The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-01-23
The lleoplts 4 oluu1n


The Condition Of the Roads.
Mr.. EDITOR:
The County Commissioners, acting
with those of other COMMITTEES, will pos
sibly make an attempt to have their
term of office extended. However the com
misaiou"Is themselves may feel on the
subject (and believe they are unanimous
! for the longer tenure OF ot1iee) l do not
doubt that the majority Of the tax payers
OF the county are Just as unanimous
that two years is a long enough term.
| Ii Thoroughly bad commissioners are
| elected, two yeaIs will ne too long, aud if
| on the other hand, worthy men hold the
cifice, they can be elected TO succeed
themselves. There are entirely too
many long time offices in this county,
aud if the C mmissiouers are added, it
will go TO Indicate that others will follow
their example, and, before long, every
| Office holder Will erdeavor to make his
tenure of Office as nearly life long as
possible. Were the term of some of the
other offices within the git of the people
shortened, there would be more work
done, as the possibility OF o speedy sue.
cessOr would put life into the lcthargc
condition OF rOJ a lew Off &c holders. Ii
the commissioners, instead uf pulling
wires for a longer term, would devote
more OF their time to tire condition Of
: 10 no
the fulfillmeHt Of their trust to the al
vantage OF the tax payers. Have any OF
them travelled over the road between
ElktOu and North East lately? If 50 Lave
they missed noticing how that portion
from the Junction of the Nottingham
road to the bridge near the Red Mill has
been repaired? Before some one con
ceived the happy thought to have it
repaired, the water from adjoining fields
made puddlcs and wash outs in the
road bed. To remedy this a small army
of boys and two cats were employed to
haul gravel and dump it along that por
ton of the road supposed to be low.
This primitive way of repairing a road
might have done temporarily, but the
loads OF gravel Coach oae abon5 the siZe
OF decent wheel barrow lold) vera lett
just as they were dumped, to be leveled
wheels aud springs. No provision has
been made iUr the passage OF water from
the Nottingham road, but, OF course,
that will make necessary another
attempt at road building at tax payers
expense. Neither have the comniss
toner's ever been across the ford at Little
Elk creek, neal Slngerly's stock farm.
Ii they have, it is safe to warrant that
they never will go that away again. The
condition Of this particular piece of road
is all the more noticeable from the
perfect condition of the ioad bed just
beyond and all the way TO the Blue Ball
road. Much Of this good road is the
result OF private enterprise, although the
commissioners may get credit for it. Il
10 poor satisfaction 10 tho farmers il the
vicinity, this Gzcelionl piece Of road,
since the other portions are SO wIetChed
thas they caaao5 reach = good market
Tor their wheat or corn, aud must pause
at the creek and observe the beauty OF
the road beyond as 4 promised land they
cannot enter. or course it is asking
great deal TO have the commss!o. ers
wake from their rosy dreams Of longer
terms and Increased bank accounts, but
they are sufficiently we'll acqa tinted
with agriculture to know that the value
oi farm depends as much on its acces
si5iity IS Gu its fertility, and that better
roads go great ways toward SOLVING
the problem Of How to make farming
pay" &.
ElktOn Ian 1892