davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
HALIFAX COUNTY.

Fine Progress in Work Under High
way Commission, With George
Green Observation-Disclosures in Wei
don Township Built.
D. E. Stainback. writing from Wei
don, says:
Halifax county is now fully awake
to the importance of good roads.
Eight miles of fine gravel road has
been built between Weldon and Hall
fax, and three miles Of roads from
Weldon west to Dilghman's.
Roads and two concrete bridges
have been constructed. These are all
in Weldon township and constructed
under the direction Of George c..
Green, who is an enthusiastic good
road citizen.
Roanoke Rapids will connect up
at TiIghman's and extend the good
roads to Roanoke Rapids. There Is
no bond issue as yet for road build
ing in this county. The matter, how
ever, has been agitated. and many ia
vor issuing good roads bonds.
1.-The reads of Halifax county are
in the hands OF a highway commits
sion, composed of George G. Green,
Weldon; ]. L. Patterson. Roanoke
Rapids; N. c. Dunn, Enfield; F. P.
Shields, Scotland Neck; P. G. Greg
ory, Tillery: DR.. J. II. Norman, Es-
sex, and G.. d. House, Thelma, all
enthusiastic men in the interest OF
improved highways"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
IiEE COUNTY.

New County Woke Up to Good Roads
Building Last Y..ar--Now is Doing
Great Work With Fine Equipment.
Spending 500, 600 Bond Issue and
Old Roads Made PasSable--E'cture
Intentions.
Highway Engineer F. p. Coble,
writing from Sanford. recites an en-
couraging story Of good roads prog
ress in the baby county of Lee. 1t fol-
lows:
'.In Feb7 1912. just four years
after it's establishment, Lee county
entered the ranks OF the progressive
counties Of North Carolina in the good
roads movement. and voted 100000
Of bonds. These bonds sold at
premium Of 4 1-2 per cent. and con-
structure began the first Of Scptem-
Der, 1912.
1.-The county owns its own equip
ment, consisting Of fifty mules and the
necessary road machinery. to secure
the best results. With this, three
forces have been organized, two for
grading and surfacing and one for
clearing.
up to the present time fifteen miles
have been relocated, constructed
and surfaced with either sand clay or
gravel and the old roads Of the coun-
ty have been put in passable condition.
1.-The county is fortunate in having
an abundance of gravel ard other ma
terial, so essential to secure the best
results in road building. This mate
rial is distributed to such an extent
| that almost every mile of road in the
| county can be surfaced with very little
| expense. The maximum grade OF the
road is four per cent, and very sell
| dom will they exceed 3 1-2 per cent
| cit is the intention of the High
way Commission to traverse every
section OF the county with an improv-
| ed road, and thus connect with Inn
| proved roads of other counties.
| At the present rate Of expenditures
We will get at least 100 miles Of road
built, having on hand the first Of April
t $4,000, excluding equipment and in
| another FIVE years, Lee county can be
placed on the map as one Of the fore
most good roads counties of the
| State"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22

over 100 COnvicts Oh Big Highway
Projc<ts-Spendins in Addition
$4,000 Annually On Good Roads.

Writing from Durham, Maynard
Mangum. a county official. writes:
I'm reply to yours OF April Sth, will
say that we have graded, graveled, and
macadamiZed about twenty-five miles
OF road in the past two years and have
torn up and replaced the macadam on
several miles Of road, and are now fix
ing to send out repair force to work
the dirt roads in county.
I'VE have now 1913 convicts and are
completing the National Highway and
the Capitol-to-CapitOl Highway, which
both enter and run through our coun-
~; we hope to have both completed
in sixty or ninety days. We have
available for road purposes about
$4,000 a year from taxes. We have
% bond ISSUE"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22

rnanded
Wilhanston township cas-. OF the
old plan and voted $4,000 bond Is
sue in 1911, which WIS one Of the s,r~t
bond Issues In Eastern Carolina for
road building
Nesghboring townships seeing the
ehect OF the working and difference In
the roads. are now working for &
change and the following townships
Williams. EooerSonville, Hamilton
and Goose Nest will vote on a eoad
issue In May. TIE general opinion X
that the same will carry at every place
as most people who have seer and
thought most on the subiec are favor
ing ii. This will put more than hal.
or Martin county in the good roads
column
1t Is found that the more We sec
or good roads the greater Is the de-
mand for them. We are only using
sand clay and drainage methods. a.
no rock IS available"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
NEW HANOVER COUNTY.

