Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Economic Features of High? way Reform. An Essay by Isaac Harby. The following essay was prepared by Mr. Isaac Harby, ot this city, now a student at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., by whom it has been furnished at our request, for publication. Tue subject is one cf great interest to all classes of our people : It bas been truthfully said that the improved condition of a country's highways and public thoroughfares is an indication of its civilization. We know from ancient history that the Romans built and maintained ex? pensive and well made roads of con? siderable length, which was undoubt? edly a great factor in making tbat nr lion one of the greatest of its time. The many advantages which a country derives from good roads are self-evident. No one can fail to see the great benefits of such a reform, both from a financial and from a social standpoint. While the United States are first among the nations of the world in their railroad facilities, yet they are very far behind in the establishment of good eountry highways. The wonderful advancement of railroad construction has doubtless had its effect in calling attention away from the necessity of improvement in the country roads. While a railroad may take travel off country road? that run parallel to it, yet it increases greatly the traffic on the many wagon roads that. cross its line. When a new railroad is built it causes new towns to spring up and enlarges the old ones, hence creating a necessity for more roads and the improvement of the old ones which lead to stations along its route. The idea that building railroads decreases the use of wagon roads is a very erroneous one Every thing that is transported by rail-either by freight or passenger-has first to be brought to the railroad station, and in many cases this is is done over miles oj country roads. The railroad itself is a cause of the large increase in the use of the country roads Where there are no railroads near at hand the people stay at home rather than suffer the inconveniences of driving over bad country roads, and they produce very little to sell which has to be carried very far or at much ex? pense to find a market. When a larmer bas a railroad near at hand the question of transportation becomes one of minimum consideration. His products are hauled over the country road from his farm to the railroad and thus the latter becomes an important factor in increasing the traffic on country roads instead of decreasing it as is sometimes supposed. This country, therefore* has a greater use for improved highways than other countries since she is first in rail? road progress. We have only to look to the great public thoroughfares of England, France and Germany to see with shame that they are far superior to our own miserably kept roads- we could well profit by following the ex? ample of those countries, which can point with pride to their beautiful and well kept roads and rightly claim that to them is due a large portion of their wealth and prosperity That it is an advantage to to have good roads none will deny, but mauy do not see how it is practicable to get them, or how they are to be paid for. It is not the purpose of this dis course to tell how to construct or maintain good roads. That is of subsequent consideration, and could easily and safely be left in the bauds of any civil engineer of ordinary ability. If it be proved that a 6yetem of good country roads can be built and maintained at a saving in actual mon? ey or its equivalent to the farmer, transporter, manufacturer, merchant and consumer, the object of this paper will be achieved There are many other reasons why we should have good roads, aside from the economic standpoint. If that part of our population who ? reside in the rural districts had hard, dry, Macadam or Telford roads to drive ever instead of sand beds, mud holes or some other kinds equally bad, there would be a great deal mere culture, education and enlightenment in what we now call the "back woods. ' Farmers would send their children to school more. It would be a pleasure for them to drive over the well kept highways. The church attendance would be greatly increased. They could go to town easily and quickly and become more in touch with the enlightenment of the day. Social intercourse would become more gen? eral, since neighbors could visit with? out being hampered by bad roads. The resulting increase of travel on the roads would make property-owners thereon take a greater pride in keep in"" their places in repair and im? proving the appearance of things in general. A finer grade of horses would be kept and the trade in pleasure vehic? les would receive a great impetus. The fainter would be satisfied to re? malli on his lunn and not seek the oit!?.s as many of them are now do? ing. Many a man moves to town so that he may better euiicate his chil dren. With good roads and horses, or better still bicycles w are being so generally used, he c with very little trouble or ?neon ienee send the children daily school in the cit}7 and still retain them the healthful and good indui of a nome on the farm. The painful fact .s becoming evi of the tendency of depopulation the