The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-12-14
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CURING SICK ROADS.
A Physician Treated a Small Section
at His Own EXPENSE.

A Physician Treated Small Section
at His Own Expense.
need not count them up: any
thoughtful country person can imag.
Inc a large number II not all, of the
discomforts the busy country physi-
clan is subjected to in travelling up
and down the ordinary country
roads. | have never heard of any OF
them getting "llver grown" whatever
that may be. although | have known
some who have had to be under con.
tinual expense to the carriage doctor
for the cure of ricketts, in wagons, bug.
giles, etc.
We have doctor in East Lampeter
who got tired of bad roads. especially
of one section over which he was
obliged to rattle daily. He asked that
the road be repaired and it was not
done. Then he had the work done at
his own expense and according to his
own notions. But he made the grave
mistake Of not obtaining the permis-
sion of the road supervisors to turn
one of the worst roads in the county
into one of the best at his own ex-
pense. A keen Lancaster lawyer
found for the supervisors an old fool
law saying private citizen may not
take such revolutionary liberties, and
DR.. Donald McCaskey, of East Lampe-
ter Township, in the great red rose
county of Lancaster, was hailed into
court for thus trespassing upon the
prerogatives of the township super
visors.
The good road work the doctor had
done and was doing with his drag APP
pealed to many of his fellow taxpay-
ers and road users, and two factions
grew up in the township-one for and
one against the doctor. People inside
and outside the township began to
laugh about the suit brought against a
public spirited private citizen who
had spent his own money for the pub
lie good. The newspapers over the
state made comments The suit has
been allowed to lie in court or die
there, and the undaunted doctor has
kept his drag going. Then his fellow
and cure a little road he could do a
lot more Of it, and they elected the
doctor road supervisor-one of three
with the split drag the main plank
In the platform.
One Of the doctors first official
moves was to buy some thirty drags
and put them in the hands of as many
dependable farmers, with their jobs
cut out for them-from one-half to one
mile of road; never more than mile.
For the dragging of his allotment each
man is held personally responsible.
After every rain, out with the drag.
The pay for man and team is 40 cents
an hour; no shirking, no graft.
This Is DIR. McCaskey's diagnosis
of the road situation. II We wait in
Pennsylvania till the state shall build
US good" roads the present genera.
tion will be too old to travel them.
The logical thing to do ia to do the
best we can with our earth roads and
/ our present amount of tax. Some of
the macadam state and county built
/ roads have not proved satisfactory.
/ The cost for maintenance seems to be
| quite as much as we now spend on
our present earth roads. Supervisor
McCaskey is giving US a demonstra.
/ tion in spending our road tax, not to
4 repair but to improve our highways.
Another public spirited citizen of
| East Lampeter Township manifests
enough interest in the better roads of
the split drag to offer prize to the
drag driver who shall proGuce the best
/ section of road this year-W. F. Nc.
| Spartan, Furniss, Pa.