Satisfactory Progress in Road Build
ing Out of Phosphate ROck-Gootf
Roads Extend to Boundary County
Line in Each DirectiOn-$1OO,0O 600
Bond Election May 27-Great Hopes
for Future.
Chairman Martin S. Willard. writ
Ing f. ON Wilmington, tells of splendid
road work and erection Of modern
draw-bridge over Cape Fear river and
of city and county consolidation plan
in view. It follows:
'"The road work in New Hanover
county has been progressing salts
factorialy during the past year.
"Our roads are constructed out OF
the phosphate rock which is obtained
in New Hanover county. TINS rock
makes a road which is unexcelied by
any road when first built. 1t Is
natural binder and makes a smooth
and family durable road way. The
rock is not as hard as would be de-
sirable. but we have just arranged 10
have our roads, as they are completed.
treated with a wearing surface or
good binder which We think will make
then, very much more durable and De
economical in saving expense Of main
ten.snce.
"New Hanover county now has about
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
GUIIIFORD COUNTY.

oue of Best ShOwings Made by Any
County-Top Sandy Soil SuppI;snts
NacadanA-COmplain Of Narrow
i1rc AutOs-Repair Work Prob
lem Solved.
chairman w. G.. Bowen furnishes
the following glowing account Of the
progress OF gOOd-rOads building in
Iullford county, emphasizing the fact
mat over $50 miles that cost $4O0, 900
nave been constructed in recent years
"Guilford County. about nine years
ago. issued 100000 in highway i'm
provement bonds and we have since
used more than one hundred thousand
dollars from the general fund. we
nave now more than $50 miles Of i'm
proved roads, costing over 100000.
The macadam roads built at first
are now needing repairs and it is a
great problem to determine the best
pian to repair same. We have tried
asphalt or tar top-dressing which
made an excellent road as long ats II
lasted. but 1t does not last long enough
WITH the present day traffic to Justi-
y the expenditure necessary.
During the last year we repaired
few short stretches of macadam
road by scarrifying the top and cover
ing same with sandy soil, and so fa1
our experience along this line has
been very satisfactory.
The old macadam makes a Eoot
foundation while the sandy top sol
makes a splendid surface and We art
now endes<oring to cover all our worI
macadam roads in this way.
We are not now building any ma
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22

nrey miles of improved rock roads and
these roads extend to the county limo
IN each direction.
The county has just completed the
erection Of a modern draw-bridxe
over the North East Cape Fear river
between New Hanover and Pender
counties. This draw bridge will he
open TO travel IN about one month.
and IL capable OF being used for the
heaviest traffic, 1t being designed not
only to accommodate ordinary We
hicles but with the idea that there
Will soon be trolley cars TO be carried
over. connecting the trucking section
OF New Hanover and Fender counties
with Wilmington.
An election will be held on May
24th, on the question OF issuing
100000 additional bonds for perma-
nent roads and bridges II this cleo
ton shall be favorable to the issuing
or these bonds IT is hoped by the
present board Of county commission
ers that they will be able TO build a
good rock road through the southern
portion OF New Hanover county, ex-
! tending to Carolina Beach and pos
slbly as far as Fort Fisher. This will
open up All undeveIoped section OF the
count which will be available for
trucking and fruit growing. and will
also open up long stretch OF sea
shore which will be useful as summer
resorts and accessible by vehicles
without the necessit yof bridge or
| treStle.
The county has recently purchased
| FIVE ton motor truck, to be used
principally IN transporting convict
forces from the central camp to the
points where they are working, and
also for the purpose Of hauling road
material. The county also owns an
| automobile for the uose OF its road
superintendent, which enables him to
oversee road work and give proper
supervision to the different gangs Of
laborers.
During the next two years the ques
ton OF consolidating the county roads
department with the city OF Whining
ton streets department will be agi
tated. On account Of the fact thai
Wilmington constitutes such a large
part of New Hanover county, both il
population and taxable values, there
could be q very large saving effected
il this work could be done through
one department. There Is now q con
siderable duplicate in road Inachin
cry and supervision expenses. and tn
city is also unable to avail itself o
: the services Of the convicts in thei
, 1T is believed that if the propose
2 bond issue is made, during the mex
=, few years, New Hanover county Wi
possess a system Of good roads tina
will not be eQual1ed in the state"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
MARTIN COUNTY.
Something Better Demanded Than the
Indian Trail Method OF Working
Roads and Bond Issues Follow
Other Townships to Vote OF Issues
in May@Seeing is Believing

