Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-06-04
REPLY TO HEADLiGHT.
The Clear Fork Road again

OO'n VI WHICH are ShppoSeu TO Oe
working for the benefit of the whole
county, on any question of improv,
ment, should never be marred aud
weakened by bitterness or unfair
ness; but should always be charac
terized by candor and truth. The
road across East River Mountain is,
per Sc, a thing to be desired. In NV
recent communication to the News,
| said nothing to the contrary 1t is
true that took the position that
til. citizens of Bland, who will travel
1t, aud the merchants of Graham,
who will be benefited by their trav
els, olght TO bear the principle bur
den OF its construction. If the Cleur
Fork district had the money to build
the road, the question would be
simplified; but it has not. The mon.
ey would be borrowed. The law pro
vides that each district shall have
an equal share of the money borrow
eel by the county. There is little
doubt that the estimate of the prob
able cost of the road, made by its
advocates, is far too small. In fact.
man, competent men say it will cost
$4,000 instead of $4,000. Is the
cou'ty ready to assume All addition.
al debt of $50, 900, which would be
necessary in order to make the ether
two districts equal with the Clear
Fork district? Men will have differ.
ent opinions on this subject. ] am
III favor of any and all legitimate
aud wise plans for the cause of good
roads. Perhaps the surest and best
plan is to give our supervisors power
to increase the road tax.
For whose benefit are roads con
Strdcted4 There is but one answer
for the benefit of the travelling
public. Who will trnvel tie East
River road when built? The an
swer is equally clear-a few of the
Clear Fork citizens of Tazewell and q
great many citizens of Bland. Would
1t not be rather expensive gift TO
our neighbcrs, when we consider
the state of our finances al d the
many bad roads we have within our
own borders? All this is in answer
to the comments of the Headlight on
my former communication to the
News 1t is hardly worth while to
answer the good natured thrusts of
Fan esteemed contemporary at the
good people who happen to live near
The beautiful town of Tazewell." 1t
is hardly to be expected that man
who visits the county seat semi Occa.
sionally by rail, fully underst ands
the conditions, as they exist, in the
surrounding country. A little inves
tigalion would show him that three
times as many people travel the 'few
&c od miles of road leading into Taze.
well" as travel the same number of
miles of road in any other part of
the county. A little further investi
cation would show him that these
'few good miles" are not the perfect
highways he seems to think them.
The Clear Fork district has always
gotten its share of the road money,
tho money borrowed and the money
raised by taxation and the STEW good
miles of road near Tazewell," are not
i'll that district. / am now and al
ways in favor of as many miles ol
good road in all parts of the county
as possible, but let us use good
sound judgement in expending the
pittance we have for road building
But let our friend remember that
the mile of public road between the
corporations of Tazewell and NortE
Tazewell, although the most Travelled
mile of public road in the county, is
about the worst mile in the county
CITIZEN.