The Forrest City times., 1911-08-25
GOOD ROADS.

Friends, do you know that good roads and the good roads movement in this county is today commanding more real. deep, earnest thought in the minds of the reople generally than ony other one thing, and more than t has ever done befores IL is fact. And yet our good roads move meut is just in it's infancy We are i just beginning to realize the impor- tauce of good roads and justewaken- ing to the fact that We are fifty years ! behind the times
 The work done by MT. $. r. McDan- i iel and others on the road through the bottoms, with money raised by popular subscription, is in it's way a l great achievement, and yet, compared with what should and will be done within the next ten years, k but "a ! pebble on the beach. In other words II was real, genuine, earnest begin ming, that means something. IL means sincere interest, and this is half the battle.
 Judge Rolfe, who is ex ofiicio super intendent of county roads, with large fund at his command, has also aid splendid foundation plans, and made beginning-a splendid begin ning-the end Of which If properly reached. will be an everlasting monu- ment to his foresight. his earnestneSs. his ability and his tenacity in the face Of the most discourageing, hindering and, We might say, disheartening cir cumstances and conditions, though he Is not the kind t0 be easily dis pirited
 His beginning has been the subject of numerous complimentary para graphs and some longer articles ap- bearing in The Times. The drafting of bill which lie had introduced ID the legislature and which is now a law.l the orders of hls court which seek 10 give our people the benefits of the law, the purchase of mules blows. Scrapers. and other road working tools, and machinery. the arrival of i the steel cages to house them and al most score of convicts which were 1 immediately set 10 work on the road l from Forrest City tO the Western l boundary of the county and many other minor acts and purposes which will or has already given him the honorable sobriquet of The good roads Judge, o-these are just a few of the many commendable acts marking this most suspicious begin ming which promises so much more in results than all the other beginnings which have heretofore scarcely risen to the point of a beginning, and could scarcely be called such and then faded away without results.
 We hear rumor that Judge Rolfe and his able superintendent, Mr. Joe NJ. Stayton, are being criticised by some, osteDsibly because of the lack Of results so far from the money spent and the preparations made, the bringing of the convictS here, etc. Judge Rolfe needs no defense at our hands, and so far as we know lie is not losing any sleep oyer these criti- cisms, If there really are any, because he knows that every sensible man knows that he has not pretended to accomplish great things in a day.
 He is really but laying the founda- lions, He is getting his men on the ground, marshalling his forces, as sembling the implements of war or
 bad roads, and IL was not expected nor
 intended that all these preliminaries could be aIranded and actual finished work done in this short time, though had not the elements interfered he might even now, with such thorough organization of his forces, been able to have pointed to at least short stretch of the finished product. But it has rained, rained, rained, day after day, week i'll and week out, and l ttav r gr14 avoidable hindrances, and what has been done has been accomplished un- der the most trying circumstances and We understand from reliable sources that he has made excellent progress under the circumstances and considering the innumeratle dis advantages. We are writing this without the knowledge 0t Judge Roife or Mr. Stayton, not 10 defend them, for they need il not, and are able To take care of themselves, but simply as matter If juStness to them, because We believe they have dune tue best they could under the circumstances, and that H0 others could have done better
 Mr Joe Stayton the Road Saperin- tendent, has been selected because of his integrity, his experience his en- ergy, his patriotism, his ability and lis determination to always de the right thing at the right time.
 His intentions are good and his dircc- tions the best.
 \ fear has been expressed that Judge Rol1e and those under him.
 may be in TOO GREAT A It RRI TO SHOW RESt ITS, and that for this reason the work may be sighted or of temporary kind We don't think so. They are men of sense and good judgement They should and viii no doubt make haste slowly, and II they only build one mile of road, let that mile of road be the very best of which they are capable of making. They will get more credit for making a mile of really good road and il will be of much higher last ing quality than if they make ten miles of road which is good today and gone tomorrow
 We say we believe this is what they ! intend to do it k what they should l do, and 1t is the only thing to do. It