Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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GOOD ROADS MEETING. ATTHNI>\\< I SMALL BIT T1IK RPH c His INTERESTING. Mr. D. II. \\ in-.it of Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Roads, and Mr. R. B. Reiser, of This City. Bo Hrvr Xdilrr^srs That Were of Prac? tical Value?Mr. Wlnslow Tells How to Build Roads So That They Will I?a*t and Mr. Reiser Suggest* Ttie Way* and Meant. From The Dally Item. July 26. Moser*. C. W. Moorman, of the Co? lombia Record and Mr. D. H. Wln slew. of the Bureau of Roads, U. S. Department of Agriculture who com pee* the Columbia Record's Good Roads Party, arrived In the city last eight about 7 o'clock from Camden ta two Brush Runabouts, the reliable IRtle cars in which they are making the tour of the State. They have vis Hod fourteen counties thus far and In each | -ounty good roads rallies have been held and much Interest has he en awakened In the good roads campaign. The party will visit every county In the State and the tour will not be completed until September let The good roads meeting, which had been advertised for two weeks, was held In the court house at 12 o'clock, hut the attendance was not as large as had been hoped for. there being comparatively few representatives from otner sections of the county, al? though It was gratifying to note the presence of several prominent citi? zens who had come from a distance of ten to twenty miles to sttend the meeting and lend their presence and Influence to the Inauguration of the campaign for better roads In Sumter county. The meeting was called to order a few minutes after It o'clock by Coun? ty Supervisor P. M. Pitts who presid? ed. He stated that the meeting was held aa the result of the campaign for good roads undertaken by the Co lumbla Record for purpose of arous teg Interest in the subject in every eeunty in the 8tate. He Introduced Mr. C. W. Moorman, who represents Mm Record and who Is In charge of the party. Mr. Moorman briefly stated the ob? ject of the meeting and what is hop? ed for aa the ultimate result of the campaign?the Improvement of the reads throughout the State, so that there ami be good roads every where esM travel easy and pleasant. He In? troduced Mr. Winslow. a practical read builder end engineer who has had eighteen years experience in Smlldlng roads, a part of that time ee a contractor. At present he Is In charge of the road work for the De? partment of Agriculture and Is doing good work in his line. On account of tile experience as a road engineer and aleo on account of his intimate knowl? edge of conditions and needs In South Carolina he had *>een detailed for this good roads campe Ign through the In? fluence of Commissioner Watson. Mr. Wlnslow In opening his ad drees made the bold statement that good roads are of more importance to the St.it'- and the people than pro? hibition <t the tariff and that when the people are come to a full reali? sation of this fai t the campaign will be a success. He related Incidental? ly some of the experiences of the party with bad roads, but concluded this part of his talk w ith a statement that was not flattering to Sumter county, for he said that thus far the longest stretch of real bad road that had been encountered was found In Sumter county yesterday afternoon. Some worse places had been found, but none so extensive. In South Carettafl he said bad roads were the rule not the excep? tion, the ratio being one mile of good road to twenty-four bad, while for the country at large the ratio was one mile of good road to thirteen bad. The county supervisors are do? ing the best they can under existing conditions, but they are handicapped by lack of money and machinery and ao support by public sentiment. He then discussed the necessity for good roads, their permanence when ?ace established, and the advisabil? ity of having a competent road engi? neer to supervise their construction. He then discussed the sand-clay road aad the mistakes that aro frequently eeade In undertaking to build them hy hap-hazard methods without re? gard Is properly mixing the sand and clay so as to oMaln the consistency that gives a permanent road service. Ho told how to ascertain In what pro? portion the sand and ( lay should be mixed and how to mix them on the roadway, after It had been graded. From this he branched mj| Into a dls esmt'on of the problem of mainten? ance after the road has been bud' This brought him to the split-lug drug, "f whl< h he had a model on oshib.ti.in He, as all praetleal road Heilders, was enthusiastic In his dorse,nent of this ?imph< device a? the best as well as the Ohoepeol im piemen r , ? r fle?tS0d fOf rOOd rniln te nance. In the concluding portion of h,s address he discussed bad roads ss a t*K upon the country and upon the formers In particular. He als> ol reefed attention to tho fact tnat the f o't office has adopted the policy of joolishing mral free delivery mail r<u es vlen\ti* the roads arc not pr.