Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MECklENBURC COUNTY
District Bond Issues and Patriotic
Work Did tho Stunt in
\ Great Shape.
GREAT LESSONS FOR OTHERS
One Of Eirginia's Greatest Counties.
Has Set the Pace That All Others
Map Well Trot by In Line of Fa-
nous Highway.

The good roads fever attacked
mecKlenhurg County some five OF six
years ago." says William @. Brown,
IN m article in the monthly magazine
knoWn as Southern Good Roads and
published ut Lexington, ~ c. COL
oncl Lucius Gregory, of aIccklenbure
County. was started by the Industrial
Editor of The Tfmes-Dispatch, vino
made an automobile tour through that
county about that time and lcctured
on good roads at every crossrond gath
crinS that he could get to listen to
Kim. But be that az it may, the rise
and progress of the good roads fever
IN Mecklenburg and the results that
caine about arc interestingly set forth
by Mr.. Brown He says: The first
bond Issue elections were held In
Chase City and Ciarksvino districts
i for 100000 and $4,000. respectively.
and these elections resulted in the is
suance of the bonds which found
ready local sale. The program of i'm
provements was carried out and the
1eVer spread over the county to such
an extent that in 1911 five other dis
tricts in the county voted bond issues
aggrcgating $4,000. The proceeds
are now nearly or quite exhausted, ex-
cept In VITO districts-Boydton and
BuclShorn-which districts will prob
ably continue their work for twelve
months longer with forces sufficient to
butid from one and half to two miles
OF top-soi roads per month iii each dis
frict- There remains now only ono
district. Blucstone, TO issue bonds.
ana there is every reason to believe
district. the idea being to wait TIL
the convict force Is available for the
work a force of from thirty-fye 10
fifty convicts has been at work In tho
county continually for more than five
years Under the State law, there
" n m IN-
time. Thus far Chase City, Clarks-
Vile and Boydton districts have had
the use OF the convicts ut the States
expense. the camp being now in Boyd
ton district. The use of the conyicts
has proven very successful. especially
with the quarry work and macadam
construction. Unless there Is q change
IN the statutes governing the convicts.
IT is safe to predict that force will
remain I'm Mecklenburg many years
MECkLENBURG rs WE'LL
IN THE FRONT RANK
There have been built 22s miles of
macadam and top-soil roads in the
county, and this puts Mecklenburg
Well in the front ranks of tho good
roads movement. Most of the maca-
dam was built In the early stages of,
b the work, the subsequent introduction
OF the top-soil construction (a term
Tor convenience, used to include soil,
sand-clay and gravel) almost entire
~ Supplantfng macadnm. These top
soil roads have proven very satIsfac-
tory. and IL is the opinion OF some OF
our most Intelligent good roads peo-
pie that. except where there is UNI
usually heavy traffic, they are prefer
able to water-bound macadam, aside
from consideration of cost. With
average conditions in tho county. the
cost or top-soil construction is prob
ably less than one-third the cost OF
( "ater-bound mncadam. For ordinary
traffic. we'll built top-soil road can
he maintained for probably two-t thirds
the cost OF maintaining average
water-bound macndam for the Same
traffic.
For the most part tho work by tho
districts has been done by force ac
count net cost plus 10 per cent Int
IA some at actual cost, the districts
purchasing their own equipment. en-
pioying superintcndent and doing
inc work under the supervision M the
local representative of the State u,rbe
way Commission. For the top-soIl
roads this method has worked csnc
cially we'll There is such n diyeraIty
OF conditions. and the necessary depth
VI top SOIL to make road OF uniform,
strength is SO variable that II Is wall
nigh impossible to prepare and hawa
executed by contract spccificationo
mat would he both economical and
eiectiVe. For macadam the contract
system has been satisfactory.
GOOD THINGS THAT
FOLLOWED GOOD ROADS
since the coming Of the good roade
the educational and. Industrial devoi1
opment has been by leaps and bounds,
a local wag aptly remarked somn
time ago that NreckIensdlrg hnd civi, ie
zatlon thrust upon her about f]ftenn
years before she was ready tn reooiwn
IT, Ailusion to this remark viii he
excused BY Mecklenburgers when thnr
are reminded that the writer is q na.
i've and resident of Mecklenbure ~,
~ himself n Mecklenbura booator ne
the enthusiastic kind The march 70
ciVilization has been accomplisho,, In
roads. VIC 'iproVed
as is invariably the case, the good
roads movement has added imuotns ST. ~
tho good and better schools. moys
ment. and Mecklenburg is building nm
school system which will comnorn
!aVorabiy with any In tho State Farn,
lanos have been and are yet low In
price nut SINCE the advent OF good
roads. prices for lands have been ran
idly and steadily advancing.
IN THE LINE OF THE
GREAT HIGHWAY
MecKlenburg Is fortunate in beinu
ono OF the counties In the State trn,
v'seo ny me Washington to- Atlanta
iaighway. The route through the
county has been adopted by the Amer
lcan Highway Association, and is
generally used by tourists between
richmond and Atlanta. For the mr.
pose of obtaining cost data for main
tehance OF top-soil roads, tho United
states Office OF Public Roads has cs.
tabiished on this route between Rich
mond and Atlanta three division on
slneers of maintenance, who inspect
the whole route nearly every week
These engineers are men OF long ex.
perience in the government service
and there IL every reason TO believe
there Will be n greater stimulus to-
wards maintenance In all the coun
tics IN which these engineers are en-
ployed Their automobiles are fur
nished TO the governments by the Amer.
lean Highway. Association at n nom
inal rental Of 81 per year each. The
actual cost OF labor and materials in
the maintenance Is borne by the coun-
ties, and this is the only cost to them.