country districts, and the gal ing of the people therefrom in cities. Such a condition of af] cannot result profitably to the pei at large, for the farming iindusl are essential to our existence, i ply the country with good ro and thereby put the farmers wi easy touch of the cities, and we s not only have them satisfied to sta the country, but that will become most desirable place of residence. Let us consider where the pi would come from such a reform ai here advised. In certain st where improved roads have b built experiments have been perfoi and it was shown by means dynamometers that a force wi could draw a certain load over common dirt road in good condil was capable of drawing four times much over a well kept macadam other road equally good. Supp wc take for example the roads South Carolina, and confider what costs the farmers of this State transport their cotton from their fai to a market place. The roads of South Carolina dition only half of the year. WI not in good condition we will supp that only two thirds of a full load < be hauled, which is a very safe e mate. From experiments which hi been tried and from the testimony many who have had the advantage using the improved roads, we fi that a team could draw four times ! much on a first class road as they I now able to pull over our sandy E heavy highways, even when they ; in their best condition. Tims horse which now earns fifty cents day would earn on a good road t dollars a day and be worth four tin as much money to his owner. If we take even the very low e? ! mate of each horse being able to p twice as much on improved roa< let us see what that amounts to transporting the cotton crop alo for one yar. It has been estimated that it coi on an average about twenty five cei per ton per mile for transportation wagon roads, and one half cent p ton-mile by rail. This comparis shows how very important it is to i duce the cost of transportation befo we reach the railroad, for this is t largest expense since the farmers a jojen eight, ten, or twelve miles fro the nearest railroad station. The cotton crop of South Carolii for the year 1890 was 746,798 bale Taking the average weight per ba at 500 pounds, this would amount I 186,699^ tons of cotton to be r moved ti ora the farm to the mark place or railroad station. We wi assume that the average distanc which the cotton must be carried c wagons is six miles, and that tt cost of transporting one ton or mile be twenty-five cents By pe forming the necessary operations w find that it costs to transport th cotton crop of Sou;h Carolina in 189 just $280,049.25 on our poor road: If we had good roads and grant tbs twice as much could be hauled ove them by the same number of horses which experience has proved to be very low estimate, the cost of tran? portation would be half as much thereby saving more than ?14<j 000.00 in one year from the cotto crop alone. Those who are suffering from th low price of cotton have within thei grasp a means of redacing the cos of this staple thousands of dollars. This is only one of the many way in wh "h the improved road systen is a financial benefit. Consider tin cost of transporting all othe products of the farm, as well a6 tin fertilizers aud other things whicl have to be taken there. The wea and tea. on vehicles, and horse fies! is also worth consideration. The value of property would b( greatly increased by the institutioi of a good road system. Farm land? which are now of only a nomina value, and find uo sale on the markel would be worth twice as much, Fields which are now planted lc grain or cotton, or not planted at all would become valuable truck farms The cost of transporting to market j of such products would be so much lowered, that farmers could afford tu take less for them, and the merchants , could sell them for so much less to the consumers, thereby beuefitting all j concerned. The manufacturers would j have to pay less for their raw mate? rials, and all the necessities of life would be cheaper because the cost of transportion, which is such an im? portant item, would be so much lowered. The rise in the value of real estate would bring larger reve? nues into the State treasury from taxation, while the difference would not be felt by the individual. There is another point of view to be taken Our improved roads could be used la any kind of weather, li they are perfectly drained, which is easily dont-, they ueed nev? r bc any : worse after a long wet season ; whereas with our present condition i)'t poorly drained <>r not drained at : all) roads there arc certain times when they cannot be used profitably : at all. Dining a rainy day when farm work is suspended we might do hauling of some kind if the roads were passible. Instead of which the stock must stand idly in the stable not earning the food they consume Say there are thirty such days in the year and that each horse could earn fifty cents a day by working, and we have a loss of ?15.00 for each horse per year. If there were 50,000 horses in this State these idle thirty days out of a year it would represent an'atmual loss of $750,000.00. There are very many other ways whereby good roads would result in a saving to the country, but now the question arises ; how are we to realize