Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-01-23
TIE BEAUTIFUL ROADS or
PAIRFIELDS.
sRCTIoN THRKE.l

SECTION rHRKEl
Taken altogether, the roads ar
probably in the worst condition the,
have been in for seven years, ant
under the present system of repair
that condition is likely to becom
worse ard worse as the years go by
The cause is not hard to find. Th,
manner in which the road machin,
is used is responsible for much, anG
the almost total neglect of drainag,
will account for the balance. A few
burrows are plowed along the sides
of the road and the dirt thus loos
ened is scraped upon the top of tn,
roadbed and left lying rough and
loose, like piece of new ground just
plowed. Very little attention i,
paid to smoothing the roadbed and
none at all to rolling it. The con,
tractor apparently relies upon tn.
road traffic to put on the finishing
touches after he has scraped the
loose dirt and trash into place
There being no provision made fol-
drainage, the water in many places
covers the newly-made roadbed and
softens it thoroughly, and the We,
hicles cut down into the mud, max,
ing the last state of that road wors,
than the first. What the average
contractor does not know about road
making would make a cartload OF
books.
For the benefit of the people who
have never read the contract fol-
keeping the. roads of Fairfields in
order a copy is here inserted:
FAIRFIELDs ROAD. CONTRACT.
ARTICLES Of agreement entered into
this, the 9Th day OF May. 1901, between
the Board of Supervisors of the County
OF Northumberland and the State OF yir.
ginis Of the first part, and o. V. Belts o,
the second part, Witnesse,h: That the
said Board OF Supervisors for the con-
sideration, hereinafter mentioned, doth
covenant and agree with the said party
of the second part that they, the said
parties of the first part, shall and will pay
to the said party of the second part the
sum of Four Hundred and Eighty. Six
Dollars annually for the period of five
years.
"And the said party OF the second
part doth covenant and agree on his
part for the considerations hereinbefore
that he. the party OF the second
part, will work and put in order all the pub
lie roads in Fair6elds Msgisterial District
now used and worked as public roads,
provided that that part Of the public
road running through the swamp in
Mob Neck be exempted from the full
obligation Of this contract, except that the
said party OF the second part will do the
best he can with IL, all things considered,
it being recognized by both of the par
ties hereto that 1t Is impossible that all
the requirements Of the law be compiled
with In relation to that road.
"And said party of the second part
covenants and agrees that all of said
public roads shall be KEEP, in good con-
dition, cleared, smoothed Of rocks and
all obstructions, Of necessary and lawful
width, well drained and otherwise In
good order and secure from the falling
of dead timber thereon, for the period Of
five years, beginning on the 2ond day Of
April, 1901, and ending on the 2lst day
Of April. 1905, said. roads to be well
worked and holes to be filled and the
roads generally to be put aud kept In
good condition for the public use and
travel, subject, however. to the excep.
tions hereinbefore provided for"
(SignedJ o. ". BKTrs.
JOS. w. ANDERsoN,
Chairman.
Now it will be observed that the
contractor binds himself to put and
keep in good order all the public
roads of Fairfields. The travelling
public will testify that while some
are put in apparent good order in
summer when it is dry, that none
are Kept in good order. just as soon
as the rains begin in the fall the
roads begin to get bad. and keep
steadily at it until the spring winds
dry up the mud.
The contract says call" the roads,
but probably one-half are never
touched, unless it ia that a few
shovelfuls of dirt are thrown into
some of the smaller holes. while the
larger ones are left
1t is reported that the road from
Shiloh colored church to Lillian, BY
way of W. A. Hudnall's farm-some
three or four miles-has not been
touched for twelve months or more.
The Bridge Neck road from Doug
O. n