Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-05-21
{. S. LEADS IN
GOOD ROADS.
People Take Advantage OF Soil
To Construct Enduring
Highways.

Attention is directed almost daily to
the strides the Eastern Shore Of Mary
land is making in road building. This
section. more than any other in the
State, has taken hold Of the problem
and difficulties that have surrounded
improved highways in such way that
il is believed to be in fair way Of
solving them. With the people of the
nine Eastern Shore counties the efforts
Of the State are regarded as only sup
Elementary to the efforts that can be
made in the counties. They are not
waiting for the State to take the inita-
tive. Sclf-reliance seems to be the
secret of their success.
Only brief periods elapsc when repre-
sentative citizens of the counties (some-
times personally, sometimes officially
present themselves at the Offices of the
State Roads Commission with and offer
of deal. They are anxious to under
take some improvement provided the
State will undertake another improve
ment which is closely related to the one
they have in mind. These deals are adj
vantagcous to the State in extending
the lateral branches Of the proposed
system. Consequently. no deal is ever
preached that does not meet with con-
sideration from the State Road Com
mission. and most Of the deals are ac-
cepted. although occasionally il may be
necessary to reject one.
Ten years ago the Eastern Shore Of
Maryland was poor. II has made great
strides in the last decade. Ithas devel-
oped in great measure as the garden
from which the people of Philadelphia
and New York, as well as Baltimore,
get the fruits and vegetables. Linked
with its progress is an increase in the
mileage of its up-todate highways.
Only recently it was boastingly asked
of Samuel X. Dennis, Senator Smiths
private secretary, if he knew of better
road than Park Heights Avenue, in the
suburbs of Baltimore City.
at is fairly good road. replied Mr..
Dennis, but it is not as good as the
roads leading out of Snow Hill and
Berlin"
Snow Hill and Berlin are in Worcester
1t is admitted that the claim made by
Mr.. Dennis was just one. Moreover.
it can be asserted with equal truth of a
number of towns on the Eastern Shore
of Maryland.
Why the counties on the Eastern Shore
of Maryland should be so keen in the
matter of road building requires no ex-
PLANTATION from those who have studied
the bodybuilding problem. How il hap
pens that they have taken an interest
so far in advance of the counties of the
other sections of Maryland is not so
easily explained. However. they are
after good roads and they are getting
them. Whatever fault may be found
with road construction in other parts of
Maryland they do not apply to the
light. sandy soil of the Eastern Shore.
There the roads go down to stay, and
they do stay. The people cannot get
quite enough of them. Where the State
does not build they are preparing to
build under the State aid or Shoemaker
Law, in which the State pays half the
cost and the county the remainder. All
of the county's share. except 10 per
cent. is collected from the owners of
property along the route of the pro-
posed modern road. Property owners
are giving up the money. - Baltimore
NeWs.