The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-12-24
TURNPIKES.
BLooMVILLE, O., Dec. %, 1869.

/ | noticed an article in the TRIBUNE
of last week, in reference to Turn
pixies. l hope the public will avail
themselves of the privilege given in
your columns to agitate the project.
That such roads are necessary all
will admit; even old fogies can see the
necessity. Why not build such a
road from some point south east of
TifiD for instance, Attica-due west
to where such road intersects the
plank, and from thence to Tifin. or
to any other point from this mud
bound section. But l think the At
tica route, as above, as a single road,
will be the most beneficial to the
greatest number. In such a case, all
or any Of the north and south roads
can be made to intersect with the At
tica road; for instance the Marion
through Bloomville and the old Mud
Pike, at Attica.
think the county has public spir-
it and enterprise enough to build
such road. l know we have abund-
ance of material and that it is con-
venient. The people of Seneca coun-
ty have given with a lavish hand to
all public improvements; the county
is dotted all over with them; but
here [ must make one exception
The public highways are not one iota
better than they were fifteen years
ago, unless we except the bridging of
the streams. For the reason thereof,
[ will give an outline of the work
in gs of the Road Laws:
Our township has, say in round
numbers, eighty miles of.roads, and
for the given time (15 years., the
road laws have not brought in cash
value, on an average, to- exceed
1925, the poll-tax estimated at an
average of 500 days We have q
Road Districts, consequently 81 Su-
pervisors, The Supervisor in No. z
gets through with planting, and is
ready to work the roads on to-mor-
row. In the evening he calls on A.
B. and c. to perform labor next day.
A. is not ready, B. is absent, but G.
is on hand as early as 8 o'clock, with
q team. First thing in orderis the
repairing of culvert; plank are want
ed; Supervisor orders G. to the saw
mill for plank; distance three miles;
sawyer absent, but will be back in an
hour. Plank are finally on hand and
culvert repaired by 5 o'clock. C.'s
poll.tax is woFked-but 25 cents per-
soual tax which he is ordered to
werk next day, By shovelins dirt in
a chuck hole, which he does in an
hour, and goes home, leaving a water
hole beside the road, and the first
wagon that comes along wheels the
mud out of the chuck hole, which is
now as bad as before. B. comes
Talong, does big days work, but
works at the wroRg place; has no
time to work the personal tax until
after seeding. Supervisor gives him
/ the privilege to work it out at any
time, which is finally done late in the
fall, which makes the roads worse
than ever for the next six months.--
A. will not work his poll tax; has not
for ten years; is not an able-bodied
man; Supervisor "let's him slip" D.
and E. work faithfully and to some
( purpose F. is working along side of
the road, first at one place, then at
another, all day, for some one to
scrape into the road FIVE years hence.
The road work is done in No. T.
The March settlements come, Super
visor reports road work according to
law, makes nc charges, as he was
with the hands only long enough
to work out his own tax.
Supervisor in No. s is with his
hands every day, but could not get
more than One-half to work; a few
paid. Balance reported TO Trustees,
who look wise, and say they ought to
work. But here it ends. Superb
sor No. 8 asks pay for services; Trus-
tees try the laugh, then the bluff; if
those fail, they cite No. S to No. I as
an example for charges; some hard
swearing. Finally No. takes one
half pay, but next time will do as
No. Z did.
Such is the practical working OF
the road laws. But now we have the
choice of a better one, one which will
make Us good roads, improve the
country, improve the value of the
land, and give US pleasure to travel
instread of dread.
i But 1 am making this article too
lengthy. Let some cne take hold of
the matter and "push things"
A LOVER OF Coon ROADS.