Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-03-06
THE ROAD QUESTION.

AoeVil oppCdftu III Tue OtONtUt II FOy-
reSs from the pen of a prominent
citizen of Westmoreland county. In
respect to the railroad matter the
CITIZEN Editor cheerfully responds.
lie feels very much discouraged at
the prospect of the Northern Neck
getting railroad. Almost the last
hope flew away when the Gould sys-
tenn concluded to build TO Gloucester
Point. For more than ten years the
Editor has been unceasing in his
efforts-not systematically, but keep
ing up steady pursuit-to get CAPT
talists interested. Northern gentle
men have in good faith endeavored
to put the matter through, and some
sixty thousand dollars has been
spent In the quest. At one time a
million and half in bonds were
lioated in England and few thou
sand dollars bonus paid. The deal
was hardly entered into when Cleve-
lands Venezuela message came like
a thunderbolt, and all further nego-
tiations for our railroad were at an
end. Our representative in England
came home; but later, when the time
seemed propihons, he went back,
and was in fair way to succeed
in the deal when the Boer war broke
out and the English could not be
gotten interested in anything Ameri-
can. After efforts that resulted in
nothing but blasted hopes the repre-
sentative again came home. The
means of the gentlemen interested
were exhausted, and it would be
hard to get them to take up the
matter, now that road is to parallel
our proposed one to deep water.
The Editor does not think this. other
road would cause failure to the opera
ton of road down the Northern
Neck, but it prevents the likelihood
of our getting capitalists to see that
we could make one pay. A road
would pay, and we have enough
moneyed men within our confines to
launch and carry out such a project,
but we say it to our shame that they
will never get together on this or
any other public question. Let one
of our energetic citizens start the
ball rolling and every little whipper-
snapper and fence-corner politician
and egotist in the five counties would
decry him and the enterprise-un-
Tess the aforesaid shrimps should be
fee d-bougtt off. This is distress
ing portrayal, but nevertheless true.
And it does not apply alone to a
railroad. Let any enterprise be put
on foot and spleen would be spit
upon it from every little such quid-
squirter in the Northern Neck.
Taken now, the five counties with
fair subscriptions and a goodly
number of our business men could
build a railroad down the Neck if
the blatherskites could be spanceled
aud the rest of our citizens who were
financially short would but encour.
age the undertaking with fair words
and moral sentiment.
But we are rather prolix on this
theme, and will give way to Mr..
Horner's article:
do not think can too strongly dis
approve of the proposed plan of county
supervisors issuing bonds for the pur-
pose OF permanently (so-called) improv-
ing our roads. An earth road can be
improved, but not permanently. I'm
fortunately our section is lacking in suit
able material for permanent road con-
struction. The large piles of shells often
md -
limited supply of excellent material which
has rarely been awaited of. Roads near
these shells should be rounded in the
centre and well covered with shells and
rolled with heavy roller while the |
ground under them is not very hard |
Earth roads need constant repairs for |
rains have tendency to level up the |
drains and gully the track. The con-
tractor should be man with some little |
engineering skill. Many of those now in |
charge (if their work is any evidence) |
hardly know whether water runs up or |
down a hill, and some of them appear to |
care even less. The ordinary farm hand |
is not sufficiently skilled to construct a |
road. contractor who plows n furrow |
on each side and leaves il as the plow |
formed IL, instead of removing it to the /
centre of the road, has no business with /
the job. He has actually made il worse |
by raising n ridge To hold the water |
which falls upon the road in it. Then,
too, nearly all attempts Mt road-mend-
ing stop short OF the point which makes
the work self-protecting. a very little /
more work would, in many instances,
make the work expended last twice as
long and be to some extent n permanent |
gain.
But the driving public, while condemn
ing our road system or the need of it,
and while abusing the contractors for
neglect OF duty Ia charge often well
lounded), seem to overlook the fact, or
do not care, that they are in high de-
gree To blame Tor the bad condition of
the roadbed. They drive carelessly and
very often their team, il left to it's own
will, would show better Judgment than
It's owner in the selection of n track. They
drive into and destroy provision for
irainage, thereby aggravating the evil
they complain OF, and increasing the
contractors labor with no benefit what
ever TO themselves. Last fall | saw a
road machine at work in my district. lit
cit a nice, smooth, fiat ditch bottom on
Zach side OF the road. Travellers were
actually using that level place as n track
n which TO drive, and were doing ii
within sight OF the machine and the man
IL! The public need educating
greatly upon this line. Owners, too, of
'oadside property seem to think the road
common dumping ground for every sort
d refuse. Old shoes, barrel hoops, brush,
broken crockery and bottles, dangerous
20 horses feet and destructive of the
rubber tires. 1t is used as a
public storage ground, Judging by the
piles OF cord-wood, ties and lumber piled
within its limits, often to the verge of
The track. All this is as unlawful here as
{ would be upon the streets of a town.
The time to mend a road is be-
ore 1T needs it. Prevention is better than
'ure. The bond business for road i'm
provement has been tried elsewhere. By
oopery the money was gotten up; the
'oads not greatly improved and an incu-
BUS of debt to carry for wears. perbans
brewer. There are enough plain men
among us who have sufficient tnoxyladr-o