The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-29
THE VALUE OF GOOD COUNTRY ROADS.
THE NEED OF "A PERMANENT SYS-
TEN IN ROAD BUILDING.

History OF the Movement for Improv
ed Highways--A Matter for Careful
Study by All Men.
Never before in the history of the
United States were the necessities and
advantages of good wagon roads more
fully appreciated or more generally
discussed than at the present time.
About haiti q century ago the question
of good roads became leading one In
Tennessee State politics, but unfortu-
nately party spirit ran very high in
tluenced tho minds of q vast numbe" OF
voters and they were blinded to the
States future prospects thereby. But
dominant political party of that
day, taking into consideration the i'm
mense advantages that accrued from
the early crude, costly efforts of the
carly pioneers to establish highways
for immigrants from Virginia and
North Carolina to the fertile lands of
Middle and West Tennessee, succeeded
in ENGRAVING upon tho State policy a
system of internal improvements by
which the State was to pay oue-half
the expense in long time 6 per cent.
bonds and the promoters and contrac-
tors Of all roads were to receive the
other half Of the cost OF construction in
stocks of the road. These stocks were
made valuable by reason Of generous
enactment authorizing the STOCKHOLM
ers to establish toll gates not less than
one mile'Irom the limits of any incor-
porated town and not less than five
miles apart in the rural sections. The
toll charges at all these gates were
fixed by law for every kind Of vehicle,
Ia l,>l 1t.
live stock, and printed copies were re-
quired to be displayed in plain type
on the outside OF the toll gate houses
at all times, day and night. With
very few exceptions, the locations of
the toll gates and the fixed toll through
the internal improvement policy by
the State dates back to 1916 and was
perfected in 1853
This policy was inaugurated and per-
fcctcd by what was then known as the
Whig party. The party went down
in hopeless defeat in 1856 60 and ono of
the grandest monuments TO it's memory
Is the magnificent macadamized roads
In many parts Of the State that are
still operated under the laws and pen
altles adopted by that grand old party.
One OF the requirements was That
the charter Of any toll read could be
annulled by the county court in any
county whenever, in the opinion Of the
road commissioners appointed under
enactmenta, the condition Of the road
was not kept up to charter require
ments. The powers Of the county road
comm issioners were, however, limited
during the time that the road was out Of
condition required. This feature per-
mitted the stockholders to put their
roads in repair and again close gates
and exact legal toll. The policy has
worked we'll in this State up to the
present date.
The State of kentucky adopted a
system Of public road Improvement
somewhat similar to that OF Tennessee,
but it contained some defects that dur
ing the past eight months have given
rise to great deal of trouble and
many la"less acts During tho war
between the States and for some years
subsequent the toll roads of Ten
nessee and Kentucky paid no dividends
and fell into condition far below legal
requirements. In view OF the great
cost of putting the roads into a divi-
dend paying condition, the stocks and
bonds of the toll roads went down to
merely nominal prices and wore scoop
ed In by shrewd speculatOrs and tolls
eXacted often when the roads were not
up to legal conditions. No serious
trouble, outside of the courts, have
occurred in Tennessee on this account,
but in Kentucky the toll gates in five
or six counties have been destroyed by
armed mobs and in some cases the in
nocent toll gate keepers have been
threatened and assaulted. The Ken.
lucky people argue that the present
owners OF the toll roads bought the
stock and the bords for q song that
they are now paying full & per cent.
interest on the Stale bonds that paid
for the building and repairs of the
road, ard that the payment Of tolls, to
corporations that never expended q
dollar in their construction Or repairs,
is an unjust taxation. Failing Of relief
In the State courts, they resorted to
the only means left them for redress--
midnight mob law.
In Tennessee no such violent meas
ures are popular, but there Is growing
sentiment in favor OF the purchase by
the counties Of all toll roads, making
them free to public travel and keeping
them In repair by taxation under the
more or less excellent road laws of the
State now, and for several years past,
In effect. Bedford County and one or
two othors in middle Tennessee, where
the best system Of macadam roads in
oi'io cot'hoI y cHtSIS, lltVo ultue moves
In this direction, but so far nothing
definite has been accomplished.
Th1s much OF what the present gen
Grafton of req" Jrs may consider as an
cicnt history, with q modern supp To-
mont, is deemed necessary to a full
understanding OF the motives inducing
tho people Of this State and Kentucky
to ask for an Improvement upon the
system of toll roads inaugurated half Il
century ago. Increase OF population
and production of commercial COM
modities with increased facilities of
transportation by other means than
wagons and teams have made tho ques-
tion of good roads very lively and
pressing issue in nearly every State in
the Union. The value OF farm lands
and timber lands depends largely upon
their accessibility, and so also do the
values of the various products OF farms,
forests and gardens. La somo sections
of Tennessee the transportation OF
lumber and logs by wagons over bad