Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-04-09
Anderson Letter.


old man came into Mr.. Sly's shop, gave
brief "mornin" for greeting, seated
himself by the stove and remained fol-
some time in silence, his piercing blue
eyes fixed upon Mr.. S. s countenance,
whilst the rugged lines of his own were
accentuated much more than usual by
the thought that was troubling him.
At length he broke out with
"Drat if it amt more than a man
can stand to pay so much tax and see
yourself and nobody else get any good
of the money. Either the hamestrings
will break and the whole team will run
free, or the breechings will give way
and everything will be kicked to fin
ders."
Mr.. Sly wished to know what was
specially troubling his old friend. 1t
was our roads. He had been watching
the day before the renter of road sec
tiOn-an old man accompanied by a
half-grown boy, the one with a dull
mattock, the other with cracked
shovel, "a scratchin' and a pokin'
along, and dom what they called put
tim the road in ORDER Every now
and then the old man would stop and
put his hand on his back, and the boy
would stop and look at the old man in
sympathy. and then they would stand
twice as long as they had worked be-
fore they struck another lick and af-
ter they had been four or five days at it
wouldn't them roads be in order p
Y es, in a horn" There might be five
dollars worth of work done, but it will
take up twenty-five dollars worth of
taxes.
Mr.. Sly asked what could be done to
remedy matters?
Why said the old man, "come
down to good hard horse sense, and
manage it like it was private business.
Do like these railroad men do in keepin ,
up their track, only you'll have to be a
little different. Let the county ap-
pint it's section masters, like they used
to appint the overseers, and give him
$l.25 for every day he works, and so
much year for takin' care of the tools,
and let him pay good stout men 81 a
day for work, and so much load for
pounded rocks to put in the mudholes.
Let him know how much money there
is for his section and let him give or
ders for ninety cents on the dollar and
leave the ten ceuts for Emergencies.
And the sheriff will have to know that
the road tax must be in the treasury by
a certain time so that dollar order
means dollar. Why, Sly, we can
cadamize our roads in ten years with
the taxes we are a-payin'. But l
reckon there's no use talkin', the dead
beats have got us, and they are gettin
to be the big majority"
Mrs. ID. G. EImore moves this week
from our town to Hinton.
The Misses Gillespie, of White Sui
phur Springs, are the guests of Mrs. s.
l.. Alley during this week.
Our depot agent informs us that the
G. q o. has leased the branch of the l..
& N. extending from Cincinnati to
Louisville, and are now running trains
oyer it that tickets can be sold to any
point on the leased road, and that the
distance to Louisville will be shortened
by 81 miles. He says farther that the
business of his depot is greatly in ex
cess of what it was at this time last
year, and shows greatly increased
business activity.
Mrs. Minnie Pence has rented the
school building in North Anderson ant
will open up summer resort.
Mr.. I.apham has a saw-mill at tn,
foot Of Keeny's mountain near Clay
ton, and is doing heavy lumber bust
ness.
A friend said, "Mr. Walter POLLOCK
will shuttle off this mortal coil OF
Wednesday," A benedict standing b,
said, He'll shuttle it on" So Their,
are different views to be taken o
things. May happiness attend tn,
good fellow.
Mr.. 5. w. Anderson passed through
here on Tuesday with ll5 head of stool
cattle which he had bought in Masol
county, and will turn into his hom
pastures.
Mr.. J. G.. Bright owned the brag mill
cow of the town, claimed for her whel
fresh eight gallons a day, but lost he
last week by death from unknown