Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-02-17
URGES GOOD ROADS.
Correspondent Writes OF Handicap to
Fort Mills Prosperity.

Editor Fort Mill Times:
This Is an appropriate time to dis
cuss the road situation in Fort Mill
township. For half a century the
people of Fort Mill and surrounding
country have cussed the roads leading
into town and the very streets they
walk over. yet nothing permanent has
been done to lift Fort Mill out of the
mud. The most common fool in the
country knows that this township is
just one big mud-hole bounded on
the west Catawba river and on the
east and north by Sugar creek and
North Carolina. Mud hens and coot-
ers can live nicely in 100 yards of the
postofficc and banks of the town.
Thousand of years ago mankind were
tadpoles and lived in the water. They
had nothing on the present day folks
of this vicinity who are content to
paddle our streets and roads day af-
ter day and generation after genera
ton. Probably in a hundred thous-
and years we will all be back In our
original tadpole state. Perhaps our
people plan to grow webs between
their toes so they can swim better.
All geese have these webs. Even rab-
bits and sheep have roads or paths,
tall weeds by his path to make a
better road-so that it may dry out,
for instance.
Our people talk of the cost of good
roads. Do they not know that the
cost comes back instantly in the val
ue of evey home in the town or
country? Build a first class road bv
any farm home and the instant it is
completed the value of that farm is
automatically doubled and trebled.
the same as good streets in town in
crease town values. 1t is a shame to
nave to haul our dead loved ones
70 the graveyard over our roaus
ma streets in their present condition
Good roads save lives often. for
they enable the doctor to get where
needed quicker. Good roads make n
people more religious, for more will
go to church. and not lose their re-
isloh while being pried out of some
nI-Sheillng hole on the way The
i'lble tells of good roads and saws the
S'reetS ol heaven are paycd-get that
"ord paved, and let us remember it.
II inc gates of heaven were opened
20 Fort Mill and our getting there de-
''hdcd on our roads. we'd he good
Orwell. We have no right to be
called civilized in the fullest sense
Wheh content to live forever by the
SIDE of an old red road or street.
fcopie who do that just think they
arc civilized. The process hasn't vet
been completed
me trSt thing our great army did
IN France was to build roads-thcv
mad to. Bad roads have often chang
'd inc course of history and sent ma
uCns down to defeat, because some
great supporting general arrived too
tate 1t is all right for our pcopIc
ma churches to send missionaries to
McNlco. but we ought to get Mexico
% send few missionaries to South
'@rolina, and we want at least one
t"r Fort Mill. to show us how Mexico
builds roads. For a century or so
Mexico City has been cntwincd with
'"o miles of roads like silver ribbons
smooth. solid, and it is wonderful
lhlng to ride over them in the moon
heht-makes you love each other
more
California has grown by ,c,.,- - n
wonder state of the Union. and moth
inr has SO contributed to its wealth
ana happiness as system Of hard
surface roads from one end of tho
1
your car at Los Angeles and YOU
h"raly need to take your foot off the
lccclcrator until you arrive at San
Francisco. 40 miles north. Out
there they build ronds TO where n
'Hwn will he; out here we try TO start
town and get it choked to death I'm
mud. on can always judge a country
by the roads they travel over.
Don't forget that Fort Min l., ,,,,,
Ing for good streets and roads wheth-
e. or not we ever have thcm-you
pay In the cost of new livestock.
new autos, new tires. new wagons,
hugGics. new baby carriages, broken
"Egs. and you also lose your temper
y' ur religion. sometimes your life
ana often your chance of heaven. and
never know the joy of living out of
the mud and the thrill in your soul
a3 YOU glide down paved highways
with blosSoming trees and singing
birds on every hand.
Let's try it, fOlkS-it's worth all
nc money the town has to just one
'Nnc raise 1t out of tho mud and
81! me of generations. and think even
God would smile and make us hap
pier. Remember ii costs as much to
handle mud as to handle cement, and
If we only have enough ",orov to fix
100 yards year right let's do that
and in 20 years We'll have some good
roads and it would make the town of
Fort Mill happy and prosperous in
stead of injuring it. 1t couldn't he
much worse off financially than il al
ready Is. anyway. Every place we
ind good roads, California. Florida or
any other state we find the people
happier and better and with more
ncncy while living. and when they
Gle they arc not jostlcd to their last
resting place over holes that almost
turn them over in their cotfins before
thoy get there. Cuss about il all YOU
like. folks. but when you get through
1t VIII still he facts. as stated "~
course folks that don't like it can
l'aNe Fort Mill. but that's hard to dc
with the roads as they are, and the
longer one stays the harder it is &c
get away. our town and poor old
country around ii can never como
into its own" until there's some rca
roads leading to 1t.
BENZ. NJ. Lee.
I~zL