Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-03-21
More Road Talk from a Keen
Observer Of Highways
Contributed 10 ne CaslAe


Observer Of Highways
Contributed 10 he Cas<Ae
We notice in both TIE GAzErrl
and County News that there il
quite discussion over corta:r
piece Of road at Rockbridgc
Baths. Thot's all right, breth.
rem, keep the bell ceiling; but wi :
confine the talk all to n couple of
miles OF road?
If the Editor will allow Us space
in his valuable paper think there
are others who will cay a little
something on the road question
that will doubtless prove both in
teresting and instructive, and per-
haps be as "good seed Gown in
good ground" don't expect
myself to say anything that will
be OF value, while ut times they
cay any fool can give valuable
suggestion. Maybs / can suggest
something that will help some one,
IL not by opening the discussion
n a general way, some one else
will offer valuable information.
Now 81 have no axe to grind,
but l notice several things that to
my inexperienced eyes do not look
like up-to-date roads.
First. / will gay that we don't
thirksthat two bArbed wire fences,
one on each side OF a psssway
about ten or twelve feet wide, looks
like a public highway, and we are
OF the opinion that il the people
owning land along the public high
way were required to place their
fences back off the right OF way
there could be few more places
where two teams might pass.
Then we think that few mud
holes would look better if they
were filed with stone and rolled,
the low places in the middle Of the
road filed and good side drains
opened. Can nothing be done to
better our condition in the way of
public roadsS We don't know the
financial standing of Rockbrldge,
but We do know that several Of
cur sister counties have many Of
their main rosdS macadamizSd and
it is pleasure to drive over them,
besides the advantage of hauling
grain and other farm products to
market.
1t is said that in many sections
of this county the cost Of deliver
ing farm products to market is
about $500 and $500 per ton,
while over macadamlzed or gccd
earth road of equal distance from
market is from $1.25 to $500 per
ton. Now who pays this2 The
farmer, of course. We admit that
maeadamiEsd roads come high, but
Rome wasn't quilt in = day. Com
mence on email scale, put stone
or few miles of the principal
roads in each me gisteriAl district
every year and in the course OF
time NE can surely have as good |
roads as any county in this State.
We do not accuse any one Of de
frGuding the county or misappro-
priating the county's public funds,
but there is surely lot of money |
spent by the county on the roads
eaca year and very soon after the
road work is done a heavy rair
will put about 90 per cent Uf the
work in the side drain, or in some
ones field; and III elk months af-
ter the road mOLey has been pct
into the hands OF the overGeer it
has been all used and che roads
are washed and worn down to the
very bottom, if it Doesn't barpen
to be wet season. (If the sea-
con is wet ths bottom g generally
30 far down that it can't be found
1--WE don't believe that the good
people who work the roads are
nor do we think the Of
icisls are taking advantage OF the
funds, BUTT has become
. habitual thing to go over the
-oads, repair them up each spring ]
With earth which will either wash
IF the first few rails that fall :
afterwards or will get sticky and
yetin shape that il is next to i'm
u ssible to get through With sny-
hing like a heavy load. Why
iot put part of the money used
or road purposes in macadamiz-
ng and try at least to have pLrt
# the work to Itand2 ,