National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-08-19
A HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL.
A Reporters Adventures Out Sew
enth Street.
The Pleasures of Drive Over n Suburban
Roadway-A Wrecked Buggy Left in n
Mud-Puddle-some Facts About
the Thoroughfarc Commend
ed to tho Attention OF
the Authorities, SC.


THE REPUBLICAN tried IL yesterday and can
speak from experience. While wandering
about kinder aimlessly like" in the northern
section of the city, aud being Of an observaut
nature, he could not but notice the mud.
despatched aud care.worn look of the coun-
try wagons coming down tho Seventh
street road. After having watched several
of them slowly moving by and pass
on to bear their precious freight soon to satisfy
the gastronomic arrangement of some dyspeptic
individual, the reporter, always rackiug his
weary brain to scare up an item these dull
times, bethought himself to make an excursion
up the Seventh street road and tho country
and byroads in its vicinity. SO out he went to
hunt up conveyance, not being ovcr-fond of
showing of his feats of pedestrianism. He
soon found q social-looking individual stand
ing in doorway, whom he took to be the
owner of piece Of equine flesh, judging from
the repeated starts he made toward the gutter,
and the jerks of complimentary opithets APP
piled to dcluged horse rcposng therein. The
reporter, siding up TO him, began. in slow.
cautious voice, TO make sundry remarks about
the weather and the condition of the roads,
during which he managed to drop u word or
two TO show up his identity. The converse.
ton then turned upon the horse (the reporter
ridden one to pasture in the days of his YOUTH
the reporter making insinuatng remarks
about the animals ability TO travel over coun.
try roads. The social individual there
upon offered to bet two to one on
his nag, and the reporter, never los.
ing an opportunity of coming down on
good thing, came down. Out 10 the
driving, pelting rain, with his hoistcd bum
bazine," his ever-constant companion, tho re-
porter took his seat in an ancient one-hoss
shay" along with the man of bets.
Out upon the road with We !" cried he and
| accompanied this ejaculation with smart
touch OF a hickory switch. Soon the Schuctzen
park was reached and passed. John S1ul's
nursery came into view aud faded in the dis
lance behind Brightwood in n like manner
was passed, and so on up the road the nag flew.
| He proved a good 'un," full of grit and "go-
aheadedness" But all things must have an
end. The fearful condition of the much-ncg.
lectod road began to tell on tue beast. Spat-
ter, spattcr, the mud flew, and the rain
descended. Cachunk! and down went
| ono of the wheels into q mud puddle. In vain
was it that the animal tugged away-no bulge
Out into the road the two travellers aightcd,
| grinding and scattering the mud, shoulders to
| the wheel and heavc ahoy, and the rafting
ancient shay once more was on a level but
caslush and down went the other wheel, and
amid gentle EXPLANATIONS of disappointment
| the reporter being religously ncined), once
more did they tug and the nag tugged aud
they they all tugged, but bulge it would not
| Leaving the ancient family relic In the road
| to the mercy of the mud and the rain, the
man of bets and the reporter, now iubi-
liant over the success of his little game
| (he had learned all no wanted to know
about the road, disengaged the Juggling
beast and proceeded in single file for
Home, Sweet Home" Arriving Mt Bright
wood, the reporter, being unable to control his
| feelings longer, invited the man of bets in to
take something, he himseft taking "slaminade,"
as it went against his principles to take sOme-
thing stronger. Out again into tho road, the
reporter still jubilant (the man of bets having
come to time with his "two to one''), notwith-
standing the loss of his constant companion-
| the "bomhazine"-havi como to an untimely
| end in the mud-puddle, while the man of bets
trudged along through the driving, pclting
rain, paying numerous compliments to the
Commissioners for their care of the road, and
threatening vengeance upon them, the con-
tractors, and people and things in general.
Thus tho two "way-worn travellers "
trudged on to town, up to their shoe-tops in
mud and sush, the road being deluged by the
mud and water, which should have run along
in the cutters; but those modern convent.
ences were not at hand, and, from appear.
ances, had never been at hand. Tho conse.
integation of the road, which became almost
impossible, and if night had closed in upon
our travellers it would have been positively
dangerous. Even the high spirits of the
reporter the man to take in all situations
with good grace, began to flicker. At last
they arrived ut the Second police precinct
station, and the reporter true to his
calling, trippcd in to see what wai
going on after tipping his fin tc
the man of bets, who departed down the
street still mumbling to himself compliment
tary opinions about the Commissioners, the
contractors, and the road-kecpers in general
Upon inquiry of gentlemen who have occa
sion to drive over this road, the reporter
learned that the general sentiment agreed
with his-that it is a shame to have the only
direct communication with Howard, Frederick
and Montgomery Counties in such state and
downright outrage to the taxpayers of the
county and city, especially to those of the
county, that free, public thoroughfar0 should
be kept in such u condition when for each foot
of It,, upon which the land of proprietor
borders, that proprietor has to to pay $lOl
, taxes Over eight years ago the road, A mile,
long. was put in thorough rcpair-in fact re
built by the Board Of Public Works, under OK
Governor Alexander X. shepherds; and since
then comparatively nothing has been done OF
it, literally leaving the road to go to rack aut
ruin. The cost of the road was in the
~
on both sides aud paved with cobblo stone. TIT
r road WAS macadamzed in the middle, sixteel
feet in width, and on each side wa
filled in with gravel The road be
coming almost impossible, aud man,
complaints being made about it, the Commits
soners in the spring determined to have i
repaired, the cutters to be cleaned out, tn,
stone reset aud tho road to be filled in on eaci
side OF the macadamizcd road with gravel
Tho work. rs usual, amounting to more thai
$1,000, was put out by contract to the loves
bidder, w. Il. Vernillion, for 81 500, whicl
sum any experienced person would know wa
inadequate, and SO ii proved. According b
: the contract the work was commenced some
time near the LIST of juno, and was to hay
, been finished in sixty days, but the contrac
was taken so low the contractor was unable /
perform tho work, and the District govern
ment WIS Obliged to give it to some one else.
is impossible to sec why the road can't b
kept in repair by days work. and it is ais
impossible TO see why this work can't be don
= by day labor under the supervision Of th
supervisor of the Middle district. 1t woul
give employment to many hundred poor pee
pie who are dependent upon their labor 70
q support. They would then receive comper
: sation per agreement. The Commissioner
, are not permitted by law to put out wor
+ that exceeds $1,000 by day labor Any wor
. over 81 900 has to DO done by contract
they had done their duty they would not hay
A allowed the road TO get in such II condition a
- IN 4 Al. Il