Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1914-11-12

uCPlOA0OAC COuuuNtAbs ~ he is
roads we're not properly graded.
2. They were not scientifically
constructed and any amount o.
work is not O. thing Of perma'
hence. 8. Deficiency in road judg.
ment, When Bill Is overseer he
makes a persistent fight 70 I
something. WhenF Fitshugh comes
in, he tears it up. A. TM roads
are not worked when they mead
it. 8. There is a lack Of interest
and enthusiasm on the part al
the hands, and 9Th, public senti-
ment does not. demand better
roads.
II we are to have better roads
and we are going to have them
or wage an incessant war on all
opposition-the very first thing
we are compelled to do is to cul.
tivate a good roads spirit. Pub.
lie sentiment in. every township
in the county..must be thorough.
ly aroused. Good roads meetings
must be held; enthusiastic mem.
hers must communicate the spir-
tito. ths Indifferent ones +tw#ho O
have never been Interested; Good
roads must be talked i1Eevery
home, around every flreside, and
to every neighbor. Let the Good
Road spirit pervade every home
in Watauga until the mighty
force of public sentiment 8 hall
blend a united voice for improv-
ed roads. We trust that advo-
Gates Of ability and influence will
offer their bodies q living aacri-
fee in campaigning the county,
over which will be their reasona.
BILE service in behalf OF & o o d
roads. When the people assume
this attitude there will be q road
revolution worthy OF notice, the
effects OF which, will be perma-
nent and far-reaching. i.
Taking into consideration the
fact that Watauga has only ~
millions of taxable property, We
can see no consistency in our ex-
pending the large amounts that
Buncomb, Wake and Iredell have
spent, neither do we advocate ei-
ther the macadam or sand-clay
roads, owing to their immense
COST, but we do advocate q good
system Of dirt roads in every Sec
ton of the county. The ideal
road for Watauga should notex-
ceed a fonr per cent; grade;
should be twenty feet wild Q;
should have a smooth, rolling
surface and a good drainage sys-
tenn on either side, with UNDER
ground culverts wherever needed
to dispose of all water without
washing or lnjuring the road.
We might be rather compromis-
ing.a to width in deep cuts and
high banks, but we must have
the grade and drainage regard
less OF cost, because these aree es-
sential, and we can never have q
road without them.
Necessity demands that We
shall have a better system OF
roads, but we find it difficult, if
not impossible, to designate just
which roads we should h q v Q
first, and we offer this merely as
a suggestion, speaking in behalf
of the masses of the people. Our
impression is that an east and
west line should first be construc
ted through the entire county,
beginning at Todd, and running
by way of Boone, Villas, Sugar
Grove and Beaver Dams to Ten
nessee thus connecting the two
railroad points. The main east
andzwest line would be easily &C.
cessible to most townships by
the construction OF short inter-
secting roads.
We feel that there is not q citi-
zen in the, county who would
dare insinuate that this road is
not needed. But now comes the
patriotic test. Merely admitting