East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1914-07-17
GOOD ROADS FOR
0KTIBBEHA COUNTY

II iS"So aiioW ihC i'ttic SpuCc IL
your valuable paper to discus
| good roads.
II civilization has destroyed tn,
Indian trail then better civilization
is marked by still better roads
All around us each county i,
building good roads at an expens,
ranging around the half>millior
mark. Since they have begun, &c
where You will, and you will find
their lands doubling and redoubl,
ing in value, though charged with
Che expense of rock or graveled
roads. Their people are optimis.
tic, contented and happy.
The people of Starkville, and
the other towns in the county are
beginning to feel the lack of good
roads, or otherwise expressed, feel
the value of good roads to other
towns. We are losing trade from
year to year that is going to towns
THAT furnish roads over which FIVE,
six and even ten bales of cotton
can be hauled with one team. So
they are beginning to awake to the
Importance of progress, but the
people of the county at large have
not fully awakened to the situation
The farmer of this county has
really a good thing II oaly knew il.
He uses the roads every day of his,
life, and even until his funeral Isl
over. He cannot 60 any where
without them; and the better they
are, the better his home surround
ings are. Civilization is little
more than education. The county,
child cannot have an education, as
-it is. without leaving home for
college; but with good roads
schools may be consolidated, better
teachers employed, better sur
roundingss secured, and with better
results obtained. But the country
people talk more of high taxes
than do the people of the towns.
Lands in the county are not as
sessei for more than 25 per cent of
their actual value. Tho country
people pay boss than 40 per cent Of
the taxes. to be more exact, the
four incorporated towns and rail
roads, telephone, telegraph and
express companies that do bA4lness
in the county, pax oxaH50 per cent
Of the taNsa. More than 10 per
cent of the rural lands are held by
non-residents. Thus you will see
that the people of Oktibbeha who
live outside these four towns pay
Tar less than 40 per cent Of the
work done upon the roads, yet
they use them all the time.
Suppose Mr.. Farmer q man
should come and say to yem that
ne had an indispssas.saisasla s.assla implement
that yoa Wse every day Of your life
that he would sell you for 40 per
cent Of actual cost. And suppose
further that you had an old worn
out one, that never was any ac-
count when new. and, were badly
in need then of such an implement,
would you buy it eg HSss just SO is
the ROAD question Of this county.
From before you were born until
you are laid at reat in the grave,
You use the road. to church, school,
market, mill, neighbours house,
the mail carrier, and everywhere.
Your whole country life is measur>
ed by your roads, yet you can get
one at less than 40 per cent 0s cost.
Suppose after yen had been offered
the implement mqYeH at 20, per cent you
should refuse it, do you not thiak
that lunacy papers shoNla be
taken out against yoAh II such
proceedings should be started You
would have no defense, unless you
should say that the party who
paid the other 60 per cent would
want to use the road just occasion
ally. But that would be no Do
tense, because the answer woult
be that If he should want to us'