The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-12-20
Bad Roads in West Virginia and
Why.

And they nave good cause LOT com'
plant.
Is there one hundred miles Of good
farm roads in the State7
Is there any other greater draw
back to the prosperity Of West Vir.
GINA to-day, than bad roads2
We believe it will generally be ad-
mi.tsd by the farming population
that there is nothing that is costing
them and the State at large, more
than the bad condition Of the public
roads. They operate to virtually Gus.
pend business in the country during
several months Of the year.
It is not necessary therefore, that
we should argue the question of the
existence Of bad roads, or that they
constitute one Of the chief drawbacks
to the growth and prosperity Of the
State.
What We wish to do in referring TO
the subject is n insist once MORE, up.
on the fact the Register has so fire.
quently brought to the attention Of
our people, that we can have and
orght to have better roads in West
Virginia than in almost any Of the
States Of the Union. In more than
half the counties Of the State either
rock or gravel, or both, can be found
in such convenient positions as to
make the cost Of getting it TO the
places where it is wanted inconsider.
able. There is some excuse for soft
roads in States where there is almost
an entire absence Of road metal, but
this disadvantage does not exist in
West Virginia, although she has
worse roads than her sister States.
The chief reasons for the existence
Of bad roads in West Virginia are
two, viz:
l. The money and labor expended
upon our roads goes wholly into re,
pairs and never into permanent i'm
proysments.
2. Our people cling to the old.fash-
Toned, complicated and clumsy sys.
tenn of working the roads after the
fashion Of a corn. husking, rather than
by the business method Of. letting
them to contractors.
If the roads we're once put into a
permanent condition-made solid
with stone-they could be kept in re.
pair at one.half what il now costs.
To do this it is not necessary that
macadam be used. There is a less
expensive method Of using stone, al.
most as permanent and that makes
quite as good d road bed. This is to
gather the cobble stones that are
found contiguous to almost every line
Of road in the State, and make a road
bed Of what is called in the cities,
cobble stone pavement. Simply
placing stones weighing two or three
pounds in uniform position on level
bed. Then cover them with earth.
They will coon be packed 80 tight
and hard as to make smooth road
for all seasons Of the year.
In West Virginia such a road
would cost nothing more than the
work Of laying the stone. The stone
is ready at hand in almost every 10.
cality. When the road is thus made
it would last, with little repair, for
generation. 1t would be passable at
all seasons, and be the best invest.
ment any county could make.
Experience shows that in our ad-
joining State Of Ohio, where good
roads have been secured, often at
great cost, the effect is to impart to
the adjoining lands an additional
value greater than the cost of the
roads, for they not only make it poss-
IDLE for two horses to haul load de.
handing four horses on a muddy
road, but they enable farmers to
economize time by doing their haul
ing in weather in which they can do
nothing else.
The time has come in West Vir-
ginia when we need new deal both
in the manner Of constructing roads,
and the system or laws under which
the work isdone. LIE. the corn.husk.
ing plan be done away with and
what is known as the alternative
system" under our laws, be put into
operation in the counties, and then
the contracts can provide for perma-