Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-05-27
County Roads.

The subject of the improvement of tn
county roads has recently been discussed
in nearly every State of the Union, includ
ing the great Empire State of New York
in which the New York Journal of Coaa
merce has published some able articles upol
| it, from which we learn what has beer
done and bow in some other States, which
will be of interest to the people of thil
State who are now seriously seeking ths
best plan for improving the county roads
! New Jersey, says that journal, has taker
very creditable lead in this work by the
passage of a law known as ''The County
Road act" which provides that any public
road ia any county OF the State may be de-
clared county road by the County Board
of Chosen FreehoIders in that county, and
becomes such by the filing of map de-
fning ths rosd with the County Clerk
Money may be raised by the Board for the
construction and care of all such roads
located in the county. Upion county
awaited itself of the new law and went to
work with great intelligence, energy and
perseverance, to reform the highways with
in its jurisdiction. 1t has already COZ.
structed nearly fifty miles of substantial
highways upon which it is a comfort to
travel throughout the year. The cost thus
far is only about five dollars per capita,
and the result has been such an improve
ment in real estate and increased considers
ton for homes within the renovated dis
trict that even those who hesitated at first
now heartily approve of the course that has
been taken.
In Floyd county, Georgia, five first class
com missioners were elected with power to
Improve tho roads They matured their
plan q, obtained rock-crushers, selected a
competent overseer and then put under
him all the county criminals, who in regu-
lar chain-gangs were set to do the work.
Every one of the seven roads leading from
Rome, Ga, has been graded and macadam-
lied Eve miles from the CITY. About forty
hands are steadily employed, and it has
cost the county very little more than it
would to support the criminals in Jail. We
| Judge that the effect of this discipline has
lessened the volume of petty offenses, as
we learn that a few convicts have been
hired from the adjoining counties.
| In commenting on this plan, the Journal
| of Commerce says -
"We can conceive of nothing more prom
Using than this in two directions. While
the county paths have been hardened into
a perfect thoroughfare the path of crime
has been hardened too, but in this case
made less inviting to vicious feet. The
gentlemanly forger, the waite-handed
burglar and expert safe-breaker, the sleek
sneak thief, whose life has been devoted to
| emptying Railways Of their contents or
clearing the valuables from bureaus and
dressing tables from the second stories of
dwellings, easily accessible to one who
knows how to climb, care little now when
| they are detected, convicted and sentenced.
They are to be furnished at the expense of
the public treasury with food and clothing
and medical care better than the average
fare of honest laborers. They have no loss
of any of these things from sickness, no
want comes to them from failure to get
employment, and they have 10 one de-
pendent upon them for whom they must
provide. Take these fellows out and set
them to work for eight months in the year
upon the road, and their calling would be
found to be much less attractive. But let
us have the more excellent roads even if we
cannot induce the State to set the convicts
to the task. Ten millions laid out 10 this
State upon the country high ways would be
the best investment New York ever made,
not even excepting the great Eric Canal"