Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-31
BE Up aad Doing.

The plot thIckens. But in the scram-
BILE of the different candidates for OF. !
fee, let US not forget the needs Of
Vicksburg In the line OF public i'm. !,
provements. The Deer Greek railroad
Is the first great want. Though the
election promises 10 be favorable 10 the
enterprise, let no friends Of Il, on that
account, fail 10 labor for II. Follow
ing the success of this road should
come other improvements. There is
nothing TO be gained by inaction. We
want an uprising OF the people. A few
years ago we had a Taxpayers League
which broke up the rings and scattered
the public thieves who had well nigh
bankrupted tue city. Later, q sweep.
ing change was made in the political
arena, and the skies were cleared OF
q dark cloud which had for years how
cred over the city, This shows what
Vicksburg can do when she awakes to
danger. We now need another upris-
ing Of the people, for the danger Of In.
action needs 10 be battled with. Give
US en- uprising for public improve.
ments. Growing cities get along that
way. Besides the Deer Greek road we
want the Ship Island road. Then we
want some OF our dirt roads repaired 80
they can be travelled without danger.
A couple OF bridges over Big Black are
much needed. Two years ago
the citizens held meetings on
these questions, and the Chamber Of
Commerce sent out a Committee Of
of inquiry. This committee went over
the B4ldwin's ferry road into Kinds
county aud returned by the Halls fer
ry road. They found the sentiment
almost unanimous for good roads, but
the ferrymen and their friends brave
" cried down the scheme to bridge
Big Black, seeing that good bridges
would deprive them Of a princely in
come. The Board Of Aldermen was
~petitioned to bridge Reagan's lake,
throw up an embAnkment between that
lake aud the river, and n west OF
8 ReagAn's island on the Baldwin's ferry
road, and to build a bridge and throw
up an embankment on the Halls ferry
road. The petition was granted, plant
a and estimates made and adopted, and
\ the work advertised to be let. The re-
! suit was a good bridge over Reagan'l
I lake, but for some cause or other, the
rest OF the work was dropped, aud the
Supervisors have taken no action in
the matter since. Would it not be
. we'll to move 10 this matter. We have
already built up Edwards depot by ouI
q system of keeping the highways OBJ.
structed. The people Of Kinds and
Claiborne counties who would trade
a here are mainly farmers. When the
weather is good and the ground 10 or
der, they desire to remain at home aud
q attend 10 their crops. In rainy wealth
err the soil becomes too heavy 10 work,
and then il becomes economy for them
to Journey 10 the business centers, tax
d ing their farm products 10 sell, and re
turning with necessary purchases. But
generally at these times the roads lead
ing V~icksburg are impossible anC
the majority seek other markets
Sometimes It is high water In BIZ
70 Black sometimes II is a ferryboa
Il laid up being caulked, and sometime
n. it is the steep and slippery a%pproache
10 these boats, where wagons are fre
= auently smashed, aud occasionall
,e when a planter thinks OF going to mar
ket, he makes an item OF the amount /
ID be paid for ferriage. On the Wick
"a burg roads are many steep grade
ID with disgusting and u%npardonabl
ID mud holes intervening, and If a plantC
y. could pull over intervening points b
~ would be sure TO stick In at some {
N these places. OF all things, they al
his dread, and they combine in drivin
lie him 10 other markets. Now, as an e.
n. pertinent, let Vicksburg take steps an
no put one OF her roads leading 10 Hind
ms county In good condition, by making
M few "cuts" and "alls" "Where they wi
he do the most good" including q 10
To embankment this side Of Big BlacI
he and a bridge over that stream. $2O,O(
"a. will do the whole thing, and Hind
Of county would, in all probability, bet
,ly q portion of the expenses. When Il
nw success Of this undertaking will haV
m become manifest, as surely II will, tn
Re-. II would be easy and natural to In
prove at other points. OF course Il
hold-backs and do-nolhings will Of
~ ject, but they have had their say loT
enough, and their policy will not wi
II is time TO be up and doing, and {
election day we must lay the inactiv
, "S and obstructionists on the shelf.
ANa