The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 29, 1917, Image 2
my friend, the
tree dope die
sosnetbtng to sag about
out of Sumter to
tho tohmoeoj oeetlons of 8um
Oely CtOrertdon oountiee?a subject
m\ 1 mm greatly Interested, not
Of a clttsen sad business man.
also as a constant traveler?and
pn*or space Is available I wish to
say a few words on the same suV
first of all I wish to state that I
mm not an engineer, an expert road
tmftder aor an authority on the con?
duction of public highways. Neith?
er do I wish to undertake a general
orttletsea of our road supervisors, but
an It often happens that a fool can
teosdeotally point out a reasonable
thine 1 may happen to state some?
thing of the things I have observed
?a the public highways which may be
of Interest to the suffering traveler as
wail as to the toilsome builder.
It will also state that in the course
of these observation 1 will no* confine!
myself to the roads of 8umter and
Cl?ren do! i counties, but to the high?
ways la general, and from actual and
personal observations only.
It Is srdl to observe that our pub?
lic Officials are very often confounded
undeservedly, and we are putting in
too much political seasoning in our
public executive affairs which, often
dtscouragos our public efficient offi?
cial* la the perfoimsnce of their ef?
forts and turns them to practical pol?
iticians Instead of helpful public ser?
vants, while a little honest encourage?
ment and friendly Intercourse would
enhance irofltable efforts. Just and
reason * bit censure hewever is grea;
ty beneficial. A public official has]
Just as much chance of fully satisfy?
ing the public as the Jews had the
defunct Russian autocracy. The old
Rosalan government has accused the
Jews of all kinds of absurdities, one
of them was that the Jews are try
Ins to evade military service. In the
last Ruaso-Turklah war In the battles
about Plevna it was found thet the.
casualty of Jewish soldiers was great?
ly out proportioned to their quota of,
numbers with other nationalities and
this was brought to the attention of
the war ministry, with the remark
that there are more Jews in the army
than their percentage requires, and
one of the minister's remarked that
this was not the fact, the reason
there are so many casualties among
tho Jewish soldiers Is that they would
rather die than serve the Cxar. It
Is the same with a public official,
there Is always somebody to kick at
him.
We will now take a little spin on
oar public highways, and look at It
not only from the lofty roof of a load
of tobacco, or stack of hay. but
throuab the windshield of an automo?
bile. The auto driver has some spe?
cial considerations, because we are
living In the auto age and we arc
putting on special taxes on him and
burden him with all kinds of traf?
fic regulations, therefore we must see
that his rights are taken care of and
should be provided with better roads.
Then too. those who travel autos
have horses snd wagons too, so he
Is Interested both ways.
Now we will see about that blamed
sandy road on which our friend, the
dope writer, went across McDrides
thoroughfare In his Imagination and
of which the tobacco haulers are
complalnln*.
This Is a stretch of road through
sandy and soft soils w hlch have no
coheslvencss without fl'st mixing If
with some hard substances In order
to make a solid surface. It is
heavily traveled at all ?ensons of the
year and as a rule Is In bad condi?
tion about d ?ys of (very year and
somotimes longer, but I is at Its best
Just a few days after a good rain, bo
cause the rain washes all tho sand
and loose dirt In the ruts and some?
what hurd?>ns It for a few days until
they dry out and cut up again. This
was the cane lately. We had a rainy
spell and tho road was about In the
best traveling condition It ever was.
snd here cornea that confounded road
plow and scraper and destroys all our
hopes) of a few days easier traveling.
Now would not that mr.ke you mad
and ar our nerves to smithereens?
CouhJ not that scraper wait a week
or so till the road is cut up and
plow It up as It would not make It
sny worse?
Roads of that kind need other
methods than scraping. You may
scrspe these roads everv week, but
you sre throwing away time and
money on lt. I have traveled this
road for the last fifteen months over
two hundred times, and have seen
lots of work done on it. but It Is Just
as barf If not worse thtin It was last
year. There mu*t be some system of
Improving there roads If they are
worked, otherwise there Is no use
wording rhem.
v7?t?. high priced engineers, experts
and plenty of money anybody can
I ff foiw reads. With plenty of
f?mrt White, lr. Kelly or myself
dnuld build the bent roads in tho
world, but the object Is that we make
the beet with the resources on hand
and give the people the best roads
for the money they are putting In
roads. At Ihe same time I want to re?
mark that we, as a community, or
a state, are very stingy with our
road levies, and when It comes to
taxes we are raising all kind of Cain
about paying it, yet we always cry for
more improvements. For my part I
would gladly pay $50 a year for good
roade in this county in place of these
we have and would consider I am
getting a bargain, besides enjoying
the pleasurs of smooth driving.
