeting Last Friday Was Not large,
But Did Some Work.

ial SeiS altelueu us was nOpod Tor,
| but still there was in the meeting
that quality that means ultimate sue
cess for the movement in Oconee-it
had enthusiasm, and there was
freedom Of speech"
The meeting was called to order
by A. z. Crisp, president Of the Oco-
nee County Good Roads Association.
The secretary was not present at the
opening Of the meeting, and Dr.. J..
S. StribHng, Of Seneca, was chosen
as assistant secretary, III order that
the meeting might not be delayed in
transactins the business before it.
Members were invited to open a
! discussion as to the needs Of the
county In the matter Of roads and
to give expression to their views as
to the best method Of securing ade-
quate relief from our present unen-
viable road situation.
w. Nj. Brown was the first to give
his views. lie stated that he was
himself farmer, and that he wanted
TO call the attention OF the farmers OF
the county to the injustice they were
doing to themselves and to the coun-
ty at large by failure to recognize
the Importance Of individual effort
to keep the public roads in good con
dition, and he appealed to them to
stop the system OF dtching and ter
racing their lands, emptying the
bitches and terraces into the public
roads, thus making impossible the
Keeping In good condition of the
roads, no matter how much work
might be done by the authorities. He
said that he had been guilty Of this,
put had seen the folly OF it and had
quit, and his idea was to get other
farmers to see the matter as he did
win the hope that they, too, would
put stop to it, and lend a hand at
road improvement instead OF continu-
ing a policy that was proving seri-
ously detrimental. His idea was
thal ii the farmers will Quit this
practice OF cmptying bitches and ter
races and throwing distractions into
thc pubic highways much good will
be accomplished and much unneces-
Sary expense avoided
Capt. }. }. Ballcnger, OF 2ichland.
thought that the only thing needed
was TO get the county road business
uowh 10 a system, and he thought
inc system necessary for the success
or the connty's business was the sys
tenn OF township supervision Of all
matters pertaining to the public
roads, abolishing the Office OF county
commissioner, substituting therefor
township commissioners, with n
county supervisor to look after the
county at large.
D. B. Pickett cspouscd the system
Whor"DH each property owner should
keep IN condition the public road
'hrouEh or III front OF his property,
TINS system appealing, he thought. TO
the individual pride OF eoch citiynn
along the public highway and tend
ing to create spirit of compctition
among the land owners, each endnov-
oring TO have the best road by his
place.
n. ~: Ellison thought possibly Mr..
ricketts, plan might work but
douDted 1t. Mr.. Ballcnger's plan, he
Sa'd' was unjust owing to conditions
prevailing in the mountain sections
OF the county. He made a motion
,hat thc association mcmorialiZc the
'.'SiSlalnfc, asking a tax levy sufn-
clcht TO build good roads in the conn
w. Thc only way TO get good roads
is TO levy sufficient taxes. This mo-
tion mad no second and was never
put to a vote.
DR., }. S. Slribling favored the levy
ing OF taxes by townships on thc
same plan as is i'm vogue by school
districts for school purposes. lie
was heartily in favor OF higher
laNeS II necessary, and favored a bill
10 authorize township taxes for road
purposes.
DR.. G. NJ. Walker wanted good
roads and thought certainly there
was some adequate remedy at hand
10 secure them and 10 get ont of the
"eploraDie run into which the county
as whole has gotten. He cited as
instances that good roads can be
llladc the two roads already built
one leading from Walhallo to Wnst,
MINISTER, the other from Richland In
Seneca. lie hoped that every farmer
III the county would take adyantapc
Oh these two roads and travel over
'hcm in order that thcy might soc
ana KNOW the great ADVANTAGES they
present to the public at large and 10
every one who lives along the road.
w. .. hamilton favored the issu-
ing OF bonds for the purpose of build
'"G roads and thought that the ONLY
rcal solution Of the problem. He
ci'cd the iact that cities. corporo-
'iohs and large business enterprises
use inns method and find it the cheap
est ana best, and thought II ONLY
reasonable to conclude that if il was
GOOD system for these business cor
pora,ions II would be good for the
county Of Oconce.
Or, b. T.. Sloan suggested the ad-
VlsaDllity Of correspondence with the
aul horillos OF those counties ana
states mat now have model roads in
ordcr to find out tho system under
"hlch they were secured, and the
COST, IN order that we might profit
by the experience OF those who have
travelled already the road upon which
we arc now cntcring