The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-02-18
PIXIES.

Tie pike question is one OF Interest to
every citizen of Hancock county, from
the fact, that every one must travel the
roads more or less, and, that they need
10 do, at seasons 0: the year when the
dirt roads are in bad condition. In the
latter part OF spring, summer, and early
part Of autumn, farmers, especially, are
much employed in farm work. And, if
they have much hauling to do, they must
either have large force of teams and
hands, or else let work go On the farm
which ought to be done, or, otherwise,
tax themselves and teams with heavy
per cent. of increase in labor.
Farming communities are strongly
committed to money making, and this
is eommendable, if il be not earned at a
too great expenditure of human and
brute force. No man should press the
labor of whole year into six or nine
months, even if he may enjoy exemption
from toll the remainder of the time.
Labor should be so distributed as to
furnish employment for the whole year,
without over-taxation of man or beast;
and the condition of the roads have
much to do with the equalizing of work.
There is at least thirty three per cent.
of the time that the common roads are
unfit for heavy hauling, or even for
travelling with light vehicles. Good
macadamized roads would save much
valuable time and a good deal of wear
and tear of teams, by furnishing a solid,
even track at all seasons of the year.
| will venture to say that the time lost by
the farming community alone, say moth
ing about the Inconvenience of bad
roads, for three years, would go far to-
wards the construction of good pixies
throughout the county. Then there is
a solid pleasure in travelling over good
roads in the wet and muddy seasons of
the year.
There is another consideration / will
mention, which should not be over
looked, and that is, good pixies would
bring the people i'll all parts of the
county within few hours driving of the
county seat, at all seasons of the year;
aud further, they could haul good loads
when other roads would be impossible
Some, perhaps, OF the farmers may
say, ''we do not care for Findlay; if she
wants pixies, let her build them" Now,
| am not a citizen of Findlay, but will
say that the interests of every farmer in
Hancock county is indissolubly con-
nected with the county seat. 1t is the
general place of trade and market.
Many of the farmers must here find sale
for their grain, hay, wood, cattle, hogs,
sheep, &C., Sc. and buy, at least part,
of the goods Of various kinds consumed
by their families. And further, the
taxes must be paid here, and matters of
law must be largely attended to at this
place. Aud it is absolutely certain that
Findiay is part of this county, just as
llC COuhSy ,
and a zeal for building up and patron
izing home institutions, should at once
surmount every obstacle of local char
acter, and every citizen should say,
''good, permanent roads we must and
will have"
Then, again, good substantial pixies
would add a fair per cent. of value to
real estate, which of itself, would be a
compensating interest on the cost of
construction. And further, the money
expended in constructing them would
be mainly put into circulation within
the county; especially would this be the
case If the county furnished the con-
tractors and hands, teams, sc.
Yours, for good roads,