Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-03-21

He can double or treble teams and snap
his fingers at the "bad roads" while the
man of moderate means must load lightly
and lose time performing but half, or one
third, the labor that his more wealthy
neighbor does, which must be deducted
from his profits, while at the same time he
stands more in need of increased interest
on his capital, OF labor, than his wealthy
neighbor. But suppose you tax the pro-
perty of the county to put your public
roads in good condition, SO that you can
pass oyer them at any season of the year
without let or hindrance," on whom does
the 6ustsen Of this tax fall9 Evidently on
the wealth and capital of the county, not
on the poor man, for as he owns but little
property he will pay but little tax, while
the landed proprietor sustains the burthen
Of taxation. And yet the hoi paIloi of the
county, those who have the greatest inter-
est in the construction of good roads are
the most strenuous opponents of taxation
for road purposes, and thus they stand
perversely in their own light.
Here we have (thank God and the Penn
sylvania CentraD railroad running down
through the centre of the county, but at
the very season when it should be most a
valuable to our citizens, man living ten
miles from it is in doubt whether it would
not be better to ''paddle his own canoe" to
Washington than to attempt to reach the
railroad with awagon, and this for want
of proper public spirit that would ap-
propriate few thousand dollars more to-
wards the improvement of the public roads
than is now available.
Permit me to direct the attention of the
people of Charles county to one of the most
mountainous countries in the Southern
States, l mean western Virginia, or the
''so-called" State of West Virginia. 1t is
composed of succession of lofty noun
tain chains from the great Valley to the
Kentucky line. And yet it has the best
roads of any mountain country on the con-
tinent 1t is here that three-tifths of the
expense of building those roads was as
sumed by theState; but those people early
saw and appreciated the advantage of in
tercommunication, and, therefore, spent
immense sums of money in the construc-
ton of turnpikes over those formerly i'm
passable barriers. If my recollection is
not at fault, the cost of those roads was
over tye thousand dollars per mile in the
mountain regions; whilst our people be-
grudge the appropriation of one thousand
dollars to fourth part of the county, to
keep, perhaps, twenty roads approximate
ly passable Indeed, I think the verdict
rendered by Michigan jury, who were
ordered to view road and report its con-
dition to the court, would apply very ap-
propriately to our county roads at the pres
ent time
| 'sThe road is not passable-
Not even jack assable,
| And those who would travel it
| Should turn out and gravel it"
| But to illustrate the advantages which
the people of that rugged country, men
toned, above, possess over our people of
Charles, by reason of the superior condi-
ton of their roads, am confident that a
heavily loaded wagon can be drawn over
a mountain of two miles ascent and des-
cent, and return in the same, or less time,
than the same load could be drawn by the
same team from Port Tobacco to the rail-
road, provided they could ascend Mount
Boswell at all, at this season of the year.
And this is, probably, with the exception
of the aforesaid: hill, the best road In the
county. And yet we have every advan-
tage over that country for road making ex-
cept, perhaps, in the character of the soil
in some sections of the county. The pre-
vailing character of our soil is combina-
ton of sand and clay-an excellent mate
rialFfor holding aoater, it is true, but so is a
cup, unless you turn it upside down, which
demonstrates the principle on which roads
should be made; for if your road-bed is of
proper shape and drainage this very char
acter of the Soils an advantage, because it
becomes very hard and therefore more dur
able, and it's -absorptive properties aids
it's rapid drainage.
What then, it may be inquired, is the
remedy for this great public evil bad
roads3 I reply, appropriate sufficient
funds to put our principal roads in good
and substantial repair. But this consuma-
ton cannot be reached unless you place
the work under the superintendent OF e.
perienced, practical men; men who under
stand their business and will expend your
money where it will do most good"
If YOU want house built. you do not
employ a merchant or clergyman to erect
it. If you want suit prosecuted through
our courts, you do not employ an engineer
to manage it. But if you want good
road, the only convenience by which you
can carry on your life business, do you en-
ploy man whose only knowledge of the
system is to dig ditch and move the con
tents to the middle of the road? Thus far
any hand working on your public roads is
a competent Supervisor. We say again
a Supervisor should have experience, and
an acquaintance with practical engineer.
ing to a certain extent Now mark these
two propositions: the money spent in max
ing good roads is a good investment fol
the people, and will pay large per cent.
labor directed by intelligence and skill
will secure the much desired object-good
roads. We will resume this subject al
some future time. FRIEND.
The Postal Law.
The Washington correspondent of tht