The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-03-29
Tuesday, March 20, 1910.
A TALK ON ROADS.

The Herald and News has said so
much about the necessity of better
highways that sometimes We are dis
couraged when We have an opportun-
ity to know what little progress, if
any, is being made in their improve
ment. We can. not understand Why
the people, who live in the country
and who have constant occasion to
use the roads, do not take more in
terest in them. There are times
when the expenditure of practically
no money but simply the use Of en-
ergy and only for few hours, which
is doing nothing would rake the
roads so much better.
There is scarcely a stretch of
road in this county which could not
be in very much better condition to-
day if, after the rains Of the winter,
the farmers who live along these
roads had taken their mules and the
ordinary drag and gone over the
roads. If all Of them had united
in this it would not have taken over
a day from the farm by the use of
labor that is on the farm to have put
the roads in good condition. Instead
Of that the farmers will continue to
drive their teams over these rough
roads and complain about their bad
condition and wait for the chain
gang.
We have almost despaired for the
present of securing any permanent
road work but We are satisfied that
with a little cooperation and united
effort on the part of the people who
use the roads, We could have in, this
county good. dirt roads, good for at
least eight months in the year.
A trip only few days ago from
Dyson to Newberry through the coun-
try revealed the fact that the road
from the river bridge, the railroad
river bridge, ia Chappells and
Williams to Newberry is in worse
condition today than we have ever
seen it and we have travelled this
road more cr less for the past thirty
years.
The use Of a road drag which would
not have taken more than one day
from any farm along the road, if it
had been done about three weeks ago,
would make IT'S a splendid road
from here to the eighteen mile post.
It was cut up during the excessive
rainy weather and the ruts are from
SIX to eighteen inches deep and al
most impossible. In several places
all that the public road seems to be
used for is to cross from one field to
another, the road having been trans
ferred to the field. This condition
should not exist and we can not un-
derstand why the farmers who live
along the road and who use it permit
it to exist when by so little effort
and no money cost they could rene
dy it.
From the eighteen mile post to the
railroad bridge there is no road at
all. There is track from the school
house above Mr.. ". R. Reds which
winds around a field out to DR.. Hol-
loway's and from DR.. Holloway's to
the river you could scarcely call it
more than path. It appears that
an effort was made in building an
approach to the river bridge to build
it so that it would be almost impos-
sible for wagons and ether vehicles
to 90 on the bridge. Right at the
foot of the approach is a mud hole
two or three feet deep and as you
leave the mud hole to mount the
bridge the road rises at an angle Of
about forty-fve degrees over large
stones.
This is one Of the many roads IN
this county which could be kept IN
good condition with little eoopera-
+ion and effort on the part of the