The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1903-04-02

and bavs there we're seldom ever mere
thar three rssn. the boss aud s~o Others.
Al work With their hands. While the rest OF
a. we're eerv busy With oar Tongues.
When abuse Of road working conditions
grew slack. Witch ~ss 20, often. hsh aud
snake s,ories aud What ~ond~rfui thing-
che dogs Of the story teller had recom-
plished. ~onid come up for short ind'her-
ent hearings.
There vas some one in the crowd al
wavs ready 10 guy aearly every peeson
~h.. came along the road, which Has
trateJ the fact that idieness and impoli'e-
mes. 60 together. They usually requested
the prs~erb, 20 paw "road toll' and " be
had no money, he vas asked TO light and
work awhile Not unfrequentiy the trav-
, eler would get angry at their rough words.
when some one among the road workers
would approach him in a peace makers
gentle way and in a most sympa,hiring
tone Of voice would say, Nov look a'here.
Mister. don't get mad at these boys,
wouldn't notice them fer they air always
ltalkin' TO some blamed fool or mother.
The men Who did the last work were the
leading debaters IN all ~chiniuey corner
law" or any other subject that came up.
There ~erc perpetual GROWERS. especially
about road working, In fact nothing
seemed TO please them more than 10 rcciie
their thousand aud one grievances Their
only happiness appeared 20 come from
growing Hard times aud the country
going TO the dogs were always their IA
vofite subjects for discussion.
We walked. gr,wied and ioafed over the
. road. striking lick nov aud then viii
. our tools, for appeafuces' sake, and At The
end of three DAYS We ceased our labor OF
love for good roads. a subject With which
r our hearts were filed 20 overlooking
q Three men could have done al the wori
that the eighteen had done, and the Wors
OF IL was that none Of Us knew or carc'
n but little about the proper method Of re
{ pairing the roads. A rain fcil the mex
dav and washed cut much Of the worl
that We had done and then the roads wer
p in a far worse condition in many place
e than IL vas before We touched IL.
e. Looking backward 10 this typical roa
working it seems 20 me. had She wcll-to
do farmers and property holders Of %
y neiehhorhood come out and shown IN ir
y trrest aud helped 20 build up local prid
70 in GOOD roads nv taking an active part Wit
d their own hands, a. they did every day q
p their larms. that an would have hee
~ different Every one Of as would ha'
,o worked like men aud would have bee
or better contcnted and more useful citi1ci
generally. Then the poor laboring m'
i
Do fairly aud Justly. and would not have h'
ATT such hatred for those hctfcron iu vorl
90 a. good than themselves. A. DO vac OBJ
L.. felt that the land ouncr aud other vel
to-do men OF thc ucichhorhood he'd q
iF ,ised manv unjust schemes to Keep fro
'rc working the roads themsclfcs. or ir,
he paving che fines imposed hy lsv OPP
,s those failing to work.
From shat learn BE- seems Shat simi|
n' conditions stli csst BOB many rarts oi
BOD country. Inui thc property holders a.
to those Who ride and drive over che roa
are more iu csrucst lu huildiuE ui
greater interest boo them aud take ODD
"t active part Boz their construction and
pms pair. vc nil have 90 reason to cnp'
,fll that men Who seldom ride or drive o'
ia auv road viii regard road working ss at
Ithnc more than au unjust rcquircm'
sea fnr those Who fear they will fall into
-ht clutches of thc law DO they tal. VII
c,t warmed. to appsar for iuiy ou che pub
a. roal-Wr.itcu for Knoxville Sentinel
D.. D. Strong