money to pay for the building of such roads. The question is easily solved, but first we must do away with the present system of working the roads of South Carolina, and institute one in its stead that is capable of producing better results. The law requiring a number of days work from all those liable to road duty puts the work into inex? perienced and unskillful hands. Often the road is no better after it has been worked than it was before, if it is lucky enough to get worked at all. Experience, which has been paid for dearly, shows that the pres? ent system of working the roads has accomplished no improvemet The roads generally are no better to-day than they were fifty years ago It is time that the people recognize the necessity of a better condition for our public roads. Tiie population of this State is ? about 1,160,000, and it would be a safe estimate to say that one-fifth of this number, equal to 232,000.. were between the ages of twenty-one and sixty. Instead of requiring road duty let each male between these ages be taxed a certain amount per year, say ?3 00. There are few who would not be glad to be relieved from tiie irksome duty of working: the roads or providing a substitute. This tax would realize ?690,000 00 per year. Since real estate is directly bene fitted by good roads, let there be put on all such property an advalorem tax of one-fifth of one per cent. This would amouut to ?2,000.00 on every one million dollars worth of I property, while the value of the ; property would be greatly increased, j As the cities and towns would be : benefited as well by the improved j roads, it is only fair that the tax on j property should be applied to them as well, while the individual tax could be profitably applied on the city streets. Let the funds thus ac? cumulated be spent upon our roads by the employment of skilled and I able engineers and experienced j workmen. When once built the cost of maintenance for first-class I roads is reduced to a minimum. The State could not fail to realize ! benefits from such a reform. The j co6t of living would be lessened ; farming would be more profitable ? ?han it now is ; a desire for a finer j breed of horses would be created ; ; and the poorly fed and over-worked ; stock would have a better chance for their condition to be improved. There would be pleasure in conn- ' try travel, and bicycles could be ! used with profit as well, as for pleas- j ure. The prosperity of the State would be improved in more wa}'s than can be enumerated, and "dull times" and "financial depression'' would become obsolete terms. Let us hope ihat the people will soon realize the importance of such a reform, and suiting the action to the thought, put their shoulders to the wheel and bring it out of the mire of our present bad roads. ISAAC HARBY. Slow Railroad Time. A lot of railroad conductors were sit ting arouud the stove talking about their experiences, says the D?truit Free Press. "About the worst case of passenger I ever came across," said a veteran, "was one I had ou a train that used to run into Indianapolis a 1 ng while ago. I am free to confess, now, that that train wasn't the fastest train io the world, though at the time I thought it was right fair, seeing that rt was the first passenger train I had the honor of con? ducting. On the occasion I am telling about a passenger got on about 50 miles east of Indianapolis, and after we had jolted on for an hour or more, stopping every two or three miles, he called me to him. " 'I say, conductor,' be said, 'how far is it to Indianapolis ?" 'About 35 tuiles,' I said. *. 'And do you go aoy faster ?' "'No. This is schedule time.' " 'Well, will you stop and let me off?' 'What's that for ?' I asked, in a good deal of astooisment. " 'Oh.' said he, with a let of confi? dence, 'I'll get out and walk back the other way aud meet you at the depot in time ro get my baggage ' *' Somebody laughed. "V"U may laugh now/' -aid the veteran, "but when I thought of that fellow sitting there telling me he would get ?'Ul and walk hack" clear around this ('?'.I. : and meei me in Indianapolis. ? v.:i> m-i>i enough I ; ii^ht. Xubaw-'J barns are going up oh every sand in 11:*; Lamar neighborb :<>.:, and li" ?JX-.'."-.' to which tue larmers of that ? are branching out in tobacco :ulture )> said to be something enor uous.- Dttt'luvjton Nt "'s. ITEMS. litterateurs are asking who will take Robert Louis Stevenson's placo in liter? ature. Nobody ; anybody who could take it has his own place to fi!!. Miss Cora Benueson. a graduate of the Michigan University Law school, who has been already admitted to prac? tice in I'?linois and Michigan, has been admitted to the bar in Massachusetts. Gen. Cassius M. Clay, of Keotucky, has hired a governess for his 15-year old wife. He wants to train her to bo ornamental as well as useful. Hereto? fore *he has been mainly occupied in running his kitchen. Business men of all parties may well unite to denounce partisao deJays at Washington OD the currency question. A thousand important ioterests must not be sacrificed to republican bourboD ism. The New York Tribune thinks it has discovered "a difference between His Satauic Majesty and the Democratic party." That was a very easy task. Let us direct the Tribune's attention to a much barder ODe-the difference be? tween His Majesty aforesaid and the Republican party.