Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-09-28

thoughs Of addressing you upon the subject
Of Internal Improvement, as far At least as
regards oar cwn county q Berkeley And
whilst We may eoufDe our attention to tbii
county particularly. we would nos wish 70 IN
cur the charge Of iliberality or partiality up
on this important subject On the contrary,
we are advocates Of general Improvement
Of the whole State. in gradual and cautious
manner. that win not endanger the high credit
Of this good old Commonwealth. Yet. feel
ing as We do, and eves bavc done, and as we
hope We ever shall do deep solicitude for
the prosperity add happiness Of our own peo-
pie. which you are aware is very natural and
very reasonable too, we cannot refrain from
calling the public eye to the wretched condi-
tion of our roads We mean. Of course. our
unimproved onss. With one Of the best soils
in the whole State of Virginia. with the best
farmers and with, we might say, the best
every thing save one, Berkeley has the worst,
the ve-y worst roads, generally, iu the State.
fact none can deny who have travelled to
any extent within her borders. Well, to what
is this disparsging condition Of things ascri-
babe, but TO a want Of liberal public spirit in
people who possess the abundant means to
remove these evils. Some are apprehensive
of too much debt, too much taxation, and
know all know and acknowledge that our
Legislature for several sessions past consecu-
lively have been engaged in the most prodi-
gal. and indeed we might say the most aban-
doned. expenditure of the peoples money
and it is under such a state Of affairs on1y
that we would argue for q share Of the bene-
fits as well as the evils Of such system 1t
is we'll known that our resources have teen
and for some time to come will continue IL
be expended with most reckless hand then
where is the improperly of the tax-psying,
law abiding, order loving people Of Berkeley
asking for means to relieve them Of a ortion
Of their grievances. Whether the money he
applied for or not, by us it is evident that it
win be squandered somewhere, and SO lot us
have share while it is going Berkeley has
poured her thousands into the State Treasury,
and it is high time we had something in re-.
turn Other portions of the State have n,
right to be improved at our expense. But
to the uoint We do not ask nor are we so
illiberal as to expect general improvement
of our roads at once, but we do contend that
the system which has been already begun
should be resumed and vigorously prosecu-
ted. .. .-
In view of the meeting of our next Legis-
lature which will soon OCCUR, and ih order
that sufficient time may he had for consulta-
ton and reflection, We would suggest to those
interested, and their name is many, very many,
that petition be gotten up in behalf of
Graded or McAdamized road in place Of that
miserable one leading from Honeywood Mills,
on the Potomac by way Of the residence of
the late Col. Colston, Dr. A c. Hammond,
AMI Harlan's Spring, towards Martinsburg
This is one of the most public taoroughfares
in the county, yet one Of the most rugged and
wretcbed. and traverses a section of country
remarkable for fertility of soil, elegance and
superiority Of farming, and beauty Of scenery.
There is not an upland section of Virginia
that can boast Of better land or farming than
this "the garden spot of Berkeley County"
as it has been aptly styled Nor is there
a highway in the County that can enlist
greater share Of public attention and patron
age than the ore alluded to. Being one of
the main thoroughfarcs to and from our Coun.
ty Seat-besides one Of considerable length
extending through deusely populated re-
gon Of country, with numbers of thriving and
wealthy farmers on either side along the whole
line, and SO situated with respect to neigbbor-
ing roads as to monopoliae the whole travel
of the County; such an enterprise cannot fail
to succeed, and we have no doubt the stock
would pay a handsome dividend. This Coun.
ty, MIR. Miller you may rely upon it, is wor.
thy of the best road that the abundant ma
terial which it affords can possibly make ;
and it is indeed strange fact that il has
seldom if ever been spoken of before. But
to carry the matter out
1t may not DO generally known that the
Marylanders and Pennsylvanians have long
had in contemplation the construction of an
improved road from Mercersburg throupb
Clearspripg to some point on the Potomac
river, at or near Honeywood Mills, to accom-.
modate the vast trade and travel Of that uro.
ductive country, and we have not the slightest
doabt that the completion of an improved
road to this point on our part would be the
commencement Of the other All that fertil,.
section of country lying in Maryland and
Pennsylvania along the eastern base of the
North Mountain, as we'll as an extended
mountain region to the west, is tributary to
the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, near Honey
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