There are sevral prime factors con?
stituting good roads which require
close study in building and proper
systems of upkeep. A good roud is one
which Is straight, level and hard,
but not too hard, so that a horse will
not have a solid footing or a rubber
tire can not have a strong grip or
purchase, and thereby waste power.
To obtain the proper result, one must
be familiar in the soils, sands, clays
and rocks, and the proper compo?
sition of tho materials in order to ob?
tain the best results. He must also
be capable of detecting the varia?
tions of the soli on certain stretches
of the road, and so equalise the com?
position of the roadbeds that when
two varying soils meet their top com?
position should be such as not to
disturb ths equilibrium of resistance
to wear and pressure. The smoother
the roads are the easier it is to ride
and the longer they last. The pres?
sure of wheels or hoofs does not ma?
terially wear the roads, it is the
constant jarring of wheels and slid?
ing of loads which tear up the roads,
and this Is caused from unevenness,
as the wheels rise and fall at every
little depression or elevation and
gradually form holes and pockets ip
the tracks.
I notlee that most of the work
done on the roads Is plowing and
?craping, which means the raking up
the loose dirt or sand from the sides
of the road and/piling it in the cen?
tre. For a few minutes the road
looks smooth as a cement sidewalk,
but as soon as a few wagons go
through it the same old ruts, slides,
cutouts and road pockets are there as
before, vrtth the addition of some
heavy pulling by the first track mak?
ers or pathfinders, add a whole lot
of Sunday school lessons rehearsed at
high Q: Tho benefits sought in scrap?
ing sandy roads I presume Is for
straightening the tracks or ruts,
which would help considerably as this
would fOrm a straight pull. Tho
methods mostly employed Is by send?
ing out a scraper on a ten mile road,
scraping one side going and the oth?
er aide coming, and then another
drive with a road grader or a center
finisher. But as the scraper goes on
Its course, there is somebody driving
a wagon behind It, with one wheef in
the old track and the other In the
new dirt just raked up, and the same
happens with It coming back, so that
before the scraper finishes tho road,
nearly everybody Is traveling on the
old tracks, with the same eurves,
twists and slides and we are no bet?
ter off than before.
Some of these roads are so twisted
iml slgzagged and sldelooped from
faulty grading, that It Is Impossible to
straighten them unless the entire
roadbed is graded or scraped sim?
ultaneously, covering every trace of
the old tracks, and get some one to
follow up the now grade with the
Idea in view of forming a straight
line. They should also be not too
high In the center as this has a ten?
dency, especially In auton, which trav?
el with ono wheel on the center, to
slide sideways and form pockets and
deep ruts.
While I am on the subject of sandy
roads, where everyone travels in
tracks or ruts, I want to observe that
I In my opinion we have drifted into a
faulty way of using tho centre of the
road for Wagon and buggy travel
while tho tracks for autos ore form?
ed from the center on the sides. If
we should reverse the course I thlnl.
ve would find better trnvel for both
wagon and auto. In the first place
the auto traveling on tho centre of
the road It would have a better ten?
dency of keeping the tracks straight,
as it Is the habit of car drivers to
run straight. Then the auto having
round tires, when traveling on the
?Ide of the road has a greater ten?
dency of sliding to the side thnn n
wagon whose wheel points are square
and do not slide, and the horses
would use a greater portion of th<
road to pack with their hoofs. It
would also eliminate n great deal of
the danger of autos sliding In a ditch
which Is a matter of great consider?
ation.
Sandy roads as a rule have some
considerable stretches of good hare'
soil, or medium hard soil, so tha<
with proper care they could be made
navigable with comfort and satisfa
tlon. These stretches however, nr<
more troublesome to the traveler tha
the sandy ro.ids because they nr*? nI
ways full of boles, dugouts and pork
ets. It Jars the 1 fo out of the rid er,
! tears and shakes the wagons and cars
[to smithereens and makes travel on
these roads a genuine torture, and
very expensive, and enough to make
a preacher cuss. I was following a
preacher the other day and I heard
him say?well I will not repeat it, it
may not pass the censor. The cause
of these holes is from faulty mixture
of the soil and uneven grading, be?
cause in rainy weather the water ac?
cumulates in the lower little depres?
sions and softens that spot, the con?
stant travel increasing the depres?
sions, as the falls of wagons and cars
strikes the lower places harder than
the higher ones and gradually works
out big holes and ditches. In dry
weather every time the wheels strike
these places they carry a lot of dust
and still Increase the holes. v
I have noticed, in trying to remedy
these evils, in many instances, loose
dirt is brought up and dumped in
these holes, without the slightest
pretence of smoothing down to the
road bed, and even if graded down
to a level surface, the dirt being
softer than the old pressed road, it
soon wears out from use either in dry
or wet weather, because it is only a
load of dust In dry weather and of
mud in wet weather. To make a
good job of this the holes should be
fllled up gradually and allowed to he
pressed in or packed and do it over
again until it forms a level surface
equal In resistance with the rest of
the road. The best way would be af?
ter the road is almost level, by grad?
ually filling in the depressions or
holes, at an opportune time plow up
the entire surface, harrow over un?
til the entire soil is thoroughly mixed,
and then run over with a heavy j
roller, if possible. Another cause of
road troubles is produced where there
is no outlet for accumulated water
and the water stands on the'road or
runs over the road creating washouts.
