The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-09-28
SP0TSYLvANlA ROADS

Not often does a countryman com
plain Of his lot; no matter bow hard it
is, he bides his time and makes the
change when he see bis way to better
his condition. The average man is
worth twenty dollars and weighs $50
pounds. l.2UO hen eggs contain raw
material enough, when the various
parts are separated, TO furnish the
combination. This separated by the
scientist makes about enough iron for
a handful Of iron nails, fat Tor fourteen
pounds Of candles phosphorus for $50, q
900 matches, carbon for 1880 lead PEN
ellis, twenty spoons full Of salt, fifty
Jumps of sugar, about eleven gallons Of
water: at 20 years old he will have eat
en- Is head of beef cattle, S5 sheep, %
hogs, 10000 loaves of bread. besides
wagon loads of cabbage, potatoes,
beans and other vegetables. The mar
ket value of this food would be more
than 81, 900, not saying anything about
the drinks, milk, water and wine. Is
the man worth il? But for the pleas
ure he has in eating and drinking these
large quantities of food and drink and
using his horse sense in the world 70
make more comforts and more pleas
ures for his fellow man, it would seem
that mother nature had wasted a great
quantity of good material in a very un-
satisfactory way.
We may not agree on ali points. We
are glad we have individuality enough
TO think independently and differ in all
reasonable ways. We are glad to know
we have enough wisdom to unite our
efforts and combine our forces TO do the
best thing for the most benefit for the
greatest number. Our thoughts prompt
our acts and our acts direct our destiny.
We want 10 lay aside personal whims,
predudices and IA much of our selfish
ness as we can. We want 10 Join in a
common purpose on a high plane, hav-
| ing correctly informed Ourself by every
possible effort. then 90 forward regard
less of enyious men, who predict our
I failure, downfall and disappointment;
principles are for the ages, because the
winds blow and the rain falls we must
not build on shifting sands. Truth
should be the first lesson Of
childhood and the last aspiration of
man. When Nestor stood before the
Greek generals and counselled attack
upon Troy he said ''the secret Of vic
tory is in getting good ready. "
Now the path behind US has been one
very rough and full Of mud. The his
tory of our roads is written in swear
words by tie many and in tears of pa
tience by the more. We want to make
/ better our conditions. We want to
make roads, good roads. We want the
money to do this with. We want TO
/ hire the money and we do know what
/ the money will cost. We know that
we will pay in taxes for road purposes
four dollars for each thousand dollars
worth Of property we own, no more and
no less. We know we will pay the
same tax whether we have roads or if
we don't have them. Now we are not
willing TO be behind other progressive
people and we will capitalize our four
dollars and get nearly one hundred and
use il now and build roads now, by the
improved plans and experience of prac-
teal road builders.
We have the material near at hand
in all parts of the county. We know
no money can be raised except by the
vote of the people and the people who
want to know Gf there are any now
who do not know, will have any ques-
| tions answered through the papers, if
they will only write TO the editor and
say what they want to know. We
have in the county 765 men qualified to
vote in the November election and this
is the only time conditions, circum-
stances and qualifications have been
ready for this action in the great road
making effort. Life is many days liy-
ing and many days working with many
days of pleasure and happiness sand
wiched in between, and people are in
two divisions, the boosters and the
knockers. 1t is human to be afraid of
big things, said a silverhaired old
grandfather, have my moods, twists
and corners of disposition. have seen
so many cross, cranky, disagreeable old
people and years ago | made up my
to practice the BLESSED other way
and his beautiful life was a benedietion
on all around him.
The Good Roads Association proposes
dedicating 10 the 765 voters of Spotsyl-
vania at the Court House on Thursday,
October l4th, a series Of speeches by
men of pleasing address and informa-
ton, also a free dinner to make the in
ner man glad. Every voter is invited
to attend.
Yours for good road,
Thos. II. Harris.
Sept. "a, 1909.