The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-12-25


To the citizens of Road District e2:
l have about finished my years work
as your Com missioner OF Roads, ana as
to now have done my Work you are
the Judges. l have done all In my pow
er to make you good roads, ana nave
used Ali economy possible, and think
have about one tlird of your roads in
fair condition. l nave devoted most OF
my time to your most important roads,
also appropriated most OF the labor ana
money to these roads, and give you as
nv reason for so doing, that think it
best to concentrate the means Tor ROAD
purposes and begin a system OF road
building; another reason is, that nave
always been Of the opinion that public
funds should be placed where IL would
benefit the most people. l am aware
that my course WAS not approved by al
of you; neither did l expect the APPROX
al of every one. II had attempted 10
please all, | would not have worked any
roads at all; because / would not yet
have known how TO have worked them.
The system Of work started TINS
year for your roads was the result OF IN
formation received and observations.
got voluntary suggestions from many,
based upon theory and practices and IN
fact | got Suggestions from nearly every
man 1 met, and l learned something
from nearly every one. Inc best Aho
most profitable suggestion came from
tramp 1 met at Neapolis during the
early summer. That was That water
and dirt worked together with horse
feet and wagon wheels would make
mud. l caught the idea at once; that 20
have roads without mud, the water and
dirt must be separated; ana II All oyer
seers would catch on as L have TO Shl4
fact, the roads would soon be clear OF
mud.
Much dissatisfaction has grown out OF
the price have paid for teams and la
Dor. Some thought IL too little. MY
prices were 20 cents per hour OF actual
work for wagon and two horses, and
@ cents per hour for labor, ana cents
for working in mud and water. This Is
something above what the farmers paid
for them, but somehow all have In their
minds that the public should pay more
for the same article than an inulVlduai.
And you must convince me this Is right
before 1 ever pay IL. L think next year
/ will have you good roads over the dis
trict, and to do 30 ] must surprise you by
star ting something new under the SUM
that is, woodworking in District No. y
begins on the first day of January next.
/ shall demand at least one-half Of the
time shall be worked before May lst.
NV reason for this is, that we can cut
more than twice as much ditch IN the
winter and spring than in summerj we
can grade twice rs much-we can cor
rect errors made in 1891; we viii then
have the entire summer traYel 70 PACK
the road for winter. expect 10 meet
with opposition TO this departure; but u
will be useless unless you show me that
/ am wrong. Ny observation Is that
the farming in the district is 50 diversi-
fed that woodworking conflicts with
farming interests in the summer ana
fan as much so as in the spring. / shall
use all means in my power 70 have you
good roads. / shall ask your County
Court to assess the labor the same for
1892 and to raise the taxes to 20 cents on
the hundred dollars for road purposes
and If this rs done for 1892 3, IL you do
not have all number one roads II Will DO
the fault of your Commissioning. After
that, the tax and labor can safety pc cut
TO one-half. A large majority of the
district is for working the roads alto
gether by taxation. / must compli-
nent my overseers; they certainly have
done their work well, and January 1917
/ will reward all Of them by presenting
them another commission. They alfre-
port that the hands have worked much
better this year than ever known before.
Respectfully, j. A. SANDERS