The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-06-28
GOOD ROADS NOTES.
The First Sand Clay Road.

L claim the unique honor of being
the first man in South Carolina, and,
l believe, the first man in the world
to build a sand-clay road, for which
service / was indicted in the criminal
court, tried and convicted. The peo-
pie whom it served in Marion county,
S. c., twenty years ago. did not think
highly of my road and were slow to
accept it. Today Marion county has
bonded itself for 100000 to build
sand-clay roads. The United States
government is sending its experts all
| over the nation, teaching the people
how to build cheap sanG-clay roads.
The method is destined to prevail all
| over the country. 1t was only ten
years ago that the government got on
to the advantages Of the earth road
and at that time the leading road au-
| thorities Of the country gave it as
their opinion that work on earth roads
was worthless and was money thrown
away. All that is changed. But, to
my experiences as a pioneer:
More than twenty years ago / built
| the first sand-clay road in Marion
county, s. c. 1t was called sand-clay
| because 1 digged up the clay and
this kind in the county. The road
was built on very boggy place which
| was almost impossible. 1t was kept
| just barely passable by digging long
bitches on each side Of the road and
carrying off the water. These ditch
es, owing to the lay Of the land, had
to be very long, emptying into a
creek a considerable distance away.
The road was then corduroyed with
rails. poles and puncheous, with
turf, mud and whatever could be
found packed in between. It was
noted as the worst piece of road in
Marion county, hardest to keep up
and most unsatisfactory all round. In
the campaign before the election /
had stated on every stump in the
county that I could build a good sand
clay road wherever I could get a good
quality Of sand and clay. had dis
covered the method myself and felt
sure that it would work anywhere, be-
cause it was sound in principle
The election came off and I won.
This particularly bad stretch of road
was selected for the rrial Of the sand
clay method, and a worse subject for
treatment could not have been found
in the world. 1t was considered an
impossible place and there was
much open scoffing and skepticism.
tackled this road, however, confident
that l would win out and began by
pulling out all of the poles, rails,
| puncheOns and other corduroy ma
terial. Then. by throwing up clay
from the sides Of the road I got the
road in shape, properly crowned, and
began hauling sand to put over the
| clay / worked it in and then hauled
still more, thus raising the road high
in the middle. The foundation, owing
to the boggy condition of the locality,
was a wet spring clay. When the
first rain came trouble came right
| along with it, and worlds Of it. My
road from one end to the other be-
came perfect mortar bed The road
had been we'll nigh impossible before
and 1t was completely so now.
Then came the indictment. The
citizens who had the misfortune to
be compelled to travel that road were
up in arms. A more indignant set of
good people never appealed the courts
of South Carolina for redress The
grand jury met and returned a true
| bill against me, charging that by i'm
proper methods Of road building that
had destroyed one Of the public
highways Of the county, against the
peace and dignity Of the State and the
statute therein made and provided"
MY case came on and everything went
against me. The judgment of the
court was that l must put the road
back like it was before and it was so
ordered. In the opinion OF the court,
1t was best to choose the lesser Of two
evils. The old road was bad and the
new one was much worse. Another
feature of the judgment of the court
was that I should put the road back
as | found it at my own expense.
But, l never did a thing to that
road Fair weather came and it dried
off and was in fine condition. There
mas been no necessity to do anything
to II since and ] have photograph OF