-pnrly ma.ntfined, and this h? ad vancod as another urgent reason for Immediate improvement of the roads in this State. Mr. R. R. Heiser, of this city \va.; the last speaker. Mr. Belser Is a good roads enthusiast and has given | the subject a great deal of careful study, and has visited at his own ex? pense, other counties and States where progress in road building his bsjsjg made for the purpose of obtain? ing information at first hands. From the information thus gained, added to a thorough study of local condi? tions he has developed a plan for road improvement in Sumter county that seems practicable and within reach at a reasonable cost. Mr. Reiser's spee -h was. In substance, as follows: It is not my purpose to attempt to give you any eloquent discourse on tbe subject of good roads, nor to paint flowery pictures as resulting from their construction. It is my purpose, however, to lay before you a plan which, If adopted, I think will enable us to build tho necessary roads and obtain the benefits result? ing therefrom in the near future. Since a child I have heard people talk good roads, but, gentlemen, to get good roads we have got to do more than talk good roads; we have got to build them. To build good roads we have got to provide the money, and this is the phase of the subject which I wish to take up with you today. We have in Sumter County about 600 miles of public roads. Of this probably 100 miles is naturally good hard road or has been improved by sand-clay surfacing. This will leave aDproxlmately 400 miles which will need to be improved to make a com? plete system ?f good roads for Sum? ter County. We have In this county property assessed at $7,000,000. It may be safely stated that this as? sessment, taking all the property Into consideration, does not exceed 25 per cent of the actual market value of the property; so that the actual pro? perty represented by this $7,500,000 Is at least $30,000.000. Of this total a litt e over $16,000,000 Is real estate. It will thus be seen that the countv has on an average a little over $30, 000 worth of real estate to the mile of public road. It has been conser? vatively estimated that a system of good roads for the county will add at least 25 per cent, and probably a good deal more, to the real estate value of the county. This would give us a total increase for the county of $4,000,000, or an Increase for each mile of public road built of a little over $7,600. The average cost per mile for building this system of pub? lic roads will of course depend upon the method of road construction ad? opted. But two systems of roa . building for county roads have been general? ly adopted In our county; macadam and sand clay. Macadam costs from 12,000 to $4,000 per mile, according to conditions; sand-Hay method costs from $300 to $800 per mile, accord? ing to grading necessary and avail? ability of proper material. It has been estimated that the cost per mile, under conditions In this county, win be about $500. The cost of macadam on an average of $3,000 per mile bas? is, for 400 miles would be $1,200,000; the cost of 400 miles of sand-clav road at $500 per mile would be $200. ooo. The cost of macadam is SO great and the maintenance expenses so heavy, ranging from $200 to $K0<) per mile a year, that at this distance from the necessary material both for construction and maintenance, its use had best be dismissed as impracti? cable. The sand-Hay road Is no longer In the experimental stage, and where properly constructed has prov? ed highly satisfactory. Furthermore, the maintenance expenses is less than that of any other known road material, it has been stated by tho Supervisor of Riehland County that the average annual maintenance ex? penses of the sand-Hay roads, (not including bridges) of his county is less than $10 per mile. That the sand-clay roads of that county are in excellent condition, any one who has been over them in buggy or aut? omobile can testify. Sumter County can get a practical? ly complete sand-Hay road system for $200,000; and I think a COM PUETS system is what we should strive for. Inasmuch as the sand clay road has already been tested and proved satisfactory. I can see no sufficient reason for doing tho work by piece-meal. If the work is to be done on a piece-meal program, what community is willing to bo last? If 10 miles a year are to bo built, what 10 miles are to be built In the for? tieth year; if 20 miles a year, show m?? tbe laspaySTS who are willing to wait 20 years to get their roads im? proved, while favored sections have been etil .slug their good rondl for 2?