Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-03-01
SANDING THE CLAY.
Old Plank Road Transformed
Sand Covered With Clay
by Public Spirited

Tn order to improve the highwa,
leading to Augusta, at that time
thepnly market for this section
/ SOME snblic spirited citizens about
SO years ago covered the road
from Edgefeld to Augusta by
4 way of the ''Pine House with
planks, which at that time was re-
gais1sd as the most scientific way OF
IimpreEing highway. The road
deligsd;its name from the material
that was used in its construction.
In ofder-to reimburse themselves
for the expense of constructing and
staining the road, the builders
CHARGED toll, so much per horse for
each Vehicle that passed over it.
There was toll gate just south OF
Edgefeld, one near the Pine
House. and two between the latter
gate and Augusta. After the high
way had been used few years, the
progressive road builders of6ftyyears
ago learned from experience that
planking road was failure, being
altogether too expensive to maintain.
Had these men expended the
same amount of money in making a
clay and sand road, which has
proven by government test to be the
bestcheap method of road construc.
tion, we. would to-day have a good
road leading to Augusta.
Having heard of the good work
that Supervisor Edmunds and some
public spirited citizens are doing
on tho Old Plank road, last Thurs
day the editor of the Advertiser
went down to see the transforma-
tion that is being wrought. Mr..
w. j. Hatcher, who was in Edge
field for a few hours, took DR.. w.
B. Penn, Mr.. Thomas w. Carwile
and tba writer down in his hand
some I9l6 model Buick, The road
from re to- the Pine House has
beeE ;n fsstsciass condition By
the chaingang, the most marked
Improvement being the widening of
the road and the claying of the
heavy sand beds short distance
this side of the Pine House. But
by great odds the most satisfactory
work that we have seen on any
of Edgefeld's 1900 miles of public
roads is between the Pine House
and the Aikenlcounty line. In many
places it has been made wider, and
especially is Mr.. Albert Miller doing
some good work in making the
road wider neal his country home.
Last Thursday we found the road
workers some distance below Mr..
w. A. Pardue's home plowing up,
shoveling and hauling clay and
covering the road bed to a depth OF
six inches. Supervisor Edmunds
had one squad of the chaingang un-
der Mr.. Walker on the work, ard
they rendered valuable assistance.
But the men who projected the en-
terprise and who are determined to
carry it through 10 the Aiken line
are Mr.. George 7. Swearingen, Mr..
E. M. Padgett and Mr.. w. A. Par
due. They are the citizens whose
public spirit, enterprise and energy
have made possible the transform
ing of those bottomless sand beds
into a modern sand and clay road.
We found Mr.. Swearingen superln-
tending the loading of the wagons
at the clay pits and MIR. Padgett
was at the other end of the line
directing the unloading and the uni,
form spreading of the clay.
With but few exceptions, citizens
of Trenton and farmers along the
road have contributed generously OF
each and the use of their teams to-
ward the rehabilitation of the old
plank road. The three men above
mentioned have not only contrlbu-
ted of their teams and means but
have given days and days of their
time, without which the good work
would never have been accomplish
ed. 1t would be unjust to the col
ored people who live on farms along
the road not to say that they toe
have been loyal and generous
Many of them have given their own
labor and service of their teams
more than week at time in order
to improve the road which they
travel to market. They deserve
the thanks of the white people fol
their commendable public spirit
1t is but proper, too, to state that
goodly number of people IN the
town of Edge6eld have had a part
in the enter prise by making liberal