Chairman 3. L. Long, writing from
Hamilton, tells this encouraging story
of seeing and believing in the mat
ter Of good roads construction. and OF
where initial township bond issues are
to be followed by others next month:
Martin county. like most other
Eastern counties, has been too slow in
the work OF road building and has
never yet as county left the indian
trails and the old method Of calling
out hands. That plan has become SO
unpopular and ineffective, however.
that something better IS being de-
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
HOKE COUNTY,

New County Took Early Start by Bend
Issue and is Keeping Up Good Road
W0rk-Special Tax Levy This Year.
Chairman J. w. Johnson, writing
from Raeford. sends this thriller Of
early and good road work in Hoke
county:
Upon the formation Of 4oke
county two years ago the first act on
the part OF the county commissioners
was the sale Of bonds for building and
improving the roads Of the county
and today we have one hundred and
fifty miles of improved sand clay roads,
and are still having them built
''The last Legislature passed a bill
authorizing the commissioners to levy
a special tax for repairing the roads,
and within the next year we think that
We will have improved roads through
out every section Of the county"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
GATES COUNTY.

Conditions Behind NdShbOrS. But Re-
lief In Sight Through Bond Issue to
bc Held Soon.
Chairman L. A. Rountree, writing
from Sunbury, says:
In regard to the public roads in
Gates county. I will say that for the
past two years we have made but lit lie
progress In the way OF improvements
We have called an election for the
purpose of voting a bond issue. If
said election is carried we hope to fall
la line with our sister counties and
soon have good roads in the near fu-
turc"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22

K. r. Snowden. highway engineer
~ Craven county, writing from New
Berb. says:
During the past two years Craven
county has abolished the warming
out" system and levied fifteen cent
property tax to maintain and rebuild
AL roads In the county, including six
ty miles OF the Central highway.
The board Of commissioners have
direct charge OF all roads and have
engaged an experienced civil and high
way engineer to take charge Of both
maintenance and construction. The
roads are maintained by the patrol
system. using the township as the unit
or section and employing free labor
only.
The construction Is done with the
ronvicts of this and adjoining coun-
lies and the city Of New Bern. All
roads are to be rebuilt to a width OF
!wenty-four to thirty feet In the clear.
The population, both rural and urban,
are unanimously in favor Of building
A first-class system OF highways
throughout the county.
'"rhe funds available this year
amount to $4,000 and we will prob
ably have $2s,000 next year for road
purposes. There Is no bond issue.
The county expects to follow the
present plan until the roads Of the
county have been rebuilt. Then a
small levy will suffice for nainte-
nance"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
GRANVILLE COUNTY.

H4s Floated $1se, ,eoe in BONDS in
FO1r Years for Read Improveu,cr,ts
end work Goes On Wen.
chairman j. P. Stedman, writing
saying: ;
granville county has floated in
the past four years one hundred and
SIXTY Thousand dollars in bonds for
road Improvement.
BeN0oat a considerable amount
haS been spent In taxes. Roads have
Deen improved and improvements will
De added to by such taxes as may be
assessed and that are not burden
some"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
NASH COUNTY.
Every Township I'm County Has Voted
Good Road Bonds. Totaiing S29O.OOO
The Progress Made and To BE


w s. Wilkinson. Secretary OF the
Rocky Mount Road Commission. writ
ing of road building in Nash county,
tells Of the fine growth Of sentiment
and action there. He says:
Every township in the county Of
Nash has voted road bonds, the sum
total of which bonds is $2S0.000.
The county is divided into twelve
road districts and although ninety pei
cent of the road districts were formed
during the last two years, quite bit
of permanent road has been built.
Rocky Mount road district has
been in existence six years, has an au-
thorized bond issue Of 81 90, 900. has is
sued and sold $4,000. has an equip
ment worth approximately $500. and
has built approximately one hundred
and fifty miles Of sand and clay roads
The roads of the entire county show
marked improvement, 1t being the
purpose Of the various road commits
sions to build permanent sand and ella =
roads as rapidly as possible.
The available taxes for road puf.
poses. for the year 1912. wer4
35a 145.'
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22

cadam roads, a. We and the ton ..rav
s0n road superior and much cheaner
4 ne pest road now in the county was
quit az above and where tho material
c1n DO had we build Of soil or gravel
me greatest damage to our rnacadam
EOads b done by the narrow tired
wagons and automobiles. The narrow
ure oofs them into dust and the auto
mobile ana wind docs the rect"
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
MOORE COUNTY.

