Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-03-17
THE ROAD QUESTION.
Few Remarks About Dirt Roads-An Invita-.
ton to Discuss the Subject.


at any other time to the necessity Of
good roads. On the dirt roads-or,
rather, they should be called mud
roads now-it is almost an impossible
ity to drag a loaded wagon, while
even travel in buggies or light wagons
is seriously restricted. All over the
country the road question is being
agitated, and it looks as though the
people may at last awake TO the
comfort and necessity Of good roads.
West Virginia must not lag in the
good work.
When one thinks upon the subject
he wonders how it is THAT rich
county like Jefferson. for instance,
can be satisfied with dirt roads-that
our people will go on spending money
year after year with practically no
Improvement in our highways. 1t
seems almost incredible that for fifty
or a hundred years the well-to-d do and
intelligent farmers who live west OF
Shepherdstown and the people living
in the town would suffer mudhole
a couple of hundred yards long to
exist at the very edge of the corpora
ton, on a road whereon the travel Is
continuous. Yet, ever since II has
been a highway, we suppose, the
Martinsburg road at the west edge OF
this town has been an almost bottom
less bog in the spring OF the year.
Money enough he's been spent In
throwing up the dirt to have laid an
asphalt pavement or to have paved
it with Belgian blocks. 1t Is only
within the past year or two that the
permanent improvement OF broken
stone has been begun there.
We have seen good horse stall on
the road leading TO Moler's Cross
Roads drawing a buggy with two
persons in it, within sight of Shep-
herdstown. 1t isu common thing for
farmers to miss good sales OF their
products in the spring because they
were unable to do any hauling Last
snring the guests who had been In
yited to a social gathering in one OF
the beet neighborhoods in this county
were unable to be on hand because
travel was ali impossibility. who
except under direst necessity, Will
undertake to drive from Shepherds
town to Shenandoah Junction when
the roads are bad = How many
teams could make round-trip from
here to Martlnsburg during the spring
mouths and pull load
WHY should not there be good
nike from Moler's Cross Roads to
Shepherdstown' Moler's is the cen
ter OF a nei.hborhood composed OF
rich, intelligent, prosperous people
There is probably not better dirt
road in the county than that which
connests that village with this town.
Under the able direction OF road su-
nerintendent Jas. NJ. Hendricks con-
siderable part of the road has been
piked. but with the limited sums OF
money he has at his command 1t Will
be a long time before the entire road
is maeadamized. 1t is a standing re-
Election on such a community that IL
ordures a dirt road as its main artery
OF travel.
Than there is the road from town to
Billmyer's Mill 1t, too, is fortunate
in having a good superintendent In
the person Of Mr. Chas. NJ. Folk, and
he also is making some permanent
improvements. But such improve
ments are by the necessities Of our
system too gradual. The present
generation will be gray before they
are completed. Billmyer's Mill Is the
center of another such a goodly coun-
try as Moler's, and farmers travel
there from every section around about.
Yet they all travel over dirt roads and
in the spring they can scarcely get
along at all The cost OF a pike to
town would be small, the increase IN
the value of the property would be
great, yet the people seem content to
70 on in the same old ruts that their
fathers journeyed in.
We do not mention these instances
because the roads Of this section are
any worse than those Of other neigh
borhoods, but simply TO draw atten-
ton to the state Of affairs right I'M
der orr own noses. Our roads are as
good as any other dirt roads-but dirt
roads are not the thing. Pixies are
the proper sort of highways for intel
ligent. prosperous communities. The
great question is, How shall we get
them.
These same reflections are applica-
ble to other localities, but why emu
merate The condition OF affairs is
undisputed. How shall they he rem
edied! We hope that public interest
may be awakened and maintained
The columns OF the REGISTER will be
open to the discussion OF this subject.
We shall be glad to hear from any
person interested in good roads.
We notice that the Berkeley county
farmers are moving for better roads,
and at a meeting in Martinsburg last
Saturday a league was formed with
this object in view. We think Jetfer-
son county will not want to be be
hind Berkeley in the matter OF roads
Our people, too. should take some &C
tive steps in this direction. Let our
farmers and our citizens generally
get together and agitate the subject
and give it attention.
TrusssTs ADDITION.