Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-04-09
Mr.. PRICE REPLIES.
Mr.. EDITOR:

Mr.. EDITOR:
But for some personal matters and mis-
statement of facts, should have been con-
tent TO allow the bridge and road question to
rest without further comment feeling that
the mere statement of the proposition was
sufficient to decide the question on the side
of good roads and against the bridges
Your Castleman's Ferry correspondent.
week before last. questions my motives i'm
making opposition to building bridges in
preference 20 roads 7 have no doubt the
mountain was in great labour for some days
before this brilliant mouse was brought
forth. If the files of the COURIER were
examined as far back as fifteen years. and "A
number of times since IL would be found
that l have been a persistent advocate Of
good roads long before this bridge question
was ever dreamed or thought of Further
more am unable TO see how the relation
ship referredto could be affected financially
by the building of bridge II IL is pro-
posed to take the ferry property by force,
and without compensation % the owner.
the assumption would be- correct. but.
according TO my construction of the funda-
mental law of the land. YOU cannot take a
mans property, cor destroy the value of IT,
without paying for IT, That being the case.
do not see how the personal equation could
enter into the question. ] have no doubt
there are people who would not hesitate TO
coniiscate this property, and would rejoice
at its accomplishment, but the sense of JUS
tice of the great majority of our people
would revolt at the proposition. l do not
deny that ! am actuated by personal inter
est live upon a mud road and would like
TO see it permanently improved. because /
know it would enhance the value of my
property % per cent besides the comfort and
pleasure of travelling ON such road Most
of our actions are founded on personal and
selfish interests If IL were not So. the world
would stand still and the wheels of progress
would cease To move. To show that / am
not asking the public TO build road for my
use without doing my share pledge myself
TO contribute one dollar per acre on my land
provided the other land owners who use the
same road will contribute the same. Your
Berry's Ferry correspondent was also struck
with a brilliant idea, one, / think. that
would have paralyzed the brain of an ordi-
nary man. / have not recovered vet from
poor old State of Virginia had, some time
ago; about $4,000 surplus in her treasury,
and he proposed TO use some of this money
10 bridge the Shenandoah river. / am
grieved to have to inform your correspon-
dent that the Legislature has disposed of the
surplus. The Legislature is composed of
very patriotic body of men. They are look
ing out for the financial interest of the State.
and will take care that no surplus is left
laying around loose. In the first place they
give the people thirty days service, or. per
| maps. little over that, for ninety days pay
In the second place, they adjourned without
appointing commission TO make the law
conform TO the new constitution. In Justice
to the Senate il should be stated that that
body voted for such a commission This
neceSsitates the meeting of that body again
at great expense to the State, when seven
men could have done the work better and at
small expense. So you see, my friend, you
need not banker after any surplus funds
that may be in the treasury ] have been
somewhat surprised at the financial ability
displayed by some of your correspondents
Mr. Morgan, the great community of in
terest" magnate, could have found fine
material here to aid him in his great combi-
nation and consolidation The gentleman
from Bowles settles the whole question. He
not only states with precision the relation
ship existing between Mr. Osburn's family
and mine, but finds the means to build the
bridges and leave a surplus to make good
roads or pay the State debt Let me saw
here that Mr.. Osburn makes no fight against
bridges if you pay him fair price for his
property but if you propose to take it Dick
IuFpn fashion, being an old Confederate
and one of Picketts immortals at Gettys-
burg, he will put up the best fight he can in
his old days. Now. your Bowles correspon-
dent says these ferries pay $1,000 Where
did he get this infOrmatiOn2 Guess-Work.
because he knows absolutely nothing about
1t. The writer of this lived at Castleman's
Ferry three years. and knows what he writes
about / have in my possession an account
of the tolls for the year 1871 The other
years were lost in the food of 1870 That
year it paid 1924. and my recollection is that
the average was not as much as $500. When
you pay ferryman out of this, and keep up
repairs, 1t Is not such mine Of wealth as
some people imagine. | presume that
Berry's Ferry would pay something like
$500 or $500. The supposition is that the
toll would be reduced one-half. Allowing
something for increased use of bridge over
the ferry, there might be realized $500 for
both bridges Deduct from that $40 per
month for toll collectors on the two bridges,
and you have net $500 per year That
would pay the interest on $1,000 at 4 per