The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-08-28
FOR GOOD ROADS.
Mr.. c.. W. Rentz Writes of the Mis-
souri, Plan.

Shall we travel on rough, crooked,
heavy, sandy roads while our neigh
bors are putting their heads together
and taking hold with their hands,
and almost at a stroke are bettering
| the condition of the county hun
| dred per cent. by building good, sub
stantial roads? See, for instance,
what the daily papers are taking note
Of We notice in the Augusta Daily
Herald of the goth instant where
an army of $4,000 citizens work on
roads:
Enthused by the new spirit of road
building in Missouri, thousands of
volunteers marched forth from every
county in Western Missouri to-day
to become a part of Governor ajor's
army of $4,000, which, in response
to his proclamation, began a two
days campaign that was expected to
add. one million dollars in better
ments to the public highways of the
State
This, the first State wide move
ment in favor of better roads, was ex-
pected to be not only an epoch
in the development of Missouri,
but an example that would be fol-
lowed by other states and thus lead
to a general improvement of high
ways all over the United States.
No army ever was better prepared
for a campaign than that which
marched forth to pull Missouri out
of the mud" Eight thousand road
overseers in the State for weeks have
been assembling equipment and lay
ing out the work to be done so syste-
matically that every squad of men
was put to work without delay or
confusion.
Every city, town and hamlet was
represented in the movement and in
the farming districts nearly every
able bodied man enlisted. A species
of rivalry among the counties, each
of which wanted to make the best
record, promised much for the gen.
eral result.
Governor and Mrs. Hodges, of Kan
sas, came to Missouri to give their ac-
tive support to the work. They were
the guests of Governor and Mrs. Ma
jor. The two governors donned their
overalls and setting out from Jeffer-
son City early this morning were
among the first to get on the field of
action. Mrs Hodges aided in serving
to the workers fried chicken, which
had been prepared by Mrs Major.
Women took an important part in
the campaign. The 5000 members
of the Missouri Federation of Wo-
mems Clubs throughout the State,
aided the movement in every way
possible and thousands of farmers
wives and other women prepared and
served meals.
Local members of the Daughters
of the American Revolution took ad-
vantage of the occasion to outline
the route of the old Sante Fe trail
through Kansas City. Trolley poles
were marked with red and white
and blue stripes, to show the route.
In Jasper county, protest of the
farmers caused the county to rescind
an order providing that prisoners in
the jails participate in the road work.
Then we notice what our governor
has to say as mentioned in an article
in the Charleston News and Courier
of the 21st instant, Christianity
First, Roads Next"
There is no question before this
country, unless it be Christianity,
that is ahead of good roads, and good
roads will help Christianity. If we
have good roads we will have better
schools; if we have good roads we
will have better attendance at the
churches and at the schools. If we
have good roads it will increase the
value of the farms, because they will
put them nearer to the towns-ln
the length of time. If we have good
roads it will bring the farms closer
to the towns and cities. They will
save the wear and tear to the wagons,
automobiles and other vehicles and
machinery. They will save the
strength and lives of our mules and
horses. There is so much that could
be said for good roads, and has
been said, that there is no use to
continue it here; but, We can have
better schools, better churches-bet-
ter dCCGuQduCS dL DOlL, DSlISl Aldl n
cts and better everything, if we have
better roads"
Let us raise long, loud cheer for
this spirit of our governor, as we see
his ideas are in harmony with other
noble executives, as We will see again
in the following article in the News
and Courier, August 21st: Every
body Working Roads. Fifty Thous-
and Join in Pulling Missouri Out of
the Mud"
With blistered hands and sore
muscles, fifty thousand enthusiastic
good road workers quit their work to-
night in Missouri after strenuous
day spent in pulling Missouri out of
the mud Good humor everywhere
was in evidence and nearly every
man declared he intended to return
tomorrow.
Although mud interfered with the
work of Governor Elliott W. Major
and Governor George H. Hodges, of
Kansas, who had volunte led to help