The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-01-17
THE TURNPIKE CASE.
Reasons WHY 1t should he VA
Gated.

AS was stated last week, cit
liens of Bedford county are max
ing an effort to get rid of the
turnpike nuisance, and the Bed.
ford Gazette gives the following
as reasons brought out by the
thirty-tive witnesses testyfying;
''phat the people of the county
should own and control the pub
lie highways rather than have
them under the control of private
corporations; that this turnpike
was the link in a great thorough
fare which was constructed years
ago for the purpose of meeting a
demand that then existed for a
good, substantialroad for through
traffic to and from the great cen
ters Of population; at that time
there was no local demand for a
road of this character, and the
idea was that the road should be
kept up by tolls collected from
through traffic; the conditions
under which that road became a
necessity have changed and in
stead of the road being maintain
ed as it was originally, it is now
kept up by tolls collected from
local travel, and has become in
in that way a burden upon the
people living along the line of the
pike, as we'll as other citizens Of
the county; that there are now
five toll gates upon the branch Of
the road IN this county instead Of
two toll-gates, as it was some
years ago; that the tolls charged
are a serious hindrance to trade
aud travel: that this road could
be kept up by the people of the
townships in as good, if not bet
ter, condition and at a much less
expense than the amount of tolls
paid, for the reason that the bulk
OF the amount collected is divert
ed TO other purposes than improv
ing and repairing the road, that
the bridges at Juniata Crossings
and the Narrows have become
dangerous and worthless and
are not safe for the ordinary pur-
poses of travel; that the officials
and representatives of the Turn
pike company have frequently
notified parties passing along the
road that if they went through
these bridges they did so at their
own risk; that the bridge at the
Crossings depends for its sup
port upon one guy wire, which
might break at any time; that
the road-bed is no better than
the main country road and is not
kept in such condition as the
toll-road should be, but is level OF
hollow in the center instead of
rising 10 gradual arch toward
the center, as the law creating
turnpikos requires them 60 be;
thatif the amonnt OF money con-
tribLtod by the people Of the
county in the way Of tolls would
be kept in the county and used,
as it necessarily w0nld be, in the
improvement Of farms by lining
and in other ways, which the
people of the section of the coun-
/ ~ through which the road pass
es are denied by reason of the in
creased expense Of hauling due
tothe large tolls, it would enhance
the value Of real estate la very
large portion of the county, in.
crease theprosperityand wealthof
the community, and thus inuro 20
! the benefit of the people Of the
sutre county.
"Seyeral stockholders Of Inc
Turnpike company stated that
they had received 40 dividends
on their stock since 1876 and
that repeated demands We're
madeon theoiiieersofthecomp
who told them Che road "didn't
| pay dividends. "
"l'he next meeting of the jury
OF view VIII bo held on January
10, when testimony on behalf 0f
the Turnpike company viii he
submitted"
igdof ! Kpfix Miller, WHO con
duetod a Bible school in the Mc
Il0nnaiisdaip lhureh nhoui "a Mann