Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1898-02-11
An Interesting Find.

WIS SOON > S"A VI lJ0O nuu many
amusing things in the self satisfied
complacency and arrogant ignorance
of our forbears of half century ago.
However, when we remember that
with the closing of the 10Th century
there ended the first fifty years of
the worlds real progress, as we un-
derstand the word, we can hardly
blame the good people of those days
Tor their undoubted tendency TO self
eXaltation. There is some question
as to which of the two last half cen
turtles has seen the greatest advance
in human knowledge and general
progress. With our clear vision we
are able TO appreciate the fact that
the next fifty years may unfold more
wonders than either, or even both
OF the preceding periods.
But this sketch is not intended TO
make any extended comparison be.
tween the present and the past, or
to hazard conjectures as to what :he
future mar have in store for us-it
was inspired by a curious discovery
made the other day in the garnet of
one Of our oldest houses, one that
has IN measure escaped the in.
noyatiOus of twentieth century life.
This discovery was nothing more
nor less than the finding of file of
the CLINCH VALLEY News for the
year 1898. It will be remembered
that about twenty years ago all the
files of papers preserved in this Office
were destroyed by fire The modest
sheets composing the file just found
are a rather curious contrast to the
finished product Of modern journal.
ism with which our readers are now
familiar, but we find in them as
faithful expression Of the spirit Of
the times when they were printed
as this paper IS at the present No
paper can do more, nor should il do
less.
An inspection of these papers
reveals the fact that the
question OF good roads oc.
cupied large share of the attention
of the editors and correspondents.
lt will be remembered that this time
marked the beginning of the real ag
itation OF the road question. For
he first time people then beclme in
telligently in earnest on the subject.
aud to them we really owe our now
unrivaled roadways The only
strange thing in it is the fact that
the movement was postponed so long.
1t Is hard to believe the report that
these old papers bring US of the con
dltion OF the roads in Tazewell coun.
" IN the Spring OF 1898. 1t is said
that the road from the town to the
depot (lt was still in the days OF the
noisy, dirty monster OF steam and
ron) was not only actually muddy
but that the mud was so deep as to
reach almost to the axles OF the cum
bersome road wagons then in use
However. this may have been and
doubtless was, an exaggeraiion. The
roads to the Cove and Burke's Gar
den, those two sections which were
always earnestly contending with
each other for the distinction of be
ing considered the wealthiest and
best section Of the county, were in
such a state that two good horses
could hardly draw ton over them.
1t took two hours to drive to the one
place, and three to drive to the 9th.
er. The press of the time is full
OF references to the "hurry and rush"
Of nineteenth Century life, but from
the above it would seem that the
people mad time to throw away, in
the good county of Tazewell. The
people claimed to be economical and
business like, and yet they wasted
both time and money recklessly in
dragging over such makeShifts for
roads. enough of time and money IN
one year to have built miles and
miles of the ideal roadways with
which we are acquainted. 1t is hard
for us oput ourselves in their places
even with our knowledge of the cor
ditions that then existed, and, after
all, 1t must KAYE been hard for them
to really aNpraciaia what fhov vice