The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1894-03-01
Can Hooking County Have Good
Roads2

OuT lduO.
Many of the counties Of Ohio, years
ago, took advantage of the two mile
assessment law, and have now good
and substantial roads connecting the
principal points of the county with
the county seat.
| Hooking has never taken any
action under the existing laws, and
our farmers, and the travelling public
generally have been content to con-
tinue to smear their vehicles and
teams with the mud of our public
roads just as our ancestors did fifty
years ago.
In all things we can mark the
march of improvement. but in the
matter of highways we seem to be
| unable to arouse the mind of the or
binary inhabitant, and he continues
year after year, to abus his teams,
and content himself, at the expense
of great additional cost and labor,
with conveying half load to mar
ket during nearly one half the year.
To cease preliminaries however,
let US see what can be done to better
our condition.
We, in this comfy need the fol-
lowing roads improved Road from
Logan to Laurelville via Enterprise,
% miles. Road from Logan to
Bloomingville and extended west to
intersect Salt Creek Valley Turn
pike % miles; Road from Logan via
Winona and Gore to County line II
miles; Road from Logan to County
line below Haydenville IL miles;
From Logan to New Mt Pleasant,
via Ewing and Ilesboro IA miles;
Pine Grove and Rockbridge road to
the intersection of Perry road, near
Abel Carpenters residence 7 miles:
Road from north boundary of Mari
on Twp, to intersection of improved
road, 8 miles; Road from Smiths
Chapel via Union Furnace to County
line near New Plymouth IL miles;
From east or south side of Ward twp.
to Pattonville Is miles; Middlefork
Valley to Buena Vista 6 miles; Big
Pine Valley 12 miles, in all 1So mi,
at an average cost of s2,OOOper mile
| or a total cost of s27O,O0O.
This expenditure will put thcs
roads in condition in which they
will need but little repair in long
series of years.
Now how can these roads be con-
structed?
Let us see: The tax duplicate OF
the county in round figures is $500,
600. We are now spending on our
roads about mills on our valuation
or S16.500 per year, and in addition
to this we are spending the poll tax.
or two day labor tax, amounting to
$4,000 more or total of S26,50C
per year.
This sum is spent each year, and
has been continued for years past
and no mortal can ascertain what has
been done for the roads with the
money. 1t is safe to say that at least
seventy five per cent of this snm is
wasted and the system may be con
tinued during the life of the present
and succeeding generation and the
last of them will travel through mue
a foot deep on his journey to the
tomb.
The whole system is wrong from
foundation to keystone, and must be
abandoned or we will continue to be
smothered in mud for one half O.
each year.
i Our plan is to bond the county t'
the extent necessary for the constrac-
ton of the roads indicated or others
of greater importance, if such can b.
found, making the bonds A or 5 pei
cent ten-forty's. The interest at 4
per cent on $270,O0O will amount t.
$12,15O, OF at S per cent, to sl3,5O'
annually, which is a less sum than w
are now raising by taxation for thi
purpose, and still leaving US the pol
tax to be expended on side road
connecting with those that are i'm
proved.
i The first bonds will not fall du'
for ten ycers or twenty years at tn
option of the county, and by tha
time tho increas of land values ant
in chattles will provide sinking
fund for the redemption of the bonds
without any material increase il
the tax aate.
This may not be the best plan pos
sible but it will do to think about ant
: improve upon.
To the end that some action ma
be taken let us have a convention
and discuss the matter in way tina
its importance demands and if posi-
BILE have the requisite Legislation tha
: we may begin Operations in th'
near future.
In the mean time the columns O
this paper are open for the discussion
of the matter and the opinio ms of al
on the subject.
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