Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-01-22
THE QUESTION Or GOOD ROADS.
Example of Bad Roads May BE
Found on Walhalla II. f. ID. 2.

Mr.. Editor: 1t Is with reluctance
and the purest intentions that
broach this subject, and should 9TH
ers not agree with me it Is simply an
honest difference. 1t is generally
conceded that no one has a right to
an opinion who has not given the
subject serious consideration. And
the subject to which | allude is the
all-important one of good roads,
which is being generously agi-
tated.
Until very recently the importance
Of good roads has never been dis
cussed, nor was it thought necessary,
because of its want not being keenly
felt. The average individual Is sat
isfied If he has trail eight feet
wide; he does not recognize the real
needs cf the country. When he
meets a neighbor he thinks nothing
Of side-tracking to let his neighbor
pass. He does not consider time an
object, and hence it becomes habit
for one or the other to side-track aud
give the right-of-way. In this age
Of electricity our needs are more
keenly felt, and it is expected of us
that we keep pace with the times. If
this is not done we lay ourselves
count Of ignorance. Many of our peo-
pie know better and have done all in
their power to remedy the evil, and
in the writer's opinion they are dis
criminated against.
On r. f. d. No. 2, leading out from
Walhalla, and return, covering a dist
ance Of perhaps 81 miles, passing
through section of country not in
ferior to any in the county in respect
to topography and citizenship, the
road does rot average more than ten
feet in width, with brides covered
with tons Of dirt that has washed
down the road, depositiug on the
bridge, sufficient to make 1t groan
under it's burden, to say nothing of
the heavy laden teams that cross
them, drawing the output Of no less
than half a dozen saw mills, and cut
ting this narrow road into ruts--in
many places so deep that it touches
the hubs Of the wagoD-and every
vehicle that passes is forced to drop
into that rut; and even then the
half has not been tolo." When once
in these ruts there IS but one way to
get out, and that is to roll out.
This gives you picture of Route
No. 2, which is supposed to go on
schedule time. The question now is,
who is to blame? Is 1t the people
occupying this section of the coun-
try? Most assuredly not. Is 1T
those citizens who from time to time
have been elected to the office of Su-
pervisor Of roads? No; we have
never had an inefficient Supervisor.
They have all done their best; all
have been honest, practical men, but
their hands have been tied by an in
efficient Legislature. The average
Representative seeks popularity. He
knows that it is popular with the av-
eIage citizen to reduce taxes, and he
jumps on the hobby of reducing
taxes because it is popular.
Now Pickens county, we all know,
Is ramified by ravines, bluffs, ,,hills
and mountains, and she was suffering
for roads. Her territory from neces-
sity had to he opened Up. The peo-
pie realized the necessity it seems,
as unit They had tried Capt. A. B.
Talley. His work proved acceptable,
and around the polls on election day
The voters would come in and say,
"Will you make out my ticket?" The
reply would be, "Who do you want to
vote for?" The answer would inva-
riably come, Put Capt Talley's
name, and you may fill out the bal
ance of the ticket" And when roads
were to be built, Capt. Talley was
always on hand, and some times had
pick in his hand. NE result was
satisfactory to the people, and little
complaint was heard afterwards.
The office Of Supervisor is one that
should seek the man. 1t is a place
for a man to either make or lose his
reputation. We trust the former will
be the case with Oconee's new occu-
pant Of this office. Nevertheless re-
ports are abroad which he will have
to correct by example, namely: That
he intends to give special attention
to the roads traversed mostly by the
autos. Odos.