Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-11-30
COUNTY RoADs-THR MEANS BE
FORE THE ENDS.

rich and beautiful State, seem to b.
the hearty wish and earnest aim Of al
rejecting citizens. There appears Il
be no difference Of opinion about tn,
ends to be aimed at in order to max,
| Tennessee the foremost State in thu
Union. But it is strikingly true, tina
in all our writing and speaking on thes,
subjects, we overlook the means, ane
think only Of the ends. In Other
words, wo urgently invite immigration
but neglect the means by which alone
we can ever induce mon ofmoney, mus
cleand brains to settle among us ant
help us to build up the waste places
of our county. We talk of manufac
lures and mines, but lose sight o.
those much needed improvements
which are essentially necessary, be.
fore manufactures can be established
or mines opened and successfully
worked. We urge the farmer to buy
improved machinery, to adopt the
most thorough methods of agriculture
and in every way to keep pace with the
worlds constant progress; and al
this is very well, indeed; but there
are few simple means of success and
prosperity about which We remain 81.
lent and Indifferent, when really they
pressingly demand our immediate and
most earnest attention. Among these
we would mention good county roads
For the country roads and by-roads
of Tennessee, VIC regret to say, are a
disgrace to the State. And, what is
far worse, the farmers of this State are
losing yearly large sums of money fol-
the want Of merely good roads, over
which to haul their produce to the
nearest turnpike, railway station, OF
market town.
Let us take single example, and
these are many thousand cases Just az
bad, if not worse. Mr.. Ii. is a good
farmer, prudent man, and careful
manager. His well cultivated farm Of
300 acres is so situated that he lives {
miles from the nearest turnpike, 4
from any grist mill, and 5 miles from
the railway station; the nearest mark.
ct town is about 10 miles distant
ard to none. of these points
not even to the church which
his family attends, is there a decent
passible road for wagon or carriage
lie estimates his loss during last yeaI
alone, on account of bad roads and
difficult transportation for his farm pro.
ducts, at nearly $1,000. Horses and
mules ovcrstrained with hard pulling
wagons, carts and carriages broken, all
for want of good country roads, whose
cost would not equal the money losti in
a single year for lack of them.
Now, we may talk about immigra.
ton all our lives, but this wrotchet
condition of our country roads will
powerfully counterfeit our best effort,
to induce people from abroad to settl,
among US. Indeed, what is still worse
If this evil is allowed to remain, W,
will drive from our midst the most en-
terprising and energetic of our owl
native population, who will reluctant
ly, perhaps, but surely seek homes il
other States, where, in addition I,
toiling to raise their crops, they viii
not be compelled to lose their profit
and ruin their teams trying to get tn,
products of their labor to marke.
Having pointed out the difficulty
we will suggest one way in which i
may be overcome, Our County Court
seem not to be adequate to the task
But it occurs to us, that, if the car,
, and control Of our country roads wer,
thrown back completely upon the citi
zcns Of each district, or such officer
as the legislature might direct then
to elect, the trouble would be great,
remodiod. Each civil district shoult
also be empowered, in some way point
ed out by law, to levy tax for thu
improvement and opening of. neccs
sary roads, and the construction o
bridges That is, let these affairs
which 30 nearly concern the people o
the civil districts, be brought as closol
home to them, as possible. Our bes
farmers, and they are the class mos
to be benefited, do not very froquentl
come up to the county seat And there
fore, if the whole question Of couutr,
roads and bridges, except whore tn
county at large might have au interest
were referred to the people most di
rectly concerned in their being wei
managed, there certainly would b
some Improvement However, Their
may be legal question raised by thi
proposition, which could very easily b
settled by an amendment to our Stat
constitution.
ACCIDENTAL PoIsoNING.--We lear
that on Wednesday morning of las
week, the wife of Mr.. Daniel Waller