Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-10-03
To the Ladies',
To the Clergy,
To the Voters of Jefferson Co.


habitants. OF this number about 5000
are in the five incorporated towns OF Shep-
herdstown, Harper's Ferry. Bolivar.
Charles Town, Ransom and their lmme-
date suburbs, leaving about b,0oO inhao-
itants that are truly rural, or country peo-
ple. OF this 5000 about 200 OF them q
in 81 are on the east side OF the Shenan-
doah River and at least oue-fifth oil the
territory OF the county Is on the east side
OF the Shenandoah River.
From Harper's Ferry, w. Va, to CAS-
tleman's Ferry, Va, not single bridge
spans the Shenandoah River for the ac-
commodatiou of nearly is OF the total
number of Jefferson county's country
people. The County Court has urari-
mously agreed to build one bridge near
Bloomery, a central point in this distance
of nearly Is miles, 10 accommodate near
ly l-5 OF the country people OF Jefferson
county. To do this they are Suomittlng
to the voters OF Jefferson county at this
fall's election a proposition to bond the
county not to exceed $50, 600 to build the
bridge. :,
To carry this proposition 60 per cent OF
the people voting must vote ior the pfidge
or the proposition fails. This IS undouot-
edly the proper position for the bridge ,fof
nine times out OF ten when one OF our
countrymen on the east side OF the river
leaves his home his objective point IS his
county seat Charles Town. So wheth-
er he lives up the river or down the nv
er when he starts for the bridge he loses
no time or distance, ,as the site OF the pro-
posed bridge is nearly opposite the town
of Charles Town.
To make this bridge effective, OF prac-
teal use, il is necessary to construct TWO
roads, one down the river TO Keys Fer
nv road, the other up The river TO the
Shannondale Furnace road. Now the
construction OF these roads will not cost
tfle county one cent, Tor the men especial
1y benellled have signed an agreement
with the County Court agreeing TO con-
strIct these roads under the supervision
and approval OF the County Surveyor,
lanes K. Hendricks. One OF the mem
bers of the County Court estimated that
these roads would cost 5000 to xl0,OO,
so il will be seen that those specially
benefited are willing 10 bear special bur
denS.
Some have said that as Charles Tows
QlSIrlCl Will OS SkNSiaAty Se"sA~N ~ 80
construction Oh tins bridge she could con-
tribute more thsa the other dishlcts.
This is correct. Sss shousd contribute
more and she xsi tof SVEN nme lencf-
son county speads 81 % fos eouatI pur-
poses, Charles Tows pays nearly one
half. Why2 Because Charles Town
district has nearly one-half the assessed
value OF real estate and personal property
in Jefferson county.
Some people think and have said that
the real estate on9he east side OF The
Shenandoah RiYefis poor and OF little
value. This Is not correct. There are
several large veins of limestone running
through land on the east side OF the Shen-
andoah River and every Jefferson county
farmer knows that where we lind lime
stone we find first-class lasd. The land
on the east side OF the Shenandoah XIV
er is now assessed at very low figure.
Erect this bridge and you will increase
its present value over 500, ,0OO, which will
then pay its share Of county taxes.
To increase the bonded indebtedness
of jefferson county 1000, pay interest
on same at 5 per cent, and TO pay II off at
the rate Of S. 600 per year, VIII, without
taking into consideration the increased
value of land on the east side OF the Shen-
andoah River, only increase our present
taxes the first year 2 per cent. Every
succeeding year II will be less.
To illustrate--lf your taxes are 500
per annum, the first year after the bond
issue they will be Sl02. II your taxes
are $50. they will be the first year $Sl.
II they are SIS, they will be $3.50. and
so on. So you see this will not be
heavy burden upon any one. Then.
again, in very few years after building
this bridge, the increased assessed value
of the land on the east side OF the Shen-
andoa1 River, and the lane between the
Shenandoah River and Charles Town,
and Charles Town itself, will much more
than take care of the bond issue and VIII
really tighten our burdens instead OF IN
creasing them.
Al the present writing the grain dealers
and millers OF Charles Town are getting
about thirty thousand bushels OF wned
from Loudoun county. Btnid tins Dndge
and construct these roads, and we VIII
get from eighty TO one hundred thousand
bushels of wheat from Loudoun county.
Now, you cannot benefit any pan OF jef-
fersor county without benefitting all OF 4
10 greater or less extent. The State
Normal School at Shepherdstown bene-
fits primarily Shepherdstown and vicinity
but al the same time II is great benefIi
to the entire county.
THE RAILROAD BOND ISSUE.
So build this bridge and construct these
roads and the increased assessed value
of the land east of the Shenandoah River,
the increased assessed value OF the land
between Charles Town and the river and
the increased assessed value OF Charles
Town property caused by the ouiioing
of this bridge and the construction OF
these roads will more than take care OF
the expense caused by the construction
thereof. Now we have all frequently
heard the bond issue Of $4,000 tor the
construction of the Shenandoah Railroad
criticised. and il may be that Il deserves
some criticism, but, nevertheless, u mas
and is still paying Jefferson county iarIn-
ers over 10 per cent annually on tne IN
creased price OF the 00,000 bushels OF
wheat that we annually market, owing TO
ifs opening up the southern markets.
We are today getting from . to b cents
more a bushel for our wheat than the
farmers Of Frederick county, Nd, owing
TO our direct connection with southern
markets. Five TO cents a bushel On
500 600 bushels of wheat IS IRON $zojUg
| to SEQ 600 year, which is from 10 to IL
per cent on 10000.
The present Indebtedness of Jefferson
county is si75,OOO. We are limited m
our State Constitution by the wisdom Of
the farmers thereof to county debt moi
| 10 exceed 5percent Of our assessed yake-
| The assessed value Of the real and pef-
sonaI properly Of leitenon county IS