The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-11
SPEAKING THE
PUBLIC MIND
A "Valley System" of Highways for
Augusta and Her Territory-What
It Would Mean.
To The Augusta Herald.

in the Augusta territory and a board
of engineers was engaged to locate a
highway system for the territory
putting the roads where it was best
for them to be-where would they
go?
It is well-known that a level road
is the best; it takes eight horses to
pull a one-horse load up ar incline of
Is per cent; that is, having a rise of
Is feet in a hundred feet. Every in
cline, therefore, hurts the efficiency
of the road.
1t is well-known, also that it is the
inclines that wash the worst; level
roads need very little working COM
pared to the portions of roads on in
clines.
If a system of roads, therefore, is
put as nearly on a level as possible
not only can heavier loads be carried
but the roads will stay in good con-
dition with the minimum of labor and
expense. The most economical road
from every standpoint, after it is
made, is the level road. The level
road system, therefore, is the desired
thing.
If there were no highways and this
board was locating a system for the
territory, the board would lay out
the system to 60 up and down the
valleys-where Nature has cut ar ap-
proximately level "way' through the
.erritory-through the mighty hills.
The roads would follow the valleys Of
the main streams and the valleys of
the tributaries, large and small,
reaching the entire country.
This is the European system. Up
and down the valleys run the main
highways all over Europe.
The Augusta territory, with Au-
gusta as the principal trading point,
is peculiarly well placed for the de-
velopment Of such a "valley system"
Of highways, since the city is on the
great Savannah River, which has
made a mighty cut, greater than
many Panamas, through the hills to
the mountains, with tributaries of
smaller rivers, creeks and branches,
reaching every portion of the terri
tory. Unquestionably this is the d.
rection in which the future highway
system of Augusta and her territory
should be developed-new roads will
be needed and they should be put in
the valleys.
A highway would follow the Sa-
yannah Valley, above highwater, on
the Georgia side, away up to Tallu-
lah and beyond. Branch roads would
60 up the main streams whenever
they were encountered-Kiokee
Creek, Little River, Soap Creek, Fish
ing Creek, Broad River, Beaverdam
Creek, etc. AS tributary branches
on these streams were met (if of
sufficient im%portance) branch roads
would follow these valleys, and have
tributaries. The Kiokee Creek road,
for instance, would drain" all the
central portion of Columbia County;
the Little River road would "drain"
all the northern portion Of Columbia,
McDufie, Taliaferro, with a good
portion of Warren and Green Count
ties, going nearly to Union Point. It
would serve the southern parts of
Lincoln, Wilkes and Oglethorpe. The
town of Washington, Ca, would find
its best road to Augusta down Little
River and the Savannah River.
The Broad River would serve an
immense territory, penetrating Lin
coin, Wilkes, Oglethorpe, Ebert,
Clarke, Madison, Jackson, Banks and
Franklin Counties.
: So on the way up the Savannah
River on the Georgia side.
The system on the Carolina side
would be similarly noble, expansive
and serviceable.
Wagons could draw heavy loads
throughout the territory. Automo-
biles could make time; auto trucks
could handle heavy traffic; the roads
would be almost on a level; the roads
could be established with the least
work, requiring frequently merely to
be laid out, with little cutting or fill
ing; and could be maintained at the
least cost.
On the South Carolina side all of
Edgefeld County, through the val
leys of Stephens Creek, Horns Creek
Turkey Creek, etc., much of Saluda,
Greenwood, Abbeville, Anderson,
Oconee and Pickens Counties would
lie penetrated by these level roads.