Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-09-27
IMPORTANCE OF ROADS.

We are not aware that any estimate has
ever been made of the actual cost Of the
public roads in the United States, or the eX-
pense of providing them has ever been at
tempted by any bureau Of statistics, but we
make the rough estimate that they have
cost at least seven hundred million dollars
probably much more-While unknown mil
lions are annually expended in attempting
to keep them in repair If the money were
only well applied, it would be an eXpendi-
ture Of great profit and economy, as every
thing which the farmer does off his own
land is greatly affected by their condition.
All his many loads of surplus farm products
are drawn over them, and it makes some
difference to him and to his horses whether
those loads are conveyed easily over hard,
smooth surfaces, or dragged through mud
and against stones with severe labor to the
team, fatigue to the driver, and wear and
breakage to the wagon Every week he and
his family, more or less, go to the village for
numberless errands, or to church on the
Sabbath and the good or bad condition OF
the roads seems to affect every fiber, pleas
antly or unpleasantly, Of their feeling OF
nervous sensations. On an average, there
is at least twenty miles of travelling each
week for the members of a single family
1t would make difference of five dollars Il
week, everything counted, whether this
teaming and travelling is done over nice,
comfortable road or through mud holes,
sloughs, ruts, and unbridged streams, or
against stones. Five dolarsa week amounts
to $3.50 a year, a snug little sum to tax the
farmer with and when this sum is multi
piled by at least five million owners or dri-
vers of horses, carriages wagons, heavy
something over {; billion dollars! Does any
one say this is too large an estimate? Then
proceed in detail and show in what particu-
lars but do not blindly and ignorantly say
it is wrong without careful examination.
Suppose, however, we admit that it is dOu-
BILE the reality, is not the six hundred mil
lions every year, expended directly or indi-
rectly by our people, worthy Of more atten-
tiOn on the part of patriots, statesmen, pol
iticians, office seekers, public spirited men,
writer's for newspapers, agricultural journal
lists, and in fact Of every one who passes
over a road?
So long as our public highways in most
parts OF the country are made and repaired
with so little interest and so little thought,
we must sufferan enormous loss. WeWOuld
like to ask how many OF our readers, who
drive or ride over the common roads, never
jolt and batter every passing wheel, or who
does not see hundreds of them which might
be removed with the expenditure Of small
portion of the road tax? How many never
saw sods and muck scraped into the road
bed, to form Il highway or turnpike y
which would be excellent for corn and pOta-
toes, but which when worked into mass OF
mud, or cut into ruts foot deep, constitute
strange object to be called a "rOad ?"
How many never saw along the roadsides,
thrifty patches of thistles burdocks, null
leins, Johns wort, nettles, ETC., ETC., ready
to seed all the neighbors' fields: Until we
can find such happy persons in the majori-
ty, we hope more attention may be given to
correcting these evils, although we would
not lessen the praiseworthy attention which
is now freely accorded to enterprises and in
terests of almost infinitely less Importance,
but good in their small way.-CoMnt'y Gen
WeRu1.