The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-11-10

Judge III G. Ewarts
Hendersonyille,

Dear Sir
am just in receipt OF your Ia
or of 80 which / was very glad SO
receive as l did not feel that it was
your intention to do me an ~
justice, and / felt sure that you
had not examined the records to.
obtain the true cost of maintaining
the chaingang. Your article as
well also as the article signed BY
Citizen In the same copy OF the
Western North Carolina Times
gave me no little worry. First,
because / am enthusiastic over the
subject of good roads and after
studying the matter carefully for
three years / am thoroughly sat-
listed that Henderson County can
never expect to maintain or I'M
prove her roads In any way at a
cost that will compare at all favor
ably with the cost of maintaining
the chaingang. And second, !
have at all times done everything
possible to keep the road law as
well as the changing, free from
politics as / do not believe the
best work can be done without
the sympathy and cooperation OF
the whole people. And third, my
own feelings were somewhat hurt,
as I may put it, that the work OF
the changing has been my hobby
and if / am capable of successfully
managing any work, or if | ever
did any good work in my life, or
if Fever did work worth two dol
lars for the expenditure OF one,
feel that this has been done with
the chaingang, and the work that
they have accomplished in the
last IL months if examined viii
show clearly to any one that II
could not be done under any other
system for three times the cost il
has been to the county. If any
! should care to look into this mat.
: ter I invite them to examine the
: road from Hendersonville leading
/ out past Kanuga Lake, the roac
J from Hendersonville up Devils
Fork, the crossing over Mud Creel
{ at the Long Bridge on the Cleal
: Creek Road, the road down Reedy
: Patch to Bat Cave, the road from
Fletcher up Hoopers Creek t.
Terriers Gap, the road from
Brickton crossing the Frencl
r Broad River to Mills River, ant
/, the road from the Buncombe
County Line to Mud Creel
where the convicts r now a
1 work.
/ Now a few figures to show wha
the cost is to Henderson Count.
for maintaining its chaingang
For the year 1908 the total ia,
f levied in Henderson county TO
s road purposes was $4237.55 fror
n this is to be deducted 5 per cent
as commissions to the Tax Collec
+. tor and the usual deductions TO
n insoIvents and land sales whic
e would leave in round figures aboO
$38O0.OO net for road purpose
The o-verseers of the county get 1
round numbers about $15OO.OO
year which would leave to be e.
e pended by the changing abou
e 100000 for this year. In jun
1909 after studing the situatio
r, carefully and seeing what coul
l. be accomplished by the work
i the changing I went before til
q, Board of county COMMISSIONS
and asked them to increase tn
q levy for road purposes in ordt
1 that I might be able to keep a lar'
er force of men and accomplis
more work. At this time the ia
= was increased to 20 mills While
q, produced the gross amount
$7682.3 "a. From this is to be d
le Quoted the Tax Collectors Cor
q missioners about $347.34, inso
vents and land sales $247 SO, ma
. ing a total of 1881 and leavin
Z the net amount to be expended K
I'd roads as state before the owe
lc seers of the county get In rour
of numbers $500 a year. Also fro
n this fund the money must be take
to buy the tools that r used
y the free labor of the county. Al
Is out of this fund / have been alb
to buy a road machine, which IS
great labor saving machine, t,
- each of the various township
For this I will set aside $587.;
which will leave the net amount
e be expended for he chainga1
n 100000 for this year.
y Fortunately for HendersC
Coun ty but unfortunately for t
y changing the morals OF t
people of Henderson County a
c,7oh +ha+ we cannot maintain