-Atlanta Journal. Only fourteen years ago the tota capital invested in cotton manufacturing in the South was only about 322,000,- . OOO. Now it is close on to ?100,000.- : 000. Is not this increase remarkable? j What increase will the oext fourteen years show ? May we not reasonably; expect that within that period tho South ; will be doing the greater part of the . cotton manufacturing of this country ? Miss Katherine Drexel, .he Phil a- ? uelphia banker's daughter, will make . ber final vows at the Convent of thc Blessed Sacrament, Dear 'I'orresdale. Pa , next Wednesday, and thereafter she wiil undergo the rigorous self-de nial of the order. She will be known as Mother Katherine. Miss Drexel's income is estimated to be nearly S500, 000 a year, and it will remain under her personal control. The convent at. Torresdale was built with her money, and she becomes its Mother Superior. Gold, because it was found pure aod fairly tractable, was probably the first metal used by mao. Copper, it is true, is found as a metal, but only in ooe comparatively restricted locality. Occasionally gold fish-hooks have been : discovered in graves in New Granada. In mioiDg a tunnel in Cauca, a gold , hook was found io 1882 fifty feet under the surface of the ground and beneath ; what must have once been the bed of a j river. Copper fish-hooks have been found io many of the ancient burial J mouods of Peru. A warning has been sounded io the way io which books from a circulating ; library should be baodled. It is con? veyed in a suggestion: Don't wet the Bogers to turn the leaves of such books. Thc authorities among the circulating libraries at Dresdeo have been conduct iog a series of experiments to determine if books io general use become a medi I um for the communication of iufectioo. Soiled leaves were rubbed first with dry fingers and theo with wet ones, aod the results microscopically examiued. No microbes, or few, were found on the dry fingers, but many on the others. Bullock Times : it is not possible to < estimate the damage that Florida has sustained from last week's weather. j There were perhaps oot less than two millions of boxes of oranges on the trees, which may be safely put down as clear loss to the growers. Then the railroads lose the transportation ; the mills lose the sale of the box material ; the laborers lose the work of gathering aod I packing. OQ top of this comes the shortening of the next crop, and the uncomputable damage done to the ! groves A great many young trees are cut to the ground and will never be brought out, while older ones will j require years to recuperate. Lawson D. Melton, Esq., of Colum? bia, bas served ootice of contest on : Stauyarne Wilson, who was returned as elected to Coogress from the 4th 1 District. Among the charges are : The registration of names after July 1, I when the books are required to be closed ; conspiracy to prevent the i registration of Republicans ; the voting ; of unregistered Democrats ; high bar ? ricades at the polling places; prevent i ing free and open elections ; the uu : constitutionality, State and Federal, of the registration law, and the illegality of the Wilson ballots, because they did not designated the office being voted for. There are twenty-eight sections in the notice of contest, which takes up more than five type-written pages. TRDXY ASTONISHING.-Miss Annette N. Moen, Fountain, Minn., says: "Ayer's Cherry Pectoral has had a wonderful effect in curing my brother's children of a severe and danger ouscold. It was truly astonishing bow speed? ily they found relief after taking this prepara? tion. "Winter and Summer" were never more charmingly pictured than they are this season on Hood's Sarsaparilla Calendar. The calendar is made in the shape of a heart and is ornamented with two child faces, litho? graphed in bright and natural colors, one peeping out, amid the snow flakes, from a dainty cup, und the oilier lighted up with al! ;he glory of the summer sunshine. Tue usual information about the !t;:uir changes und other astronomical events is given, ; 11 i > 1 thc calendar, besides heine thing <.; beautv" ??also useful every day in the year. It may be obtained at the druggist's, or, ir his snpi'iv is exhausted, six cents i:: st.nap-: should be se?.t to C. I. Hood & ('>.., propri? etors Hood's Sarsaparilla, Lowell, .\KI?S.. who will torward a calendar free. For ten ce;jts two calendars wiii be sm:. I I O R S E S? MD LES, UcCOY IS ? j[ going to bare another \V\c Auction tu v in: lesion on Wei lay, January Ul'?. Wait for it. Look at hi; Advertisement i:i TAX RETURNS FOR 1894-95. i >FFICE$< >F SUMTER COUNTY. SUMTER, S. C , Nov. 20, 1894 Returns of all personal properly and Poll Taxes will be received at the following times and places. Mayesville, Tuesday, January 1. Reid's Mill, Wednesday, January Mannville, Thursday, January 3. Smithville, Friday, January 4. Mechanicsville, Saturday, January, 5. Kingman'8 Store, Monday, Jan? uary 7. Rembert's Store, Tuesday, J anuary, 8. Hagood, Wednesday, January 9. Stateburg, Thursday, January 10. Wedgefield, Friday, January ll. R. I. Manning's, Saturday, Jan? uary 