Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-01-17
The Road Question:.

Com missioners the petition recent
ly circulated for signatures regard
ing the toll road hence to Dayton
will be prosecuted by IN attorney
for the parties most interested. As
was remarked in these columns be-
fore, we have no desire for discus
sion in the matter further than to
lay such arguments before the peo-
pie as will enable them to judge
fairly of the right and wrong Of it
Many signed the petition for free
road who now regret that they did
80. They were unacquainted with
the facts at the time, and rather
than incur the ennui OF a debate
with the person soliciting names
jOtted down theirs under the i'm
pulse of desire to escape impor-
tunity. This is the case in the
signing Of all petitions whatsoever,
and we know that in the present
instance it was especially SO.
When the road in question was
owned by private parties and toll
was collected from travellers, there
was q general complaint of its poor
condition for the passage Of heavy
or light teams. and when finally
the charter under which it was
held ran out the Commissioners
were besought by the people to
take the road as county property
and conduct it as such. Since
they did so it is generally agreed
that the road has been in better
condition than it ever was before
that. in fact, it has been in as good
condition as possible under the cir
cumsts noes, considering that it is
neither practicable nor does the
travel warrant the necessary outlay
to wet it down in the dry mouths.
When the road was in private hands
it was found necessary to keep two
men employed on it to collect tolls
and keep it in such repair as it was
kept in. Now the county has three
men, one Of whoM has been a
county charge for long time here
tofore. and whose salary really
amounts to but about twenty five
dollars month. So that the add.
ii NAL expense attending the cou-
duct of the road under county
management over that OF tue phi
vAte management spoken OF 10 a
mere bagatelie, and Is, we should
say, fully compensated IN the better
facilitie, Afforded for travel Like
wise this showing diSposes etfectp-
ally OF the assertion. made rather
reckiessly. we imagine, that eX.
trsvagsnce and NAL administration
hsve attended the COMMISSIONERS
supervision of the property. At
any rate, with respect to tbis
charge, we would invite the next
Grand jury. to sit on the 9th
proximo aud already drawn. to
make such thorough investigation
AS will amply satisfy taxpaye rs.
The occasion seems to call for it.
The proposition of the free road
people to accept bond from Yer.
ington d Co. to keep the road in
good repair if it be made free real
ly amounted to nothing, as there is
no law making the violation OF such
contract criminal. The county
would have no redress in case of u
serious washout or other accident
involving large cost in its remedy
II the contractors, or Yerington Il
Co.. refused to accept the conlrac,
as longer binding. Another point
is that those who live in the lower
portion of the county aud consider
themselves too heavily assessed in
coming up to Virginia can travel
the free road, which some say, in
their argument against the toll, is
quite as good as toe latter. thus iu.
volving themselves in bit Of dam
aging sophistry. M
The chief reason, rs It appears to
us, why the majority of taxpayers
should oppose this free road scheme
lies in tho fact that three fourths of
the toll now paid comes from che V.
& T. r. II. Co. ultimately, but more
directly from Yerington & Co. The
teamsters who haul wood pay not n
cent Of it. If the toll were removed
the price Of hauling would come