> rears \ ptaeo-meal policy will ?>?? productive of dissatisfaction smong taxpayers, und will make ? very dif? ficult situation f?>r tiie Supervisor and his saststanta Would it not be bet? ter t<> raise a fund of $200.000 lm mediafeiv and proceed to build the roads at the rate of 100 miles a year, beginning with the main through fares from the county seat to the county linos, then the other cross county roads in tho order of their Importance. The only practicable way to raise the fund of $200,000 is to issue county bonds for the amount. To pay the interest on the fund and re? tire the bonds in 20 years would re? quire only $15,000. The extra tax levy would hardly realize it had been added. It would amount to only 50c ? thousand dollars on the assessed value. Figure out Just how many thoussnd your property Is returned at for taxation, multiply this by two and you will have the number of dollars it will cost you a year to ride and haul over good roads. Then fig? ure up the number of days you and your teams spend on the road a year, the value of those teams, and the time, take one-half of this amount (bad roads cause you to take fully twice the time to do a given amount of traveling or hauling) add to this tho repair expense for wheels broken In mud holes; mules strained and stove up from straining in bog holes or hill climbs and other damage to teams; the time lost in consequence of mules and wagons out of commls- j sion, and you will have something in the neighborhood of one-half what bad roads are costing you a year. If the cost of bad roads Is not ten times the cost of good roads, on this basis alone, It will come surprisingly close it. Other items that go to add to the cost of bad roads consist of the per? ishable products, and bulky products, which we do not market but allow to go to waste because the hauling over bad roads is too great; the neglect of the dairy, trucking, fruit growing, and similar profitable departments of farming, and lastly, but by no means least, the desertion of the farms by their owners, leaving them in the hands of an Ignorant and destructive | tenantry?destructive of buildings and improvements, and more de? structive of the fertility and produc? tiveness of tho soil itself. This last item alone reduces the. production of our county by half. The principal advantages of a bond Issue for raising the 'iccesasry funds may be briefly summarized as fol? lows: We will thus secure good roads all over the county in the shortest pos? sible time; we will be able to employ a competent civil engineer for the period of construction; we will be able to construct 400 miles of road at a lower cost per mile, if done rapidly under a continuous organisation, than in smaller quantities over a longer period and under successively changed Supervisors and Commis? sioners; the regular county road force will be relieved of construction work and will be enabled to give its entire time to maintenance of roads, thus removing the chief trouble under the present system; the quick construc? tion of the road system will advertise the county as a particularly progres? sive community and draw into our borders hundreds of farmers from the high priced lands of Marlboro, Ma? rion, Darlington and Lee counties and from all sections of the State, adding another valuable factor to the wealth of our county, and tending further to Increase real estate values. The effect of a general good road ?ystsm for the county on life In our country communities can hardly be o crest imated. Country life will be robbed of that feeling of isolation which has been so largely responsible for the desertion of farm3 by their owners. The city dwelling farm owners Will return to the country; the farms WiH be restored to their former fertility, our county once more become a community of attrac? tive and hospitable farm homes. The production of the country will be doubled and the city, being the mar? ket for the community, will find its business Increasing in proportion to the increased production. Country schools will no longer lack support, the resident land owners will see that they are properly maintained and equipped; each school will have its school wagon or other conveyance, making the rounds and gathering the children in; this is being done in Rlchland