Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-06-18
REPRESENTATIVE MCDONALD
Talks on Good Roads - Surveying
Was Begun Last Monday.

Permanent road building has at
last been begun in Oconee. Recently
the Piedmont Highway Association
met at Westminster to consider the
using Of the old railroad bed that
has been abandoned between Green
vile and Atlanta. 1t was shown at
this meeting that great part Of the
road bed running through this coun-
ty has already been put into excel
lent condition. The desire was man.
ifested to complete the road at the
earliest opportunity. The writer Of
this letter was there and informed
the audience that the sum Of fifty-six
thousand one hundred and seventy
six dollars and ffty-four cents was
Immediately available from the Uni
ted States government to be expend-
ed on that road and the road loading
from Clemson College, by way Of
Seneca, Walhalla and Russells, when
ever the county would provide SIN
liar sum. The audience was told
that If the business men Of the
county wanted the road built at once
they should borrow the money from
the local banks, and that your dele
cation in the General Assembly
would see that it was taken care Of
and paid off in due time.
The money has been arranged for,
to be borrowed from the banks of
the county by the business men, who
are anxious for good roads, and the
have applied to the State Highway
Department for the Federal aid. That
will make the sum Of $1l2,253.04
Immediately available for the road
running from Clemson College to
Russeils, and from Seneca to Matli-
son. With this money top-soil
road, costing approximately three
thousand dollars per mile, will be
built, which IS considered by expert
engineers as the very best kind Of
road for o county like ours. 1t will
stand any kind of weather and re-
main hard. Pickens county is just
completing such a road leading up
to Clemson College. Anderson coun-
~ is going to connect this road from
Anderson Court House to Clemson.
When that is done we will have Il
perfectly good. hardsurfaced road
from Anderson to Highlands. y. c.,
and it is evident that we will also
have one from Greenville to Atlanta.
A surveying party has begun work
at Clemson College on the road lead
ing to Russells. When that survey
is completed survey will be made
Of the road from Seneca to Madison.
then, when the State Highway De-
partment furnishes the Supervisor
with blue-prints and estimates, bids
the roads according to the plans.
Both roads will undoubtedly be built
at the same time, for 1T is very de-
sirable to have several contractors
working at the same time. When
the actual work Of construction is
in progress, an engineer from the
State Highway Department will be
on the job all the time to see that
the work Is properly done.
1t Is interesting to know that the
expenses Of making all these sur
veys and looking after the copstruc-
ton, will be paid for by the State,
and not by the county. The roads
will really be built under orders of
the State Highway Department. The
surveying party that began work
at Clemson College on Monday, June
IS. is a surveying party from the
State Highway Department that has
Spartanburg county.
No sane man ought to object to
the building Of these two roads. They
are the only two roads that the gov
ernment will give us aid on. We
had to go to work soon in order to
get the Federal aid before it was too
late. With these two roads, running
across the county in two directions.
every man in the county will be bene-
fited by it, and it won't cost him
very much. These roads are half
given to us.
BY the time these two roads are
completed (Which will probably be
the last Of the year). we will begin
on others Of the county. Your dele
CATION in the Legislature has decided
to submit the question Of a bond
issue to the people in order to get
perfect roads and bridges all over
the county. If the people manifest