Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-10-09
COMMUNICATED.

WARRENToN AND PLAINS lURNPIKE.-NoW
that the Mddleburg ard Plains Turnpike Is
success and there is a prospect OF the early con
,tructiou of the Leesburg and Aide road, 1t Is
time 10 talk of turnpike from Warrenton to
the Plains, connecting with the through line
from Laesburs and of the subject OF roads
generally.
la an able report, as chairman OF commit
tee of the House OF Commons, an eminent
British statesman once said, Next to the
general irhuence OF the seasons, there Is, per
hans. no circumstance more Interesting TO men
in civilized state than the perfection OF the
means Of interior communication. ana Ger
tainlv there is no public want under which the
people OF Loudoun and Fauquler are suffering,
which SO ercyously effects their comfort and
pros pcrity as good roads and better interior
communication.
We have railroads in both counties, but the
turnpikes were made first and run almost paral
lei with the railroads., which were designed t.
take the place of these channels OF communca-
ton which were very ciul IN their day, bu'
now they run the Wong way. What we want
is a good turnpike across this beautiful portion
of the Piedmont country, and should ike
to see one from Warrenton to the Point OF
Rocks, leading by railroad stations at Leesburg
and the Plains, and atfOrdlDg basis TOR our
common roads to connect with, and good route
Tor o line Of stages.
We cannot have q railroad to every man 8
door, and even il we could it would be more
economical to use a good common rad and
though it is difficult to ovcrestlmate the value
of raj roads, they are very expensive, and neces-
sariy restricted to important lines OF communI-
cation. In every situation, as the great
English Engineer Gillespie, says, 1.-THE greatest
good of the greatest number, and the most uni'
versal benefits with the fewest accompanying
evils, will be most etfectualIy secured by lm-
proving the peoples highways common
roads of the country.
Fauouier is great for cherries and pretty girls,
eminent judges and able lawyers, good stock
and fine riding horses, and one OF her Citizens
like Patrick Henry has enioycd re honor OF
being twice Governor Of NirelHia7 but the
ROADS through it are disgrace to any people,
and travelled men tell me they ale the worst
in the United States Loudoun IS the heaviest
tax paying county in Virginia except .Henrco,
which contains Richmond city. She; has been
the residence Of an ex President and has iur
nshed two United States Senators, to say moth
ing ,of Mercer and other congressman, and
she stands in the front rank (agrlculturally) IN
the Stat; ana yet the roads here are almost as
bad as jh.y are in Fauqnier. | heard Mr.. Clay
say once that lie admired Loudoun very much,
politically, but he thought they had the worst
roads In re he ever saw. These things ought
not 50 to &c and we must" mend our ways.
The advantages Of good roads are so manifest
that they Do not need argument. An enlight
encd SELF interest will induce any people who
will pay any attention to the subject to make
good roads, and the horrid condition ours are
In admits of no defence or excuse. What Is
everybody's business is nObodys but 1t IS time
that somebody should speak out in regard to It.
Owning land IN both counties, L may be allow
ed, most respectfully, to recommend the Lou
doun Road Law to my Fauquier fellow citizens.
Under it we are gradually improving our roads
IN Loudoun, land working them ty tax is the
only system to improve county roads perma-
nenty. But the most pressing want OF Eau
quer county on the road question is, in my
humble Judgment, a turnpike iiom the Plains
to WarrentOn, and a good road leading into it
at Lawrence : Old tavern, connecting with the
Salem grade. The people Of Upper Fauquier
would thus be afforded a good road to court,
and the main ground of complaint IN regard to
the division Of the county, would be removed.
They have cartainly had "a hard road to
travel heretofore, and since the War very few
of the roads in that section have been worked
at all. Warrenton Is live town and the Dig
gest place Tor Its size L ever saw. This road
would add very much to its trade aud pros
perity, and | have no doubt its enterprisng
people would subscribe literally to turnpike,
eOnnectngit with the upper end OF the coun y
When we have a Legislature competent 70
transact legislative business, Col. Mosby will
apply for charter to incorporate the Warren
ton and Plains turnpike. and | trust it will be
speedily constructed Having some experience
on that subiect, et me say there is great d. al
to be said and done, however, before a turn
pike is made. and time may be saved By dis
cusslng routes, obtaining subscriptions, sc. in
advance. Lille is too short to wait for recon-
strucrion under Radical rule. Let US show
"our enemies and all those who hate u.s. that
Virginia cannot be kept down, and that in
spite OF tyranny and oppression, we will go 90
and improve our dear old State and develop
her resources with manly purpose, strength