The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-27
GhtgntelIi9strtea
The Country ROAGls-NeeeSsIty OF
Local Railroads,

up every spring and fall for discussion in
all the country papers, We can always
count on regular. dissertations during GER
tain months Of the year about the tmpass-
ability oithe roads and the inconvenience
and expense Of hauling over them. 1t lis
an old, old story. And yet We see no hope
Of bringing about any very speedy or rad
ical general improvement Of these country
roads, OF course everybody can see how
they might be improved very materially
il the people Of the various counties were
willing to tax themselves sufficiently to
maCadamize them even in rough way,
But no class Of people shrink from taxes
no instinctively Us the farmers, They
will, US u rule, endure any amount Of in
convenience, and even indirect expense,
rather than vote taxes on themselves for
public improvements.
II would be curious exhibit could n
correct calculation he made az to what
bad roads have cost this particular region
Of country. We specify this region for
two reasons, one Of which is that having
for the most part n limestone soil our
country roads are rather more impossible
in bad weather than those OF other parts
Of the country. Another reason Is that
this region is thickly settled, and a good
deal Of hauling has necessarily to be done
at this season Of the year, and therefore
the amount Of money lost by reason Of bad
roads is necessarily large, This loss, thus
self-inacted, falls upon the country peo-
pie good deal like indirect taxation.
They pay 1t and don't know II, and there
fore make no special complaint about II.
Could II be shown to them by bills Of par
tiCulars that the loss to their respective
counties amounts, Us II does, in few
years 10 thousands Of dollars, II might be
possible to induce regular appropriations
every year for the purpose Of building so
many miles Of turnpike. A system Of
turnpike roads in tue various counties
hereabOuts, on both sides Of the river,
would add immensely to the aggregate
value Of real estate, because it would
facilitate intercourse and cheaper trans
portatiOn. II Ia notorious that traffic
always increases AZ It's facilities arc
increased The explanation Of this is
that the artificial wants Of society always
enlarge just in proportion as people have
the means Of gratifying them. In the
thinly settled and isolated portions Of the
country the people simply exist in rude
and unenviable sort Of way. They work
while II is light and go to bed at night
fall, like animals, careless about the i'm
proycment OF their minds, and with n
sort OF contempt for the graCes and re-
fnemens Of lie. Such people SEQ per-
haps nm average amount Of happiness, but
so far as selt.improvement ia concerned,
or the improvement Of the world al large,
they might Just as we'll never have exist.
ed. It is very poetic to speak about
those who live fat away efrom The mad
ding crowds ignoble Strifc," and who
"along the cool, sequsstered vale Of life"
keep "the noiseless tenor Of their way"
but the practical man knows that the
natural aspirations Ot an educated and
enlightened mind Is for the qualification
of all his capacities, social, intellectual
and moral, and these capacities find their
highest development IN Communities
that enjoy the largest facilities for inter
course One with another.
But laying aside the question Of more
general Improvement in the country
roads Of this immediate region Of country,
where the local condition Of the people is
80 entirely in their own hands, we note
with pleasure the disposition that Is man
itesting Itself in the interior ofthis State
to open up the country to general inter
course with the outside world. The peo-
ple must frat have railroads before they
p.s rs "", L"s. % 80 imnrovod svstsm NJ local
.""a' s",l,ond tbronsh n oountry af.
tS.J. :. .tasd nn,iotIo,l IN whole people
Of the country, and they can build to 1t, or
towards 1t rather, in the shape Of mac
oLnm;,pd lnral ronla. and thliA Improve
uu''isu NUM-. 80 ,V.s ...s,,S,i,,,,., y. r,nidlv n.
,%o1 % .so | A. . a lino of railroad l. n con.
Il,;on mi u s.oSadsnt IN ,nt,cl, Improvement Of
s,,.aig f,ssLcErtoSler r5oul IMPROVE.
mpS,. hst,,raIly follow ,liuA Of a gen.
nsSi chSSSStbEi TbStafote We are glad
10 .ss ths ueople ot suel, counties
=. Tov,6r Pstbout Lewis tJpshur
p.,doint,-..rd. .-,oeaho,ntas, agitatinp
,sa E,,tiS,SS oto,sfrow sos,,o,,7 railroads,
tSwi. tav j cOnSiv bas already voted $4,000
Il. \ tood and ,hp paver. Of Taylor,
Rs,bonr and Randolph Arc strongly ad.
.vnsoane Line tbro,vh ,thws ,ot,nties,
lhvlvaJ tbN9hite