Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-11-29
Our County Roads.

Mr. Editor When Mr. Jno. P. c. Peter
was President Of the Montgomery County Ag-
ricultural society he appointed committees to
report upon various subjects of farm interest,
Among others he appointed committee on
county roads, VI which the now venerable Ed &.
| Stabler was chairman. The report upon coun-
ty roads went very fully into the subject, treat
| ing of their use and necessity and how they
ought to be laid out constructed and kept in
repair, and also the law. obligation ard re-
sp9nsibili,y of the county 10 the premises. OF
course drainage and graduation demanded con-
| siderable space in the report. 1t as plain to
see That he construction and repair of all
| the roads of the county as recommended 10
| the report would entail upon the taxpayers a
| very heavy expense-more, II was thought,
| than the population and wealth Of the county
| would jusiify-and the committee added q
word OF caution TO the the effect that where
short hauls, where the round trip could be
made fu a single day or less TO place the farm
er's produce in market or on the canal or rail-
road, that until the wealth and population of
the county should considerably increase a less
perfect condition of county roads at the pub
lie expense would have 10 be endured but
where farmers were so situated as to have to
occupy Two days or more in hauling their
produce to market with the additional expense
of toll and team bill, as upon the roads lead
ing through the county to Georgetown and
Washington, a larger expenditure and more
perfect road was demanded aud justified
This report met the unanimous approval and
high commentator Of the people and press Of
the county. Your predecessor the Rockville
Journal, declaring its willingness to give up
its almost every column to such reports
This report is alluded to more 10 show the
consistency of the articles upon the subject,
which have occasionally appeared In your col
umns the past summer over the initials below.
and TO show how long and how deeply rooted
is the connection of soundness and correctness
of the views there stated.
portion of the county, that in the neigh
borhood of Brookeville and Sandy Spring,
finding the county road leading from those
neighborhoods TO Washington frequently i'm
passihle; and having no railroad or canal
within easy distance, or by short hauls to aid
them in getting their produce to market, de-
termined to unite and make an effort to make
better road than the county had or were
likely shortly to give them. Accordingly the
Brookeville and Washington, Ashton, Nor
wood and Sandy Spring turnpikes were built
at cost of from So. 1000 to $4,000 per mile,
and the county entirely and forever relieved of
all further cost or tax for attentions, improve
ments or repair on account Of either one Of
those roads. These roads at an annual ex-
pense of from 500 to 5000 per mile are kept
in repair and good repair, solely by those
who use them ana travel over them-the most
just and equitable way in which public road
can be kept up. Thus no one is called upon
or taxed for what they do not by the advan-
tage of its use get an adequate return. The
farmer and market man for the small toll he
pays has road over which at all times and in
all seasons he can in less time haul double the
amount aud weight he could formerly carry on
the old county roads, which had got to be in
such bad condition under county manage
ment rs TO justify the remark when speaking
oil it by that excellent citizen and representa-
tive, the late Enoch B Hutton, "that the bot
tom of the road to Washington had fallen
out"
Now, having been one of those who united
to build these turnpikes and thus forever TO
relieve the rest of the county from any further
tax or cost on account of the forty miles of
county road which they occupy, am not JUS
tilted in pointing out the injustice OF being
called upon by heavy taxation to make so
many little neighoorhood crossroads for many
living almost in sight of the smoke Of Metro
poltaD locomotives and who, from proximity
to that important thoroughiare, can go well
afford, in the language of the report first al
luded to, to endure less perfect condition of
county roads until an increase Of wealth
ana population warranted the county in un-
dertaking so heavy an outlay. But would il
not be much better for those neighborhoods
that want them and receive the benefit to
unite, as did Mr.. Walter Talbot and his neigh
bors to improve the road from Redland out 10
the old Frederick road or even as these turn
pike companies have done2 | know Of no por-
ton of the county that could so well afford it,
or that would be so much benefited by such
or whose example would DO of such general
| influence in Improvement, as the beautiful and
highly favored section between Poolesvile and
GAINESVILLE. A. B. D..