Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-12-16

Road Improvement in Beverly Manor.
itor Staunton SPECTATOR:

Editor Staunton SPECTATOR:
Having tried some experiments il
road improvement during the pas
summer, 1 think it justly due tn
travelling public and the friends o
good roads to publish my experience
during the summer.
When l came into office the first Of
January l found about two Thousand
dollars in road machinery and not &
cents worth of power to run it. This
| looked little odd to me, that we
should buy stone crushers and scrap
ers without any thought as to power
| to run them. l also found from my
| predecessors books that they had been
spending about 5000 per annum for
power to operate this machinery. With
two crushers on hand and four road
scrapers sitting around rOtting down,
there had not been a yard of rock
crushed for three years, and only about
half of the roads scraped. 1 reported
the fact to the Road Board of Beverly
Manor district, and the board recon-
mendsd that we purchase suitable
engine for running this machinery.
After examining different makes of
Huber. as the most suitable for that
kind of work.
The Middlebrook pike was getting
in wretched condition and if some
thing was not done soon the $50, 900
spent for its construction would 500
be all lost. After the purchase of the
engine | ordered two of the overseers
to begin work in the quarries getting
out rock to be used in repairing the
old pike. Since that time there has
been crushed and laid on this road
about 1000 yards of fine crushed rock.
If this had been done for the past three |
years the road would now be in fair
ly good condition, but the case is just |
the reverse, much of it is badly in need |
of repair. The travel On this road is |
So uCdNH IL w iofO lSSS hic1A
attention instead of being neglected for
three years at a time, but the limited |
funds of the district will not admit of
more expenditure at present, without |
I'M Justice to other sections of the dis
trict. Justice toward all men and
sections" is my motto. "and special
favors to none" l only wish l had !
the means to go ahead and make this |
road just what all roads should be-
good, solid, smooth McAdam roads, |
we'll graded.
Besides the work done on this road
we have crushed and laid over 5000
yards, mostly on county roads, but
paid for by private individuals, who
seem determined to have a good road
way to their farms The good work
does not stop here, the people in other
sections are piling up great quantities
of rock, and most of it has been crushed
ready to be hauled on low bad places
that get deep in winter. Along the
Churchyilie and SChutterley Mill road
we have crushed about 800 yards that
was mostly gathered together and
given by the owners of the land,
The engine has been almost con-
stantly at work ever since it was pur-
chased, and has saved the district one
half of its cost this year. | feel very
much encouraged as the sentiment for
better roads is growing every day, and
my most earnest prayer is that | may
live to see the day when we can drive
out over the roads Leading from our
beautiful little city, with pride, and
not feel ashamed or afraid, as We now
do.
G. T. HARRIS.
Gam II Ar 1iStrjot