Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-21
GOOD COUNTRY ROADS.

at is singular to remark how men,
and often shrewd business men, TOO,
will to avoid spending money in one
way, spend twice as much in another,
A striking instance in this odd descrip-
ton Of economy, Is seen in the case OF
country roads. Farmers and others
will whine over paying q rate for COED
substantial road repairs, who submit
without a WY face TO pay for wagons
worn out years before they should be,
and horses and mules worn down
in their prime through bad roads,
besides submitting to the loss of time
and injury TO their business, that comes
from inability to haul through the mud
and ruts and holes that exist in the
roads about them. If those who live
where such roads are tOlerated-and
that would include nearly every COM
munity in IllinoiS-were To enter IN
book the loss of business, the loss OF
animal service, the damage 10 wagons
and harness, besides the personal dis
comfort To themselves and family, and
add all up on one side of the account,
then put down the amount of a road
tax that would give them good roads all
the wear round, that would add TO the
value of their property and encourage
Immigrants to settle in their neighbOr-
hood would they not bush for the
short-sighted policy they and their
whole county were pursuing: Spring.
fcid Register.
In West Virginia the loss referred to
in the above paragraph amounts to
nearly six months in the year.
In majority of the counties in this
state business is virtually suspended
during the winter season, simply for
the want of a hard road to travel over
from place to place.
The farmer goes into his winter quar-
tcrs like bear into it, den, To sleep and
-uhsist upon the fac accumulated during
he Summer.
No matter what the profits of the
summer season; no matter how prolific
the crops; no matter how he has pros
pered in all his affairs during the sum
mer, the average farmer must be idle
and eat,it up during the winter.
Not only the farmer, but the entire
population of most towns in the State
are subjected to the same conditions.
They are absolutely shut in and shut off
from intercourse with any other point
or place. There is usually not enough
live stock in the town to pull vehicle
out of town and get it back. The whole
business would be buried in the mud.
The population forage among them
selves and eat the town poor before the
Summer sun has dried them an outlet.
How can any community, any indi-
vidual, and State prosper under such
conditions? Who is it that can prosper
in any business that is suspended six
months out of the year? What county
or State can expect to prosper and in
crease in population where business Is
only possible six months of the year?
We say this condition of things pre-
walls throughout the State simply for
lack of hard road-nOt a railroad, nor
a Iaved road, nor even a macadam
road, but only hard road that will bear
up horse and vehicle in soft weather.
The bare statement of the case would
seem to justify dismissing the subject at
this point on the suppOsitiOn that a peO-
pie who are content with such condi-
tiOns, or who are unwilling to pay the
price of emancipation from such cOndi-
tons, have not native energy and enter
prise enough for an argument 10 take
hold of.
There is not a county in this state
which i not abundantly able to have at
least one leading road made hard enough
for winter travel, and which would
afford a majority of its population a
passable means of travel to and from the
county seat. There is no county which
can afford NOT to have such a road.
AS we have heretofore shown, in this
connection, there is almost rs much
stone in this StateaS there is clay. There
is stone enough along every public high
way to make it hard if put in place. II
a county does not want the expense of
hauling limestone and making a
macadam surface for their roads, let
them take ordinary sandstone, or what
ever other quality of stone is fOundalOng
side the road, put them down, eObble-
stone fashion, and then coverthem with
dirt. Such a rOadwill be a smooth road
in summer and hard road in winter,
and will not cost more i'm the long run
than the dirt pike.
Why will West Virginia farmers hest
tate about such improvements? Now
that they have once more emerged from
the isolation Of another winter, is it not
worth while to consider the propriety of
having a new deal in the matter of
,ranl,1fn rAn.N-1