The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-30
bays ars rcttIng m aax lrbdr.

between q people yalue OF education
and the sor Of roads they haye9
Then again take The labor OF those
servants Of civilization. the mail car
riers on the reral routes. These men
spend more hours Of the day on the
road henceiin thefcold, wear out more
wagons and clothing. and destroy
moro horse flesh and spend more mon.
e2 for food and care for horses, In or
der to get over their twenty or more
miles a day, and take the mail to the
people than the United States expects
or the people ought to permit, or would
be necessary in a State where the peo-
pie keep up their roads. We have not
beg n to realize what II means to all
the people In an educational way to
have these rural mall routes. I'm
doubtedly a large amount OF the pref.
udfce, self suficfeney. and stubborn.
ness which makes progress among a
people difficult is due to what other
folks are doing In short to ignorance.
Now the much reading OF papers,
good magazines, etc. will break down
these barriers, and the mails are a
great to this end. But 50 far
as the country districts are concern.
ed we make the action OF the govern:
ment in giving US mail and the willing.
ness OF the men to carry the mail in
the winter seasons. charitable. Our
bad roads would, be a sufficient argu.
meRt anywhere for the government
Withdrawing for certain seasons of the
year this privilege.
Again. in many States the county
people are determined to give their
children as good advantages. If It Is
in their power, as the town children
have. This Is certainly commendable
for their children have as good brains
and they ought not TO go out In the
world handicapped In comparison with
their town cousins. Now one OF the
ways that the country people have
achieved this good result has been to
concentrate four or Ave schools into
one. In this way the children can be
graded. aud a child now, say IN the
first reader, who In the ordinary school
%reeites four times n day, would get
nearly all the attention Of the teach.
err. However, this is not the place to
discuss the advantages Of c%oncentra.
ton of schools. In order to get the
Femoter children to the central school,
wagons or hacks are provided which
haul the children in. This wonld seem
to be more. expensive than the other
way. If It were 1t would pay for the
child can make much greater pro.
grcss, but the fact is that It Is cheap.
CT. and the children nre less exposed
to the bad weather than under the
present system. Now, this system is
being carried out to-day from the
swamps Of Louisiana to the coolest
} sections OF the United States. giving
the country better, schools at cheaper
money, and with more protection, Sc
that attendance is better and ever
the smaller children can so all the
time. But what is the use OF talking
OF stcit schools IN the good old coun,
ty OF Marion? 1t Is good for the
country people to read what Is being
done for the children In Indiana, but
there Is no use of thinking OF such
advantages for the country children
OF this county. May be with their
children times will be different, not
times either, but people.
Now. are not bad roads due to the
unusual condition of soil and mois,
ture? Not being a specialist on this
line. I a give the opinion Of those
who DO know. They say that to make
gool roads two things are chiefly de.
sirable-slope enough for drainage,
and stone Of the quality aud enough
for macadamizing. I leave It to the
people. whether we have not both
slope and rock. Furthermore, I know
in the days before the war when the
art OF road making was not forgotten,
there was n road made through from
Staanton, Va, to Parkersbarg, which,
with all these years of wear, is better
than most Of the roads which arc
worked every year. Oh. yes. we could
have good roads. 1t is Just n matter
Of our getting about and doing 1t, and
paying the price. In the meanwhile
we will keep pitching rocks in a pile
into mud holes, scraping along the
cutters It bit In the summer, with the
resulting limitations | have mentioned.
C. J.. C. BENNETT. .
POULTRY show