Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-12-15
Better Roads.
OR 1T WILL NOT BE FOR THE WANT OF
EIGHTy-NINE ROAD SURVEYORS.
Eds. Independent:

GuS. 1NuepeNu6Iu.
ARDEN, Dec. 10.--I see that cur coun.
ty Court did land-oflice business, al
their last session in the way OF ap.
pointing Road Surveyors, and If we do
not have better roads 1t will not be for
the want of surveyors, for we counted
eighty-six, with one precinct to hear
| from.
We question the wisdom of the court
in creating 50 large number OF pre-
cincts; first, for the reason that the
necessary expense, will not give cor
responding benefit, for ii is well known
that no road surveyor can make roads
without tools, and the court VIII have
to furnish at least, one-half of those re-
Gently appointed say forty surveyors
: Shovels each at Sl.oo...... .....S so 90
! large Sledge each AGO.. SO 90
2 small Mapping hammers each So so 90
set blasting tools each at ST.. 200 90
1otai..................... ....s $40 90
Now have not enumerated any ar
ticle but, what is actually necessary in
making roads, although the law re-
CURES persons liable to work roads 10
10 bring implements to work with. 1
speak from experience, when / say
that nearly all will bring shoyels they
are 50 convenient to lean upon while
talking politics J, and are the only arti-
Gle have mentioned above, that might
be dispensed with. Suppose those forty
surveyors work ten days In the year, at
$i.o0 per day, and three DAYS each in
warning the hands, at SLIGO per day,
making $I20, and add $500 for tools, it
makes $l.240. And that is not all. for
there are forty-nine othor SURVEYORS
to come in with ten DAYS each. making
$66l more, amounting in all TO $i.00i.
and not one lick struck on the roads.
would 1t not have shown more wig
dom In our Court, had they let the dis
tricts remain as they were, even III
some were too large, and appropriated
the $l.9O1 to the four leading roads to
Martinsburg, which require more to
Keep them In order from the greater
amount OF travel upon them? It would
nave been OF more benefit to our farm
ers, than to have all the by-roads ma
cadamized. A farmer living seven
miles from Martinsburg may have one
mile 70 travelto get on the main road,
ana then six miles to town, and il is
plain to see which ought to be the best
road, and which requires the most
work.
Nine-tenths Of our people up here,
say y Is the greatest blunder the court
has ever made, and intimate Arden
was not represented, or IL at all was
mls-represented, l have no doubt IL
Will Increase the vote for Hon q. r, Ev.
ans bill, giving representative to
each district, although his bill is not to
our liking. Hedgesville has twenty
nye surveyors, Arden has nine. If
Hedgesville had to pay her own survey
sors, 1t would make no difference Ii she
had hundred, but as it is, Arden has
70 heip pay sixteen more surveyors in
Hedgesville, than Hedgesville helps to
pay In Arden. Is it any wonder that
our people talk OF petitioning the court
to reconsider the matter, and put the
districts back as they were we tell.
them It is all folly, as the court are the
sovereigns, and the people the servants.
ana rs good citizens, they shouls obey
the Will OF their masters, besides there
may be a power behind the throne great
err than the throne, ii il be true what
one Of the Country Jakes'' has said.
"that surveyors frequently do nothing
more than haul their tools back and
forth, and draw $3.50 out OF the county
treasury" With bars let down, what
fteldis left open for eighty-nine sur
veyors to walk in and help themselves.
II the people can net see, we think they
will feel where their money goes before
the two years Of the eighfy-nine sur
veyors has expired.
The court should publish the report
or their commissioners, for which they
paid from $40 to $50, in order that road
surveyors may know the metes and
not tell by the simple numbers OF pre-
cinct 10 or ~. The cost would be trif-
ling, and the information great, or rise
versa, the Information trifling, and the
cost great, just as you please.
GREAT JEHosAPHAT.