The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-24
BAD STRETCHES IN
V|RG|N|A'S ROADS
1rGHwAY BETWEEN RICHMOND
AND CHARLOTTESVILLE
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
FULL OF MUD HOLES.
MANY MILES OF ROADS THROUGH
STATE, HOWEVER, ARE GOOD
WORK. HAVING RECENTLY
BEEN DONE.
FULL OF MUD HOLES

Between Richmond one Of the rich
and growing cities of the South, and
charlottesville. great educational
center. the leading town in a coun-
" which is becoming noted through
out the land for the splendid homes
that are being built In it by people
from other sections. there Is a road
OF indescrihable madness says the
Manufacturers Record The Automo-
bile association Of Richmond has
marked IL as though IL were a feas~
ible proposition. Perchance II may he
in midsummer, but during the spring,
at least. it is n road that disgraccs
civilization.
Virginia is doing splendid work in
road building 1t may nave some
roads worse than forty or ffty mites
OF the line between Richmond and
Charlottesville but II IL has. kind
Providence deal gently with the peo-
pie who are dependent upon II for
transportation. whether they be living
there or. whether they are strangers
passing through the country In mo
tor trips covering many thousa nds of
miles. through regions sparseiy popu-
lated in sections where abandoned
corduroy roads through cypress
swamps have been ira rcrsed the wrt-
ter has never found a road Of fortY
of ffty miles ~ continuously bad and
bad to such a depth as this Richmond
Charlottesville line during wet sex
son Mud holes In it seem to he
without bottom. and the clay, Of
which large part Of II is composed
is almost as hottomless as the mud
holes
Along this stretch of road which
begins few miles out Of Richmond
and runs to wtthiH few miles 81
charlottesville. a country 0f ErrHf rat
urnl advantages there is less evil
dence of progress, less evidence ar
new homes and better homes. less
evidence of good farming des elop-
ment than was seen anywhere else on
q motor trip ~ equal length that COW
cred loco miles And yet the eoun-
try naturally has many advantages
not possessed by much of the country
covered in that tril,
bad roads tells the story
Between Richmond and Washing
ton there is under construction for
<the greater part Of the distance a
rev road whirh Ia intended to he
link in the through system from the
North to Miami. Fla. South nf Rich
naond there is a fair road to Peters
burg although IL badly needs repairs.
The new road recently completed is
exceptionaily good There are some
very bad stretches of road between
Durha m. and Fayetteville. From Fay
efteville TO pinehurst the road is
IA ssah bile. and from Pinehurst an
through Camden. Columbia. AIKEN
Augusta and down To savannah the
roads NAV be counted as fairly good.
with some long stretches that are ex-
ceptionallv fine From Savannah 10
Jarksonville the road Is not In good
shane except for short distances.
From jacksonville 10 Miami. nearly
l7e miles. probably zoo mites would
he called very good and 100 fair u
medium and about seventy bad 70
very had Nearly ALI nj the bad
stretches however. II not al, are
! under contract Properly pushed, II
should he possible 10 cover the bad
! stretches during the summer and fal'
ro A. to give q fairly good high~aS
down the entire East coast of ffofi.
ds. while awaiting the completion OF
the brick roads and rock roads un-
der contract There Is great activity
In road building in the central PET.
of the State aud on to the West
coast SO that the time is not far dis
tant when Florida will be covered
| with a network Of thoroughly wen
made roads. and when the East coas.
and the West coast viii be IN difecs
| connection with jacksonville by mod
ern highways worthy to he called
such.
Wherever long stretches Of good
| roads are found in the South. auto
| mobiles are everywhere in evidence
| for business purposes t'a.e'ins
statesmen. lawyers, doctors merchants
. farmers and others are using the ut
tie inexnensive cars that are now
/ rAllFnGEnS IL
! rernarka Bile extent They are auaihs
| 10 the activities and progress OF eF-
ery community where good roads are
found
In Florida during the past winter
there were many cars. apparently ~
the aggregate OF some thousdhos'
from Northern and Western states.
ARA even from California, and some
from Canada as far north as Winni-
neg. The good roads were alive with
motor tourists and the motorist Is
hncominr one OF the leading factors
/ IN the winter life of Florida oiiy
beginning. however. has been MADE
When the network or gooa roaos
planned in all parts of the state
| shall have been completed. there Will
he q dozen or more cars from other
secfions every winter for every one
that now visits the State. FLORIDA
should become as great motor CEN
ter during the winter months as New
England Is during the summer
Good roads development along tne
Gulf coast and on out to Texas snouio
| produce similar results. for the wnoie
Gulf coast OF the central South ana
Of Texas appeals nightly to people
from the North and West VINO want
ia escaue the terrors OF the WINTERS
which keep them housed for three
or four months every year.
The change in roads In the last Few
years shows remarkable progress.
Great credit Is due for what has been
accomplished. even though only 81
lsGtnning has been made