Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1895-03-08
GOOD ROADS TALK,
Another Article from Us on the Subject of
Free Turnpikes.

Well, / have expected to be jumped
on. No great enterprise has ever
succeeded without argument pro and
con My idea was to get the matter
before the people and try to evolve
some plan for roads, better than the
system now in vogue.
Our correspondent in opposition
has an erroneous idea that we are
trying to get the county court to buy
up the pixies in the southern part and
tax the other sections to pay for them
and still leave them in the mud. By
no means; am only in favor of a
fair and equitable arrangement-giv-
ing no preferences, and placing the
money where it will do the most good
to the many, and to buy no roads al
ready built until the court can see
their way clear to do so. In fact |
know of no equitable way of doing it,
only as they are now doing in upper
counties. My understanding Is that by
mass meetings of the citizens they
determined to avail themselves of the
recent enactments, and SO peti'ioned
their several courts. All were taken
at once
Now, six of our main roads are
piked, five or six more, and those
mainly in the northern part of the
county,would be all that are necessa-
ry to open the main avenues of trade
and travel. l think it decidedly nec-
essary and fair to pike several of
those roads first, and particularly
the roads leading to the coal fields,
which means cheaper coal than the
railroads are now delivering. 1t
would certainly be unfair to tax those
having no pixies to buy up those al
ready existing. And it would be un-
just and illegal to pike parallel roads
to these piked by private subscription.
The court gave them the roads to i'm
prove, and they must protect them.
Supervisor writes of 900 miles of road
in the county. OF course, it will now
be contemplated to pike all-and it
is entirely unnecessary as he knows.
stick to my original proposition,
that fifty miles more in the several
roads north and east of them already
built will open the main avenues, suf
ficiently for long time to come.
Supervisor does me and himself in
justice when he thinks have intend
ed or made any reflections on the
present magistrates. They have
| done remarkably well. Have spent
more money in roads than any other
county in the State, and unless they
change the system will continue to
spend. They have done all the good
'squires could do, and all the people
would stand, and still they have
miserable roads and the people COM
plain. 1t was the system and not the
court that is a sourse of ridicule and
extravaganza. Now, l will call Sup
ervisor 10 time on one statement that
he will find untrue if he will call up
on the secretary of any of the pixies.
They can and will show him that our
pixies are a paying investment, and
will average the dividends | claim
from 8 to II per cent. He will also
find that he cannot buy a share of
stock at par So his innuendo that
it is selfish idea of turnpike stock
holders wanting to unload is not
true goods. | would like for him to
inform himself and correct this idea.
| was not authorized by a single
stockholder to say that they would
ever part with their property at any
figure. Only spoke for myself with
some hopes that the deal m ght somc-
time be affected for the general good
My stock pays me well, would rather
have it than any bank stock.
am satisfied that if the county
ever gets them they Will have to pay
value for them. ] spoke of hauling
and paying toll on my wheat to mere
ly show that if l did not live on a
turnpike 1 would not have 1000
bushels to sell, Supervisor is right
about taking out of one pocket and
putting in the other, if it were other.
wise | could not afford it. However,
there are so few on the pixies that
can do that--bear the burden. | al-o
plead guilty to driving and selling
good horses, and wish Supervisor
could do SO. He comes to town by
rdll anu pays MS uoll 10 Cne II. G ~,
another corporation. know | never
saw him come any other way in sum
mer and in winter. He cannot. |
know about where Supervisor lives,
and must say that if there ever was
a country in need of improvement his
is. 1t is also more susceptible to
rapid improvement than any section
| know of by good roadways Do
something to Invite immigration;
nothing will do it quicker than roads.
With snowy turnpiEes and country
already picturesque, and the hills
blooming with vineyards, gardens etc.
to be seen from the passing cars to
invite the home seeker, / see no
reason why you should not come out
of the ruts.
One DOint in answer IN SuDeryiSOr |