Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-02-25

lie idle while the bottom IS out OF .
the road and then work double time b
when there IS a period % good roads. \
They realize they have no business r
except what the farmers bring them d
that the good roads leading 90 the :
town measure the amount OF business.
and therefore they are now disposed
TO pay literally for Improvement OF I
the roads radiating from their town.
halfway 20 their competing town.
knowing that 10y doing so they can
draw trade from other towns
On the other hand. competing towns
cannot afford 60 have this trade drawn
from them. for the business of the
farmer is the life of the town. That
business Withdrawn. either hy strong
competition or by better roads 20 an
other town. means the death of the
town the legend To let on store
buildings and houses. and permanent
depreciation OF property values The
last Virginia census showed that few
OF these towns increased ia popu-
lation in the last five years. nor will
they I'm the next 1--WE unless they in
duce their people 20 mend the high
ways leading into their towns.
Railroads Interested
This also explains why the railroads
take such a deep interest ia the Good
Roads Movement They realize that
before they can load freight II must bee
brought 90 them ON the farmer
wagon n the farmer is unable Co de- f
liver DO the railroad cannot carry a. f
hence when the bottom is out OF the .
roads IT'S cars lie idle on the side
track. It's engines lie idle in the round .
house and los crews are laid of " hen
f the roads become good the traNc
which should have been distributed
e. u. ID.
railroad is not able 90 furnish enough
cars or crews. "a car famine is the re-
suit and when the produce finally
reaches the great central market. the
Very abundance az IN reduces the price.
.aud au lines of trade and labor are
Handicapped and injured hy these con-
diuous
Virginia is sun,fiug as much ami
perhaps more than any other State
from tae depopulatou 81 lbs rural dis
fricts and the abandonment ct is
farms. and t heLccvss us 90 nVcst-
4afe tlc conditions which ARE bTruEire
this unfortunate movement about liI
ton you what iS tn, matter with us
n Virginia farm liie is too lonely our
farmers have uut demanded and se-
cured the little ,onttnleutss that help
t0 make work less hard There is
little or NO social life among large
proportion OF our country Districts
Farm life has been made repulsive
with its endless round az slasish toll
J and the children have grown Up %
hate H.
Make Farming Attractive.
Farming must Dee made more at,rac-
| tive. the comforts az the town must
! be added 90 the beauty OF the fields
| plant "a few shrubs and flowers. give
| the old house "a new coat as attraC-
| tive paint install "a bathroom and
| buy new buggy or carriage foI
| mother and the girls and make things
| bright and CHEEKY everywhere about
the place. IL is not necessary in this
age az the world for the farmer ant
| his family TO rise in the middle of IN,
night and begin his work. This get
ting up SO early m the morning ~
relic Of barbarism. it has made thou
sands Of young people curse the farm
and the farmer who persists In drag
gmg his wife and children from thei
beds ought 20 De visited by a mis-
siOnarv
Give your sons and daughters ever
advantage within your power, bee ther
have q horse and buggy Of their oV1
or two Of them II YOU can aHOFd il
and then let them gO ~ town fOF a
3 / afternoon or evening at least once q
II ~ ~
roads at present 10 permt pleasaE
= driving then roll up Your sleeves An
get out and work with untiTing Ell
ergy until you have helped ayous
I'D some enthusiasm that viii cTystaliz
into a sentiment that viii not snbm
tn any longer 10 the abOminabfe sOnd
ON tiOns that have maintained ia the pas
es Ten million acres Of idle desOIate
"a farm lands in Virginia to-day th.
on have been in the highest state OF ca
rs tivat!on in the past. What has hroEgl
on these conditions about IN n STATE IN,
or has natural advantages for the su
cessful conduct OF agricultural On
A. suits that can De equaled BY few osl
tai ers. I think 10 is due almost " NJ
on entirely. TO the impossible condition
he of the roads in the State.
IDS Remember that good roads and so,
)re schools are the only salvation % an
asst country and work for them first. "a
and all the time
IN State Superintendent EgEleston Is 20
,Od tunately accomplishing seine wonde
ing full results in the rehabilitation 81 a
the Virginia schools, and there are keil
diy built all over the State as fine hi
viii OF beautiful centralized schools al
ing agricultural high schools as any Sta
in the Union can boast Commission