The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-04-18
SPRING HILL ITEMS.

| DEAR dERALD:-YOuf correspondent
few weeks ago tried to wake up the
good roads, and suggested that we adapt
the plan, pursued by prosperous, and
enterprising Kentucky friends of the
blue grass regien-but fear very much,
That we are like the Arkansas fidler-
| when 1t rains, can't cover my house,
| and when it don't rain, don't need it. !"
In the summer time, our roads are good
enough: and in the winter time, we can't
repair them, Some say let we'll enough
| alone, our fathers, made fortunes in this
country, and what was good enough for
them, is good enough for US, and much
more OF such b0Sh. All such talk is the
Simon pure b0Sh, and the SiLLieSt and
thi1eeSt of thinkers, only give utterance
to such sentiments, in this age, it is the
privilege and solemn duty of the son to
excel his father-and that he does not
excel, is no fault of the times, in which
he lives, but his own failures, to seize
opportunities, and use them. What is
truth in regard to one man, may be, and
is often, the truth, of an entire commu-
nifty. Maury county may boast, honest
lv boast, of the unsurpassed Handicapped
scenery, exceeding fertility of soil-but
that boast, will never metal a mile of
turnpike, or pull a mtTed ,UGgOa out of a
mud hole, or advance the price of our
lands, ono dollar. / have already said
that in fertility of soil, in variety of ag-
ricultural resources, no land upon which
the sun shines, surpasSes ours. Why
then are our lands only worth from $40
to so dollars per acre, whilst in central
Kentucky, similar lands, are worth from
to hundred dollars per acre. The
answer is, they have good roads built
by the county-and for all the rest, they
go to grass literally go to grass, for their
living and profits. Their two tons of
hay, per acre, is worth more thau our
acre of cotton, and is produced at ore
fourth of the cost. They are too smart,
to ship their hay to market in ordinary
balls. They don't rob "Peter to pay
Paul." but rather enrich their lands,
by feeding their produce on the lands
that grow it, and send the profits to mar
ket in olive weight shape" They are
not afraid of touching the pocket nerve.
They build good roads, and use them,
to drive, live crops, to market. Talk to
a man in this latitude, about spending
money, to build roads, and you touch
his "funny BONE" you unnerve him.
Now, friends, let US try conclusions by
figures, being human, may be mistaken
to draw it, mildly--but figures don't lie
Leither mathematically, nor personally,
we hope, at any rate, it is considered an
axiom, that figures don't lie.
Under our new road law, every male
inhabitant, and every fe1ne-SoLe, owner
OF real or personal property, is assessed
not liable to be assessed, but shall be
assessed, five days work for the male,
living in the district, and the old maids,
widows, .non-residents and orphans, who
own property, shall be assessed one
days work, for every two thousand dol
lars, they may happen to own. This
assessment in Maury County, will pl o.
duce the equivalent of from eight to ten
thousand, road hands, to say nothing
about the wagons, carts, teams and tools,
that the law provides for. Each laborer,
is estimated by the law, as being worth
one dollar per day, and each hand, must
acoTk or pay, for five days. So it viii,
by the JdWtuI estimate, cost Maury
County fifty thousand dollars per year,
to fill up mud holes. This labor tax is
just as much tax on the people, as if
1t was calculated in dollars, and more
ever, 1t IS the most annoying way in the
world, to pay the tax. In ten years, the
dCllars in labor, and at the end of that
period, have still, mud holes to fill,
dd inJi,LitunI.
Now, suppose the county, issues her
bonds for S300000 bearing seven per
cent interest. They will readily COM
mand par value at home, the money
will be expended at home. No money
is lost by the operation, it simply,
changes position from one mans pocket
to another's. This sum will build from
80 to 20 miles, OF good turnpikes, as soon
as built, sell out the roads, and build 90
miles more, and continue to build. and
sell, until the entire system of roads in
the county is turnpiked. All of which
may be accomplished III less than ten
years.
The interest in bonds, on S2I, 900 dol
holes, is $4,000 per annum, profits OF
turnpikes $29, 900 per annum. Ne, the
people, now pay $50, 900 year. We, the
people, can save about $50, 900 year.
Witt, 1Ve the people, do it. If we do save
it, posterity will thankfully pay our in
vestment of $500, 900, tor pOsterity will
be ten times as rich; as it otherwise
would be, and we the people, would en-
Joy during our lite time, the luxury of
good roads, and leave to posterity a
hard road to travel to market, or to
Heaven-''Jordan is a hard road to
travel"
Sincerely, let our people think calmly
of this matter, and act wisely, and
promptly. More railroads and good
turnpikes, are an absolute necessity! /
have endeavored to show what it cost
the county to repair, annually, our
dirt roads, suppose, we add the ware
and tare OF teams, wagons and delay of
time, in getting our produce to market,
and the enormously high freight, we pay
our one Rail Road-and the sum total,
would pay the interest annually, on
several millions of dollars. Our Farm
ers' Club, is for devising ways and
means, to procure more laborers. Build
good roads, gentlemen, and you will
have them without sending an agent
to Amsterdam; moreover, with good
roads, and modern improved machinery,
we can get along quite well, and profita-
bly,, with the labor, we now have. The
old bull-tongue, and wooden mould
board pillow, has left its quilted traces,
all over our land. Aye, and is still
making out, more. When will the peo-
pie awake to their true interest, and
with pluck, energy and enterprise, de-
velope, to its utmost capacity, the fairest
land that ever the Eagle scared over.
MONTGOMERY.