12. J. M. TindaH'e, Monday, January, 14. Bishopville, Tuesday and Wednes? day, January 15-16. Magnolia, Thursday, January IT. Lynchburg, Friday, January 18. Concord, Saturday, January 19. Johnston's Store, Monday, Jan? uary, 21. Shiloh, Tuesday, January 22. And at Auditor's office in City ot Sumter from January 23rd to Feb ruary 20th, inclusive. The law requires that ali persons owning property or ia anywise having charge of such property, either as agent, husband, guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, &c , return the scrue, under oitb, to the Auditor, who requests all persons to be prompt in making their returns and save the 50 per cent penalty whlch will be added to the property valua? tion of all persons who fail to make returns within the time prescribed by law. Tax-payers return what they own on the first day of January, 1895. Assessors and Tax-payers will eater the first given name of the tax-payer in full, also make a separate return for each Township where the property is located, and also in eacn and every case the No. of the School District must be given. Every male citizen, between the age of twenty-one and fifty years, on the first day of January, 1895, except these incapable of earning a support from being maimed or from other causes, shall be deemed taxable Polls. All returns must be made on or before the 20th day of February Dext. I cannot take re? turns after that date and all returns made after the 20th day of February, are sub? ject to a penalty of 50 per cent. A. B. STUCKEY, Auditor Sumter Co?^ty. Nov. 20, 1894. NOTICE. I TVAXT every man and woman in the United States interested in the Opium and Whisky habita to have one of my books on these dis eases. Address B. M. Woolley, Atlanta, Ga. ' Box 382, and one will be sent you. free. 1890. 1894. L C. PHELPS ft G0.9 G-eneral Insnrance Ap& Sumter, IS. ?. Fire. Life, Accident, Steam Boiler, P?ate Giass, Bonds of Surety for persons in posi? tions of trust, and Liability insurance ia every branch, written in the very best A mer? can and Foreign Companies. Over sixty-five millions cf cupii&I repre? sented. Office at Messrs. J. Ryttenberg s Sous, 2d Floor, Front. Mchl4-o FOR -FULL ASSORTMENT BEST NEW GARDEN SEED, -FULL LINE Purest Eris wt CMcals, CALL ON J. S. HUGHSON & CO., Monaghan Block. MAIN STREET, Feb 8. SUMTER, S. C. State of South Carolina, COUNTY OF SUMTER. COURT OF COMMON* PLEAS. Samuel C. C. Richardson, Plaintiff against William B. Moore. Margaret G. Lenoir, and William B. Burns, Defendants. SUMMONS FOR RELIEF. Coomplaint Served. To the Defendants above Damed : You are hereby Summoned and required to answer the complaint in this action, of which a copy is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your answer to the =aid com? plaint on the subscribers at their office in the City of Sumter, in said State, within twenty days after the service hereof exclusive of the day cf such service: and if you fail 'o answer the complaint within the time aforesaid, the plaintiff in thi3 acticn will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in the comp'aint. Dated August 20th, A.D. ?S94.* HAYNSWORTHS & COOPER, Plaintiff's Attorneys. To the Defendant, WILLIAM B. MOOILE : Take notice that the Summons and Com? plaint in this action of which Summons the foregoing is a copy, we*e filed in tb'? office of the Clerk of the above-named Court at Sum? ter, in the County of Sumter and State of South CaroHua, on the 26th day of December, 1894. HAYXSWORTHS & COOPER, Dec. 26. Plaintiff s Attorneys. State of South Carolina, COUNTY OF SUMTER. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. William S. Manning, Plaintiff, against William Lenoir, James Lenoir, Elizabeth Lenoir, Walter M. Lenoir, Mary B. Lenoir and Eugene W. Lenoir and Alberta L. Lenoir Defendants. SUMMONS FOR RELIEF. Complaint Not Served To the Defendants above named : You are hereby Summoned and required to answer the complaint io this action, which bas been this day filed in the o:?ce of the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleis, for the said County, and to serve a copy of your an? swer to the said complaint on the subscribers at their office in the City of Sumt ?r in said County and State, within twenty days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the complaint within the time aforesaid, the plaintiff in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in the complaint. December 26tb, A. D. 1894. HAYNSWORTH & HAYN S WORTH, Dec. 26. Plaintiff1 s;A-.torneys. -Miss McDonald^T Would aoDouDce her usual Well Selected Stock of Millinery is now ready for exhibition and sale. HATS AND BONNETS in FELT, VELVET, STRAW, ETC., will be shown, -ALSO RIBBONS and VELVETS in the newest colors. A full lise of Ostrich Feathers in the very latest make np, together with Aigrettes, Quills, Bird Fancies, Etc., Etc. -PROMPT ATTENTION GIVEN TO ORDERS. October 24._? Hay Presser We are able now to offer the cheapest and best portable Hay Press ever put on the market- Bale your hay; it becomes more marketable and more valuable. Baled hay looks better and sells quicker. Henry B? Bloom, Sep 5. Main St., Sumter, S. C NO. 1 ! One Car Load Horses to arrive about October 4, at RAM ? ? d i kUL& Sumter, Sept. 27, '94.