Sand Clay Mixture Approximations
the Tufts Of Southern Pines Set the
Pace-Bond Issues SuppIans Special
Tax Leviee-S,And Hills Doubled In
Value and More by Good Road
Building-A Great Showing.
The following report. furnished BY
County Chairman n. A. Mckeithan.
writing from Carthage. OF good roads
building in Moore, presentes an object
lesson to every county which hopes 10
attain a like growth through the same
channel. 1t follows, and among other
things tells why tourists have their
autos shipped to Southern Pines:
Moore connty's road building dates
from about 1900. The idea probably
having it's conception In the problem
Of street grading in the town OF South
ern Pines in the '90s. when IL was dis
covered that a sand-clay mixture OF
certain proportions gave a good and
hard road way.
About the same time Mr.. James W
Tufts was building Pinehurst and
used sand clay mixture and gravel
for the construction OF his streets and
driveways through the village which
was later extended By him and his
son and successor, Ar. Leonard Tufts.
The first public highway built in
Moore county was about this time. be
! ing built BY private subscription Of
| citizens of Aberdeen and Southern
Pines A four-mile driveway between
! these towns, next Tinehurst and
| Southern Pines, in 1905, built q sand
clay road between those towns. These
were the first sand clay roads that
have any knowledge Of being built
j anywhere in ell the sand hill section
of the State.
'In 1904 Carthage township levied
tax fer road Improvement under
a
Later other townships began building
roads under a similar levy under said
act Work under this act proved 70
be a slow process, as the tax thus
raised proved Inadequate and four OF
our townships in quick succession Is
sued bonds for permanent road build
ing. and others Will hold their elee-
tons April 18th inst. and expect to
have their bonds on the market II
once--say by June 1st
''The result is that sand hill lands
,, in 1910 had doubled in value, and
lands that know were offered with
out q buyer ten years ago at Woo &c
$3.50 per acre have been sold within
, the last two years at prices ranging
from $1,000 to $1,000 per acre.
"rhe main factor as to advance be
ing their proximity to good roads. w
: have now about 200 miles OF sucl
IOaOS AL our COOnIJ dI q Nco@ " Aooe
e 10000 We are contemplating
Q sale Of about $4,000 township roa'
r bonds this summer, with which "
+ hope to build $50 miles more within
the next year.
S Tourists from fifteen or twent'
d states who spend their winters II
r Moore county now ship their automo
: biles here and say that we nave Tn
|. best roads in the world for pleasur
g driving When properly built ten I
: fifteen dollars per mile annually vii
y maintain our roads by using the roa
:. drag at the proper time"
q o <,<>v-~-rvv
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
HAYWOOD COUNTY.

Portions Only Of Central Highway
COmpletedNC0unty Convict Force,
and About sc, 600 Available For
Work.
Chairman J. r. Boyd, writing from
Waynesville, states:
I'm reply to your letter of the Sth
instant, relative to the Central High
way, will state that this highway ira
verses Haywood county for a distance
Of 46 miles, &c miles Of which are
we'll graded. 1S miles OF macadan
sand-clay and gravel-steel bridges and
concrete culvertS all built.
''Twenty miles have not been re-
graded, bat is i'll fairly good condition.
The county has convict force of from
% to 80 men at work on this road al
present, and funds available, to the
amount of $4,000 to $4,000, the
principal part of which will be spent
on the Central Highway
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
COUNTY COMMISSION
Frs OF STATE, ETC.
continued from Page One1

and each has had q force at work for
about six months. having practically
com pleted about eight miles Of roads.
'rhe road forces are now making
splendid progress. and the completed
roads are proving splendid object les
sons in good road building.
SLOW. but sure, the good work
will go on In this county, for once
having seen the benefits. our people
would not tolerate u backward
step
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
ORANGE COUNTY.

