The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-29
GOOD ROADS SPEECHES.
Summary of Speeches Made by
Messrs. ID. III. Winslow, TX. 1. Man
ming, X. Ii. Belscr and Others.

The speeches made Thursday at
the last meeting in the good road
campaign We're all good ones and
Calculated TO settle once for all
the question as to whether the bond
issue was or was not the best method
OF securing the funds for building
the roads.
Mr.. ID. III. Winslow, the govern
expert road builder who has been
here before to look into the road
system of Sumter county, made the
Lyric. illustrating his lecture with
moving picture films. His lecture
was mostly taken up with explaining
pictures which were thrown on the
screen. they being taken before and
after the good roads We're built in
different sections OF the South. He
showed pictures Of road building. the
grading of the roads. how the rock
was blasted and placed on the road
and the finishing up when the bind
or was placed over the top dressing
and the roller run owe. the road.
Sumter county was the third
county in this State to float bond
issue for the building of good
roads. Marion county came first
with an issue of 100000 bonds and
Dillon second. Sumter came third
and was now trying to bond the
county for s15O.OOO more, while
Marlboro county was trying to get
an issue of 100000 bonds for
good roads. Other counties were
doing the same thing in this and
other states. Among these counties
was Florence. a neighboring county,
which would get a great deal Of
the trade from this county if the
bond issue in this county was defeat
ed and the good roads We're not
built now. If the roads were built
by means of the bond issue, on the
other hand. Sumter county would
get trade from other counties.
Mr.. Winslow said that he had
been all over the State and over
great many other states, and
the roads in this county were just
about like elsewhere-part good
and part bad. some counties had
much better roads and somo had
worse roads. He illustrated the
working OF the bond issue by show
ing the pictures of mans house
and land before the road was built
by his house and after IL was put
there, showing that the man had
sold part OF his land at greatly in
creased value and had remaining the
other very much improved as we'll
as was his house--a new one hav-
ing been built. In one county in
Georgia where one bale Of cotton
had been taken 10 market on a two
horse wagon eight bales could be
taken after the roads had been
built up. He showed a picture OF
a road in Marlboro county where
the mail carrier was stalled in the
mud. He stated that the govern
ment had notified the officials OF
the county that unless the road was
put and kept In better condition
that the free rural delivery OF mail
would be stopped. In d great many
pa ces the free delivery had been
stepped because OF lad roads. He
showed a picture of what had hap
pened in Alabama. The price OF
cotton went up and the farmer who
had good roads to carry his cotton
to town took eight bales on his
side OF town where there were bad
roads took one bale Of cotton to
town. The next day cotton went
down again and the farmer who
had taken the eight bales realized
n half a cent a pound more for
seven bales of his cotton than did
the man who had taken only one
bale OF cotton To town on the same
day.
He went on to show the relation
of good roads to schools and health
Of the school children. Where the
roads were good the children could
easily get to school. Where the
roads were bad tho children had
hard tim, in getting to school and
would probably have to walk
through rlud and wet and get sick
as consequence of sitting up in
the school room all day with wet
shoes on their feet.