The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-08-21
For Good Roads.

was a great idea you struck in your
last weeks issue, Good Roads," In
consideration of such a great need to
our county it is a wonder that some
one has not raised the issue before.
Why should we stay behind in this
! progressive age in this respect, when
we are losing so much in the con-
veniences and comforts of life, and
wasting time and money by it? Let
US take just one-half days journey
from our home and see the condi-
tions where once the roads were as
bad as ours are now and where now
they are graded, macadamized, many
places concrete road beds. The farm
houses all along these roads are the
prettiest and most up-to-date to be
found. Farm lands can scarcely be
bought at all in these districts. l
remember one old gentleman saying
before he had a road his farm was
twenty-three miles from town and at
that time he was "moonshiner,
and he offered his lands at five dol
lars per acre, now the graded, macad-
amized road has made it only eight
miles to town and he refuses to sell
at sixty dollars per acre, and besides,
he has been enabled TO stop dealing
in moonshine. He said: This horse
you see here can and has carried at
one load to market twenty-five BUSH
els of this ear corn, or forty bushels
of wheat, or four bales of cotton, or
one cord of wood, and I can make
the trip In half a day. Then this
little auto, which cost less than my
horse to buy, and costs about one
half cent per mile to run on these
roads, carries all three of us; go to
town in twenty minutes, hot or cold,
while the horse is resting" So it is
not question of whether this man
can go or not, can haul or not, but
only if he wants to, and then it is
not question of how much can he
pull but how much will the wagon or
truck hold up.
Mr.. Editor, if you would like to
hear this man talk in these terms
and see the conditions, little more
than half a days journey will take
us there. These roads in some plac-
es cost several thousand dollars per
mile and are worth to the develop
ment of the country a hundred times
the amount. Just as the railroad
is the development of county, just
so are our public highways the deVel-
opment of rural districts and towns.
Some may say it will cost too much,
we cannot afford it. We are afford
ing it now. We are paying the taxes
and not getting the benefit. Copsid-
er the wear and use of vehicles and
stock over our rough, heavy, crooked,
sandy roads, and then the same over
graded, macadamized road-bed. We
are paying the taxes in an extra horse
every few years, more feed, wagon
every few years, more shop bills, less
work and hauling done, twice as
many automobile tires, twice as many
automobiles, three times as much
gasoline. All these are being paid
for now, and if we had the proper
roads we could afford to pay
three times as much taxes as we do
and then be one hundred per cent.
better off.
Some of our counties are advising
as much as 100000 for good roads.
Would not take half that much for
our county. I noticed in last Sun
days issue of The State report from
Aiken county showing an expendi-
ture for roads during the last year
of s77,244.O5 in that county. Why
not let's wake up to the situation
and 90 to work? Have good roads
meetings, get our people interested,
and bring about such conditions as
will make ours the best county in
the State. Our Supervisor is doing
some good work, but he cannot go
fast enough if he takes time to get
proper material for substantial
road.
Let us build the roads then our
supervisor with very little expense
| can keep them up. We can build
them and pay for them with the
useless, excessive expenditures paid
for wear and work by our people.
Build them, and when here we would
not be without them for ten times
their cost. They will be worth many,
many times their cost to our county.
Would the first Monday in Septem-
ber be too early for the first good
roads meeting? If not, ring the bell,
blow the horn, beat the drum.
C. w. RENTZ.