The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-09
BY DR.. r. H. Lewis, Author of The
Law.


Chamber of Commerce was organized,
among the committees created was one
on country roads, composed OF nine MEM
bers. with the writer as chairman. Fail
ing repeatedly to get together quorum,
the chairman outlined a plan of action
which was approved by the Chamber and
proceeded to carry it out.
Remembering the disastrous result OF
the attempt made several years before
by a committee of which / was mem
Der to carry the township vote for the
issuance of $4,000 in bonds for road i'm
provement, the total vote in favor being
only ASP. | considered an appeal to the
popular vote as hopeless. So | availed
myself OF plan known as the Alexander
method Of working the public roads, in
which the question of taxation for that
purpose was submitted not to a popular
vote but to the magistrates OF the coun-
ty-as set forth in a bill drawn by Hon.
Cy Watson for his county of Forsyth.
Taking this act as a model ! drew a bill
to fit our township the essential features
OF which were: The leyying of a tax of s
cents on the 500 and "a cents on the
poll, the county 10 contribute in convict
labor at so cents day an equivalent TO
the amount Of money raised by the tax:
the substitution Of q single township road
supervisor for the old oyerseers; release
from road duty on the payment annually
of $500 in cash. and the right to enter
upon any premises for the Improvement
of the road. including the use OF stone at
a maximum price of % cents ton. The
management was placed in the hands OF
the county commissioners. With the as
>sistance OF Hon. +. G. Beddingheld, then
a member Of the House; Capt. 3. T.
Williamson at that time chairman OF the
board OF county commissioners. and per-
sonal friends in the Legislature, ! Sc
ciised the passage of the bill in spite OF
the opposition of our Senator, Dr.. Banks.
/ then had a conference With Messrs.
Womble. Ashley and K. G. Dunn. OF the
township magistrates and with their APP
prevail wrote the resolutions TO be Of
fered al the meeting to pass on the act.
With this my connection with the matter
ceased. Under the skillful management
Of the three progressive gentlemen
named the board OF magistrates OF the
township adopted the act unanimously
and ever since that time CSSSl we have
been marching in the good roads process
sion next 10 Mecklenburg. Under The
provisions Of the act the work was 10 be
done only upon The country roads up TO
the city limits and not 10 the court
house, the idea being that the city would
improve its streets TO meet the roads
and in that wav more would be accom-
piished. Ii was some time however be-
fore this was done and the results were
occasionally. mortifyng to our city pride,
as for example when a farmer who had
been probably trotting To town with
load Of cotton became hoDelessiy stuck.
in he mud on New Barn avenue, and,
appealed 10 Mayor Russ for quarter TO
hire horse to help pull him out.
II was the original intention to restrict
the work to the township until good
macadam roads We're completed TO It's
limits, and it was hoped that the effect
OF the actual experience of the contrast
between good and bad roads would so
impress public opinion that the work
would be extended. This hope has been
realized, for it was not many years be-
fore the people on the outside begged TO
be let in and the Legislature extended
the road district one mile all around
and two years later added another two
miles so that now the road district con-
tains 100 square miles instead of 10 as
in the beginning--less than the area of
the city in the centre. As the tax de-
rived from the added country property is
less in proportion and the road mileage
is relatively greater, owing to the
branching of the roads as one goes out
from the centre, the amount Of work in
proportion TO the means with which to
perform it is far greater than at first.
In consequence the quality of the road
work in the effort TO reach everybody has
suffered in that gravel generally top
soil) has been largely substituted for
macadam Al the same time when we
consider the difference in price cost
(about one third according to Supervisor
McMackin). and the consequent multipli-
cation by three OF the extent OF road i'm
proved and the greater smoothness OF
the gravel it is a question after all. 1
travel daily a delightful gravelled road
and with the exception OF about so yards
in very wet weather can trot the whole
two miles and half.
The radical and glazing defect in our
road mana cement so far has been their
utter HeSitGl alter utlIS maui III NUN
ing does the proverb, "a stitch in time
saves nine, better apply than in the
management of roads. If the holes as
soon as found were filled up if the little
washes" down the road bed were
promptly checked by turning the water
into the side ditch, and If the little patch
of red clay as soon as it begins to peep
through the gravel were covered up we
would have all the year round as good
roads as any reasonable man could ask
for No money spent on the roads would
give such large and satisfactory returns
as that devoted to mending thenl-to
keeping them in repair. Even one good
man, armed with a cart or wheelbarrow,
pick and a shovel, who did nothing but
mend the roads, would make the greatest
difference | believe the management has
some such intention, and | sincerely hope
they will speedily and effectively carry
it out. | have read that in some locali-
ties the farmers, when hauling carry a
shovel in the wagon and make themselves
many of the little repairs mentioned. 1t
seems very reasonable and proper
thing for them to do in their own in
terests. 1t would take very little time
10 nd faW