Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-05-29
r E p O r II
Of the President of the Shep-
herdstown and Hahtown Turn
pike Company, to the County
Court.

have the honor herewith to submit
10 vour honorable body as true and cor
rect a statement of the affairs and con-
dition of the Shepherdstown and Hall
town Turnpike, as it is possible under
the circumstances to make; and while |
am free to admit that there are many
places on the road that might be greatly
improved, yet taking the whole road in
its entire length into consideration, it
must be admitted that it is in much bet
ter condition now than it has ever here
tofore been.
1t will be seen by the vouchers &C
companying thisreport, that the financial
condition of the road has been more ia
vorable for the year ending April 30,
1880, than it has been for several pre-
ceeding years, and as the bridges have
been repaired with good material during
the year ending April 30th 1879, we
were enabled to put more solid stone on
the road by something over one hun
dred perches.
The increase of the cash receipts at the
Shepherdstown gate for the year ending
April SOth 1880, over those for the year
ending April 80, 1879, were 1852; and
the increase of cash receipts at Halltown
for the same year over those of 1879,
were $40 SO, making an aggregate In
crease for the year, of s1O5.47. The
entire aggregate receipts OF the road
from all sources, including cash, deliv-
cry of stone, &c, for the year ending
April 3Oth 1880, were s445.20, and the
aggregate incidental expenses, including
gale-Geeper's pay, &c, were Sl72,9o'
leaving a balance for repairs, of 1890;
and for this amount added to S3l.6S,
(the entire Indebtedness of the road)
YOU have had put upon it within the last
wear, $50 perch of stone finely broken
and spread.
In the item of farmers toll taken by
the year, there is probably, from one
hundred to one hundred and twenty-five
dollars due and remaining unpaid; and
rs soon as it can be collected it will be
applied to the putting on OF stone.
There is one fact to which beg leave
to call the attention of the Court: in the
original construction of the Shepherds
town and Haltown Turnpike, the gra-
! ding of the road was so lamentably de-
fcient in almost every part, as not TO
afford sufficient drainage in wet wealth
err, or in the latter part OF winter or the
early palt of spring. And the very
small amount of stone originally put
upon this deficient and imperfect eleva-
ton and grading. causes the road to be
deluged with water when the frost is
coming out of the ground and In very
wet spells of weather.
At those periods when the other
roads are impossible and heavy hauling
Ly teams would be entirely suspended
only for the convenience Of the macad-
amized road, this one has suffered very
much by the hauling of very heavy loads
of straw over it at such times. on narrow
tread wagons for the paper mill at Hall
town.
The injury to the road by this one
firm alone, cost not less than fifty dol
lars annually in its repairs, and yet, it is
the only one that has persisted in re
fusing to pay toll.
The example set by this firm has
been a very pernicious one to the inter
ests of the road.
Many persons who have willingly paid
their toll, very Justly complain OF such
procedure, and very naturally demur at
| being saddled with the burden of keep
ing up the road for the use OF those who
pay no toll.
have, in the last three years, repeat
edly called the gate-keepers attention to
this fact, and urged tine collection OF this
toll, an account of which has been as
correctly kept as possible under the cir
cwnstauces. This account which ap-
pears to me to be very inadequate to
the use they have made of the road, is
very respectfully herewith submitted to
your honorable body for action theron.
One other fact to which | beg leave
to call the attention of the Court, is that
the gate at Haltown is regulated at
half rates, and a great deal of the heavy
hauling on that end OF the road is done
over a greater distance than three miles,
which entities your road to the five mile
rate, and there being no gate only at
each extremity of the road, all teams
that pass that gate at halt rate and con,
tinue on the road over distance OF
three miles as well as those who use the
middle of the road ard never pass eth
er of the gates but few times in ayear,
have the use of it without in any way
contributing to its support.
| Except of course, those few farmers
on the middle of the road who take
their toll by the year. This abuse might
be corrected by establishing gate of
half rates, ut or nea- Unionville. The
question as to your authority IN this
matter would hardly be doubted; as the
universal rule in this State, as in 9th
err States, has always been to erect gates
for the collection of toll at the end of
every five miles, and where there is
fraction of distance remaining on any
road of less than FIVE miles and over
three miles, the road or the company
owning it, is entitled by law to erect
gate Of full rates for such fraction of
distance, bu. if the remaining fraction
is of less distance than two and one
half miles, no gate can be erected for
such remaining fraction. And as the
distance remaining on the Shepherds
town and Halltown Turnpike, is not less
thar four miles after the first five miles
of distance, you are entitled to two
full gates, or to one gate OF full rates
or two oates of half rates of toll. l