The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-11-17
GOOD ROADS THE
WAY TO WEALTH
. For Every Citizen of the
Country.
A PERTINENT OBJECT-LESSON
Which APPLY Illustrates the
Great Value of Improved
Highways.

tBy Logan Waller Page, Director
of the United States Office of Pub
lie Roads, the Department of Ag-
riculture. Reprinted by courtesy of
1.-THE Worlds Work." by The Ma
tional Grange.]
On top of a hill on the lower
Brownsville road, running out Of jack
son, Tenn, there was, few years
ago, a big farm which had come into
the possession of a bank as satisfac-
ton for debt. 1t could not be
sold, and it was rapidly falling into
neglect. Only part of it was rent
, ed, and that for only 500 year. Sud-
denly all this was changed. A real
estate dealer purchased the tract, at
a good price, divided it into three
farms. and Immediately sold 1t again.
Houses were built, fruit trees were
planted, and thrift and industry pre-
vailed where Incidence and IMPROVE
dence had existed but a short time
before. The reason for all this was
that the lower Brownsville road had
been changed from a long streak OF
mud to an improved highway.
The building of the road had come
about in this way: The levee roads
had been corduroyed to allow travel
over them in winter. Mr.. Sam C..
Lancaster persuaded the county Of
ficials that matchmaking these roads
would be a cheaper and more last
ing improvement, and so it proved To
be. Then came good roads con-
vention, and the building of a 1000
foot. obiect-lesson road, 1t aroused a
\ good deal of enthusiasm. but no defi-
mite steps were taken. Then came
the winter of great mud" in 1902.
The roads were impassable; 1t re-
uuired two strong mules to draw a
milk wagon with two milk cans, and
all day was consumed in going few
miles. For more than six weeks this
condition prevailed. No one attempted
to pass over these roads except In
case of dire necessity. The farmers
were locked in and all trade was stop
ped. The opportune moment had ar
rived. i mass-meeting of the cit
izens was called and all those who
could get to 1t came. In the midst
of the debate about the necessary
bond issue, a farmer arose and said:
"Mr. Chairman, ! am just plain
farmer ard have no business trying to-
talk in this meeting. ! am all COW
cred with mud; there is mud on my
boots and all over my clothes, and
my hat is all spattered up, too.
walked to this meeting because my
horse couldn't travel the roads. I've
got little farm and sawmill out on
the Poplar Corner road, just a little
over two miles from town, and, II l
could get up on hard road with my
truck and what lumber I've sawed, L
could clear enough in one day to pay
my tax on that road; but l haven
got it.
81 bought some groceries from you
turning to a merchanD this month;
yes, s. worth, for l carried them out
on my back; but if had had a good
roSd, it would have been $25, am
sure"
The bonds were issued. AS soon
as the construction of the roads be-
gan, the land values in the county
began to go up--in some cases, from
20 to 100 per cent. There are no
houses ITO rent" in Jackson; builders
are busy, numbers ofn ew real-estate
offices have been subdivided, and
prices are being paid which aston
ish the most far-seeing champion OF
this now popular movement.