Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-07-13
spirit Of geferson
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
tFOr the Spirit of Jefferson.

I2turday evening the. 10thsinst, in reference
to the Kabletown, Bloomery and Charlestown
Turnpike, Messrs. Hunter, Travers and my
self were requested to furnish the papers of
the town a synopsis of, tho remarks respec-
lively submitted by us on that occasion.
read paper to the meeting, which herewith
furnish, which embodes the substance of my
views as to the necessities, and the true policy
of the county as to her roads. may here
after sustain the views here embodied in a
more elaborate communication, but for the
present submit them to the careful consider.
alton of those interested
Jefferson already has about forty>five miles
of macsdamzed turnpike We need but
Twenty-Five miles more to complete a network
of good roads. which will relieve the county,
to great extent, of road tax. and leave
scarcely farm West of the Shenandoah more
than two miles from macadamized road
The lines now to be completed are from Shep-
herdstown to Halftown, eight miles; from Ka-
bletown to point on the Harper's Ferry and
Smithfeld pike, say at or near VIM. Schaef-
fer's. six miles ); a branch from this road when
completed. from Bloomery Mills to Charles
town, three miles; road from Charlestown
to intersect the Shepherdstown and Smith
field pike at or near Kearneysvile, six miles,
in all, as above estimated, about twenty-five
miles. The distance from Charlestown to
Shepherdstown by the present dirt road by
Flowing Spring is eteven miles by making
the road from I1alltown to Shepherdstown,
the distance from Charlestown to Shepherds
town. via Halltown will be, over a macadam-
lied road. t,oel0e miles, of which four are al
= ready completed. The distance from Har-
per's Ferry to Shepherdstown by the ordinary
dirt road now travelled is ten miles, by CON
structing the proposed road from Halltown
the distance from Harper's Ferry to Shep-
herdstown via Hnlltnwn, over macadamized
rod. will be t'cetVe miles only, of which four
:, are already made. 1t is apparent, therefore,
1that the road from Halltown to Shepherds
town is main artery in the travel of the
county, which when finished, will com ete a
connection between Shepherdstown aud the
two other principal towns in the county. by
macadamized routes, but little longer than the
dirt roads now travelled, which, for practicable
purposes, arc for several mouths in the year,
well nigh impossible
The road from Kabetown to Schaeffer's,
and the branch from IsIer's to Charlestown,
will connect tho former village with all the
important towns, and markets in the county
by good macadsmized roads while the road
FROM CharlestOwn to kearncsville will give
all the rich country Intervening between Lee
town and Charlest"wn, and Kearneysvlle and
CharlestOwn outlet to market over n good
road. Dufield's Depot will be in striking
distance of two turnpkcs. and the farms
west Of the Shenandoah. furthest from pike
will be within two miles aud half of Dufields
and within two miles Of two macadamizcd
roads.
The cost of building the roads proposed, at
.I,a, ,s.F's ala l.,
Estimating the enhancement in the value
Of land lying on these proposed roads, and
running back one mile from them on either
side, AT jT0c dollars per acre, and the enhance
Inent in the value OF lands lying within ftro
miles Of these roads, at three dollars per acre,
and we have the total enhancement in the
value Of the farms in the county, lying near
thcse roads. S22J $50, or more than .tGur-
j1H tie cast q JaHIi"y lie roads. This es-
timate of enhanced value is evidently below
ihe mark The laud sales in this county aud
Clarke, during the last TWO years. would in
dictate that lands lying upon a turnpike are
enhanced i'll value nearer ten than fire dollars
per acre by such contiguity. lam not aware
OF any sale Of farm off Of turnpike in either
county for more than 800 per acre whereas
the farIn OF Mr.. Pendeton, on the Charles
town and Berryville pike, sold for Sis, and
that of Il. NJ English deceased lying on the
Harpe-a Ferry aud Smithfeld pike. brought
sIIO per acre. The farm of Mr.. Rouss
brought $500 per acre, in anticipation only
OF the complexion Of the proposed kabletown
pike | aln informed by the active agent of
the purchaser that the inducing cause of the
purchase at that price. was the confident
pectatioH that this proposed road would be
made. | am informed also, by member of
ihe new firm for the manufacture of paper at
Il h. . Il.
inducing causes which operated in the seiec-
ton of Ialtnwn for the location of this val
liable establishment, was the fact that these
turnpikes would be completed
The yearly road tax Of the county is about
$4,000. 1t will be seen, therefore, that the
road tax alone for the next eight years would
amount to a sum sufficient to make all these
roads Once completed and the road tax
will be entirely insignificant, every farm
will be convenient to one of these main thU>
roughtares.
Assuming the value of the real estate in
the county to be S7.O00.000. which is believed
to be underestimate, tax of 81 per acre
on all lands contiguous to these roads, and
entered back one mile on either side. added
to a tax of 40 cts. to the 500 on the value
of the whole READ estate in the county, would
realize a sum sufficient to com Dete these
roads. If such tax OF 81 per acre on con-
tiguous lands were levied the first year the
result would be SIS. l60: and if the bonds
of the county were given for the remainder
viz S26S40, an annual tax on all the real
estate in the county of only six cents in the
500 would pay the interest and extinguish
the principal of these bonds in ten years the
tolls accruing from these roads would keep
them in order, and, as before stated, after
their completion the county would be almost !
entirely relieved from the Road-tax, which !
,o,g anpr,lIr DaarIr n otS -, bo