Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-03-11
COMMUNICATED.

Mr.. EDITOR MIR. j. b. Lucas. our
road surveyor, is having stone hauled
in order to pike that portion OF the
Charlestown and Shepherdstown road
which passes through Duffields. Mr.:
Lucas has the right idea about road
making. He believes in doing well
what is doue. This piece OF road was
graded last fall with one OF the new
road machines and made ready Tor
the stone. What we want TO see Is
the road piked from the Shepherds
town and Halltown turnpike 10
Charlestown-this being the main
thoroughfare between our county seat
and one of our principal towns-alSo
to points north to Maryland aCd be-
yond. 1t is almost u shame for the
people of Shepherdstown and five or
six miles beyond. in order 70 reach
the county seat, to have to travel
through mud and mire over nine
miles of mean dirt road, or travel four
or five miles out of their way-to 20
bv wav of Halltown turnpike-in or
der to reach their destination. | say
il is almost a shame it is worse. a
county as wealthy as Jefferson and
such roads "a it has-its disgrace 10
the county Some of the poorest
counties in our State have better roads
than we Why can't the county pike
its main roads 1t is true the taxes
would be little heavy for a year or
two, but after we once get good roads
it requires but little expense TO keep
them up. Whereas, the money now
spent on roadsls almostthrown away.
4 mud hole that costs the county this
wear three dollars TO mend, will cost
six dollars next year to repair, II you
want to keep the roads in condition
TO travel You may ask how this can
be? ill try and explain The road
surveyor will have the mud-hole piked,
and by next year there will be one at
either end as large as the first. The
consequence is, there are two more TO
mend next year at three dollars each.
This can readily be observed by any
one who has travelled the county
roads There is sucn thing as waste.
We find it in all things. Ii may he Il
waste of time writing this piece, but
| hope not. | want TO see IL accom-
plish its purpose. We find waste even
in our county roads aud the peoples
money. Iou may ask how. Allow
me to explain For instance, we take
the present mode of working our
county roads \ man, horse and cart
can. with an hours work, open drain
or close small breach with the X
peuse of fifty cents. Whereas, if left
70 remain 80 for year or more, Will
cost the county six times as much to
repair the same piece of road. My
idea is this: Have man with horse
and cart employed to travel a section
of road-say, once month-to stop
small breaches and open drains, which
would cost the county, say, 50 90 per
day, or $50. 90 per year. | claim that
that amount expended per year would
benefit the roads more than six times
that amount if the roads are left un-
til they have to be repaired. The old
maxim is a good one: "A stitch Ill
this case, but six. If our county wants
economy, let us have it, But there is
no economy in the present way our
roads are managed There is no
economy in half-dUing Il thing, just
because it Is cheap. What we want Is
good roads. That means pixies on
which the people can travel with
pleasure in winter as well a. summer.
The winter months is the time Of the
year when most hauling is done on the
roads, and just the time when il re-
uuires team of five horses TO pull a
tw0-horse load through the mud and
bad roads. Let us have pixies, espe-
cially the first above named, from
the Shepherdstown and Halltown pike
to Charlestown. If need be, let us get
up a petition TO the county court,
asking them TO Lake appropriation
Sufficient to make said pike. l..