The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-06-28
Sumter. .colB1Bll HIGHWAY
M'MASTER TELLS
OF EASY PLAN TO BUILD
FERRY.
Points Out How Ferry With Good
Roads Will Cause Development Of
Prosperity Along the Waterce-Says
COst will be 'Attle.
Editor Sumter Daily Item:

editorial and reports on the Colum.
bia-sumter Highway and to give some
views as to your errors In the articles
zone OF you state as to crossing the
Wateree River. ITO make a weather
proof road through the swamps (Wa-
terce) on Sumter side would require
more money than total appropriation
flor roads In Richland county" You
are badly mistaken. There is only
three miles of popular inisnamed
swamp road at Watefee river and IL
is only and altogether on the Sumter
side Of the Wateree river. On Rich
land side we have eliminated work up
to the river banks. The river Is only
ESQ feet wide and fifty cubic yards of
gravel built on the Richland side we
viii give, and will make a hard ap-
proach Of both sides at crossing fer
ry. Say we are going east after cross
ing this ferry. We follow the bend up
the river. this for three-fourths Of a
mile, which is higher than the main
swamp and dissNeJsr covered with wa
|ter.taxcepti I'm extremely hStyy fresh
fets.s how ScGtrayel a coGfnA almost
east Snd this issonly bad sv . oad.
about one-foufth. of e. mile. that win
need a good ditch on both sides and
gravel TOP. about 6 inches to IL inches.
for a width of IL feet. Then you come
to the River Gut that you cross on a
round timber bridge. The balance Of
tho road. which is only two miles. I
don't call swamp road. It is abso-
lutely hard clay formation. If you
looked north you would have seen that
you skirted a river. gut all the way
until you get to Beach Creek, which
Is at the hill of the Sumter side. This
gut connects into Beach Creek, which
runs north and south. This gut keeps
this road thoroughly drained, and If
you carry the water cff q clay road
either In the mountains by gravity or
underground. you can't call II swamp
|or boggy road. .---,ss's !.''SSS
Any timber man OF .teanistsr win
tel! ypu that he would rather. haul : a
heavy load with four y inaI1s over
three fourths OF this road every day
'inths yesF 4or the Iastsss years thar,
to haai the same load Tor the Same
time. for the same distance along the
SANDY level plain Of the streets 81 the
city of Sumter before Sumter started
ito clay and modernize its streets,
about 15 years ago. There is a good
gravel bed at blum Of both Richland
and Sumter side. 1t is the easiest and
the best crossing on the river and ma
ture has done all or most of your
work by furnishing you Immense riv-
er suts or bitches to take care of all
rain and freshet water that falls. Cut
the trees Off for so or 100 feet from
this right of way and place sand and
gravel over the top for 12 feet width,
the worst part. and you have as good
a road as you have in the Blue Ridge
mountains and a cheaper to build and
keep TIP than you have In the level
sandy plains In Eastern South Caro-
lima. You do not have to cut bitches
for miles to get your road drained
You have no Doggy road In Garncr's
Ferry crossing. II the timber is cut
off right away sunshine will do the
balance Of your work.
The Beach Creek bridge on Gamers
Ferry road can be renewed out Of
hewed cypress timber. using half
round timber for floor. by the way,
the old timber bents are now as good
as new so you have everything imme-
dlateiy at your hand In lavish abtlnd-
ance supplied-gravel hills. sand
bars in river. ana wealth Of tim
ber for building Beach Creek and
Gut bridges; at the river on either
bank are trees to hang your ferry
cable to work ferry boat.
Now. II Sumter county commission
ers will give this three miles of Sum-
ter countys public road. only It's pro
rata work. that 1t is Justly and equi-
tably entitled Of work and money, that
II gives to any three miles of road
In It's entire county. we would have
had this road opened 20 years ago.
They have grossly neglected and made
this proposition a bugaboo, greatly to
the detriment of Sumter county and
the whole State. 1t is true that the
legislature will pass the State road
bill and this crossing will be taken
care of properly. but the people In
Sumter county ought to make those
commissioners do something righ,
now.
We have shawn the directors of the
! IN 70. i..x