The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-04-14
80 a IL - - =
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pSSegesSskSs IS $ < SsssSPgfff 14s ISL
saSN sYS7ic Roads.
? Mrmnr & Mechnnic !

%sNaSs- Farmer q Mechanic.
The miserable public roads Of North
Carolina, not only disgust the emigrant
and capitalist, whom we invite 70 come
and settle among Us, but they actually
retard our agricultural developments Il
such a degree that they may well be
termed-The lock--that locks up agri-
culture During the summer and early
fail, the roads are firm, but rough. The
holes dished out during the winter and
spring, are still there, and the ditch,
long since transferred into the road, re-
minds u that light vehicles were made
for the towns. not the country. The
road overseer, that ubiquitous individ-
ual, having seized all the hands in the
neigh bOrh0od, (the great majority OF
whom feel no interest in the road, and
have only come to put in their '-tIme,
and listen to ''the road hands yarn, the
wonder Of an hour, trayerses the road,
cutting few mathematical pine tops
places them here and there, with few
shovels of dirt on each, leaving enough
exposed 10 attract the eye Of the passer-
By, and warn him that next win.er this
place viii be "a tough as tar, pitch and
turpentine The agriculturist has the
least use for the public roads in summer
and the early fall than at other seasons
of the year Then, his whole time is re-
quired in making" and harvesting his
crops. In the late fall and winter the
crops are marketed and in the spring
the fertilizers are hauled to the farm
When "the winter rains set in, the
roads commence to cut up, and farmer
vies with farmer, in blowing the public
roads with his wagon-cutting one, two,
three. and not untrequently, in places
from ten TO fifteen inches deep. A farm
or living ten miles from his market town,
nine miles of the road good and one mile
bad, is compelled to load his wagon not
with the number Of bales Of cotton he
can draw over the nine miles Of road
rood, but with the number Of bales he
can draw over the one mile Of bad road,
and that one mile Is generally adjoining
the Hlarhet torn. Having given the pub
lie roads much attention for the last ten
wears, / am firmly convinced that the
marketing Of our crops cost us IN trans
portation at lenst three times what II
should do l. not that alone an enor-
nous tax. | will leave this part Of the
subject for the present, and call atten-
ton TO another clock" that strikes the
agriculturalist a heavy blow. When
the farmer has housed his crops, repair
ed his barn, and finished blowing the
public roads with his wagon, he goes in
to winter quarters, and like the bear, to
stay there until spring, his family you
may say in prison. Ask your neighbor,
who has made 1.-The trip on horseback to
see you, why he did not bring his wife
or daughter The roads are too bad.
When YOU summon courage enough to
return his visit-do you take your wife
or daughter with youz No, the roads
are too bad. Winter the farmers leis-
IRE time brings no social enjoyments,-.
40 social gatherings. Is it any wonder
that 20 little fellow-teelingeX between
farmers, aud each knows so little Of his
neighbour l. it any wonder that a coun-
try lassie prefers to marry a townsman
instead Of Il farmer She thinks she
must break 1.-THE lock" and hear no
more forevcr-''I i true. my dear, the
horses are all in the stable, but the
roads are too bad" Is it any wonder
that our young men are focking to the
towns, accepting places that barrel ys sup
port them They too, think, that cit
is not all Of life to overlooked up.
And l. it any wonder that we feel older
nj forty than we should at sixty,
prison life is telling upon us.
Farmers give Us your views-how
this lock can be broken. More anon.
:. b. A.
Euderiv. Jan. 6, 1881.