Chairman J. w. Webb, writing from
Continued on Page Four. ;
The farmer and mechanic., 1913-04-22
CRAVEN COUNTY.

Work Of Good Permanent Roads
started and There's To BE No Let
up TIL Plan is Consummatctl-
, Then Small Levy Will Suffice.
The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-02-04
Resourcefui.

In the club they were comparing
the resourcefulness of their wives
In difficult social situations. The man
who lives in a Harlem fiat had been a
good listener. but he finally found an
opening.
Yes" said he my wife isn't bad
at that sort of thing. We were hav.
ing some people to luncheon one
Sunday last spring and just at an
hour when all the delicatessens were
closed she discovered that she needed
some mustard and didn't have a grain
of 1t in the kitchen. And she isn't
the sort that will borrow from peo-
pie next door that she doesn't know.
1t was a bad FIX. all right. But she
got mustard enough"
Went to the delicatessen mans
house and routed him out. suppose?"
suggested a member from the Bronx.
Not much. Just vent to the medi-
cine closet. got down a box of ready
made mustard plasters. put 'em TO
soak. and squeezed enough Of the hot
stuff off"
Good night" said the man from
the Bronx.-New York Globe.
The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-02-04
LENIENT 70 THE OFFENDER
Baron Martin, Old Time English
Jurist, Let Thief Fix His Own
Punishment.

Judges were very considerable in
the old days. Lord Brampton, in his
"reminiscences, relates a story illus
trating this.
Baron Martin, a famous English
jurist of the old school, whose native
~leniency and sense of fun often placed
him at the mercy of the very men he
was trying, was once about to SEN
tence an old offender charged with a
petty theft.
Look" said the baron, with an as
sumption of severity; Il hardly know
what to do. but you can take six
months"
Il can't take that, my lord: it's too
much" said the prisoner, respectfully
but firmly. Il can't take it. Your
lordship sees ! didn't steal very much.
after ALL
The baron INDUCED in one Of his
low, ~chuckling laughs before reply
ing:
We'll. that's vera true; we didn't
steal much" he said. Well, then, We
can TAX four months. VIII that do
-four months?"
NAY, my lord. but | can't take that
either" was the reply.
Then TAX three"
That's nearer the mark, my lord,
the prisoner said, approvingly. But
I'd rather you made it two, if you
will be SO kind"
Vera we'll, then, tax two" said
the judge, with the air of one who is
pleased to have done the right thing
at last. And mind. don't come again.
If you do I'll give ye-well, it all de-
pends!"
The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-02-04
ALL FOR THE SAKE OF BETSY
When Col. J. J. Astor Je~opardlxed
His Yacht and Passengers
for a Dog.

Some years ago Col. j. j. Astor and
his yacht Nourmahal and his son,
vincent, we're reported lost at sea,
he New York correspondent of the
Cincinnati Times-Star recalls. Every
one got excited about it-especially
In New York newspaper Offices. II
was a New York newspaper, you may
remember, which ran this headline
over the story of the wreck of the
Titanic: Col. John Jacob Aston Lost
at Sea; Two Thousand Others Also
Drowned"
The Aston part of the headline was
In very large pink letters and the
rest was comparatively modest type.
When the Nourmahal was reported
lost the papers began to talk about
sending out searching expeditions.
The government dispatched a cruiser
to search for Astor. Now Richard
Barry tells the story of that episode
for the first time. "Astor was very
fond OF his pet dog says Barry. "The
pet dog hated the sea. The second
day out on the cruise the dog began
W mOpc' AstOT lOlu the captain OF
the yacht to point her hose for shore.
I'll take Betsy off and give her a
run said the master of millions.
They landed that day on the
Caroline shore and Betsy got her run.
But n III wasn't enough for her.
Each day, as they voyaged south,
Betsy was taken on land to stretch
her legs. Finally they were of the
Honduras coast, and Betsy began to
howl for a frolic. The captain pro-
tested that the coast line was INSULT
GENTLY charted. and that the Nourma-
hal was in danger of being wrecked II
he was obliged to run in too near.
mo matter said Aston. Betsy
isn't happy
so they put in, and shelved the
Nourmahal on a rock, and every one
north of Panama became violently ex-
cited because II wasn't possible to
hear from the Astors, and it cost the
yacht owner a good many dollars to
get her off. But he didn't care. He
was fond of Betsy-and Betsy had
her run"