Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-06-10
For the Register
ShepherdstOwn TurnPikes.

remarks in your columns. Your cores
pendent complains of the high rate of
tolls on the pixies leading to Shepherds
town without regard to distance travel
ed,-the injurious effects of these char
ges upon poor little Shepherdstown,
and lastly the fact that our mode OF re-
dress for these grievances has been
somewhat impeded by the B. d o. Il.
r. policy adopted by these Turnpike
Companies viz, stopping the mouths OF
the redressers Of these grievances-the
County officials-by presenting them
with free passes over the roads, lie
adds very properly that he does not
question the integrity ofthe Magistrates
in thus accepting free passes, but they
made mistake, in other words it was
case of misfeasance in Office and not
malteasance.
So far so good-but your correspon-
dent did not 90 far enough and state
all the grievances which the good peo-
pie in Shepherdstown and vicinity have,
to complain of, especially the merchants
and tradesmen in the town and the far
mers who come to town for buying and
selling 1t is true that one Turnpike
leading into Shepherdstown-thc Hall
town and Shepherdstown pike, is in
juring the town by their indiscrlmlnate
as well as high rates of toll say IN
discriminate for traveller who comes
over the last mile of that road has to
paw as much as if he came all the way
from this side Of the toll gate at Hall
town. A farmer who comes into town
and travels only one mile OF this road
in a two.horse vehicle, with a few
pounds of butter and dozen eggs 10
trade off for groceries, pays 10 cents for
the privilege of selling these articles in
ShepEerdstown, and If he be so untortu-
nate as to be detained all night he pays
Is cents more to get home i'll the morn
ing, that is 80 cents for travelling over
two miles of very poor turnpike, and
when he deducts this tax from the price
he got for his butter and eggs he need
not be much of mathematician to cal
culate whether it will pay him or not to
90 to Shepherdstown or 90 few miles
further to Duifelds. But this road,no
matter what lis charges may be,and the
injury it may intlict upon the town, has
some show of right as they represent
the bona-hde owners of the road who
bought and paid for its construction
But what | wish particularly to call the
public attention 10 is the other road
which has just been started the second
time in the last two years, under pro-
test,l mean the old Smithh4ld and Shep-
herdstown Turnpike, and it Was about
this road under its new management,
that this article is written.
When the war begun and ever since
to the present time this road was aban-
doned by the righ1h owners and Civ
en- up to the public. 1t never was a
paying road and those parties who
owned the largest amount OF stock in
said road will, and are now, perfectly
willing to give it up to the County, on
ly requiring the County to keep it i'll
the same order that other roads in the
County are kept under the county levy
for public roads This would be very
easy to do, as though the road is very
poor Turnpike, yet with no more labor
than is required on other roads,it could
be made very good County road. In
the last two years attempts have been
made by interested parties to take pos
session of this road and establish toll
gates. As most of the scrip Of this road
was lost or destroyed during the war it
was difficult to decide who could be
considered the owners, or rather who
represented the majority of the stock
holders. This question was finally set
tied in a very novel way. Those anx-
ious to establish this new tax upon the
community, for reasons best known to
themselves, met together and organized
themselves into a company, the simple
statement of each being taken as to how
much stock he represented either indi-
vdually or by proxy, and in some cases
parties who wanted finger in the pie
buying a share or two tor few cents
from some supposed owner. Those who
were opposed to this movement and In
one case q party who owned large
share of the stock not only Individually
but by proxy which could be shown 10y
the papers in his possession, say this
person who was opposed to this sad
ding an unnecessary tax upon the COM
munity 10y parties who composed this
self constituted board of directors) and
though owning large share of the
stock himself, was perfectly willing for
the county and especially his own neigh
bors to have the benefit of it. This per
son was carefully excluded from the
meeting of the board and was not even
allowed 10 see the books This so-called
board of directors after making all their
arrangements petitioned the County
Court for permission to erect gates on
this road, which request the Court not
Knowing all the facts in the case Iisup-
pose granted, but shortly after rescind-
ed The same order, on protest being
made by those who represented aiarge
share of the old stock in the company,
and who wished the community to have
the free use of the road. In the last few
weeks the toll-gates have been started
again by order of the County Court, III
spite of petitions from citizens OF this
end of the county, and remonstrances
from those owning Ibeleive the largest
share of bona fide stock ;.and nowthe
good people of Shepherdstown only
want one more set of toll gates put up,