The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-11-24

COUNTRY ROADS.

Not long after the first issue OF
The PRoGREssIvE farmer we dis
cussed the. wfetched condition of
country roads generally in North
Carolina, and the Necessity of adopt
ing some system which would give
us better roads. We have demanded
in the name of the farmers OF the
State, as one of the means that might
be adopted to accomplish this, that
the penitentiary c%onvicts, which
have for years been hired out to
railroad companies at nominal wages,
be employed in constructing and
improving our common highways,
and kept at such work until the
State has a system of roads, of which
she may be proud, instead Of no
system, Of which she ought to be
ashamed. Outside Of the level, sandy
lands of the east, where possibly the
character of the land in certain local
tiles may furnish good roads with
little work or care, there is not a
road in the State which at some
portion of the year is not practically
useless because of the difficulty OF
hauling loads over them, and some
that are so the greater portion OF
the year including that portion
when the farmer needs them most
to market what he has to sell. The
press of the State, we are glad to
see, has, with a few exceptions,
taken up the discussion of this mat
ter, substantially endorsing u
views, and favoring the employment
of the convicts or our public roads.
The Salisbury Watchman in a strong
editorial says:
"The greatest rebuke to civ
ilization is the utter want of respec-
liability in our public highways. A
change in the laws that would
enable the counties to employ crimi-
nails would have a good effect. First,
on the criminals themselves, in Civ
ing them good open air exercise
and thus preserving their health,
and secondly, it would be a much
needed relief to the honest, industri-
Gus farmer, who, in addition to his
laborS and annual taxes, is required
to work the roads. The counties
are obliged to keep the roads up,
and also to feed and are for crimi-
mails. In any sense, it seems just
and right that the county should
command the services of such crimi-
nails to do such public work as does
not conflict with the trades of law
abiding people, and especially s.
when such service will undoubtedly
tend to the comfort and convenience
Of the whole people,"
Commenting upon this, the Will
mington Star, one Of the ablest
papers in the State, says:
of a fair estimate for the whole
State could be made as tc the differ
ence in cost to the people Of a good
system of roads and a bad system
there would be no hesitation on the
part Of legislators to make a radical
change in the entire system of road
working.
eve venture the opinion that
one Of Capt. S~outherland's best
draught horses car pull more dead
weight from Wilmington to Wrights-
vile Sound, a distance of nine miles,
than the four best horses in any Of
the upper counties can pull over the
public roads after the rains and
SHOWS of winter have set in, and all
because Of the excellent turnpike to
Wrightsville and the awful mud of
the upper roads. Then multiply by
as many loads as are hauled in all
the: State over bad roads and you
will e what a tremendous saving
there would be in the way of cost
if all the roads were in excellent
repair. Then to estimate the loss by
bad roads you must consider also
the wear and tear of animals,
wagons, harness, loss of time, &c.
eve do not see at present any
objection to using the penitentiary
convicts for the building Of county
roads. Then there are the county
prisoners that might be used in the
same way and to great advantage"
1t may not be practicable to con-
struct such a system Of roads as the
shell road referred to by our CO.
temporary, but good hard roads,
which can be kept in good condition
for purposes OF travel and trade are
practicable, and a be had at one
fourth of the cost of bad roads.
While the farmers of the State feel