The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-06-14
ALC0RN'S
DRUG STORE.
THE THETA PIKE.
A Monument TO the Enterprising
People Along the Way.
'The Unexpected is Finished. y

Ieoplo AlonB the way.
THE Unexpected is Finished. "
The pike road from Columbia to
Theta, was built by workhhouse hands,
Capt. I. Mitchell, superintendent.
This road runs through and develops a
new country. Leaving the old Co
lumbia road at L. p. Frazer's store.
cunning in the direction of REYNOLDS
river, and on TO West Point church
from thence into the Knob creek
country, theme on up the creek to
Theta. The country through which
this road runs is high, dry, away from
the creeks and branches which IN
winter months makes country travel
so unpleasant to the pedestrian. The
soil OF this country is "A rich gravelly
loan, and very productive. The best
samples of wheat are raised on the
sloping hillsides, and the valleys pro-
duce abundant crops Of the best varie-
ties of corn; and pumpkins TO perfec-
tion. The watermelons and fruits so
luscious and sweet it makes niger S
teeth shine to hear the name.
In the vicinity of West Point church
is the best section of country in
Maury county for the production of
fruits of various kinds. The fruit
business in this part of the county
has been very much neglected. The
growth of the different kinds of tim
Der indicate its high productive quail
ties and its richness for timber culture.
Many are the fine black locust thickets
in these parts.
Leaving the West Point hill country,
we come into the alluyial valleys of
famous old Knob Creek the home of
the coon and big fat hogs the Egypt of
Maury county, where the horny
handed sons Of toll pillow and hoe,
reap and SOW and all nature rewards
us with bounteous harvest The hand
of famine and drouth has never been
laid upon this favored valley. Most
of our water is pure free stone, bub-
bling from the slopirg hillsldes, and
man and beast are bountifully supplied
The distance from Columbia to
Theta is IA miles. The farms along
this road are owned by a frugal, In
dustrious people, not given to much
style or costly apparel, but generally
out of debt and pay cash for what
they buy. They are moral, social,
DODCl anu 1SllSlOuS ptOpl6. we nave
good school and church houses.
Our politics are mostly Populistic
Democratic, and we have heard that
we have hustling congressman some
where, and that he is doing his best to
give us free rural mail delivery ION
our new road and we want him to
keep up the hustle till we get the
boxes up and the keys in our pockets /;
then we are going to take the Daily
Herald and such like.
A good many of our people are
mighty 'biggetty' over our new pike
road, which is without toll gates, and
is very attractive to the eye and pleas
ant to ride on. We hope to see the
time come in Maury county when all
| pike roads will be free, so that our
countrymen can come and go to and
| from our county town without let or
hindrance, and these guards, stationed
each five miles of road with drawn
daggers to demand tribute or your life,
! will have to resort to some other voca-
tion. Lots of the fellows from the hill
country never come to Columbia be-
cause they havn't the money to pay the
guards on these toll roads. James
Passmore has two gates on our road to
keep his stock from passing and re
passing, and when you come through
them be sure to shut them if you
don't, he will sure put your name on
his memorandum book and you know
what that means. The county hands
were fed by the citizens along this
road, and one or two extra guards
were also paid by the citizens This
is the burdensome part of road build
ing. These county workhouse hands
should be fed by the county and the
Superintendent and guards also paid
by the county. 1t is too great bur
den to be borne by the few enterpris-
ing citizens along the way. It is I'M
equal and unjust taxation, though it
be voluntarily assumed. Robt. Oakley
was our principle solicitor, and he
was cheeky enugh to make any kind of
a demand of fellow, or take any
thing offered him and fellow had to
be mighty cold way down deep in his
stomach if Bob didn't get something
out of him. And Capt. 7. Mitchell, the
commander and Andrew Sellers, the
county guard, were both uncomplain-
ing and compromising enough to eat
+ an uuluS OdhIey WOulu DTluS.
For the people who live northwest Of
Columbia this road is a source of great
comfort Before this road was built
we had a rough and rugged road.
DR.. Cox is not a very big doctor, but
about the biggest road man in the
county To his push and energy is due
the completion of our Theta pike; anC
if he had money enough, backed by T.
Mitcell and the workhOuse hands, he
would gravel every road in Maury
county. Joe Mcknight has got to b,
so "biggetty' over the completion OF
our road. that to see him coming down
the pike, you would think him to bt
two Squires. Mitchell and Seller,
while in our country We're easy of ap
proach and seemed to want to ac
commodate all and give offence Il
none. The hands under their contro
We're not allowed to stray from tn,
camps, or modest anything or any per
son. They are now all gone; theil
bills all paid, and peace and harmony
rule supreme; and there is left behind
them one of the best pike roads in tbs
great county of Maury. Truly,