The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-05-03
Good CollntY Ronds.

at is singular TO remark how men,
and often shrewd business men too,
will, to avoid spending motley in one
way, spend twice as inuch.ip another.
A striking instance in this odd de.
Iscription Of econOmys is seeh in the
case Of country roads. Farmers and
others will whine over paying u rate
for good substantial road repairs,
who submit without q wry face to
pay for wagons worn out years before
they should be, and horses and mules
worn down in their prime through.
bud roads, besides submitting TO the
loss of time and injury to their bust,
ness, that comes from inability TO
haul through the mud, and roads
about them. If those who live where
such roads are tolerated-and that
would include nearly every commu.
nifty in lllinois-were to enter in a
book the loss Of business, the loss OF
animal service, the damage to wag
ons and harness, besides the personal
discomfort TO themselves and family,
and add all up on one side Of the &C.
count, then put down the amount of
a road tax that would give them
good roads all the yeas round, that
would add TO the value Of their prop.
erty and encourage Immigrants to
settle in the neighborhood-would
they not blush for the short sighted
policy they and their whole county
are pursuing%-S Springfield Register.
In West Virginia the loss referred
to in the above paragraph amounts
to nearly six months in the year.
'dn majority Of the counties in
this State business is virtually sus-
pended during the winter season,
simply for the want of u hard road to
travel over from place to place.
The farmer goes into his winter
quarters like bear into his den, to
sleep and suhsist upon the fat accu-
INFLATED during the Summer.
No matter what the profits of the
summer season: no matter how pro-
llfc the crops; no matter how he has
prospered in all his affairs during
the summer, the avetage farmer must
be idle and cat it up during the win
ter.
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 town to pull II
vehicle out Of town and get it back.
The whole business would be buried
in the mud. The population forage
among themselves and eat the town
poor before the summer sun has dried
them an outlet.
How can any community, any in.
dividual, and State prosper under
such conditions? Who is il that can
prosper in any business that is sus.
pended six months out of year?
What county or State can expect to
prosper and increase in population
where business is only possible six
months Of the year!
We say this condition of things
prevails throughout the State sim
ply for lack Of a hard road-not a
railroad, nor a paved road, nor even
a macadam road, butonly a hard road
that will bear up a horse and vehicle
in soft weather. The bare statement
Of the case would seem to Justify dis
missing the subject ut this point on
the suppoSition that people who
are content with such conditions, or
who are unwilling to pay the price
ofemancipation from such conditions,
have not native energy and enter
prise enough for an argument TO
take hold Of.
There is not county in this State
which is not abundantly able to have
at least one leading road made hard
enough for winter travel, and which
would auoro majority OF Its popula-
ton a passable means to travel to and
from the county seat. There is no
county which can afford not to have
such Il road.
AS we have heretofore shown, in
this connection, there is almost as
much stone in this State as there is
clay. There is stone enough along
every public highway to make il
hard if put in place. If a county
does not want the expense of haul.
ing limestone and making macad.
am surface for their roads, let them
take ordinary sandstone, or whatever
other quality of stone is found along
side the road, put them down, coble
stone fashion, and then cover them
with dirt. Such a road will be a
smooth road in summer and a hard
road in winter, and will not cost
more III The lcrg run than the dirt
pike.
Why will West Virginia farmers
hesitate about such Improvements?
Now that they have once eE"'ged
from the isolation Of another winter,