The Paducah evening sun., 1910-01-04

creek, on the Cairo road. All others
were wooden bridges and culverts,
the number of wooden bridges being
1862, and G1S wooden tulverts. AS
before stated, no other than dirt
roads had ever been attempted to be
built.
OF the entire mileage or dirt roads.
the character of work upon the same
was with the Shovel and hoe"
method up TO 1895. At this time.
and for the frs; time. the roads were
let out by contract TO Major Barnes,
of Paducah, and the work for the
most part was done with road graders
Some Of this work was done under
great difficulties and at considerable
cost to the county, and, az 1 have
learned, at a loss TO the contractors.
one reason for such results was found
iu the fact that II was the first time
that road graders were used, and an
other being the extreme narrowness
of the roads. It ls but Just to say
that Judge Tully did as much toward
widening the same as the means OF
The county would permit. The eX-
ceedingly high prices demanded OF
him for additional right Of way. to-
gether with the attendant difficulties
OF condemnation, no doubt, had
dispiriting effect upon him. The
OF money usually available
for road purposes was grossly made
quate. when an attempt was made in
this direction. Yet there can be no
doubt but that Judge Tully succeeded
most signally in putting the dirt
roads. during the year 1900, in most
excellent condition. / feel confident,
that as dirt roads, there could not
have been an improvement upon
them. The same was true as 10 the
wooden bridges and cuverts. IL was
the first real attempt at extensive
road work by the county and very
generally met the approval OF the
people. During that year and the
year previous, more than 100000 was
expended upon the roads Yet, the
Judge and members of his court with
I'm the next year found that Il be-
came a case OF "love's labor lost"
for with the passing or the first win
ter his roads assumed the usual con-
dition Of dirt roads. A few freshets
OF winter OF spring soon demonstrat-
ed the unsubsiantial elements OF the
dirt road The coming of the elements
was always 2 dreadel foe to the tenn
porary highway The ordinary bridge
and culveTt met the same fate
With a full appreciation of all that
had been done. as above stated, the
writer. upon taking Office, has en-
deavOred with what ability he pos
sessed. TO grapple with the road ques-
tion and. to some extent. leave some
evidence Of public improvement that
would last more than a year. Ger
.ta.nly not much difilcuity would be
experienced in arriving at the conclu-
sion that a gravel road was better
than a dirt road Yet, strange to say.
II found. and Z Is still true, that
much opposition exists as 20 the
gravel road. Though. undeniably true.
that the farmer could haul but about
one-fourth Of the load over the dirt
road On the winter that he could over
the gravel road. requiring double
time and a number OF horses. vet I
must confess tnat no inconsiderable
resistance and objection would be
raised as against the gravel road
Frequently the objection. that OF TOO
great cost. could be met by showing
increase m values OF farm land. No
little effort made. often met with
failure.
The writer. frankly admitting
that but little was done toward dirt
road work for the first two years Of
his first administration. because Of
an effort 10 economize. as previously
stated on account of the heavy in