The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-13
A GREAT STATE TURNPIKE.

prominent and successful manufactures
of Alamance county, was in the city
Talking with a News and Observer man
Mr.. Holt said:
THE thing that ought to be done with
the convicts is to employ them in build
ing a great boulevard from the noun
tains to. the tide-water North Carolina.
The State ought TO quit growing cot
ton and peanuts in competition with the
farmers, and go seriously a work build
ing a great road from the mountains ia
the sea. 1t would stimulate road build
ing in every county and section of the
State, give the convicts work for which
they are fitted, and give the State a
boulevard that would give it honor and
help it grow great. The English people
built their great roads by convict labor
and they are well built and will last for
all time. We ought to build such q
great boulevard through the length and
breadth of the State. Lateral roads
would then be built from this main high
way in every direction until the State
was honeycombed with good roads.
Every town, village and neighborhood
would be anxious to have n lateral road
to go into the main boulevard and it
would be great thing for North Caro-
lima"
This interview with Mr.. Holt has
caused much comment and attracted
spread interest. The Wilmington
Star copies 1t in its we'll filled editorial
columns, and makes this extended edi-
tcrial comment:
1--WE have in these columns contended
that the right way to 'employ our peni-
Tertiary conyicts is TO work them on the
roads, and to do that to the best ad-
vantage some methodical system should
be adopted. Mr. Holt is right although
this is not the first time that q great
through State turnpike or, as he calls II,
boulevard, has been suggested. Such
highway would be worth as much or
mere TO the State than a railroad, for 1t
would be stimulus to more improve
ment than would result from the con-
struction of any railroad. as great a
progress stimulator as the railroad is.
With one or two main highways running
through the State from end TO end there
would be, as Mr. Holt remarks the nu-
cleus OF a system which would reach into
the different sections OF the State and
make it practicable for some sections to
soon have good highways that otherwise
may be long time without them. With
such highway as an objective point
there would be concert OF action between
the respective counties which would seek
1t as an outlet Tor their products and
they would not be content with simply a
road to the county seat or home market
town as many are now.
North Carolina is geographically ad-
mirably adapted to such a road system.
Shaped as ii Is, more than twice as long
as wide. with two main highways passing
through the State lengthwise. it would
be entirely feasible for the counties on
either side and between them to con-
struct roads to connect with them for
this would be within the means of almost
all the counties in the State, with the
exception, perhaps. of some of the moun
tain counties, where much grading might
be necessary, and where the population
is small and the land as rule of little
value.
with the good roads educational cam
raign that is now being conducted, the
probabilities are that some valuable in
formation may be acquired which will
cradle our road builders 10 work to bet
ter purpose, and build better roads than
they have been building and for less
money.
.'In the days of stages. before the rail
roads, there were admirable turnpike sys-
tens in some of our Southern States, and
nfa faf
Good roads We're considered necessary In
those days. but they are quite as neces-
sary now as they were then, whether the
rain turnpike be used as highway tor
fl eight or not; as a developer and stimu-
lua 20 road building generally it would be
invaluable.
'"The cost of such main turnpikes
would, of course, depend upon circum-
stances. varying with the, character of the
country through which they would run.
the supply Of material for building, etc.
But with the right kind of road making
machinery, operated by men who know
how to do it, and with the convicts I'M
der competent management, the cost
would be small compared with the good
results. Time enough could be taken on
making the expense annually not large
enough to be burden-on the taxpayers.
1--WE have in this State many valuable
deposits of iron, copper and gold, which
arc too far distant from railroads TO be
worked with profit, and owing to the
roughness of the country and the sparse
ness OF population it may be many years
before railroads will penetrate those
sections and run close enough to those
properties TO make working them practi-
cable, but with such turnpikes as we are
here speaking Of. with lateral roads run
ing into them these deposits might be
worked and become profitable not only to
the owners. but would add much to the
wealth of the State, because there are
millions of dollars worth Of that kind OF
property which has never been devel-
cped or utilized because 1t was Impossible
to do so for want of transportation.
There is copper mine in Ashe county,
che of the richest in this country, with
practically inexhaustible veins OF ore, oil
high grade, which has never been work
ed much, because it was so difficult to
get machinery, etc, TO it, and TO get the
ore away to market There are numer-
Gus other mining properties which have
remained idle and undeveioped for the
same reason, when If there had been good
reads leading to or near them. many OF