Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-06-24
Bill Nye on North Carolina Roads.

A year ago ! noticed that one of
my horses had introduced into his
repertoire now gait. / bought
him with the understanding that he
had three good saddle gaits in addi-
tion to his harness specialties, but
this was one extra. 1t was some
thing between schOttische and Il
glide.
The coachman said he thought it
was going to develop into sweeny.
The horse was valuable, and so he
thought that hot lamentations should
be used first, and if that did not
work we would have 20 "r0wcl"
him. We did all sorts of things for
him, sat up nights with him and
gave him all the climate we could
spare, but he did not improve. so a
blister was suggested, to consist
mostly of Spanish flies. | got a
pound Of these through the influence
of our Spanish minister, and the
horse was blistered.
But he did not improve, and SO we
tried other things, until the barn
looked like bottling works. FL
nally gave up all hope for a cure,
and began to look for another horse
to take his place.
One day a friend said, "Suppose
we go and look at your lame horse"
He picked up fore foot, felt at it,
ran his knife around inside the frog
a little, smellod of it, and said the
trouble was all there. 1t was. The
hoof was contracted from wearing Q
shoe that was too small. We poul.
ticed the foot few weeks, allowed
him to go barefoot and play in the
mud and now he is we'll. Tho
old humorous twinkle has returned
to his eye, and with his tail over tho
dash-board he spurns the bright rec
highway of North Carolina in n way
that | heartily endorse.
This brings me to speak Of the
highway here, which IA i'm mos
mountain countries ShortcnS the liti
of good horse.
| The popular vehicle of commcrc,
here is Il bronze stag about sever
hands high, while over his back
bag Of corn meal, held in place by
shad-bellied boy, is dci'tly thrown
Sometimes the bag has jug in On
end and headache in the other.
Most of the feuds originating i
this country and irrigating it fror
time to time with the best blood q
the Tar Heel, start by ill-feclin
growing out of the amenities {
travel and of opposing vehicle
meeting where they are not able I
pass.
Sometimes at a distance Of sever:
miles from each other one will fin
a place widened by nature, general
where two teams may pass, and hel
you will find that two neighbor
each with load of hay, have m
for visit and reunion. You ci
wait there until the reunion has d
cided on the place for the next n
nual meeting and adjourned. Tn,
with coy reluctance the two get
line and allow you to pass.
Did the reader ever see group
y rustic road builders working out
road tax?
When community desires
O church built, it secures an archite
:, and builder, who may have had e
perience. When road is want
). the community builds it itself.
the merciful man is merciful to
beast, good way to serve God,
good to the dumb brute and molIi
- the terrors Of profanity would be
make the roads with some sort
system, instead of making mud p
= at a dollar a day, annually pull
back the same old dirt into the sal
,. old hole.
= Why should a self made roadm
ter, with a whisk-broom beard a
, pantaloons gallused up 50 tight II
- - his breast bone bores a hole i'm I
~ ground every time he sits down
O think, ever imagine that he {
-" build a permanent highway?
When / was a youth and had
l. work on the farm, working out I
,e fathers road tax was the only
\. taxation l had. 1t is the only gre
. spot in my agricultural memo
A 1t was there | met, each year, otl
is bright young minds, and learned
IL the first time that the earth is rou
10 like a ball, and that it is compo.
OF land and water, which, wi
,e united, make the average AmeriC
n. road.
Conservative farmers, who hir
- female teacher at Sl5 per month
- give boxing exhibition with sew
i. foot he-students of the infant cI
and board three miles away,
IN sweep out the school house al
IN sprinkling the floor with her to,
OF careful men, who go to town on "
ter days, and in the excitem
es sometimes forget themselves
,s- blanket their wives instead of Il
horses, too often stand In their Ii
in the matter of roads.
1d A good highway leading to tC
re Is Of more value to the farmer G
n a bloodless and heartless railroad
n Grated by non.residents, who m
fun of the farmer from safe