Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-04-09
lCoMnUSIcATED.


Il
Editors Beacon Tin behalf OF the common
interest OF our 81. Mary's county roads, would
ask II there IL not some plan or system or al
seration OF the present Public Road Laws that
can better our roads. as their condition al
present 10 most depl0rable. expensive and dis
agreeable 20 those who are com PEELED 70 tray
Oh them 70 any extent. and most especially
those OF the lower part Of the county " kieh
are many times worse than the roa ls farther
up the county, where ON account of the higher
land and sand they do not need 50 much work
a. In the lower part. where there Is so much
clay, which tends 70 make bad roads IN we;
weather. But even In the upper part of the
county find those sandy roads are receiving
attention. and the holes and washouts that
were made during the winter are filed In with
brush and some dirt. ton. where It was practi-
cal 70 use dirt and brush. while In the iss ana
SIN districts do not know OF ANYTHING that
has been done for our roads &C All, and can
safely assert that you can md more baa road
on any one mile Of the thrte-notched read In
the two districts speak OF than can be found
In twenty miles Of same road any where else In
the county above the neighborhood of Cali
fornia postOfiice. Now. gentlemen, 1 do not
know who 20 blame for the condition of our
roads. a. l spoke to one OF our County Com
y do with repairing our roads now, that the
last Legislature took all that matter out ,,f hls
hands. then asked our road supervisor for
the list districc why we could have no better
roads. and hs says our appropriation is too
small 10 give any better roads. and believe
he tries To give US all he can for the money n,
tbs way that he tries 70 give it. I was talking
with ole OF our doctors, who IL road inspector
for the ist district, few days ago aud he says
that he has never been able 10 find out Mt the
beginning Of the season for workiSg the roads
what the appropriation for his district was
and consequently he did not know just how
was the best way ID direct the ex Expenditure of
same, because he could not tell how SION the
entire money would be spent. and then there
would be nothing In hand 20 repair very bad
pieces with. Now IL seems very hard 10 know
Who TO blame for CUR very bad roads and
think II any one indi vidual was 10 blame for
all the bad ones he we,,id be guilty of "A grea,
crime. consequently we have 20 lay that mat
ter aside, but think that the Comm issioner.
supervisor and doctor will ali agree with me
that Ihe past three months experience has
taught me that we want some better road sys-
TEN and one that we know when roads get Inn
passable and are allowed 70 remain 80 for
weeks at n times or until nature mends them
enough 20 use again that we want some one to
be responsible for L., and we want To know
who that one 10 and Whist Is The matter with
him, too. And now that the Commissioners
are ON the eve Of making their annual levy for
road and county expenses for another year
would suggest that through both newspapers
published In the county notice be given by the
County Commissioners that ON some given
date their Honorable Board will call a meet
H. al
better roads nt heart 20 attend and see IL we
cas ala confer with each other aud improve our
system some. OF course, we have TO take In
consideration the difference In the soils and
means Of making roads In different psrts OF
the county. In some places we can get plenty
OF sand and gravel. la others we can get shells
andin some places, such as some OF our low white
OAK lands. weOnly need 70. throw them up high
In what we call turtle back shape and ditch
well 20 make them permanently good giving
them plenty Of SUM-. think there are several
ways In which we might better the road SIS
tenn. i believe IL we had two or three super
visors instead OF one in each district, with some
other little amendments to our present system.
&c would be yer! much better. Or il every
man who lives on lands or property bordering
on the public road was required Co superintend
the repairs OF the road as TAR as his his land
went free of cost, or for a small sum; or IL the
road should divide two farms. let each man
take his proportionafe share. I do not believe
when you got the people 10 understand that IL
was entirely for their own interest that there Is
not one who lives upon the road Who would re-
fuse 70 serve at q very small cost 10 the coun-
ty, and then each man would try hard 20 have
better road than his neighbor, and We would
have good ones. OF course. we could still have
general supervisors. Or stiIl another good sys-
tenn might Do 90 let it remain just as IL Is. ex-
cept TO require each supervisor In his district
20 reserve small amount of their eppropria-
ton to keep up bridges, MI washes, &C., with
brush and dirt, and with the balance OF the APP
preparation for his district 90 begin work the
first Of May each year, starting on the most
used road OF his district, and make it perma-
nent road by throwing the beds up high and
making good wide bitches, and then putting
on q good bed Of gravel. shell. stone or sand.
whichever might be best and most practical
for the locality in which he was making the
road. and when he had spent all the appropri-
alton except the small reserve. let him stop
work until the next levy. except 20 use the re-
serve as required. After next appropriation,
resume work just where he had left cfr the year
before unless otherwise ordered by the road
inspector. who win be Supposed 20 have him
build arst where roads are most used and
needed. Continue this from six to ten years.
and you win find that we viii have good roads
all over the county without increasing our
taxes or causing us one dollars Inconvenience
more than we are having today, and we could
stand whas We are having mt present IL we
knew that our money levied from US every
year was going for good purpose. But. gen.
Rlemea. any OF you who are thirty-hve wears
old can remember tweuty years ago, and you
an know that we had just such roads then as
ne have now-u0 worse and Jet there has
been AZ least 90 90 levied every year aud m lst
OF years more than that fer twenty years.
Now that amounts anyh how 60 $4,000 spent on
our roads in thar dme-and no better roads
today than We had swenty wears ag0-so that
we. The people OF st. Mary's county have lit
orally thrown away In that time ever si0a00
for nothing except some hftle bridges. &c.
ofherwise our roads would have been about as
thew are today had wc done nothing on them
Now. m the name OF common civilization. let
a awaken 70 our Interest and see that we get
better roads which will get Us better prices Tor
our farms. make taxes less. make them easier
to work aud be the means OF our getting more
moneg for cur farm products. make us better
nefgSboEa. make US 60 70 church more fsgu-
larry. and allow us 90 drive better rig when
ne 20 and feel much more like saying prayers
After we ret there. Trusting that we may all
ret toResher very soon. use some good road
Yours respectfully.
q. y. ABgLL.