Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-01-28
Letters From tho People.

with lie fast that our legislature is II
sessi, n, l hardly think it amiss TO "a
tEe attention of the people to the facl
that the present is proper time to So
cure some action upon the part OF ON
lawmakers 10, king to the Improvement
of our system ut roadmaking. The
peopl" in I'LL sections of the county are
very Justly complaining because OF the
terrible condition of orr roads and are
crylng aloud for some measure of relief
nj the hands If ON Officials. No conn.
try that has not enjoyed th"m can anpre'
ciait the advantages ariSin! from good
roads. On the olhe' land no ono can
estimate IL. losses which have been ANS
tainrd in various ways from had roads
Among other things here health, worry
of mind. loss of time and money. veal
and tear of vehicles and teams, and in
man. instances loss nf life itself, can
very properly hr attributed to the
wrctched condition generally OF the
roads Without IL doubt the losses
arising ia our people from this source IN
tile wears past. will aggregate hundreds
of thousands Of dollars. especially wien
we consider The deprecated values OF
lands arising in a great measure from
this fact. Inthis immediate nc,ghhnr-
hood (Soaside) the public highways de-
serve the name of mud pu,ldlcs. rather
than roads. And | am informed this
condition is prevalent throughout the
county. This is IN evil which our pco-
pie have sooner OF later to face and
remedy-and probably there will he no
better time TO begin Il reform in this di-
rection than the present. / hardly
think it the part Of wisdom much less
of Justice. viewed from an intensely
selfish standpoint even. thatthis gcner..
atm should continue to tolerate the
present inefficient system of road
making. in rider to save few dollars.
and throw the burden Of reform npon
our children. In my mind snch pan
is not u! ~ wrong in principle, hnt also
very damaging to lie material alvance-
mel of our county. 1t IS emphaticallv
Il s, fish penny wise ard FOUND foolish
idea. That We can ever have, absolutely
good roads here. no ono hopes or he
lieveS ut least not without the expen
liture + such vast sums of money as
we dare not dream of in this connection.
The GEOLOGICAL formation Of this sec
tion of or State precluieS such Il de
sideratum. but 1t is possible TO have
much better roads than we have and
that ut Il cost not much in excess OF the
system now in vo"ue that is for annual
repairs after they have once been put IN
thoroughly good orler. To accomplish
this latter fact and to remedy eifrctnally
the evil complained of. the expenditure
of much labor and money will he neces-
s;lry Ourre0ple had rs well realize
these facts in the outset. We spend
thousands Of dollnrs for public hn ID
inCS tn lpautifv our county town with
out murmnr from the tax payers. why
not spend Il thnnsand or 81 iurc- building
the roads that lead to them. so that the
public can have easy access tn them?
The main thoroughfa,cs leading to the
Court House. and in fact nil other roads
in the county as Il rnle. now resemble
and serve in many places rs reservoirs
of water and mud. rather than public
highways These road lakcl.ts forming
in severe freezes almost impossible ice
barriers. ans, ut other times cessp 'nls,
where many deadly diseases are gener-
ate,l. Sanitary. economic, political and
considerations of every character. should
prompt us to action in this matter.
Theory upon theory has been advanced,
laws upon laws lave been proposed
looking 10 The remedying of the bad
condition IT orr roads for years past
Some of these propositions would
meet, believe, with popular approval
and would serve in Il great measure To
remedy the defects in the present sys-
ten of road making. Thus far. howev-
er. we find that no decided steps have
been taken looking to the adoption Of
any measure of relief by our public ser
waits. On the contrary, they appear to
be entirely otlivious to the existence.
not only Of the evil complained of. hut
also tu the measures OF relief proposed.
and judging liy their inaction. they are
content that the existence of the pres
ent venerable failure, should be indefi
nitely relpetuated. PERHAPS they are
,.arAlyzr,l by the multiplicity of p'o-
y" sed remedies. from the many eif"ct-
i've ones. not hcing able to make a
choice or waiting it may be-, for the
current of popular option t" grow
Stronger in this direction, fearing ut
present to trust tie fmtnneS of their
political bark upon what appears to
Them, perhaps as rather fitful Scream.
| would sHy to them. nrver fear gen
tlemen, launch her forth. the stream is
deeper and stronger than yon dream. it
/ has its fountain in the hcartsand neccS-
sites of tie people and will bear You
safely on. Act up to your convictions
and if in so doing you should be immo-
lated politically. upon your country S
altar. and YOU should for Il time bid
farewell TO the comforts and fortunes
incident to your Offices, you will carry
with you to private life, not only the APP
proval of your own c0nsciences for duty
well done. but also the respect and COLI
flence of the intelligent and progress
sive people If the county.
1t is hardly worth while to discuss
here the causes thai lead to the present
almost intxcusable bad state Of our
roads. Most of them are manifest to
the most superficial observer. [ only
call tie attention of the public TO what
| conceive to be the chief cause, in or
der that our officials ami road makers
may III the future avoid one of then
greatest past mistakes relative To Tic
matter in question. Our officials never
required that our roads Should be male
consequently the roMimakers have
never made roads that is, in a proper
manner. Heretofore road commissions
cres or viewers, sent by the court Mpol
proposed new public road, In their re.
ports have with few exceptions dome
very little more than recommend (lf m
favor Of opening the road), That way
shall lie cleared through acertain swami
or to certain village as the case may
be. emitting generally, all specifications
rs to what work will lie necessary IN or
der to make a good road, and the court
acting upon their report, appoints a
commissioner to let the building Of
the road TO the lowest bidder, in some
instances without requiring even that