The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-02-23
ROAD MAKING
Another Letter From M. 1hos. H. Hsuis.

Fredericksburg, Va Feb 2l, 1907
To The Free Lance.
Getting men started has always been
the most difficult point. Lighting mp
enthusiasm. making DO gu has always
been thr thing thAt kills the energy oi
leaders in any movement The elbow
touch. "l will II Nou viii. ,nu over
come very seemingly difficult problem
So many to uil You Its nO use
Nothing can come oi your worry with
the roads. Let 10 go. what need YOU
care The others can look out for
themselves .ike We do. "lou get moth
lng for wasting Your time talking road
improvement Our ancestors lived long
and well. they did we'll and had plenty
Let the younger generation take care
of Themselves "lt cannot Boz done
just think. the books that have done
us the most good are those W. have 90
put the most study aud thought on.
The hard way of learning il boy easy
reading. doing uo thinking, having 20
study no statement, aud We farmers are
the most hard-headed and Independent
set of men boz the world. as they say n
Missouri, you must show us, and you
will remember this is no new demand.
Tor Thomas must be- shown the holes al
the nails and the spear pierced side be-
fore he would be- made 90 believe
Have not the Grange. the Farmers
Alliances and many other organizations
been shor. lived becau-e che farmers rr-
fuse 20 co-1hrate. o. -taud together
Tie farmer. b. would --rui. must be- "a
man OBJ the greatest faith. aud 10 does
not seem unreasonable 90 say be should
stand elbow tu elbow with hi- brother
farmer He prepares his land. sows his
seeds. not knowing II the sunshine and
rain viii make his crop 90 any way eX-
cept hy the simple word faith. The
Good Book tells us that q very small
faith will save Us from very serious con
sequences II exercised while the soul is iu
the flesh So it l. necessary that some
work be- done
The coal digger can work like a ma .
chine day in aud day agaIu aud in that
way get bread and clothes He can be
directed by a mine boss and live on until
his body is worn out and not be required /
20 exercise faith like the nan who |
farm oi few acres and bis castle oi may |
be- only twelve by twelve, yet he is inde- !
pendent Of the neighbors and the outside !
world 80 long ~ all are alive and well |
When we started out with the road |
problem we knew we Were taking up |
large matter and one that had caused /
much comment and worry 20 many peO- /
pie We offered 10 work in any place for |
the cause II someone else would lead the /
movement At this writing no one has /
offered TO take the lead. Quite a mum /
Der have said 10 ~ 10 90 on, we will |
help You, and we are sure they will aud 1
that our purpose and aim will be- accom- /
plished Our first move was 10 ask for /
twenty-five men 10 join Us by putting |
their names on the list and contributing /
one dollar for stationery, etc, 10 be used |
in the movement. We wanted few men /
in each district OF the county 10 take an |
active interest in getting road improve
ment. Not as many a. we wanted Join
ed us, still we are going on with the
work Two public spirited gentlemen
have started special iund for road i'm
provement leading out from this town.
One in Stafford so far has gotten sub
scribed $500. One in SpOtsylyania har
AT this time 81 900. This money is sub
scribed by private individuals making /
road improvement. At this writing we
have gotten in about Oue-iOurth Oi the |
postals that were sent out on Feb. 9TH. !
The yeas for road betterment pay
SO, 800 taxes, the nays pay 1913 Our /
available fund under the special road /
act of 97-9S is about $3,SOO We are
going 20 ask the Board OF Supervisors OF |
SpOtsylvania county 10 change the sys- |
TEN OF road working. Our plan Is en- /
dorsed by the public road office at Wash |
ingtOn, also by the State Highway Com |
missioner Of Virginia, has been demon |
strated in several western States and |
has the endorsement OF the State engi |
neer OF New York State, which State |
this year will use for making 7jO miles
Of wagon roads the sum Of 10000 600. |
We propose having "A sixteen-ioot road |
bed over the principal roads OF the |
county, where it is possible 10 make IT |
so. We propose that the roads shall be |
divided into sections of five miles, and |
these sections let TO contractors under |
special instructions. No money 10 be !
paid for any work until it is done and |
accepted.
We propose that the roedbed shall
have gravel or stone put on Just as last
as the money to pay for it Is available.
We do not at the present time RECON- !
mend the sale OF any bonds We want |
our supervisors 20 show that they can /
handle the money that We pay now as
road tax. We believe they are COM |
petent to do that We must get away |
IRON the old system.
Since have been writing on the road
problem more than fifty letters have
come to me from different parts of the !
country asking about property in this |
section, and one of the leading questions
is. How are your roads, Some of the
writers are people OF much money.
What does this mean II not that il we
mend our ways capital will come into
our county We have no theory OF ex-
periment TO offer, but are prepared with |
facts and a practical demonstration OF /
what we claim can be done with the
money that is already available. When /
we have done that with the CO.
operation OF the board OF supervisors,
at the next meeting Of the State legisla-
ture we will ask for an amendment to
the act OF '97-9a. We claim that il
the counties from Washington, d. G., to /
Jamestown, Va, will adopt this road
plan this spring it is possible TO have a
good driving road for any kind of
carriage by midsummer.
Yours for roads,
Thos. H. Harris.