county at present. The effects on the city will be scar? cely less beneficial than on the coun? try. An attractive system of drives always adds much to the desirability of a city as a place of residence. The Increased receipts of "country pro? duce" resulting from good roads, is ?another important drawing card. Most Important of all, however, Is the increased business that will result from the Increased production of the county, and the Increased purchasing power of the community. That all these factors will combine to increase land values goes without saying. It Is merely a question of how much. It was recently my priv? ilege to see and Investigate under particular circumstancie, the mag niftcenl system of roads and boule? vards surrounding tho three great cities of Minneapolis, St. Caul, and Duluth, These roadways have all been graded, and with one <>r two ex > aptlons, macadamised. Borne were kepi oiled, but most of them seemed to have been sprinkled, for the occa? sion, probably. The main boulevards, however, were all kept either oiled or sprinkled with water all the time. The local real estate men told me that the property along these boule? vards had increased 300 per cent up? on their construction, and in some cases 500 per cent. In Mecklenburg county, N. C, where they have con? structed an excellent system of ma? cadamized roads and clay roads, part of the roads being macadamized and the remainder merely graded and shaped up out of the native soil, I understand land values have more than doubled wherever these roads have been built. Similar conditions have resulted in Riehland county along roads that have been graded and surfaced with the sand-clay mix? ture. Have we not every reason to expect a like increase upon the con? struction of our good roads in this county? The 25 per cent, increase, mentioned earlier in the discussion, was merely for conservative argu? ment, and, if the value of precedent counts for anything, we can reason? ably count on an increase of several times that amount. We can safely say that our $200,000 investment in good roads will return to us in bene? fits, increased products, and values more than twenty-fold. NEGROES AND WHITES CLASH. Six Men Injured, Two Perhaps Fatal? ly, In Race Riot at Coal Mining Village. Bluefleld, W. Va., July 25.?A race riot occurred late this afternoon at Ashland, W. Va., on the Norfolk & Western railroad, in which six were injured, two perhaps fatally, with kiiives and rocks, according to a re? port received here today. The situa? tion was extremely serious for a time. Negroes, it is said, Invaded quarters of white men at a coal operation and trouble on account of whiskey drink? ing, due to the recent pay day dis? tribution of money, precipated an en? counter. The fight soon became gen? eral and 25 men took part in the riot. Two white men were stabbed and two negroes received injuries that are likely to prove fatal. The names of the victims are not given. EARTH QUAKES IN WEST. Series of Severe Shocks Felt at Rock Springs, Wyo.?Stop Work in Coal Mine. Cheyenne, Wyo., July 25.?Word has been received here of a series of severe earthquake shocks at Rock Springs, Wyo., beginning last night and continuing today. They were so severe that houses were rocked and the walls of a coal mine moved so badly that work at the mine has been abandoned. The first shock was felt at 0:30 p. m. yesterday and the last at noon today. COLUMBIANS DIDN'T LIKE IT. Indignation Expressed Over Reported Utterance! of Dr. Daniel. Columbia, July 25.?Considerable Indignation was expressed here to? day by some of Columbia's most prominent citizens, because of the re? marks reported to have been made In Lexington yesterday by the Rev. J. Walter Daniel, presiding elder of the Columbia district of the Metho? dist church. Dr. Daniel was quoted as saying that Columbia is the wick? edest city south of Philadelphia, and that more debauched young men and young women live in Columbia than in any section of South Carolina. "Columbia is no worse than any other city her size," is the general ! comment made today on Dr. Daniel's , statement. In fact, Columbia is not generally reputed to be as bad as some cities her size. One of the lead \ ing bankers of this city said this af? ternoon that he challenged the broad statement of Dr. Daniel, and would like to hear him "specify." Petersburg, Va., July 22.?The Rev. David Klein, D. D., for three years past the pastor of Unio/i Street Temple, in this city, has tendered his resignation as such, to take effect September 1. Dr. Klein resigns here to accept pastoral charge of a large Hebrew congregation in