Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-11
THE NATIONAL ROAD.
TEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE A KNOTTY
PROBLEM ON HAND.
The Road Needs Much in the Shape Of Repairs
and the Revenue Not Sufficient TO Make Them.
Can Money Be Appropriated?

Members Of the Board Of County Com
missioners are devoting much OF their
spare time in considering what onght to
be done with the National road, from
this city east to the Pennsylvania State
line.
The road is in bad condition, and the
question is how 10 make it what it
ought to be, and restore it to its ancient
usefulness and value.
For a long time past-ever since the
transfer Of the road from the State to
the county, in fact-the Board has been
seeking to perfect the management Of
the road and put II in general trim, but
so far without success, for one reason
and another. AT the last special meet
inc of the Board an ordinance was pre-
sented and read first time, but, so In
tficate was the subject that the paper
was laid over and made the special order
for meeting of the Board TO be held
on Monday, when the whole subject
will be gone over, taking up probably,
the whole Of that day.
Strange as il may seem in the light OF
the increase in the population along the
pike in recent years, the receipts from
tolls on the road have fallen or very ma
terially " late, an instance being at the
Leatherwood toll house, where the
drop has been fifty per cent, or from
S. 900 per year to 81, 900. This has ne
cessitated a restriction in the OUTLAWS
for repairs for some years, and thus by
degrees the road has gone on from bad
70 worse until cow it is but a wreck OF
its former state.
A natural remedy in the minds of
many would be sufficient appropria-
ton from the county treasury to make
repairs, but the Board has been advised
by Prosecuting Attorney Howard that
this cannot be done, as this Is not
county road in the sense other roads
are. but is held in trust by the county
for the State, which, In It's turn, Is
trustee for the United States, by which
the road was originally built. 1t would
take an act Of Congress to straighten
all this out, and perhaps an additional
act by the Legislature as well. Two
wears would elapSe, at least, before both
these measures could be passed, and at
the end OF that time, the way things are
going, the old pike would be in sorry
state.
Several members Of the Board OF
Commissioners. are In favor OF making
appropriation, even il il be not strictly
legal, being sure that public opinion
would sustain all reasonable and proper
efforts TO put the main road of the coun-
" in good order. They argue that
with this road in bad shape the useful
ness OF nearly all the roads in the coun-
" is very seriously impaired, and
that in addition such repairs are i'm
peratively demanded not only by the
large country population, but by the peo-
pie of the city as well. They also argue
that il there was no pike money on hand
and a storm should destroy portion Of
the road, as was the case few years
ago, il would have to be fixed through
an expenditure Of public money or the
public interests would be very seriously
impaired, aud II that proposition is true,
the principle ought 70 govern as we'll in
the present situation.
An these points and others will be
gone over by the Board at Mondays
meeting.