The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-07-01
MORE ABOUT ROADS.
With A Why Is 1t?


WHY Is IT &C--&C.
THORN HILL, Tenn, June 10, 1874.
To the Editor of the MOrristown Gazette:.
Having noticed in your issues OF
June Sd and 18th articles on the
subject of Roads, / am seized with a
species of that fell disease, cacoe-
thes scribendi. on the road question.
My illusions shall be to the south
face of Clinch Mountain on the Turn
pike, leading from Cheek x Roads
to Cumberland Gap, Tenn, and a
turnpike it is! One would be about
as safe with a pike turned point to-
wards him as he would in riding up
or down this mountain. Why is it!
This peculiarly impossible part OF
the road is only about miles in
length, and that is not a great dis
tance. The road in places is ex-
tremely narrow, so that there is very
little room outside the wheels of a
single vehicle, and there are very
few places on Clinch Mountain, both
sides, a distance of q miles, where
vehicles can pass with safety.
Now for the road-bed. OF what
is it composed? l answer; princi-
pally of sand stone that would weigh
from one to twenty pounds, though
there is an occasional diversifcation
in the way of cross laying and pine
brush. The cross-laying is chiefly
of that peculiar species of blackjack
indigenous to the south face of
Clinch Mountain, growing from the
crevises in the large fat sand stone,
and these poles are so crooked that
it would be difficult for the most awk-
ward scribe to produce a letter of
the alphabet that would compare
fdUorably with them, if "ugly'' were
the prize competed for. The pine
brush. or rather the debris of pine
brush, seem to me admirably calcu-
lated to wound either a horse or a
footman, if not very careful. But
are these cross-ties leveled, secured
and their natural contortions filed
between with beaten stone, as they
should be? Gf indeed one of them
should be within q rod of any road).
Certainly not for at any time mum
bers of them may be found lying
across the road at every conceivable
angle. Perhaps, however, they are
so crooked that the law of gravita-
ton forbids them quiescence. / still
ask: Why is it? Is it want of, or
a misapplication of funds, that al
lows this condition? Is it willful
neglect on the part Of the Commits
sioners, or an inability, under the
circumstances, to do better? if the
former. they should remedy the de-
feet; if the latter, the toll gate should
be thrown open, until they shall have
q right to demand toll of the public.
Certainly the largest part of the
work done on the road is performed
by the militia. Every man living
within one half mile of said road.
and subject by law to work any road,
is compelled to work three days in
each year on this turnpike, and pays
toll too. If he travels it at all, and
passes beyond the limit of his own
county. Now if even these militia
men were properly worked, [ am
persuaded that much better condi-
tion of things would be obtained.
But how is it done? The hands meet
the overseer, at sometimes the unu-
sual hour of o'clock in the morn
ing, at some previously designated
point then all hands deposit them
selves as they think best and take
good rest, after so fatiguing walk,
of course asking and an
swering questions relative to the
health and well being of the various
families and friends represented.
After this, all repair with whatever
tools they may have, (the road has
none, and almost every militia-man
takes an axe), to some more than or
bad place on the mountain
and proceed to secure from the scrub
by pine and conterted blackjack,
mentioned, the materials
for constructing or repairing turn
pike road.
One hole leveled enormous work..
All hands are exhausted, and all sit
or recline, (if it be summer), to en-
Joy the luxury produced by some of
the before mentioned outrageous
black-jacks, when and where the
news of the vicinity is discussed.
After this shading there is another
pOli1ag and sanding of the
TURNPIKE then comes another rest,
and so on until about the middle of
The afternoon, when each takes his
several way homeward. Thus, and
.hus precisely, is the work on the
. Beams Station Turnpike exc.
euted. Much could be done, and
effectually done, even with this same
militia. by properly elevating the
'o9d in the centre with stone beaten |
small and secured by |
wooden breaks placed at proper dis
,ances, and in a proper direction,
yiz : nearly square across the road,
instead of at an angle of 45 to go |
leg. with the road' as they are at
present situated, which causes each |
wagon in passing to make four .ex-
,avasions on each side of every |
Freak, thus costing an enormous out
ay of militia muscle and teamster's
'dths. But if the amount of work
lone by the militia is insufficient,
low is it to be accomplished? At
Thorn Hill, one mile from the top of
Jlinch Mountain, is a TOLL GATE,
,ept by that very polite and obliging
$ Clinch-man-ite," Mr.. Lafayette
1athim. who has acted in that ca
,acity only a few weeks. The gate.
loweyer. has been kept in the viein-
ty (nominally. for the benefit Of the
DAD on the mountain, for some 40
n so years.. "But." say the Com
"the gate does not take
!, a e,ffiniannv of monav fo work