Sumter, S. C. Dr. Klein is a man of scholarlv attainments, and a fine pulpit orator. His departure from Petersburg Is a matter of sincere regret.?Richmond Times-Dispatch. The ancient city of Tarsus, of Asia Minor, has recently been lighted by electricity! the power being obtained from tbe Cydnus river over a trans? mission line 16 miles In length. The hydro-electric equipment is designed for l.ooo 16-candle-power lamps; 4 50 now being used to light the streets of the city and the remainder being fur? nished to private consumers, it is proposed to extend the electric-light? ing system t<? Adana and Merslne, the energy to be furnished by the Cyd? nus river and transmitted to these places. Coming to Sumter. BOLL WEEVIL NOT IX ALABAMA. | Sutto Commissioner of Agriculture Says Stories of Invasions Are Un? true?May Vet Appear. Montgomery, Ala., July 25.?Care Cul investigation of all reports of boll weevil in Alabama nave proved that the stories are untrue in every in .'-ranee, says Commissioner of Agri? culture J. A. Wilkinson. Last year the weevil was about six miles from the Mobile county line in lower Mis? sissippi and Commissioner Wilkinson tavn it may appear in Alabama dur? ing the latter part of this year or the first of next. According to Commissioner Wil? kinson, Alabama can make 75 per cent, of a normal cotton crop rovid ed weather conditions are favorable from now until frost. His estimates are based on personal observations and reports from farmers to the de? partment. END OF STRIKE NOT IN SKiHT. With Hoi>c of Arbitration Lost to Sight Roth Sides Claim to be Ju? bilant. Montreal, July 25.?With the hope of a settlement by arbitration lost to sight today for the first time since the strike started, both sides claim the day's developments mean ulti? mate victory. The Grand Trunk Rail? way officials were jubilant tonight. They declare that more freight trains were moved today than an? nounced. "All we want is protection for the men willing to work and we will do the rest," declares an official state? ment. Mr. Murdock, vice president of the trainmen, said that statements of the company regarding the opera? tion of freight trains were exaggerat? ed and that only about a quarter of the usual business is being handled. No disturbance of any moment; was reported today. WITH LAST BREATH BLESSES HIS FLOCK. Rev. James Carson Yongue's Bene? diction on Sunday Was the Last Words He Ever Spoke. Pickens, 25.?Rev. James Carson Yongue, pastor of the Pickens M. E. church, who three months ago was stricken with paralysis but had suf? ficiently recovered, to be able by a great effort, to hold services in his church Sunday morning and had preached for 15 minutes when he re? ceived a second stroke, and even then possibly realizing that he had receiv? ed the last call, refused to be seated until he had, supported by one of the stewards, pronounced the benediction over his congregation. These were the last words he ever spoke, only lingering in an unconscious state un? til 4 o'clock when this devout and faithful spirit even until the last passed into the great beyond. Rev. Mr. Yongue was born in Charleston In 1846 and educated at Porter Military Academy. He is sur? vived by his wife, who was Miss Car? oline Julia Stroman, of Orangeburg, and the following children: Robert M. Yongue, of Bowman, Chas. S., and Sam M. Yongue, of Oklahoma City, Okla., Misses Seiina M., and Carrie M. Yongue, of Pickens. The funeral services will be an? nounced later. REWARD OFFERED FOR ASSAS SIX. Fifteen Hundred Dollars Offered For Mayor Bousman's Slayer. Ridgeway, Va., July 26.?Rewards aggregating $1,500 have been offered for the capture of the assassin of Mayor A. H. Bousman, of this place. Mayor Bousman was killed Sunday night by a stick of dynamite thrown from the street while he lay on the lawn surrounding his home. The tewards have been the means of attracting a number of detectives to the scene and a large number of them are working on the case, but so far as is known here no clue has been found to the identity of the slayer, but it is generally believed a negro, in a plot with other? of his race, threw the missile. Several de? tectives left here today for Roanoke, where it is said they are hunting the criminal. Mayor Bousman's funeral was held this afternoon and was largely at? tended, people having gathered from all over this section, trains from the North and South bringing in large crowds. Business was suspended in the town during the afternoon and the eltiezns gathered en masse to pay their respects to the dead mayor, who had done more to build up the place than any other man. Governor Mann