Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1912-11-21
TALK On
STATE HIGHWAY
Communica ION to Millv lie
Republican.
c IVES STRONG FACTS.
MillVille Paper Called Upon to Print
Communication Not
Llk d.

The Millville Republican owned by
the Wood public utility corporations
and managed by Supt. S. j. Franklin
was recently called upon to print the
following striking communication
Vineland, November IA.
Editor Republican:
The Vineland public have for some
time past wondered why your paper,
half of which purports to be in the in
te"ests of Vineland, has studiously
avoided publishing any statements re-
garding the proposed State highway
to connect the county seats of Bridge
ton and Mays Landing, favorable to
the Lands Avenue route through
Vineland, whereas there has appeared
frequent articles favoring the route
via Millville.
There are few people here who
know that the reason for this is be-
cause the control of your paper is by
Millvi!le interests and understand that
those interests have control of thou
sands of acres of wild woodland lying
between Millville and Mays Landing
which they are desirous of developing
and putting on the market.
They also know nothing favorable
to the Vineland route will appear in
the Vineland section of your paper,
unless it be in the nature of commu-
nication, therefore I take the liberty
of addressing you and ask that you
give this letter and the following facts
in your columns:
] have noticed that you have f?e-
quently referred to the Vineland
route as long route and have I'M
doubtedly created the impression in
the minds of a great many of your
| readers that there is a very considera-
| BILE difference in the distance from
i court house to court house.
On October 9, last, it was my privi-
lege, in company with Mr.. c. w. Pear
son, of this place to go over both
routes from court house to court
house by automobile and took very
| careful measurements, by speedometer
from point to point along both routes,
/ also copious notes Of conditions of
| road and surrounding country.
| From these facts, so gathered, |
have prepared large and very COM
prehensive map, drawn to scale,
showing both routes and the sur
rounding country and which will be
placed before the Commissioner of
Roads at the proper time.
We found that the total distance
from court house to court house via
| the shortest route through Millville is
just seven-tenths of a mile shorter
than the shortest route via Vineland.
We found that the route via Vine
land was through a thickly populated
and prosperous farming section for
| nearly its entire distance with well
settled country extending out for
miles on each side whereas the route
via Millville for the greater part of
its distance, is through wild woodland
and swamps with almost no settle
| ment whatever for miles on either
side.
We found that there are over three
times as many dwelling houses in
| sight along Landis Avenue from the
| city limits of Bridgeton to the city
limits of Vineland than along the turn
pike from Bridgeton city limits to the
toll gate at the Millville end. while
from Main and Lands Avenues east to
the outskirts of Mays Landing along
| the proposed Vineland route over $50
| dwelling houses can be seen, as
| against less than so between Mays
Landing and the outskirts of Millville,
| counting in Doughty's and Millmay.
We found the road bed and general
road making conditions via Vineland
to be greatly superior to that via
Millville and we estimate that there
will be less actual miles OF new road
| to be built and at less total cost over
the entire route from Bridgeton to
Mays Landing via Vineland, than will
be required between Milville and
Mays Landing alone, leaving out
Millville to Bridgeton entirely. This
| is possible because of the amount OF
, State roads already built or provided
| for.
The Vineland route will serve more