The record-union., 1896-05-29
KILLING FROST At FOLSOM.
Proposed Macadamized Road Gets the
Cold Shoulder.
If Built. People Will Drive Here
Where They Get Their
Moneys Worth.

Wednesday evening Highway Coin-
missioners Irvine and Maude visited
Folsom in order to attempt TO sur up
enthusiasm in the matter OF lne pro-
posed maca adamized road between Sac
ramento and the town or tolsom But
theirs was a trying ordeal. They have
been used to hearing enthusiastic cltl-
zens of the Capital City and far-seeing
farmers along the proposed line or the
road take sensible view or the matter,
and were not prepared for the chilling,
shivering frost" the FolsOmiteS threw
over the whole business.
There was bonfire and also brass
band in attendance it Is true, but
neither the heat of the former nor the
music of the latter-not even the melt
ing notes of Paradise Alley'-could
thaw out the hearts of FOlSom's inhab-
ttants.
The Chairman of the meeting, to
begin with opposed the building OF the
road He was a blacksmith, and gave
as his reason that it would lnJure MS
business. His logic may have been
good but he only succeeded in disgust
ing the two servants of the State VINO
had the matter at heart.
And the Chairman of the meeting was
only one of many. A kindred spirit
opposed the road because he SAID ne
would be obliged to shoe his horses.
Commissioner Irvine had no answer
for that and did not attempt to reply to
1t, understanding that so perverted an
individual would never realize that II
a horse could haul ZOO pounds in the
mud without shoes, he could haul 3,OoO
pounds on a macadam road with shoes.
But the chilliness did not stop with
the blacksmith and the teamSter, and
probably did not originate with them
The merchants of the penitentlary town
were opposed to it. 1t would 1nJure
their business. Their citizens and those
of the surrounding neighborhood would
drive to Sacramento-where they could
buy their merchandise cheap-if good
road were built.
This latter point also, remained un-
answered. and despite the warmth of
the bonfire and the cheering melody of
the brass band, Commissioners Irvine
and Maude shivered all the way back
to the city.
They reminded me-" said Mr.. Irvine,
'of a set of men / met in the mount
aims during a recent trip made by me in
the interest of good roads. Why they
said, if a wagon road is built over the
mountains it will destroy our packing
trade. No, sir; we don't want it.
But there were other warm friends
who attended the meeting, in the shape
of property holders along the road,
who talked good roads until they be-
came hoarse, but their words fell upon
unwilling ears. The Folsomites We're
curious to know what the Sacramento
Board of City Trustees meant to do
about the matter, and in order to hu-
NOR them the committees appointed to
solicit subscriptions for the proposed
road have decided to meet and report
at Folsom Saturday, June 9th, instead
of at the Bureau of Public Highways
in the Capitol building on Saturday,
May Both.
If the meeting held at Folsom We'd
Eesday evening cuts any ice, the Com
missioners are inclined to believe it is
a very narrow swath and of very thin
material. They consider it to be merely
a question of whether Folsom will or
will not help, and believe the road will
be built just the same, whether they
concur or dissent.
Mr.. Humphreys of Hangtown Cross
ing is reported to have been doing great
work, and has received subscriptions
from parties residing ten miles from the
road. and who could only be indirectly
Interested
r. D. Stephens is said to have offered
the committee S4 30 for each rod of
road lying along his land, and the
strip stretches out to about three
quarters of a mile and lies all on the
same side of the road.
other farmers residing along the
road are known to have made equally
generous offers, and the Commissioners
believe the road will be built beyond
a doubt. Folsom or no Folsom.