In every place where water is liable
to have this effect there should be
provided outlets. I have seen recent?
ly such a place repaired and made
a fairly good road on a stretch of
about 200 yards, it being a low sec?
tion and the water had made a per?
fect swamp out of that place. But
three days after it was fixed there
came a hevy rain and as there was
no outlet for the water it washed
away a part of the road, and it took
a gang of ten men almost a day to
fix it over again and provide a wa?
ter outlet. This is absolutely unexcus
able negligence and shows lack of un?
derstanding on the part of the fore?
man. ...
When I employed mechanics m
building I have atwayti tried to im?
press them with the importance of
thinking and picturing their work in
their mind so that they will have an
idea what their work will accom?
plish, and I found it of great help hi
it was the cause of avoiding in?
numerable mistakes. I have also found
it profitable to hold every one re?
sponsible for the part of work he is
doing regardless of the foreman, so
that each one had a certain respon?
sibility which Induced them to think.
BVcn a convict has some pride about
him and if held responsible for a
certain track of road he will pride
himself in having his track look bet?
ter than the next one. !
I have noticed that even some of
our best roads are finished with cla&f
and some little sand dust distributed
over the roads and graded to an even
surface and left to the traveler to
smooth the roads with the wheels,
but unless the surfacing is thorough?
ly harrowed over, to say, a depth ot
at least three inches and the par?
ticles of clay so beat up that there
will remain no lumps you will never
have a smooth road, because ever:'
little lump forms a retraction for the
wheel and a jar on its fall and forms
little cavities and helps to tear up the
balance of the road and more
work of keeping it In good condition.
I have also noticed, that somq gootl
roads are going to pieces for lack 61
attention. As an instance I will men?
tion one section of the road between
VVedgefleld and Stateburg. Three
years ago it was the best road In
the county, and I went out for a rido
on that road several times just tr
enjoy a pleasant ride and show some
of my friends how good roads can be
made. Now that same road is just as
well as any cotton field to ride on.
There is no use building up good
roads unless they are kept up. and
they are easily kept In good shape If
defects are repaired before they get
too bad. The same condition applies
to all good roads.
I have also noticed in building new
roads the entire top Is covered with
pure clay, and red clay hills are
traded down and left as roadbed.
Now clay in itself has no strength or
binding properties 'unless mixed
thoroughly with harder substances,
such as rock, gravel or coarse sand,
because as soon as It gets moisture It
lissolves nnd forms a soft sUbitr too
like cream, hut when mixed v h
?and It forms a hard substance and
Will resist wear and also water.
IB Veil line sand mixed in clay will
help considerably, and this class of
Mild is abundantly distributed nil
over our soils.
When roads are clayed they
should have a fairly good distribu?
tion of sand on top of the clay which
will work in in the clay substance,
fill up the little holes left between the
lumps of clay and make the road
smoother, keep the wheels from
grinding the clay to dust in dry
weather, and keep the water from
washing the clay off the road in
rainy weather.
I have observed that nearly all
our .bridges on the road arc cither
level with the road or lower. This
is absolutely wrong. Pridges should
always be higher than the road and
should have a gradual elevation so
that wagons will gradualy go up in?
stead of getting to a bridge and fall
in, and thereby shaking up the
bridge, sinking deeper its supports']
and straining the timbers which give
way so fast. Some bridges are so
twisted up that I sometimes feel like
I would not risk its structure.
I sometimes feel like a coward in
being scared to cross those bridges,
but I feel safer and more comfortable
of being alive and write this and
furnish a reader for that Chamber
of Commerce dope, than lying dead
In one of those muddy streams, all
spattered up with mud, and a big car
on top of me, and some ugly wild
creature biting me on the shoulder,
and the coroner trying to figure out if
I did not do it on purpose just to beat
the insurance company out of some
money, and then the probability of
some of my realtives trying to sue.
the county for damages and spending
a whole lot of money for legal tal?
ent, etc. If the bridges were built
right and kept right I would not have
to feel like a coward. They should
have a slight elevation, as said be?
fore, with about eight inches of the
board extending beyond the curb
and sliding gradually down in the
road, thereby forming a gradual as?
cent.
