Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1889-11-23
Public aon,ls.

have called attention to the wretched
conditioned our public highways. They
are disgrace to any civilized. people.
The world moves, all around us we see
evidences of progress, except in our
road system, which i presume Is the
same that was in vogue 200 years ago.
1t may lave served the purposes of u
primitive people, but tits nov antigua
ted and utterly inefficient. Our princi
pal money crops-potatoes-are heavy
and the cost of hauling them is an i'm.
portant item in the expenses of the
farmer. If that cost could be reduced
one thlrl-and it certainly conld be, by
improving our roads-how great would
lie the saving. Eut some old fogy will
hold up his hands and cry out Holy
IIuroM! Increase our taxes, you ii rriR
u.s." But stop, my friend, are we mop
payinga tremendous fax in the hag
loads we are mailing. in the 'stiaining-
worrying and breaking down OF our,
teams:in the wear and tsar of orr carts.
carriages and harness? Yon Ito not see
this tax, so planIyas you do tho money
you count out to the treasurer. hut all
the Same it Is eating up your substance
and wasting AWAY wla ought to he
yonr pr fits. Did YOU ever think how
much your farms are dei rciated in
value hy the had condition "f onr public
roads? Prof. J.W. Jerks inhis Road
Legislation for the American States, )"
says the &C. ectivo highways of Illinois
cost that Stste annually an extra SIS,
S46. go for hauling; AID dep:eciate the
value of it's farms $40 0CO coo. In
other words. it-they had rnod reads the
farmers of that State you'll lie 100 mil
lions Of dulars richer than they are.
Think of this, old fogy. and answer me
this questions: Are YOU not fighting
against yonr best Interests in opposing
an efficient road SYSTEM DR.. l.anium
of Richmond, in Il recent lecture in
Accomac stated that the public liigh
ways of England were eq1a' t. The
hest paved streets in Richmond or BAL
timorr-evpn to those laid with B
gian block; ~ II other c;vilizAl cnun-
tries have such splendid roads. arc we
to continue forever this old road sys-
tenn. (Which is IL little better than a
farce. and contirnp to worry, fret.and
founder in the mud? We do not ex-
pect to perfect our roads ut once. 1t
would take several years tn get orr
roads in really good condition. even if
we hal good system. bnt with the
present law I think they will continue
to grow worse and worse. The present
mode of working our roads is u hnr-
lrsquc. Last Friday I hired four hands
1T so cent? each tn work pi.ce of road.
On Saturday another surveyor sum-
moned on his road 81 rnal hands. am
co.fi lent my four hired hands did more
work than the whole So unpaid hands.
The unpaid hands will not work. and
the road surveyors do not understand
road making. Mncll of tile labor is
thrown away. It Is "blind lead the
blind and all fall in the ditch" The
County Court Judge. at the suggestion
of the grand jury, lesued an order to
surveyors of roads to drain the surplus
water from the pnhlic roads in thirty
DAYS. That order was doubtless well
meant. hut it isa mere brutum frlmen.
It may do little good by causing the
drainage of some of The larger ponds,
but how can read surveyors drain our
public highways in thirty days, when it
lis well known fact that the centers of
our roads are generally lower than any
other part. Right l'ele Is the radical
defect in our roads. The centers muss
be elevated, forming watershed to each
side. before our roads can he made per-
manently good and solid. hut by proper
system, intelligent supervision and in
spection we might have the very best
dirt roads at a moderate cost. am
welded TO no special system. bit hope
some plan may be devised to improve
our highways-a plan that will ultimate
~ give us really good, hard, smooth.
we'll graded roads that will be a credit
not reproach to our thrifty and pro-
gressive community. With such roads,
our future will be bright indeed, but
with the old road system cur wheels of
progress will continue to be retarded
and clogged with mud. CNo.