The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-04-17
Travel on the Turnpike.


| l always sympathized) with tbs
"under dog in the fight. especially
if he was imposed upon. I am also
opposed to rings aud monOpolies,
more especially if the monopoly is
carried or under the guise of law.
aud imposed by dishonest persons
who are really under the most sell
emn obligations to deal JUSTLY T
1 have travelled by carriage and on
foot over a so-ealled turnpike-whieh
is really no turnpike at all-betWeen
Morristown. Tennessee, and Lendon
Kentucky. I would never have
dreamed that the very poor apology
of road was deemed a turnpike,
had 1 not come to. place where a
pole was stretched across the road
and tell demanded. In some places
my buggy went tumbling down de-
cline of rocks. as if going over a set
OF stairs; at other times, the wheels
sank down in the mud nearly to the
hubs. locked in vain for evidences
Of the outlay of one cent on this
horrid road, so far as Kentucky was
concerned. When / came into Ten.
nessee / discovered evidence that a
single laborer had been at work with
shovel and had done half-possi-
bly, whole--day's work on the road.
On passing over the road three times,
at intervals Of months, this enc in.
stance was the only token that any
work had been done to the turnpike.
for driving horse over which toll is
demanded and enforced, by moral.
if not legal, suasion. / say, en-
forced by moral suasion, for ! do not
believe that one cent of toll could
be collected of travellers, should they
refuse to pay toll but they prefer
to pay rather than contend in court
of law. -.s 80
| hear much complaint against this
extortion-for such I consider it to
be-aad only wonder that a patient
public bear up under the intolerable
burthen. 8lg. i.-f at9aa @ Es
If have indentured to me an ap-
prentice, there are conditions an
nexed which I am bound to perform
towards the indentured as we'll as
he to me. So of turnpike COM
pany. 1t is under obligations to put
the road in passable condition,
and if it it is rot kept in tolerable
order the traveller is not under obli-
cations to pay toll, Indeed, if it is
in a horrid condition, he may re fuse
to pay toll, and if the pole or gate
is shut against him. he may take an
AK and chop down the gate-post,
level the gate to the ground. clear
away the rubbish and pass on.
believe If any aggrieved person
should do SO at the gate on Clinch
mountain. and especially at Fiat
Lick, in Kentucky, that the direct
ors, or "spongcrs," who are said to
absorb most of the funds collected
by the toll keepers, would not dare
to prosecute the aggrieved traveller
aforesaid.
1t is said that there is no great
loss except there is some small gain.
And when pay toll at ClincL noun
tain. reflect that part of it goes
into the pocket of. and helps sup
port that sublime statesman. Sam
uel Lane. Aud there is some satis-
faction in that. T- - ,,fse I'D
know not who are the directors,
or perhaps 1 should say, mahipula-
tors of this g turnpike" road, on
which scarcely eart.load of dir. has
been turned by aye road-makers"
for many years. presume that
that they are accounted hoAorable
men. yet | cannot look upon them
as such. Aud as / sympath;ze with
those who have to travel owe. ule |
road as have had to. my compass
sion reaches out TO them, a.d [
would fain wake up the public to
make such lawful and Just demands
upon those having the road Csse.isi-
bly, under their charge as 10 compel
them to do iovelnntarily what it is
their duty TO do, viz: ITO put the
road into decent condition.
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