The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-06-17
A CRITIC CRITICISED.

A NATIVE TENNEssEEAN COMES TO
TIE FRONT AND TELLS WHAT HE
KNOWS ABOUT HIGHWAYS - AND
WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT CAUTIOUS
REMARKS AND QUEEULoUs COM
PLAfNTs.
BEAN 5 STATION, June y, 1874.
To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:
In your Issue of June Sd l notice
letter written over the initials S. F.,
and headed Tennessee Highways"
by a yankee Invalid.
THE letter is confined, in its sever
ity, to the road between Morristown
and Tate's Spring. Indeed the read
er would infer from the letter that
it is the only dirt road in East Ten
nessee that he's come within the prttc-
ticQL observation Of S. 4.
East Tennessee is orUamented with
the most beautiful scenery. Its eli
mate is celebrated 10y the inhabi-
tants, and 10y every visitor seeking
health or pleasure it abounds in
minerals and water power, overhows
with medicinal fountains, and the
fertility Of soil, and the great vari-
ETY. Of products, gives it for every
month in the year particular COM
modify for the market.
With these immense advantages.
the ndttres of East Tennessee have
wondered why it has not become
proportionately pOpulous and
wealthy; and the most intelligent
amongst them have endeavored. from
time to time, to discover the reasons
and disclose them to their fellow-cit
liens. The brains of East Tenncs-
seeans have toiled for years without
result, and it has been reserved for
the genius of q Green Mountain boy
to discover, IL q ride Of ten or eleUen
miles over one or our country roads,
an entirely satisfactory solution OF
the problem. What a sublime ge-
MUS
East Tennessee not only strongly
reminds S. f. of home, hut makes
. him feel that it IS home" Entire
nous Mr.. Editor, how is it that we
have never had an S. f. produced by
East Tennessee, in the course OF
nearly one hundred years? l will
not insist upon an answer, for you
are simply an East Tennesseean).
S. +. has been generous enough
to impart to US a portion of his wis
dom, and in retarn let us give him
the satisfaction OF knowing that his
ideas are properly appreciated.
He says: - will mention but one
or two of the discoveries made dur
ing my stage ride of eleven miles.
And first. the shameful condition of
the highways-roads you have none
and bridgeless streams--only one
bridge in the whole distance"
lie confirms Mr.. Cox: Il too" he
says, have been in several States.
and my observations confirm the
statement of Mr.. Cox, that the high
ways here are in a more wretched
condition than those of any other
section was ever in"
The best method Of disclosing the
folly Of a writer is to bring his con-
tradictions into juXtaposition. |
States, so far as [ am informed, and
bg birth | am backwoodsman." las
if that is 4 reason why he should be
areU infsrmed), commenced a9'mkjng
roads and building bridges, rs soon
as there was township or district
organization. To be sure the first
qCOrE was rude and cheap. A fu1TOao
or tlUO on each side of the road bed.
would furnish materials for slightly
elevating the centre, to turn the wa
ter into the bitches on either side. -
(What magnificent success wonld
). F.--his given name must be Solo
mon-have been as a civil engineer
in conducting the first acor6 on a road
in East Tennessee). " AS the neigh
borhood," he continues, increased
III oceaih, gravel would he carted on
the road, wet places drained, bridges
improved, &c"
East Tennessee presented TO the
view Of the first DISCOVERIES a savage
and solemn SOMEONE, too, of grand.
eur and awe. AS far as the eye
could reach, mountains and hills
started and jutted from the face OF
the earth, and seemed to be interim
nable, and the whole was covered by
an immense and dense forest of trees,
altogether rendering the country
seemingly inpcnelrable to human
beings.
The first acorb' on a road in a conn
try Of this description would be crude
and CHEAP" to be sure! A ''furrow
or two, &c" Psh Can S. +. make
an approximate calculation of the
immense amount Of labor it has re-
quired to open and repair the road
between Morristown and Tate s
Spring? Can he tell us how often
the irresistible force Of the hill and
mountain torrents have washed the
road in places entirely away and
compelled the opening of another
passage at the expense of great la
Dor, in order to surround the place !?
And then will he tell us how much
1Cedlth came within his observation
during his ride of eleven miles?
We pOyerty-stricken East Tennes-
seeans must make our roads good
before we can charge our poverty to
wealth. The people of other States
must become ocedithy before they can
change their roads from the first
tcorE. rude and cheap" to first-class
0 Solomon F., Solomon f
We al complain Of our dirt roads,
and it is right to encourage their i'm
provement, but S. f. has given ex-
preston to a correct idea. Zone who
often contradicts himself cannot
avoid doing so sometimes), when he
intimates, or rather bravely asserts,
that roads improve as the RESULT of
proportionate increase i'll the wealth
Of neighborhood, and take the po-