Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-10-30

| OF bright gems too priceless to be bought
Gems that yet may glisten in crown.
Our lives are but dreamings at the best, ya
And the dark days of shadow cometh on,
That some, like the Islands of the blest.
Are as fair as the summers golden dawn.
But twilight silver lines the clouds of sorrow,
4 Ere the day has faded sadly into night,
Lending gladder prospects for the morrow,
Throwing DER the stormy sea track of light.
| S',ii''i''sS til- For the sPKcrAfoR. y
Mr.. Editor SO many of our people
are interested in the proper keeping in
repair the turnpike from the Warm
Springs to Harrisonburg, and the Staun-
ton and Parkersburg Turnpike, that
our attention has been forcibly called to
communication we have found in a
late number of the Rockingham Com
| naoaaaOealth, which we send you, and
greatly desire you will publish as much
of it as relates to both Of these roads
This traveller do not doubt, has quo
ted the charter correctly of the III. & w.
S. Turnpike Co., and we the people of
Bath do know that ever since the war,
we have been shamefully imposed on in
paying toll on the road that much of the
time has been No better than our coun-
ty roads. We have felt that the direc-
tors have neglected US, whilst they have
taken good care of themselves. We in
Highland have to use much of this road
and regard it an imposition, as has too
often been the case with the Parkers-
burg road. We believe the Fl. & w. s.
Turnpike ought to be turned over to the
counties, and the Superintendent of the
Parkersburg road held up rigidly to
konnincp ho n II,
BATH AND HIGHLAND.
Correspondence of the Commonwealth
SwOoPE's DEPOT, Oct. Is, 1877.
Mr.. Editor The traveller leaving
your town on the Harrisonburg and
Warm Spring Turnpike, will feel an in
terest in knowing something of its his
tory. The act passed 18th of January,
1880, for its construction ''from the east
ern side of the Warm Spring Mountain
to Harrisonburg." Some twenty-odd
miles Of it are in Bath; thirty.odd in
Augusta, and a fraction over ten in your
county. The act recites ''that said road
in every part shall be sirty feet wide
at least, eighteen feet of which shall be
covered with gravel or stone where nee
essary, and at all times kept firm and
smooth free from all mud holes, and
other ebstructions, and in all respects
fitted for the use of heavy laden wagons,
on each side so to be made and preserved,
they shall clear out summer road eigh-
teen feet wide" The company is per-
mitted further on in the act to dispense
with the summer road if they deem it
expedient, and that the winter road
shall be improved at least % feet wide,
place less than IS feet auide," &c. This
is the pith and substance of the act, and
is quoted here to show the public how
very far short the road is and has been
of being kept up in conformity with the
act for very many years, but especially.
since the war. Even that very much
favored part of it, from the eastern cross
ing of lifelong Glade TO your town, has
not been at any time, and is not now, in
conformity with the above recited act,
as eighteen feet are required to be kept
as specified. But with the majority of
the directors at the eastern end of the
road, as has always been the case, with
that innate selfishness that belongs to
human nature, it is not strange they
have expended the revenues of the road
in taking care of themselves. Is it at
all strange that the public west of the
village of Bridgewater, regard them
selves not only neglected by the directo-
ry, but greatly imposed on in having to
pay toll on a road not only not in con-
formity with the charter, but far below
the common roads of the country. which
are generally in wretched condition.
Notably is this the case from the western
crossing of the Glade to Stribling
Spring, and when citizen on this Sec
tion some time since complained to one
of the directors that he thought it q great
hof hn III i~hh
should pay toll at Parnassus, and that he
would resort to the legal steps to open the
gate. "Oh no, my dear sir, said he in his
bland, plausible, musical way of talk
ing, ..just wait year or two until we
have paid for the bridge, for if you open
the gate at Parnassus, you will open all
the gates to the Warm Spring Noun
tain." So this long suffering people
have, year after year, paid an iniqui-
tous toll, on road not as good as COM
mon road, and instead of being every
Uhere 18 feet wide, is not wide enough
| for more than one track, in numerous
places, in a single mile. The counties
should take the proper steps to turn the
road over to each, to be cared for as the
common roads. nj sis .ii 1au. 5I,mo
To show how insult is sometimes
added to injury by those authorized
to collect toll, some years since q
drover at the Buckhorn gate reported
to the Madam he had 80 many cattle,
and paid for them. She doubted his
veracity, mounted her horse and pur-
sued him to Parnassus, sought a magis-
trate and sued out a warrant, had him
pursued by the constable, when on a
count of his drove he was found to have
reported correctly, when the magistrate
gave the drover the benefit of a judg-
ment against the Amazon for ten dol
ldrs-much to the qualification of every
one. +. ys,..... '..s -.
These reflections have found express
sion from a late ride from your town
over large portion of the road. As we
ascended the northern slope of the
mountain on the Petersburg turnpike,
through Buffalo Gap, we could not but
bluff old soldier of the Great Napoleon
the late Col. Peter Crozet, for this ad.
mirably graded road. If Virginia evel
emerges from the load of debt that now
crushes the energies of her people anG
make them unmindful not only of the
obligations they are under to the skill o.
Crozet and others of her talented engi-
neers, but disposed to repudiate it under
| the specious name of forcible ad
ljustment, L hope she she will place by
the eastern entrance of the Blue Ridge
tunnel monument to Col. Crozet, sim
liar to that near the Relay House, Md.
to the memory Of the projectors of tina
great road, the Baltimore & Ohio.
tits well here to draw public atten
ton to the shameful neglect of this par
of the Parkersburg turnpike, where sew
eral carts ought to be used on both side
of the North Mountain before winter set
in. in filling up the road, and in making
embellishments across it to turn the waite
off, now running for hundreds of yard
in the middle, hollowing it out, an,
leaving the rocks exposed. The super
intendent of this read is literally pal,
for his services, and should be held to
rigid accountability. ... .f.f.,...---.
"Give me liberty or give me breath,
J is what Windsor girl remarked to he
II low &C., -