The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-12-05
DREAM ALMOST REALIZED

DNEAM ALNNoS INL<AAILLA
For many years | have dreamed OF
the day when we would have good
highway to the old home in Green
wood county via Chappeiis, and es-
pecially since the time when we began
the building of highways. l pleaded
for a good road to Whitmire and to
Chappells, ,5ecause these were impor-
tant trade centers and opened fine
sections of the county to come to
Newberry, and because almost all the
other sections had better roads lead
ing to the county seat. We have the
highway to Wh.tmire and it is good
one, and now Wh:tmire is much near
er to New.erry than i was before.
And there IS a good road to Chap,
peils, in fact one Of the best in the
county, and Chaopells is not near so
far away as i. was before.
And in the getting of this road |
wanted to see it built on to the Sa-
luda river and from there On to Nine
ty Six and especially to Dyson. OF
course that was in measure the sell
fish part of it, for this is the road |
wanted to make pilgrimages over to
see the old folk at home. That is es-
pecially since the advent of the auto
mobile. There was the railroad, but
it took about the same time to go to
and from the train and to wait for
the train that it now takes to make
the trip by auto. The road is almost
complete. Greenwood built the road
from the town of Greenwood down to.
the river a year or two before New
berry started. Before Greenwood
built it was almost impossible from
the river over to the top of the hill.
but that now is fine and you can go
up that hill without the change OF
gear. And ,Newberry has practically
finished all of the road on the New.
berry side, except just one mile as
you approach the river, and that Is
partly graded and some of the top
soil is on, and it now seems that the
road will soon be ready for traffic.
And that stretch of road from Chap
pells in .5y the Simkins place is just
tine and the wonder is how they ever
built such good road through here.
It seems to me that the top soil is the
best that / have seen in the county,
unless it is that stretch out by Mr..
D. c.. Spearman's on the Bush River
road, and the grades are not neavy.
The worst part of it is going to De
the underpass at the river. 1t seems
now that the road is to remain on tae
same side of the railroad, and to cross
with an underp2ss as at present, and
that the underpass will be very near
or quite where it now is. This will be
right angle turn again, and while
there has been no accident recorded
at this underpass that we have heard
of, yet when there is good highway
leading to it there will be those who
will heed no warning and accidents
will follow. But it seems that this
is the best and about the only route
for the road, unless bridge was
built about the height of the railroad
trestle. Tia. is prohibitive at present
on account of the cost, though it IS
the only way to have a real highway
and there should be a new bridge
across the road for the highway III
stead of the present arrangement US
ing the railroad bridge. And i5y the
way, the approach on the Newberry
side is in bad condition and there are
several very bad holes and should be
repaired. And the portion across the
river does not seem to be entirely
safe, and certainly the railing should
be replaced with sound pieces.
But it is all so much better anc
more convenient and so much safer
than it used to be that | am thankful.
sAt one time the wagon bridge at this
place was on the same bridge as the
railroad tracks ard you had to turn
into the bridge and travel over thc
rails, as you approached from either
side, and if you should have been
caught in there as a freight train
came along it would have been gcod
night. And the hill on the other side
was scarcely fit for travel and almost
impassa BILE. And l am glad that We
have all lived to see the day when
trip home is not such an undertak
ing, but really just nice pleasure
ride l can make the twenty-SiX miles
- - ls4&1o 1o-e ~, ona on5 boof