Evening journal., 1913-05-03
HISTORIC ROADS IN VIRGINIA
Irregular Force Of Hands Past
Machines Now Help.


When the good roads movement
began few years since. movement
that new embraces nearly every eoun-
ty IN the state OF Virginia. Charles
City county fell into line and since
then has kept step with the march Of
progress, along the plan OF better pub
lie highways
] have just made a little trip over
some Of those greatly improved roads,
and as ] was preparing to take a pho
tegraph showing a section that had
been worked. an automobile spun by
ut such q rate Of speed az to make me
wonder at the transformation In that
same piece of road where in days
gone by mot so long ago either), It
took good team OF mules or oxen
to drag load over Il. writes J. NJ.
Ball In the Southern Good Roads.
The Same may he said Of the ma
joFity Of the public reads OF this his.
torio oounty-famoua Ra the birth
place Of two presidents OF the United
States. William Henry Harrison and
John Tyler, also congressman. judges.
etc. who are remembered for their
good work IN their sops-Rte lines. In
connection with tho good roads quea-
tion here. Il may bo said that history
recounth tho fac, that when Thomas
Jefferson married the fair widow Shell
ton, OF The Forrest" In Charles City
county, he began his wedding Jour
ney TO Monticello IN a coach. but be-
fore he reached his beautiful estate
in Albemarle county. the coach was
deserted on account Of the roads CIT
was tho month Of January) So. the
distinguished statesman and his bride
made the rest OF the trip on horse-
back II was consoling to know that
the wedding coach was able TO trav-
erse the Charles City roads even at
that date. and that the bridal couple
got past the county lines before they
took TO horseback
Since that early period and along
up to the past FIVE years ] maintain
a certain reticence IN writing up the
history OF the public roads OF this
particular section OF the old common
wealth Enough has been said Of
had 10 travel them regularly and in
all seasons The day OF the oldfash-
toned road overseer seems to be past;
the Irregular force OF hands, each
bound to give a day or so In labor
each Gear 10 the maintenance OF the
roads. has past
THIS county. divided into three dis
tricis has a regularly appointed road
superintendent for each district.
whose duty It IS to employ good
teams. machinery and men to work
the reads OF HIS particular district.
BY this method the money furnished
for road work can be expended in such
a manner as to give the best results,
and the work done is OF not only a
better but more lasting nature
On or near many sections OF the
roads there are gravel beds. and when
possible quantities OF this material
are used especially on pieces OF clay
road which become miry in wet
weather A thick layer of this gravel
and sand does wonders in solidifying
these stretches. The road machines
are helping much in fact. are valu-
able In rounding up the roads and
raising them in the center Clearing
up the timber on each side OF the
roads admitting light and sun. has
dried out places wet so long that W
to recent date the memory OF man
rUnneth not 10 the contrary Many
old bridges have been replaced by
new and more substantial ones. while
IN places terra-cotta piping has beer
Installed for cross drains.
II is gratifying to note that in the
neighborhood OF two hundred miles
Of public highways IN this county are
In such fine condition at the present
writing that they can be traversed BY
automobiles with safety and pleasure
while the ordinary citizen who so IA,
has not been able to become an auts
owner. can speed his nag along at tn,
best pace OF which the nag is cana
BILE without any fear OF his plungin,
into broken hedges, bottomiess mu,
holes or the like. provided he stay,
IN the road.
It looks today as II Charles Cit
county. so famous as the birthplac,
Of great statesmen. fine plantation
and old-time hospitality, will soon b
equally famous for its good roads and
In passing. let me say that Superin
tendents Adams of Harrison district
Walker of the Tyler district and Davi
Of the chickahominy district ar
building very lasting landmarks II
the way Of fine roads in their respes
tive districts