Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-03-28

stirring themselves in the matter Of the
public roads centering there. Several pc
titions, we believe; have for sometime past
been in circulation for signatures urging
upon Our County Fathers the propriety OF
a-tharough Improvement in.the.. condition
of the roads converging in the neighbQr-
hood Of the proposed station buildings. =
Some of these petitions, already numerous
ly signed, were on Tuesday last presented
to the Board Of Commissioners for their
consideration. The press of other bust
ness matters, however, for which their
meeting on Tuesday was specially called,
so engrossed the attention of the members
of the Board as to preclude, on that day,
any action by them in the premises. Those
of our citizens living near the public road
leading eastward from Salem by Newtown
and Centreville, in the direction of Char
lotte Hall, in St. Mary's county, are seri-
ously interested in the necessity of having
reasonable facilities afforded them, in the
way of good roads, for transporting their
produce to the nearest accessible place OF
shipment. The advantages of Salem, as be-
its central location, are readily apparent to
ing such most available place, by reason OF
all, and the sections of the county to be
most materially benefited embrace the fer
tile and productive lands that are in close
vicinage to Zekiah and Gilbert swamps.
The rich farms, and many of them of large
acreage, that abound in those neighbor-
hoods are cultivated by elasseof thrifty,
successful farmers, whose far remoteness
from places of shipment sadly diminishes
the. revenues which would otherwise &C.
crue from, their well applied industry
They are people, too, who have always
patiently borne and contributed, without
complaint, their share of the county taxa
ton, and while much of that taxation has
been devoted to the development of other
sections of the county as in the construc-
ton of roads, they have had no return, GER
tainly none approximately adequate for
the outlay which they yearly have been re-
CURED to make. They are asking, now
merely just due when they apply to the
Commissioners for improved and good
roads over which to haul their produce to
Salem-the nearest depot to them. They
do not seek any vast outlay of money and
labor, such as is generally requisite in open
ing neso roads, but they petition simply for
such necessary and permanent improve
ment in the already existing roads as will
meet the requirements of their reasonable
wants, % well as of their actual necessities.
These remarks apply, too, with equal force,
to the section which lies westward of Sa-
lem. There, also, our people are anxious
ly agitating the question of roads. From
Pert Tobacco westward, in the direction
of the Hilltop, and northwestward, in the
direction of the principal thoroughfare to
Pomonkey, there is not only general as
sertion, on the part Of the people, that a.
valuable roads to the contemplated Salem
depot would greatly enhance the value, of
their lands and increase the returns of their
labor, but also respectful appeal to the
Commissioners for this fair and favorable
recognition of their rights. To the people
living this side of Salem the road up Mount
Hill presents the first and, we believe,
the chief obstacle to the contamination of
their wishes. Indeed, this steep and dan
gerous, activity, for time, whereof the
memory Of man runneth not to the contra
-ry," has enlarged, IN social as well as
business point Of view, safe intercourse be-
tween our citizens. It is high time the
rights of the people to be relieved from
such perils to their lives and property
should be respected, and, we doubt not
the laudable spirit manifested by the Com
missioners in. their wise efforts in the mat
ter of roads, viii induce them to prompt
action in the matter, as being something
not only seasonable in itself, but complete
ly in accord with county progress. I'm
Outstanding the wishes of the people, as
we claim to do in these particulars, and
approaching in its fullest sense, but with
no manner of exaggeration, the advantage
of depot at Salem, we do nothing other
wise than our duty IN urging these things
upon the attention Of those on whose off
cial obligations devolyes the issue. 1t is
not to build up Salem that we are enlisted,
but it is to do the greatest good to the
greatest number that we are active; it is
not even to accomplish that good in any
spirit of hostility to other localities that
we write in behalf of Salem, but it is in
the sincere fiendliness of our disposition
to mete out simple Justice that we urge, it
in behalfof ourpeople. We would not ac-
cumulate the value of one place by depre-
ciating that of another. That would be to
incur an. expense which common honesty
forbids, and would imply price which
We, under NO circumstances, can imagine
ourselfa willing TO pay. We believe these
views are faithfully reflective Of the opin-
ions of aIl2who are anxious to have depot
successfully established at Salem, and sure
ly entitle them to receive corresponding
consideration from others.
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~ The returns from the election in
Pennsyfxanis for and against local option