In some respect the travelers In
atos and wagons are partly respon?
sible for the bad condition of the
roads, in cutouts and slides. If every?
one would try to foim straight tracks
on these roads and try to distribute
the wear on the entire road instead
of following up tracks it would im?
prove it considerably. If the wag?
ons would not try to travel in the
auto tracks which look smooth, It
would help more; if every one would
try in meeting another* one to give
half way instead of forcing others to
get to the exreme side and form new
tracks it would help; If everybody
would, on approaching a sharp twist
in a sand bed, try and straighten
It, it would help; If everyone after a
rain would try to ride on tho ridges
instead of the ruts, form new straight
(tracks and stay there it would help;
If wide gauge cars would keep out of
the regular wagon tracks it would
help. If everybody, in noticing some
defect in a bridge, or a piece of
timber on the road or a twig from a
tree sticking out on the road or some
other little defect or obstruction, to
stop and remove it, or report it to the
road master, instead of going around
and form a new loop in the road it
would help.
It seems to me that I have ex?
ceeded the limits, as I have only
wented to say a few words, especially
in these busy days, when tobacco is
selling at very high prices, and cotton
is looking tine, with prices the same,
and people have more money than
they usually have at this time of the
year, so that we are busy getting
their money away, as the old saying
goes "striking the iron while It Is
hot" or as some epicure would say
"skinning the lamb while she is
warm," notwithstanding all these I
feel like saying things appertaining
to all and here I am burning candles
trying to scribble out some of the
hardships all of us are enjoying, ami
like that balky mule when I once
start I do not know when to stop, no
I am unwillingly closing this argu?
ment, assuring you that I am not
looking for any jobs on the publi
roads, or any other thankless jobs.
I would not have it if it was handed
to me on a silver fork, but If there
is anything I said that would not
jbear reasoning I am cheerfully ready
to admit my erroneous conclusions.
Respectfully,
S. L. Krasnoff.
ANOTHER PEACE SPEECH.
President Wilson May Express GOV
crnmcnt's Views lie fore Congress
Adjourns.
Washington, Aug. 14.?President
Wilson may decide to address con?
gress on peace at the same time he
replies to the Pope's proposals. Then
are no indications of the president',
plans at the White House, but at th<
capltol the probability of bis SXprurS
ing the government's views, just be
fore congress adjourns, Is consider
ed. It is understood the preslden
Will have the views of the other al
lies soon.
BMlgtQ Takes Rot-ess.
Washington, Aug. 25.?After :
brief session the senate recessed tin
til Monday, wltflout action or dehnt
on ilhc war tax bill.
CONFIDENCE IN RUSSIA.
Secretary Irnsing Says Government
Is Stronger Than Big,
Washington, Aug. 24.?Complete*
confidence in the new Russian gov?
ernment is expressed at the State de?
partment. Secretary Irnsing denied
that news from Russia caused this
government to take a pessimistic
view. "I regard the Russian gov?
ernment as stronger today than it has
been for months," he declared.
Secretary Lansing, however, kept
his decision, not to make public any
recent reports from Russia. No re?
ports have been received in the last
twenty-four hours.
Washington, Aug. 24.?The United
States has loaned Russia another
hundred million dollars.
WILL AWAIT INVESTIGATION.
Secretary Baker Will Not Act Hastily
on Houston Affair.
Washington, Aug. 24.?Senator
Sheppard, of Texas, after a confer?
ence with Secretary Baker, said the
negro troops would be withdrawn
from Texas immediately.
Secretary Baker later said that he
would await an official investigation
before taking action He also said
that the Houston affair did not alter
the policy of training the negroes in
the South.
- S .!
TO ADDRESS THE SENATE.
Washington, Aug. 24.?Arrange?
ments have been made for Viscount
Ishii, the head of the Japanese mis?
sion to address the senate Thursday.
SERVICE
WITH THE LARGEST RECOURCES OF
ANY BANK IN THIS SECTION :
WITH A FORCE OF EIGHT MEN TO DO
THE WORK:
WITH A STRONG DIRECTORATE PER?
SONALLY SUPERVISING ITS AF?
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This Bank is prepared to offer you
the BEST SERVICE KNOWN
TO THE BUSINESS.
The National Rank Of South Mia
G ROWLAND. President. F. E. HINNANf. Cashier
IN TO WIN
All hats are off to the men on the
firing line who are defending our
country's honor with their lives.
All hands are outstretched to those
at home who are enlisted in the great
cause of increased production and
greater thrift.
Our ? complete facilities are at the
command of the business men of
this community.
We invite conference.
The National Baiik
of Sumter.
SUMTER, S. C.
A Convenience.
A checking-account with a bank is a great
convenience; not only to the business and profes?
sional maD, but to the farmer as well. More peo?
ple would keep such accounts if they knew just
how to go about it. We gladly assist those who
need help in getting started.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
The Oldest Banking Institution in the County
I Evoi ytritnq Hi the Building Line
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i m?
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