today offered $250 reward for the murderer, making the total amount $1,00 0 offered by town, county and S'ate. Individuals added another $500. The town Is quiet and the law will be allowed to take Its course, In the event of the capture of the assasin. W. B. Flowers, the ear Inspector whose leg was cut off by a freight train at Florence, is dead. UK AT CAUSES TRAGEDY. Cincinnati Dentist, Crazed by Heat, Inflicts Probably Fatal Wounds With Razor. Cincinnati, July 25.?Dr. William Burnley, a dentist who recently mov? ed here from Richmond, Va., cut his wife's throat tonight and then slash? ed his own throat, inflicting Injurie? that will probably prove fatal in both cases. Burnley's tragic act is attributed to craze from the extreme heat. Mrs. Burnley was barely able to stagger to the door of their flat and call for help before collapsing from loss of blood. In the meantime Burn? ley used the same weapon, a razor, on himself and was found bleeding to death In the bath room from gashes in the throat. The Burnleys came to this city about three months ago from Rich? mond, Va. It is said that both are well connected in the Virginia capi? tal. They have two children, both girls, who are at a boarding school somewhere in the East. CASHIER MISSING. Whereabouts of Robert Dougherty Since July 19 Unknown. Rome, Ga., July 25.?Robt. Dough? erty, a prominent young clubman and social leader here, has been missing since July 19. He told his wife that he was going to Atlanta on business, and the last she heard from him was a telegram, dated Atlanta, saying that important business detained him. Dougherty was cashier of the Rome Mill, of the Georgia Cotton Oil Com? pany. H. E. Wells, of Columbia, S. C, president of this company, is here, and said today that auditors are go? ing over Dougherty's books and have not finished their examination. Mrs. Dougherty, overcome by tho shock of her husband's disappearance has been taken to her mother in South Carolina. - PYTHIAN CONVENTION ENDS. I Sapper Tendered Delegates?Interest? ing Exercises Monday Night. From The Daily Item, July 26. With the meeting last night, the Fifth District Knights of Pythias' convention was brought to a close, most of the out-of-town delegates leaving today on the morning trains, for their respective homes. At 4 o'clock yesterday afternon an Interesting lecture was delivered Hy Grand Chancellor Commander. J. Walter Doar, before a large and at? tentive gathering of Knights. From 7:30 to 8:30 yesterday even? ing a supper was tendered the visit? ing delegates by the local lodge at the Dixie Cafe, and at 9 o'clock, the regular meeting was dispensed with, and the visiting Knights were given the privilege of seeing the Rank of Knight conferred upon Esquire Hat chell, In long form, by Game Cock Lodge, No. 17. Many members of the old Senate were present and their faces were welcomed by their brother Knights, the above mentioned Senate being at one time, the prize Senate of this State. Before the meeting, Interesting talks were made by Messrs. Wlnslow and Moorman, of the Record's good roads' party, and were greatly enjoy? ed by every one present. STOLE SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND. Facts in Russo-Chinese Bank Short? age Coming Out. New York, July 26.?Erwin Wider the young cashier of the New York branch of the Russo-Chinese bank, is still missing, but details of the $600, 000 bond and stock theft, with which he stands charged, are coming to the surface, together with glimpses of his operations in the stock market. Two prominent stock exchange firms admitted today having had him ss a customer, and it became known that only a few weeks ago his stand? ing as a speculator was placed before the officers of the New York stock ex? change, scrutinized and found ac? ceptable. . The attention of the ex? change had been called to his specu? lations by a firm which carried one of his accounts, but us cashier of his hank he was rated as an official, and the exchange authorities decided that he could not be barred under the rules which prohibit clerks and min? or employes from speculating. Ungrounded wireless experiments with a Wright aeroplane are being conducted at Fort Sam, Houston Texas, on behalf of the Government by Lieut. Ben D. Foulors. The aero? plane has been equipped with a wire? less telegraph outfit and will carry on its long-distance trips an operator who will keep the local station art vised of the progress of the trip. Rev. Albert (iulledge, of Anderson, has resigned as pastor of the Chris? tian church to engage In evangelistic w ork. In reverence is the chief joy and power of Mfe.?Buskin.