The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1894-06-02
MISS, SATURDAY. JUNE 2, 1884.
or MUCH INTEREST TO GRENADA AND
COUNTY,

OF MUCH INTEREST TO OGRENADA AND
COUNTY,
Business for the One: Increased Values
I for the Other.
The Great Advantage ofGood Roads Easily
|. 4 Gained.
/ Editors Sentinel:--Sixty-five years in
labor are annually thrown away upon
the public roads Of Grenada county.
"A remarkable and startling statement,
but a true one.
L There are in tho county Of Grenada,
as the records demonstrate, two thou
sand men and youths liable to road
duty. The law imposes the duty of
labor for a period Of not exceeding ten
days upon each Af them. Ten days
labor each for two thousand men and
youths in twenty Thousand days of pos
sible work.
! Disregarding fractions, it is one
thousand days Of labor for twenty men,
| five hundred days of labor for forty
men; two hundred and fifty days, Tor
NEARLY full year Of work days., for
eighty men.
In other words, we co uld, without ex
hausting our regular supply OF availa-
bic labor, keep eighty men working
Ievery work day Of the year upon our
county public roads.
And what becomes OF this vast amount
, OF labor and human energy and capacity?
1t is for the most part not utilized at
all, and when used, is almost entirely
wasted, misapplied and misdirected.
And what causes this shameful waste?
The chief cause is the lack of apprecia-
tion of the value and Importance Of
good roads, and, then tre great lack Of
Intelligent direction and control of the
labor.
Mr.. Editor, I firmly believe that
with proper attention to the matter
lot good roads and by careful and eco
nomical use OF the means at our COM
mand, we could within one year make
such a change in the character and
condition of the public roads Of the
county that they would compare favor
ably with t1erbest dirt roads of Tennes.
see, Kentucky or the the middle States,
and would be superior to any roads ol
any Southern section. also believe
that to achieve this result would be to
increase the lands of Grenada county at
least twenty per cent in value, and
would, even in the first business season
Of 1S94-95, increase the volume of bust.
. ness in the town of Grenada fully thirty.
three and third per cent. over the
! amount of business done during the
: season just passed.
!. There are eight main public roads
q leading into the city of Grenada. II
would be easy to keep eighty men
working steadily for over month or
= each of these roads every year, and
that, without exhausting our supply o1
labor.
" II the public roads to Grenada were
made safe and dry and smooth, many
more OF the farmers Of Carroll, Talla
hatchie, Calhoun, Yalobusha, Mont
! gomery, Choctaw, and Webster would
come to Grenada to do their trading
= Farmers love a good safe road foI
loaded teams, and they will take the
. best road to market, even though the
distance be considerably longer.
To put the roads leading to Grenads
in perfect condition and then to main
tain them, would do us as much goot
and increase property values in tht
= county In larger degree than would 1
furniture factory, or spoke and hui
actory,-that is, in proportion to tn
cost Of the several enterprises.
Let the county Of Grenada BID!
wheel scrapers, carts. gear, tools, etc.
q suited to the work. The cost woul'
not exceed five hundred dollars, ant
the implements would last for years.
Then, lot the people Of Grenada pay Al
experienced Road Engineer to tax
charge Of the labor, in conjunction
with the regular overseers, and prop
erly grade and build up the road.
The cost would not exceed six hur
dred dollars per annum. Then ,co,
the roads with some intelligence an
give to that work some little characte
! Of permancy. u.-. 'r.. r-4 ,
If the Board Of Trade would appoin
q committee to consider this matter
something Of public interest and valu
may be done during the dull summe
montksnow approaching. y"
The people Of the town will NEE
with encouragement and help frol
those with interests outside the corp,
ration lines, and will find no difficult
in securing contributions Of labo1
teams, money and implements over an
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