Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-06-24
Random Thoughts on Public Roads Tax
on Railroads, and other matters.
For the SPECTATOR


For the SPECTAToR.]
Aessrs. Editors In talking. the other
DAY, with an intelligent man from the coun-
try, was gratified to hear him say that he
had never known the people of the county
SO much aroused on the subject of public
roads as they are now. They seem to have
awakened to sense that good roads are the
cheapest. Every farmer knows that if he
intends to make an improvement on his
farm, it is cheaper to make it of a perma-
nent character, one that will last for many
years, than to make it of flimsy nature,
which will require almost annual renewal.
When road is put on a proper location
and graded, it is thing that is done forev-
er, and there will be little or no expense
about 1t in future. As an illustration of
this fact, let every one lock at the improve
ment made some years ago, Northwest of
Staunton, near the fork of the Churchyille
and Spring Hill roads. The road, prior to
the improvement, was a wretched one, al
ways needing repairs, and often impassa-
BILE. Now it stands almost as durable as
one of the old Roman roads, conveniently
passable at all times, and will, probably,
need little or no repair for a generation or
two to come. And so in regard to the i'm
provement on the slate hill two miles East
of the town, on the Waynesboro' road.
When completed, that will be permanent
work which will last for ages.
The Supervisors deserve great credit for
what they have already done. Public opin.
ion fully sustains their action. But much
more remains to be done. Let them take
lowed their well-doing, and come up to the
fII1I Of fboir Inf nd
bilities. Niggardliness is not economy.
Parsimony is not thrift. If we would reap
abundantly we must SOW literally. If, by
a judicious expenditure on his road, farm
er can haul twice as much over good road
as over bad one, and can make two trips
in the time it now takes to make one, he
cannot fail to see that the good road puts
money in his pocket two ways.
The new road law seems to be working
well. Good men have been put in charge,
and good implements to work with have
been provided Surveyor Anderson is the
right man in the right place. So are Mari
on Koiner and VIM. Bailey. They are put
ting a new face on their roads. What they
are doing they are doing .judiciously and
permanently. Other Surveyors are, doubt
less, accomplishing similar results. Under
the old system of temporary improvement,
or rather so-called improvement, it was nee
essary to call out hands after every thun-
der shower! Under the new system the
roads, when once put in order, will require
but little repair.
The Supervisors and the Court should
back up the Surveyors with earnestness and
good will. They should supply them with
first class heavy steel plows, and scrapers
and other implements. A rock-crusher
h. e. 81, nsck, ,a%< 60.
each two or three Districts, and the most
approved apparatus for drilling and blast
ing. Liberal appropriations should be made
for the removal of fixed rock, and widening
the road beds, and also for breaking the
stone to be spread ON the surface of the
road. No more hands should be called out
at a time than can be efficiently employed.
Skilled blasters should be employed, so as to
run no risk of injury to inexperienced hands.
Wherever roads are improperly located,
or the grade is too steep, proper changes of
location should be made before much labor
Or money is expended.
The county has now large revenue aris-
ing from the tax on Railroads located
through the county. l do not know what
the aggregate is; but as the G. & o. R. R.,
the Valley R. R., and the Shenandoah Val
ley R. r. each, run entirely through the
county, the aggregate distance must be over
100 miles, and the tax amount to quite
large sum. This fund ought to be devoted
mainly, if not exclusively, to the purpose of
improving the public highways. Good faith
requires that this disposition should be
made of it. 1t is not levied on, or collected
from, the pockets Of the people. The Rail-
roads have to pay it, and it is but just and
right that the Railroads should be compen-
stated, in some degree, by improving the
roads which bring freight and passengers
to the Railroads.
Where portions of the road are of such
character as to require that they should be
McAdamized to make them passable at all
seasons liberal appropriations, from the
general fund, should be made to assist in
this work.
Everybody recollects the condition of a
portion of the Middlebrook road, and of
part of the new New Hope road, little
more than year ago. They we're literally
impossible to vehicles, and intercourse, on
horseback, was almost entirely suspended.
This was reproach to our civilization
And matters were not much better in por-
tons of the road from Staunton TO Chris
tian's Creek, on the Waynesboro' road. 1t
so happens that the beds of the two parts
named of these roads, in their most objec-
tionable parts, are too narrow to meet the
requirements of law, being hemmed in by
lodges of instanding rocks. If the road
master will now invoke little assistance
from the Supervisors and the Court, to
blast out these lodges, so as to make the
road of the width required by law, the de-
bris, or loose stone thrown off by blasting,
will furnish, with little crushing, the ma
terial to construct solid road bed, which
will give to the people of the upper and
lower ends of the county a highway suited
for travel and transportation at all seasons
of the year.
Let our people take enlarged and enlight-
ened views of this subject. No one thing
contributes so much to the value of lands as
good roads. The products of land are
bulky and heavy. They require transport
tation to market. This costs money or la
Dor, or both. Good roads diminish this
cost greatly, and thus add to the profits of
the farmer andthe consequent value of his
land. And in this age of christian enlight-
eminent, our people do not like to be always
confined at home during the dreary winter
They want to get out, from time to time, to
see what is going on in the world. They
like to go to church, and to visit their
friends. They wish their young folks to
enjoy some of the pleasures, as well as the
benefits of social life. To do so they want
roads on which they can travel with safety
and comfort. Let any one imagine himself
about to buy farm as home for himself
and family. Two tracts of about equal
quantity and quality of soil ere offered to
him. One is acces sible, at all seasons, by
good roads; the other can only be ap-
preached by a rugged, steep, north-lying
road. Which would he select? How many
dollars per acre would he give for one more
than the other?
1t is said that year or two ago, gen.
tleman came to Staunton on the lookout for
home in the country. He heard Of a
farm that was for sale. and was so much
pleased with the description of it that he
had serious idea of buying it, and Mr..
Gushing undertook to drive him out in a
buggy, to look at it. After they had driv-
en- two or three miles. over wretched roads,
the STRANGER ASKED NJ Cnshincr G.if that