The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-20
NEED! Or TILE WORKS
sUca;$as .EHR ONE RECENTLY
BUILT an BOWMAN.

.ii.%s.s 49, = - =
a sstaR Corr espondent Of the Manu.
sacturer's Record Discusses Drain
age in this Section.
South Carolina Drainage" is the
subject Of I'm article appearing in
the last issue of the Manufacturers
Record by Roy G. Booker. staff cor
respondent OF that publication.
! It is said by wen known authori-
ties that the most fertile Of the farm
lands in South Carolina lie between "a
line. running, from Marlboro county,
near the North Carolina line, down
Z through the lower central part Of
the State to Hampton county border
ing the Georgia line and coast. Yet
comparatively small parts Of this ter
ritory is developed along agricultu-
raj or other lines.
This is due to the fact that the
land in. that section is so fiat, swam>
py and without drainage facilities
that it is almost an impossibility to
carry on farming without first drain
ing the whole area. It is gratlfyine
! to the people all over the State to
! learn that s. movement, which is just
I in Its infancy, has been started,
whereby that whole section Of the
State will be drained, and in this
way will bs made the most ideal
farming lar.ds to be found in the
South.
There seems to be nothing in, the
way Of the people of this section Of
the state SECURING the use Of these
lands. EXCEPT the necessary drainage.
The land Ia so level and fertile that
all kinds Of improved farming ma
chinery thai: has been Put in the field
in the last few decades could be used
!. to the very best advantage in this ar
ea Of 100000 acres.
A. G. Smith, of Chicago. came two
years ago to the Office in this city Of
the national bureau Of plant indus
try. Almost the first thing he did
after taking up the demonstration
work was to drain a farm at Marion
S. C. with tile and develop an almost
worthless tract Of land into one Of tn
best paying farms in the State.
The cost for draining this land With
tile, however, was very high, there
being only one farm to be tiled, as
the tile had to be shipped from points
in North Carolina and Tennessee. In
fact the freight on the tiles from
these points was equal to the cost of
production of the tile at the factory.
With this farm however, as an exam
pie, Mr. Sraith started on the road
and made a. number Of addresses for
better drainage of lands in lower
South Carolina. ,.t.,
The general assembly during its
last February session passed what is
now known as the drainage law,
which is somewhat similar to the
ones in other States. II this law
worked out to it's fullest extent It will
no doubt result In the complete re-
clamation cf all the fertile land In
the swampy section Of the Palmetto
State.
The law provides for board OF
viewers. which will be elected by the
majority of the people, that Is COM
posed of people desiring their lands,
to be drained. 1t is so fixed in this
law that the only persons that will
be levied on for the drainage taxes
will be the people who get the direct
benefit of the system.
To do this work .25-year bonds
from each county affected will be is
sued. When the money Is paid for
these bonds the board Of viewers will
look over the land that Is desired to
be drained and will have power to
appoint an engineer to make the nee
essary surveys. plans and estimate
the cost.
A number Of the people in the low
er section of the State are preparing
to issue the necessary bonds TO car
ry along the proposed work. Then
too, there Is a general awakening Of
interest II! diversified farming in all
parts Of The State. There is one
drawback--the small supply of tile.
IN a small way this Is just beginning
to be manufactured in this State.
There is plenty Of room for more In
this section.
A few Investors have taken hold OF
this opportunity, and some plants
have already been established, while
others are proposed. The first plant
TO be established was put into opera
tion a few days ago by M. W. Mayes,
a practical frickmaker, who came
to this State direct from Missouri
to establish a tile factory at the town
of Bowman, which is almost in the
heart of the undrained section.
The next plant, The Columbia
Brick company, will manufacture not
only brick: and tile, but all sizes of
sewer pipe as we'll. 1t will probably
begin to put on the market the much
needed tile within very short time.
Since tho drainage law has been
passed such small towns as Darling
ton, Manning and Bishopville, S. c.,