Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-22
CONCERNING TOLL ROADS
aE EMBARGO On LOCAL TRADE.
Free Roads FOR All the Pecy,e.

" Free Roads For All tho People.
90 4 correspondent, in a communication
to the Ne,e Era, directs attention in most
vigorous and decided language to the many
turnpikes that terminate in this city. some
fifteen in all, he says, which cover every
approach, 20 that farmers now knd them
selves unable to get to market without
passing over one OF more Of these turu-
pixies and being compelled to pay toll. He
holds that this, while it is not only oppres-
sive to the community, will gradually work
to the disadvantage of the best 'interests
of this city rs 4 centre Of trade. 1t has 4
tendency. to drive business elsewhere. The
tolls are not triRing matters to men who
have to pay them almost daily. In many
places, he says, progress is the order OF
the day, and free bridges and highways are
the result, while here in Lancaster the re-
verse seems to be the rule
TIE subject REGARDING which our con
temporary publishes this complaint is one
to which the INTELLIGENCER has very often
directed the attention Of the public and in
almost exactly the same terms as those
adopted by the Ns'c Era's correspondent.
Again and again We have sought to i'm
press the public with a proper sense Of
this matter, and called special attention to
it recently when application was ma6e by
aprivate corporation for charter to seize
the valuable franchises Of the cold road"
leading to the eastern end Of the county,
and erect 4 turnpike and toll bars on it.
We repeat now what was then said in the
od;+or;,I o.,lup,us of tbo Tyrry vnrNCCp /.
Advertisement is made that "applica-
ton will be made to the governor OF Penn
sylvania for 4 charter to construct and
maintain turnpike road to begin at the
eastern terminus of the Bridgeport and
Horseshoe road turnpike and end in the
village of Brd-in Hand, at or near the
point Of intersection of the Old Philadel-
phia road and the Gordonvillo road, and
to occupy part Or the whole Of the said Old
Philadelphia road between said points,
ship, Lancaster county, Pa, distance Of
pauy to be styled The Bird i'll Hand Turn
pike road company" 1t is for the large
number Of citizens Of Lancaster county
who arc Wont to travel over the high
way thus proposed to be Occu-
pied in part or the whole" to con-
sider whether this privilege shall be
granted to corporation without tho ex-
ercise of every possible effort to prevent
it. Probably no thoroughfare in Lancas-
ter county is better known or more used
than the ''old road, and, most of all just
the portion which is proposed to be occu-
pied and crossed with toll-gates by the
incipient road company" giving the
above notice. 1t is a venerable highway,
bsoad, level and generally in excellent
condition. 1t runs almost in Q straight
line, leading from q point near this city
down into one Of the most populOus sec
tions of the county. 1t is well-graded.
pleasant summer drive, and at nearly all
seasons is much res0rted to by persons
living along it, for miles on either side,
who find it better road in most Of tho
year than either the Lancaster or the New
Holland turnpikes and free from the ex-
actions of the tollgatherer. People will
drive miles out OF their direct way to en-.
joy its advantages and to escape the toll
bars which are thrown across the other
avenues of travel to and from the east end.
Now it is proposed to take these priv
ilcges from the people, and to convey all
the advantages which this road possesses
upon a corporation which will, like as not.
spoil the road as much az improve it, and
then set up a tollgato and charge every
one who passes it about 9 cents . mile for
no greater privileges than he now has
free. : D a. j - 4 =
The experience of our people with turn
pixies and toll-gates is such that tho ten
dency should be toward their abatement
rather than their increase. There arc now
leading to or toward this city, the Phila
delphia, Strasburg, Eeaver Valley, illow
Street, New Danvills, 1lillsrsville, Colum-
bia, Marietta, Harrisburg. Mannheim,
FIuitvils. Ltitz. Ephrata, New Holland
! and Bridgeport and Horseshoe turnpikes
fifteen toll roads, whose gates build a
very wall around our city, put an embargo
| on our trade and a tax upon those who
trade with us. In an address to the farm
ers Of the state, the writer some time ago
| said
1t is my opinion that in the intelligent lay
ing Of roads. the erection and protection oi
tree bridges. the general employment of road
water courses. the erection OF finger boards,
and other duties OF fne supervisor our cas-
tern countries show most lamentabic lack,
tear aggregate double the increase road tax
that would ensue from proper discharge
these agties by better men than
tho a',vanced state fof the leading coun
aes OF Eastern PennsyIyania, toll,
primitive conditions anst should speedily
be abolished. The pubic should now sup
port these ways OF travel necessary for the
county of the common wealth It IS the re-
proacn OF its capital ctty--a centre OF trade
and population before the revolution-tliat
by q toll bar, the rates being nearly as high as
/. railroad fares and SO general IL this embargo
on trade that even on one of the public streets
within tho @ limits OF OF the city Of Lancaster;
fOrmity. swings its cato across the highway
and public sentiment is dull to an imposition
which IS as great as that for which our fathers
rafscl the tempest in q teapot In BO-ton q
century ago.
The favor with which these remarks
| were received and have since been COM
meDted upon, is sufficient apology for their
reproduction here.
| : 1t costs as much to drive a double team
|Over some Of Oar turnpikes as the fare OF
| passenger on the railroad for the same
distance and many Of them, it il notOri-
| GUS, are not in az good condition nor as
safe for driving as all public roads
should be kept in a community as
far advanced as this. We will engage,
within five miles of this city, to find on
half the turnpikes places 50 dangerous OF
50 lily kept that any township supervisor
lwho would be respoasible fH Their ex-
| istence on q public road could b con
victed in quarter sessions court of nc
glect Of duty. Notably does the New
| Danville turnpike maintain nuisance il,
the exposure Of those VINO pay toll over il
tothe danger Of drowning in the Conestoga