Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-02-26
Road Building plan Opposed.

The question what to do with or how t
treat existing stone roads, whether pixies OF
county roads, when taken for State roads
is fundamental question. II comes be-
fore the question of final location of State
roads. Take for instance the Montgomery
county situation. If the nine miles from
Rockville to the District line are to be treat
ed as Mr.. Shoemaker proposes, II implies
an expenditure of about $i0,0 900 mile or
more to get the present stone road out of
the way, re-erade and put down Shoe
maker road. From the experience of our
people with Shoemaker roads, they are not
considered as durable as the present stone
road. So the above result would be an ex-
penditure of not less than 100000 to put
down road that might not be substan-
tally better than the road now there. On
the other hand. if this 500, 900 was saved,
or large part of it, there would be money
available to extend the State stone road
into other portions of Montgomery county.
Before locating the line of the State road
through the county, you have got to pro-
vide the money to build it, and the use Of
100000 to destroy and reconstruct nine
miles from Washington to Rockville, will be
in itself an expenditure that will prevent
the building of any line of State road
reaching to Frederick county. The figures
sington to Bradley Lane, $31, 900, one mile
fourteen feet wide, two miles twelve feet
wide, are very significant, showing an aver
age cost of over 10000 a mile, and no
bridge to build. On this particular three
miles of new road. cracked stone can be
delivered from the cars at both Kensing
ton and Chevy Chase Lake, being cheaper
delivery than can be made on any other
three miles of road to be built in the county.
1t is understood that the Governor, and
that Mr.. Tucker and Mr.. Hutton, of Mont
gomery county, favor taking over pixies and
stone roads by the State as they now are
and gradually improving them without dig |
ging and roofing them up and putting them
down again, but that the other two Com |
missioners, Professors Clark and Remson.
are inclined to sympathize with Mr.. Shoe
maker This is an important question and
should be settled one way or the other be- |
fore the location of roads can be intelli- |
gently settled. The general opinion of all
practical farmers who have considered the |
question and expressed themselves is that |
it will be very extravagent to pursue the |
method favored by Mr.. Shoemaker, and
not only would be waste of State money, |
but would prevent the possibility of State |
stone roads being extended to a number of |
places they could otherwise reach.
At largely attended meeting of Mont |
gomery county farmers, held at Sandy Spring |
on Tuesday last. Messrs. Samuel M. Shoe
maker and Frank C. Hutton, of the State |
Roads Commission, being present, Josiah |
W. Jones offered resolution which brought |
up the question Of how the State Roads |
Commission should treat the existing stone |
roads. Mr.. Shoemaker was of the opinion |
that all stone roads should be torn up and |
said he would not be converted to any |
other view.
The meeting was almost unanimous for |
Mr.. Jones resolution, which is to the effect |
that it would be great waste of public
funds to tear up the existing turnpikes and
stone roads in Western Maryland, that
these stone roads should be gradually i'm
proved, thus leaving greater amount of
money available for new stone roads in
those sections now entirely without them.
Mr.. Hutton favored the gradual improve
ment of existing turnpikes, and declared
that he was opposed to their uprOoting and
reconstruction In the debate. the opinion
was advanced that the geological survey
road in Montgomery county known as the
Shoemaker road, had not shown sufficient
durability to justify the destruction of ex
listing turnpikes.
Upon motion, il was decided to send
delegation of SO to Baltimore city on to-
day to present the views of the MOntgOm-
cry county farmers with reference to the
road question, before the State Roads COM
missioners. 1t is commended that the old
stone roads are deeply bedded and dura-
able, and that II would be folly to destroy
them and build on their ruins highways
that would not be better.