Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-02-03
A Very Bad Rosld.

Mr.. EDITOR: There is very bad road
coming into Knoxville, to which call your
attention and that of your readers. allude
to the Sharp's Gap road. By all odds it is
one of the worst roads we have. For the
last two or three months it has been almost
impossible, vehicles sinking, into the mud
nearly axle-deep and pedestrians forced to
90 into fields and out of the way places to
shun it. 1t has been drawback upon the
section through which it passes.
Our County Court committed mistake
in not accepting the very liberal proposition
of Mr.. A. Metler at its January term, 1880.
You will remember that he proposed that
if that body would appoint him superintend-
ent of the work house hands at salary of
three hundred dollars year, and turn over
to him the hands, all the tools, wagons and
other property used by the work-house,
furnish good clothing and medical attention,
he would feed the prisoners free of charge
to the county and macadamize the road
five miles, and when the road was COM
pleted, return all the tools and other prop
erty received from the county, and deliver
the road to the county
This proposition, strange to say, was de-
| clined, and that, too, in the face of a seri-
GUS loss of money to the county, to say
nothing of the failure to improve one of the
most important thoroughfares leading into
Knoxville It turned around and elected a
superintendent at a salary of five hundred
dollars year, and allowing him thirty cen s
a day for feeding the prisoners. A little
figuring will give some idea of the loss
to the county by this transaction. La
the first place, it would have saved
two hundred dollars, the difference between
the proposed salary ($300) of Mr.. Meter,
and that of the present incumbent-$ $500.
Then comes the feedin, OF the prisoners,
which Mr. Meter agreed to do free of cost
to the county, while the present officer gets
thirty cents day for feeding them. AL
lowing that an average of twenty prisoners
(and learn that that is 500 are at work, 1t
| would require six dollars day to feed them,
or $3.50 month, or s., 100 year. Add to
this, 5000, the difference in salaries, and
the loss to the county foots up 81, $50.
This was a mistake that should not be du-
plicated Knox County is in no condition
to become the victim of such mistakes.
Here was upwards of 81, 600 thrown away
in SO far as it was concerned, and put into
the pocket of the superintendent of the
work-house. In other words, he receives
within fraction of So, 900 for his services,
while the same services could have been
prosecuted by a responsible party for $500.
But that can't be helped now. The wisest
policy for the County Court to adopt, i'll
utilizing the labors of the prisoners, would
be, first, to finish five miles on every road
| na l11pht ,1l otac
and then proceed to extend all the roads IL
their order.
This would be equitable, treating all roads
alike, and securing to those travelling ove1
them equal advantages. This principle
should have been applied to the Tazewel
pike. About five miles of that road had al
ready been completed, and no further worl
should have been done upon it till some 9th
er road not improved and badly needing it
should have been attended to. Instead O.
this, however unaccountable as it was, th'
convicts were transferred to the Iazewel
pike, and are now extending it five mile
further on, while the people residing on thu
Jacksborough road are wading through thu
mud knee deep to get to Knoxville. This i
not just They should have been transferred
to this road, especially in view of Dir. Met
ler's proposition. Those living on the Taze
well pike could have afforded to wait awhile
for the extension of the road, having alread.
about five miles complete.
1t is hoped that the County Court will no
be guilty of like blunder in the future
Such action as this hurts, and leave
room for severe criticism and com
plaint That honorable body cannot afford t.
adjust its action to certain roads and favo
them to the detriment of others, much les
refuse to accept SO reasonable proposition
as that made by Mr.. Meter to macadamiz
the Sharp's Gap road.
In nothing 1 have said have intended
remotely, to cast any reflections upon tn
present superintendent, Mr.. Peyton Garter
who has made worthy and efficient officer
and who is working with a fidelity an
sound Judgment entitled to the highes
commentator on the part of all concerned
PRoGREss