Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-05-21
IHE WEEKLY HERALD
TUESDAY, NAY II, 1870.
WORKING THE ROADS NV GOV.
TRACT

WORKING THE ROADS BW COZ.
TRACT.
We commend 10 our people and
the Board Of Supervisors, the fol.
lowing on the above subject, taken
from the Canton Mail of May l4th.
The almost constant, horrible
condition of our county roads, has
been a nuisance and O draw back
to the settlement of the county. Ii
isS marvel how farmers living of
from railroads and water naviga-
ton, have ever succeeded in bring
ing their crops to market over such
roads as ours.
And not only horrible roads, but
horrible bridges unfit, unsafe and
d~isgraceful. II our roads and
bridges were In good order, heavy
bills graded, the road way hard
and firm, and break neck holes
done away with, why then II
would be no great hardship to live
a few miles from town and haul
produce to market. As 1t is, 1t re.
quires q whole day for farmers liv.
ing fifteen or twenty miles from
the city, to reach here with a load,
and the best part of another to re.
turn. This involves q heavy ex-
penditure Of time, labor and
money. 1t seems to us that
there Is only one sure way
to have proper roads, and that way
iS 10 have them divided into Sec
tons and made and kept III repair
by contract, aud giving the con-
tractors the labor Of those neglect.
ing or refusing to pay a poll tax
when assessed, at so much per day
until such tax is worked out. By
this plan we should have good
roads, and our county would settle
faster and make more money, and
We would all grow richer, wiser,
and better.
And so now read the article from
the Mail
There is o move on foot 10 make
an alteration In the plan heretofore
pursued Of working the public
roads II is found, under the new
condition Of affairs, the plan by
which the roads were worked and
kept In excellent order, before the
war, will not do now ct all. Either
such force as can be brought cut by
the road overseers is not sufficient.
or else the labor bestowed upon
the highways is ineffective In con.
sequence Of decentralization. II Is
more probable that these causes
combined operate to the disadvan.
tage ofthe road work.
But whatever DO the cause, under
the present system we have very
bad roadp, except when Dame Ma.
ture herself puts them In order
There are times when It is impos.
sible for citizens of some portions
of the county to get to the county
seat at all. And sometimes
months pass, during the winter,
when our country people consider
Jordan such q hard road to trave
that they undertake sending their
wagons TO town only In cases 0.
most pressing necessity. But II is
useless to say much as regards thu
condition ofthe roads. Everybody
knows they are dreadful, dreadful
and II any new arrangement can b
devised by which they may be bet
ter attended, let It be done. Every
man will vote amen 10 that.
Well, the plan proposed Is, t
have the roads worked by contract
The Board Of Supervisors to lie
out contracts for working the va
FiOus portions Of the road In tn
county, at stipulated prices, o.
make propositions for the loves
bidders.
Il Is unnecessary to treat thi
subject at length. We merely de
sire 10 let Il be well known AM
discussed. We have heard q mum
Der of the citizens Ofthe county ex
press themselves, and we have ye
TO hear the first dissenting voice
There will doubtless be a petition
sent 10 the Legislature in regar
to the matter.