The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-03-12
TIE NORTHERN NECK AND
The PUBLIC HlGHW WAYS.
Interesting Facts Bearing on Both
Subjects

We have taken extracts from "A very
timely and sensible article which lately
appeared in the Potomac Progress f.om
the pen OF prominent citizen of West
moreland county. la respect To the rail
road matter the Citizen editor cheerg,liIy
responds. lie feels very much discour.
ated at the prospect OF the Northern
Neck getting u railroad Almost the last
hope feW away when the Gould system
concluded to build TO Gloucester Point
For more than ten years the editor has
been unceasiug In his elforts-not snas
medically, but keeping up steady pur
7ult-to get capitalists interested North
ern gentlemen have in good faith endeav-
Oreu To put the matter through and
some sixty thousand dollars has been
spent in the quest At one time n mil
hon and a hall of bonds were fioated in
England and few Thousand dollars
bonus paid The deal was hardly enter
ed INTO when Cleveland's Venezuela mes
sage came like thunderbolt. and all
further negotiations for our railroad
"ere at An end Our representa- in
England came home: but later when the
tline seemed propitious he went back
and was in a fair way To succeed in the
zeal when the BOer war broke out and
the Engiish could not he gotten interest L
ed in anything American. After effoyts
that resulted ia nothing but blast ID
hopes the representative again came
home The means ui the gentlemen in
teri sted were exhausted. and IL wonld he
hard 10 get them to take up the matter.
now that a railroad II 10 paralll our
proposed on. 20 deep water
lie Editor does not think this other
road would cause failure TO the onara.
tion of a road down the Northern %ecL
hutit prevents the likelihood of our get
tlns capitalists to see that wecould make
one pay rOad would pay. and we
have enough moueyed men within our
confines To launch and carry out such n
pr"leci, but We say il TO our shame that
they VIII never get together on this or
any other public question Let one of
our enerHetic citizens start the ball roll
ing ana every little whipper.snapper and
pOhticiGn and egOtist in the ii We counties
would decry him and the enterprise-un.
less the aforesaid shrimps should be feed
bought oil This il "a distressing nor
trayal but nevertheless true. And il
does not apply alone 10 railroad Let
any enterprise be put on foot and spleen
would be- spit upon it from every little
such quid quarter in the Northern Neck
AIKEN now, the five counties with fair
subscriptions and a goodly number of
our business men could build a railroad
down the Neck ii the blatherskites could
be spanceled and the rest of our citizens
who were financially short wonld but
encourage the undertaking with fair
words and moral sentiment.
Buf we are rather prolix on this theme
and VIII give way to Mr.. Horner's ar
ticle
do not think can too strongly disap-
prove OF the proposed plan of county
supervisors issuing bonds for the pur
pose oil permanently (so-called) improv-
ing our roads. An earth road can be
improved, but not permanently. In
fortunately our section is lacking in suit
able material for permanent road con
struction. The large piles of shells often
seen near our creeks and rivers offer n
limited supply ofexcellent material which
has rarely been availed of Roads near
these shells should be rounded in the
centre and well covered with shells and
rolled with a heavy roller while the
ground under them is not very hard
Earth roads need constant repairs, for
rains have tendency 10 level I'D the
drains and gully the track. The con.
tractor should be a man with some littl,
engineering skill. Many of those now in
charge (if their work is any evidencel
hardly know whether water runs up or
down hill, and some OF them appear to
care even less. The ordinary farm hand
Is not sufficiently skilled TO construct n
road. A contractor who plows a furrow
on each side and leaves it as the plow
formed 1t, instead of removing it to the
centre OF the road, has no business with
the Joo: lie has actually made it worse
Dy raising ridge TO hold the water
q h.u
too, nearly all attempts at road-mend-
ing stop short of the point which makes
the Work seif-protecting. A very little
more work would in many instances
make the work expended last twice as
long and be to some extent a permanent
gain.
But the driving public, while condemn
lng our road system or the need of il.
ana while abusing the contractors for
neglect OF duty "a charge often well
founded), seem to overlook thefact or do
not care, that they are in a high degree To
blame for the bad condition of the road
bed. They drive carelessly aud very often
their team, if left to it's own will. wouId
show better judgment than it's owner in
the selection of a track. They drive into
and destroy provision for drainage. there.
by aggravating the evil they complain
OF, and increasing the contractor s labor
With no benefit whatever to themselves.
Last fall sGw a road machine at work
in my district. Ii left q nice, smooth, fiat
ditch bottom on each side OF the road
Travellers were actually using that level
place as a track in which to drive. and
were doing it within sight OF the machine
and the man working il. The public
need educating greatly upon this line
Owners, too, of roadside property seem
to think the road a common dumping
ground forevery sort ofreiuse-old shoes
barrel hoops, brush, broken crockery and
bottles, dangerous to horses feet and
destructive of the wbeelman's rubber
tires Ii is used as a public storage
ground, Judging by the piles ofcord w ood,
ties and lumber piled within it's limits
often TO the verge OF the track. All this
II as unlawful here as it would be upon
the streets OF town.