Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1903-05-02
Good Roads


Editor Heecou,-
We have been Illuminating again ci
the subject Of good roads Severa
times we have aired our views through
THE BEACON on the permanent improve
ment of our public highways. We hay
persistently urged the Importance o
such an undertaking and tried to en-
thuse our people upon this question
We examined the law and found WI
had a right to petition the board o
supervisors TO have our road surCeye,
and an estimate made Of the cost o.
building graveled or macadamizey
roads, We circulated a petition to tina
effect, 1t was signed by every man {,
whom it was presented and favored by
our entire section Of country there wa.
not a dissenting voice, so far as we wer,
able to learn, against the project. Every
man among us fully appreciated the
importance Of the undertaking wa,
anxious that the road be surveyed aud
an estimate made as to actual cost Of
putting down a macadamized road
We were not positive as to cost Of
building a road of this kind, but we be.
heYed that if such roads had been built
in other sections of country, we could
build them here We had hoped that
by discussing the good roads question in
The BEACON we would arouse an inter
est among all our people, thus causing
them to take some action in the matter
that would finally put the undertaking
on foot and ultimately give US grayeled
roads in Nozubee county,
1t will cost a good deal of money to
build graveed roads-.experts say from
$1,000 to $4,000 per mile, but it seems to
this writer that with road bed as well
thrown up as ours now is we could
build at cost of from $4,000 to $4,000
per mile, at least and may be for less,
Surely no man who will consider for a
moment the advantages Of good roads,
the saving in wagons, buggies and
stock, and the feed for extra teams in
hauling over such roads as we had last
winter, would object to a moderate tax
for the next 30 years, should he live so
long, to give US roads over which we
could travel free Of mud, ruts and deep
holes. 1t looks to this writer that the
humanity we feel for our dumb animals
alone would be a powerful incentive to
us to improve our public highways, and
| am unable to understand how any
man who has ever driven a team over
our roads in winter could, or would re-
fuse to vote reasonable amount of
taxation to improve them.
Vast sums of money are spent each
year in feeding extra teams tc pail
loads that could be hauled by one
fourth the number Of mules or horses
that it now requires to move them We
untold millions to mud each
year, and yet, when you talk about
taxing the people to build permanent
roads through our county some almost
become paralyzed and laise their voices
in holy horror against spending a few
dollars in Improvements that would
not only be a lasting benefit to us, but
would 90 down to our posterity as the
greatest boon of the ages.
As we have stated before, it is not
our purpose in agitating the permanent
of our roads to fasten a
burden in the way of heavy taxes upon
our people that would be oppressive to
them in all the years to come But we
feel that a reasonable investment for
this purpose, by Noxubee county,
would pay to her citizens larger returns
than any other Investment she could
possibly make would add largely to the
upbuilding of our county and to the
permanent prosperity of her citizen
ship.
Noxu5ee county could issue 500, 09C
in bonds to run 50 years, interest at 4
per cent this money to be expended
in building three thourought fares, OF
graveled roads through the county.
One by Macon from the sandy land, or
the west, to the Alabama line or the
east; one by Shuqualak, and one by
Brooksville; all running east and west,
This would give the people from al
parts of our county a macadamized roat
to the railroad. This would surely
draw the trade from all the hill country
east and west of these towns, woulC
give them lots of trade from across tn
Bigbee river, because people would
come from far and near to get on a roa,
that would carry them to a market tina
could be reached without dragging
through mud axle deep; and that woul
only take one-fourth the number 0
mules to pull the load
If the county could be prevailed on t
build the three roads above-referred to
it would be worth more to the towns q
Macon, Brooksville and Shuquala
than that many railroads, for the PEG
pie from all the adjoining counties
reach would turn TO our towns throug
the winter season; thus adding wealt
to our people, Trade would surel
double, and our county generally woul
be on a boom; for it is an establishe
fact, that when you build macadamize
roads, the lands Of the country 60 up
value. Emigration turns our way, al
as a natural consequence, thrift, az
Yancement in all lines and a general u
building in every quarter would be Il
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