The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-09-07
NEWS M COUNTY SEN BAILEY RETIRE MM % MARGARET MAY LOST VALUE GOOD ROADS BM H@EHRM
METHODS USED IN BUILDING DILLON
COUNTY ROADS
USING TWO CONVICT FORCES
Interesting Communication From
Engineer Wayland Regarding
The Public Road Work.

The Public Road Work.
The need of system of good
roads in Dillon county is easily ap-
parent to the most casual observer.
While some of our roads are excel
lent, good many fair, yet there
are great many instances where
whole communities are seriously
handicapped BY roads over which
only fraction of an ordinary load
can he hauled. The real import
ance of good roads is rarely ap-
preciatGd fully. We realize that we
can maui more load over good
road than we can over bad one;
We realize how much our time and
pleasure depend on the condition OF
a road that we travel over in bug
Ky CT automobile, but very few, II
any at all, realize the vast import
anCe OF good reads in the effects
which they have upon us in ways
almost numhericsS. 1t is not Il
question of merely how much load
We can haul, or how much ease and
pleasure we can have travelling over
the roads, but of the effects de-
rived from these and other advan-
tages of good roads. Perhaps no
more suggestive illustration can
be drawn than comparison of the
effects of railroads ON the whole
moral, mental and physical charac-
/ ter of the world, with the effects of
system of good roads in coun-
ty.
Since roads are such a vital part
of county'S life, then, they are
worthy of the deepest and most
careful study. We cannot fill a
mud hole here, clay a road bank
there, and call our duty done. The
/ 1.,,.
any road is only as large as can
be hauled through the worst place
i'll that road. Therefore, our roads
must be built continuously good
To build a short section of good
road with a muddy bay or sand
hill at either end, and then let il
go at that, is wasting money, fol
that section of road is worn Out
and gone without ever having SerV.
ed its full usefulness as one part OF
a continuously good road. This
same argument also holds true il
-fthe reverse: where we have a road
that is uniformly fairly good road
with the exception of few parti.
cularly bad places, we are wasting
the usefulness of the greater part
which is fairly good, if we do not
improve the few bad places up &c
the average standard of the rest OF
the road. hut there is one point
| to be strictly borne in mind. All
! work except that of the most tem-
porary and makeshift character
must be so done that as little OF
1t as possible is wasted when the
! permanently good road is built in
! that place
There are urgent appeals coming
in from all over the county for
some road to be improved These
! improvements are wanted not just
because they would be nice, but be-
cause they are desperately needed.
! Yet all these improvements cannot
| possibly be made at once. A COM
plete system of uniformally good
| roads is the great need of the
county; prompt attention to certain
/ particularly bad places the dire
| necessity of many neighborhOOdS.
! To meet this situation the follow
ing plan is proposed. and is being
put into effect as the most practi-
! cal:
! The main strength of the coun-
tvs force is to be centered around
the chain gang. This camp Will do
the heavy permanent work. In ad-
dition to the chain gang there will
be found another, and smaller gang.
This will be floating gang, equip
pc d to travel easily and quickly
and will be for the purpose OF keep
ing the roads in a thoroughly pass
able condition.
The main, or chain gang camp
will be kept as large as possible,
and be organized TO do the heavier
permanent work quickly and cheap
ly. The smaller, or floating gang,
will do repair work now, and, as
the roads are built, will look after
the maintenance of them. In time
other floating gangs will be form
ed tor the same purpose.
Az organization is the important
thing to be perfected now With
well organized gangs of men train
ed to their work, results can be had
within limits of time and cost that
would otherwise be impossible. In
later article the organization al
really started in the chain sa1E
camp will be described, giving some
interesting facts concerning reduc-
tion already made i'm cost of keep
ing up the outfit, and the increase
in the amount Of work accomplish
ed with the same outfit without
working men or mules any harder
than before.
Edwin NJ Wayland G. Il