The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-16
(By BION II. BUTLER.)


Pinehurst, Dec. 13.-They tell a
story Of Leonard Tufts, the owner Of
Pinehurst, and 1t runs about in this
fashion. At summer resort up in
the New Hampshire mountains Mr..
Tufts fell n with a man from South
Carolina and before they had been
together very long they were exchang-
ing opinions and experiences on Mr..
Tufts favorite subject, which is good
roads.
The man from the South spoke of
the difficulty of providing good roads
in much Of his State, owing to the
lack Of funds, and Tufts started
something by saying that he was in
terested in the poorest section of the
South, and that right in that poorest
section the good roads movement had
taken root and spread until on every
hand good roads abOunded, and the
benefits Of the good roads were such
that the people prOhted by the pet
ter roads and had more money to pay
for the roads and some left than when
they put up with bad roads.
when you talk of the poorest sec
ton of the South my friend | Will tell
you where that is, and probably you
never heard of it's equal" Quoth the
South Carolina man.
Mr.. Tufts insisted that he owned
many thousand acres Of the poorest
land on earth. but the South Carolina
man continued to protest.
MY dear SIR" he continued. when
was with Johnson. cutting down
through North Carolina trying to head
Sherman on his march from Column
bia TO Raleigh, we went through the
I q
few miles South of a little town called
Carthage. When you see that you
will call your land fertile"
And Tufts made his killing by re.
plying: THAT is my l. I'd, as said, II
is not regarded as very substantial
soil">
So it is presumed that they went
over to the news counter and nc
doubt the South Carolina man bought
them Il package Of peanuts to show
that no rancOr existed and that tht
event was closed, and here we ge
back to the main highway again.
Pinchurst Sand Hill Capital.
Pinehurst is the capital Of the sand
hills, which have won famt all Oye
creation for being the least promis
ing agricultural prospect outside o
the penitentiary. That this is coming
to be viewed as a mistaken diagnoSl
has nothing to do with this story, 10
it is true enough for our purposes
Whatever the sand-hills may be do
ing. and what they will probably d
In the future does not say that in tn
past the property valuations of thi
section have been high, and that here
Of all places In the world. was abOu
the last to look for an example Q
road building.
In the general office at Pinehurs
Is little pile of maps each abou
two feet square. and showing a tel
ritory around Pinehurst representa-
scope of country about sixty mile
square.
In this limit are sh, wn the variou
improved roads. and the tangle {
black marks on the map looks like tn
intricate boundaries OF q patch wor
quit.
1t is said that over fifteen hundre
miles OF good roads now are accessible
from Pinehurst and within shol
trip by an automobile. Moore, Ricf
mond and Scotland counties are grit
ironed by good roads. Three or fol-
routes go from Pinehurst to the Pc
Dee river. As many more go to TT
Cape Fear. Most of the towns in tf
surrounding counties can be reacl
ded by one road going out and anOtl
er coming back. Rockingham is tt
hub OF the wheel OF good road
Laurinburg is the center where
least nine good roads meet. Six goe
roads go out from Aberdeen. F'a
ettevl!e has half dozen. SOuthel
Pines and Raeford have I'VE or S
each. II is possible to go from OF
town to the other and the W;
pass almost any place that busine
may require.
Or. II longer Journeys are desiraol
the good roads reach to the diSta
places. Maps on a smaller scale shO
the routes 20 Raleigh. TO WilmiastO
- figh Poilt and Greensboro. al