Daily Republican., 1889-02-02
BAD TURNPHEs
A Brandywins Hundred Farmer Kicks
Against HAD Turnpikes and High
Tolls.

Against HAD Turnpikes and High
Tolls.
Is It not about time that either the toll
gates upon the public pixies leading into
Wilmington should be abolished, or that
the pixies themselves should be kept In
better orderi There are but two outlets
by which person can enter and leave
Wilmington without having blackmail
levied upon them by some rakish gate
keeper kept on guard by those who are
pocketing ten per cent. upon their invest
ments. Market street bridge was made a
free passage way through the labors OF the
late Francis Vincent, and some years ago,
the stockholders themselves Of the Lam
caster pike, got so horribly ashamed Of
the condition In which that pike was Kept
that they had not the heart TO fight the
effort to turn the road over to the county
aud thus another free entrance TO Wil-
mil gton was secured.
But upon the Kennett Ike, the New
port pike, the Concord pike and on the
Philadelphia pike are posted those silent
highwaymen who pounce out upon every
pa ser-hy on horset ack or In . wagon,
aud bids him stand and deliver" The
victim must either fork over or be made
70 feel TIE rigOrs OF the law behind which
the robber is barIicaded.
Were the people Of Wilmington not q
long suffering people, and the farm ers
who supply their markets slow 10 anger,
the relics of past ages, the toll gstes,
would have been swept into Oblivion long
sgo.
But of all the guarded and seLtineled
roads leading into Wilmington the Phlla-
delphia pike Ia the most exccrable The
Concord and Kennett pixies are In tolera-
bly, fair condition, the Newport pike is
not so good, but the Philadelphia like
goes away down lower still, and IL
actually unfit for travel. And upon this
miserable excuse for q turnpike, would
you believe 1t, there are two toll gates
standing like grim pickets, with their
keepers ever on the lookout for the mud
stained, dust-begrimmed, tired ard hec-
tored traveller, upon whom they pounce
With the ayidity of a hawk to ilch the
last penny. do not blame the gate
keepers tor doing this. They are but the
employees oil the ten per centum stock
holders, Who, like Shylock, are not only
after the pound of meat, but the pound
of blood with II.
Now, we Brondywine hundred armera
would not care SO much for the toll,
though II is Unfortunately high, IL the
lOrdly stockholders would only give us a
good road. Why, between toundhead
uobble stones aud chuckholes nobt dy
knows when n carriage may collapse
Aud through what kind Of country
does tbs Philadelphia (so-called) pike
extendi Through barren wilderness, u
swamp, pine thicketi No, none Of
tsese, but through one of the most beau
tifu and picturesque countlies the sun
900 Eh rt...1
Gcape and water lew Is present by hut
few rlsc in these United States. Run
nirg bstwten two great trunk line rail-.
roads II trayerses q section Of country
that might well be called Gods favored
land. at the base OF the gently reclining
hills Is one of these railroads aud one ct
the most magnificent rivers on the cont
nent. Back lees than three quarters OF o
mile is the other road running around
hill sides, over babbllng brooks, through
woodland copsts and past country re
treats. Fifteen minutes walk takes you
to station on one railroad or up to q
station ON the other. All along this
Z. we tern face of the Delaware land is sell
ing much OF It for $1,000 per acre.
Capitalists from Philadl lphla, attracted
, by the beauty Of the place. are dottlnl
[ tue hilsiles with lslstial residence
. Along the base lie Edgemoor, Riverside
Holly CAV, Grubh's Landing aud Clay
mont, and back along the other rallroa'
lie Concord, Carrcroft and Carpenter, al
growing into the greatest importance
d And here is that ficketiy old pike, hel,
r by three or four mln, with lie statlonet
, highwsymen at t@o points, demRndin,
{ tribute from every person who wants Il
take little drive down 10 Wilmington
Why, If the peope had the spurk o, thos
who resisted the stamp act IL i775 Az,
threw tho British tea into Bo ton hafbor
ttey would have tumblcd these toll-ga G
u into the river long ago, or else they wouli
=. have had pike in keeping with the sur
r. uIdings. The people of Brsudywiu,
Hundred are not ayerse tn paying toll OF
: u good pike, but they will ever protes
1, against paying toll on pike that is dgn
} gerous TO drive over.
), The merchants especially and the rec
a pie In general Of Wilmington are aiIecte,
by this bad pike. Citizens along tn
II route, when they want 10 do a little shop
ping, would rather pay few cents NOR
and run 10 Philadelphia on one o
other Of the railroads.
This Ia taking trade all the lime ava
from wi miHgton. A united pTotee
ftOm country aud from city and u unite
appeal to the Legislature Tor reliefsaoul
4, be made this winter aud hope viii h
y made. THANKING you for this niue
space In your excellent paper, allow III
to subscribe myself kicker from tn
word go against all turnpike or any 9th.
kind of tyranny.
BRANDYwtNE HUNDRED FARMER