The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-02-09
LEE COUNTY AND GOOD ROADS
An Example That Shoul911
Embarked Upon Rein,
HLON III. BUTLER.


Sanford, Feb. 6.-Lee county has |
mad an experience that the entire |
State of North Carolina needs to study |
carefully. for it has been a pronounced |
reversion of opinion on q most i'm
portant subject.
Lee is new county, four or five
years old, and new in other ways than
mere corporate existence. The county
was created by the Legislature about
the time the idea Of good roads was
attracting attention, and it was
thought the new county would join
the old county of Moore in making
good road up toward Raleigh. Moore
then was feeling the ambition to have
good roads, and the talked of Capital
to Capital highway had commenced
to take shape in the dreams. The au-
tomobile was appearing on the hori-
ZOn.
How rapidly events have moved in
that short time. Now North Carolina
| has good roads every where. Auto
| mobiles are among the cOmmOneSt
! sights Of the State. | am not sure
how many are running on the roads,
| but | have seen tags numbered as
| high as fifteen or sixteen thousand.
| Pinehurst has been the head and
front Of the good roads movement in
/ this part Of the State, and from Pine
| hurst the good roads infection spread
! Singularly, while everybody thought
that the new county Of Lee would
| be among the most enthusiastic Of the
| good roads converts Lee was neither a
| convert nor an enthusiast. Roads
| were discussed, but a certain faction
strenuously opposed any considerable
| expenditure Of money on roads. The
misconception prevailed that good
roads were for people who rode in
automobiles and that money spent
on roads would be money thrown
away in making costly highways from
which the automobile would frighter
the farmer with his horse and buggy
or his mule team, and the improved
road was taken as a dangerous limo
vation which would better be kept ou'
Of the county even if it could be hao
without money or price.
And that was only a half d0ze1
years ago.
Clear Headed Men Win.
Lee county has lot of right clear
headed folks, and some Of the buncl
could not see the situation as it wa
. presented by the fearful ones. A fev
t Of the persistent fellows argued tina
a good road meant convenience t
9 the people of the county, and that
1 horse and mule would soon becom
familiar with the gasoline vehicles
: could settle up while it could no
: make much progress with the oil
: roads.
s It is the same condition that ha
: prevailed all over the State. [ motto
a from Davidson county so aggressiv
t, a man as II. B. Warner, who has bee
# 4 a good roads apostle indefinitely
e throws up his hands in desperatlO
g because his people are showing S
y much indifference over the roads a
n the present time.
t. But Lee county shows that David
o son and every other county in tn
IL State that has taken the first step is Q
S, the road for many more and for
n system Of roads that will! not sto
| improvement until every farm has
l. road to it's borders.
II Lee county tried to establish roa
le system. A number Of the progressi,
men Of the county urged the matte
is for the good of the county. Me
IS from other counties urged Lee to bull
'e it's link of the Capital highway VI
re rious forces exerted pressure. but LIZ
"a county was not much disposed
,o spend much money for roads. Mool
~ pushed good roads up toward LIZ
q a. county and down to the southe1
s' boundary. Other counties fell
N line, and extended the Capital hisl
- way from one county to another. Sta
~ and Federal influence took hold. Hol
~ county, with the activity that coun
"a = has shownNin everything, built roc
40 across from Moore by Raeford to Il
-. Cumberland county line, and Cumbe
land extended the road to Fayett
Al Vile, and up to the northeast un
I'd it crossed the county line at Dunn in
nd Harnett. Harnett and Johnston too
up the idea of a Capital highway
he that roundabout route, and the fir
thing everybody knew the Capt.
so highway was a fact although it
nd 12O miles from Raleigh to Pinehul
Of when it should be only about 10.
Good Work Is Commenced.
Lee county, however, commenced