Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-25
Aaneaster fnteIliqenrer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JAN. 25, 1882.
Concerning Toll Roads.

WEDNESDAY EVENING, JAN. 70, 1861
Concerning Toll Roads.
Advertisement is made that q" applica-
tion will be made to the governor of
Pennsylvania, for a charter to construct
and maintain turnpike road to begin
at the eastern terminus Of the Bridge
port and Horseshoe Road Turnpike and
end in the village Of Bird-in- Hand, at or
near the point of intersection of the Old
Philadelphia road and the Gordonville
road, and to occupy part or the whole of
the said Old p Philadelphia road between
said points, lying and being in East
L. mpeter township, Lancaster county,
Pa, distance of about three and a-half
miles, the company to be styled The
Bird INLAND Turnpike Road COM
pany'" tits for the large number of
citizens of Lancaster county who
are wont to travel over the high
way thus proposed to he Occu-
pied in part or the whole y to con-
slider whether this privilege shall he
W al Sol LuO "a
ercise of every possible effort to prevent
it. Probably no thoroughfare in Ian
caster county is better known or more
used than the - old road and most of
all just the portion which is proposed to
be occupied and crossed with tOll-gates
by the incipient road company giving
the above notice. 1t is a venerable high
way, broad, level and generally in excel
lent condition. 1t runs almost in a
straight line, leading from point near
this city down into one of the most pOpu-
lous sections of the county. 1t is 4 we'll
graded, pleasant summer drive, and at
nearly all seasons is much resorted to by
persons living along it, for miles on
either side, who find it better road in
most of the year than either the Lancas'
ter or the New Holland turnpikes and
free from the eXactionS of the toll
gather.r. People will drive miles out of
their direct way to enjoy its advantages
and to escape the tOll-bars which are
thrown across the other avenues of travel
10 ana from Tie east ellu.
Now it is proposed to take these privi
leges from the people, and to convey all
the advantages which this road pos
sesses upon corporation which will like
as not, spoil the road as much as improve
it. and then Set up toll-gate and charge
every one who passes it about :. cents
a mile for no greater privileges than he
now has free.
The experience of our people with
turnpikes and tol-gates is such that the
tendency should be toward their abate-
ment rather than their increase. There
are now leading to or toward this city,
the Philadelphia, Strasburg, Beaver
Valley, Willow Street. New Danville,
Millersville, Columbia, Marietta, Har
risburg, Mannheim, Fruitville, I.ititZ
Ephrata, New Holland, and Bridge
port and Horse Shoe turnpikes,
fifteen tOll-roadS whose gates build a
very wall around our city, put an EN-
barge Oh our trade aud tax upon thoss.
who trade with us. In ali address to the
farmers of the state the writer some
time ago said
Its my opinion that in the intelligent
laying out. grading, matchmaking and
smoothing OF roads, the erection and pro-
lection Of free bridges, the general EN-.
ploymcnt of road scrapers the arrange
ment Of breaks and water courses, the
erection of finger boards, and other duties
of the supervisor our eastern counties show
most lamentable lack, and that the result.
ing losses and Wear and tear aggregate
double the increased road tax that would
ensue from a proper discharge Of these
duties. by better men than are usually
elected to perform them. Indeed it
is matter Of conviction that
for the advanced state of the
leading counties OF eastern Pennsyl
vania, tOll-bridges and turnpikes are relics
of primitive conditions and should speedi-
ly he abolished. The public should now
support these ways of travel necessary for
the public convenience. In the richest
rural county of the commonwealth it is
the reproach Of its capital city--a centre
Of trade and population before the revou-
tiOn-that almost every road leading into
it is obstrnctcd by toll bar, the rates be-
ing nearly as high as railroad fares and
SO general is this embargo on trade that
even on one of the public street, within
the limits Of the city Of Lancaster, cor.
poration. by the grace of legislative dc
formity, swings its gate across the high
way, ana public sentiment is dull to an
imposition which is as great as that for
which our fathers raised the tempest in a
ea-pot in Boston century ago.
The favor with which these remarks
were received and have since been com.
mented upon is sufficient apology for
their reproduction here.
1t costs as much to drive 4 double
team over some of our turnpikes rs the
fare of passenger on The railroad for
the same distance and many of them, it
is notorious, are not in as good condition
nor as safe for driving rs all public
roads should be kept in a community as
far advanced as this. We will engage,
within five miles of the city, to find on
half the turnpikes places SO dangerous Or
so lily kept that any township supervisor
who would be responsible for their ex.
istence on public road could be con
victed in a quarter sessions court of
neglect of duty. Notably does the New
Danville turnpike maintain a nuisance
in the exposure of those who pay toll
over it to the danger of drowning in the
COnestoga while, on most of the others,
road is up or down bank
Al