The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-07-22
A VOTE FOR The BONDS
MEANS BETTER ROADS
"ALFkLFA BILL" MURRAY TELLS
PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR JOHN
sToN COUNTY BONDS.

Now that the question of voting
for an issue OF county bonds is
paramount In the minds of the
citizens OF Carter county it Is iu.
tcrcsting to note that Johnston coun-
~ is also about to issue bonds
lu an open letter 90 the people
Of that county. Hon Wm H. Muir
ray advocates the issue. Ic saws.
observe in the papers the proc
lamation of the county commits
siuncrs Of Johnston county, that an
election hac been called ON the
18th day of August 1909 for the
purpose of voting upon the issu-
ance of bonds in the aggregate
sum of one hundred thousand
dollars, for the purpose of con
stru,:ing and building bridges on
the various public roads in John
ston county.
As high tax payer and citizen
! am highly in favor of the issu-
ancc of these bonds and while
have not made calculation as TO
the cost of the bridges necessary,
nor gone over with the commission
ers their calculation. yet | am sure,
since we have practically no bridges,
that II will take this sum and more
to bridge all the streams in this
county requiring bridges.
In the first place. without bridges,
there can be DO such thing as
good roads under any system,
whether they are worked from tax
alton or whether they are worked
by individuals and. moreover.
there can be no such thing as rural
free delivery which is now in op.
Grafton in that portion of the
state formerly known as Oklahoma
Territory. I shall welcome the day
that can place a mail box out at
the public road and have my mail
aai'y dropped into that box without
having 10 go 10 town for II, with
the privilege Of meeting the mail
carrier and sending into town for a
clevis, a bolt or tap to some ma
chinery without the loss of time
and expense entaling a visit to
town for one of these things. and
have it brought back and laid on
my mail box or delivered the next
morning.
II you will make a calcugt,on
on hundred thousand dollars will
amount to little less than five
dc'iars per capita. The man that
cou'Gnt pav it, however, poor. dur
ing the next twenty-five years,
couldn't pay other taxes or other
burdens of government. In tact he
"ill paw incCthe form of work or
money on ,he public roads that
aI'ru't each and every year.
Following closely in the wake of
free delivery is the establishment Of
country telephone. Comanche, and
some of the older counties just west
Of the Indian Territory portion OF
the state where they have free de.
livery, have telephone installed
in every residence, whether occu.
pied by the owner of land or a
tenant These conveniences in one
year will more than pay each and
every man the total cost OF good
roads, 10 say nothing of that
bank" which a farmer must think
of when he undertakes To load his
wagon and start 10 town. In con,
versation with friend a few days
ago mentioned that with good
roads and without having TO pull
the bank after bridging that hc
could haul twice as much as he
could If the bridges were not con
structcd and thus save one days
work for himself and for his team
worth on an average $3.50 per day
He replied that he hired his grair
every man who takes contract
10 haul grain first looks at the banl
on the road whore there is no bridge
as well as at the road and ther
charges accordingly; and whether
the farmer does the hauling him
self or hires II done he will pay
the entire cost in one season.
OF course. the greater portion o
this expense will eventually fal
upon the land owners but they vii
get benefits commensurate with III
cost. They will get more tenants
and not be compelled to let thei
land lie idle. The thing now tha