West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-12-02
The Benefits Of Good Roads

According to a recent news dispatch
the postal department will establish
seven rural delivery routes in Jeffer-
son county ranging in distance from
fifty to ffty-seven miles each. The
letter carriers OF these routes will be
equipped with automobiles and the
service will begin December 10th.
These are the first routes OF this kind
to be established in the state, and
among the first TO be established i'm
the United States, which speaks well
Tor Jefferson county; but the reason
Cor the establishment of such routes
is based upon the good roads found i'm
that county. Jefferson county has 2S4
miles OF macadamized road out OF n
possible 344. Prior to 1904 Jefferson
county was expending from thirty to
thirty-fve cents on each 500 per year
building macadamized roads and since
that date has been expending all of
the funds they could possibly raise
under the law. The wisdom OF the
good roads movement in Jefferson
county is demonstrated, not only in
the foregoing news item, but in the
increased value of all farm lands in
that county. According to the census
or 1910 the average value of all land
In the state was $2O.65. The average
value OF farm land in Jefferson coun-
w. according to the same census, was
$53.55; the average value OF the land
in Ohio county, which has 2O2 miles
OF improved roads out OF a possible
24O, was $60.35, while the average val
ue of the land in this county was
$16.66.
Ihere is no greater argument for
good roads than the clean concrete
example shown i'm the comparison of
the above figures. Jefferson county
has no coal, oil or timber to increase
It's value, The values given are based
entirely upon the farm and these
farms are made more valuable by rea-
son OF the roads that are constructed
to them Nearly every acre of land
in this county is as valuable as that
OF Jefferson, yet the condition of our
roads makes the difference. Every
man who owns an acre OF land in this
county would be making a profitable
investment and valuable use of his
time by applying the difference I'm the
average value per acre between the
lands OF this county and the lands of
Jefferson county to the roads I'm his
community. There is nothing that
Will bring as great prosperity to the
State OF West Virginia as a general
system OF good roads on which the
mails can be transported quickly and
over which the products of the farm
can be marketed as well as materials
taken from the market to the farm to
improve Il.
Take little time to compare care
fully these figures. Let each farmer
take the acreage he has i'm his farm
and figure the difference. making a
comparison OF the avrage value OF the
land In this county with the average
value OF the land in Jefferson county.
Then add to this the convenience of
such rural letter routes as the farm
ers OF Jefferson county now enjoy.
the possibilities OF getting to and
from home without Wadins through
mud and we have picture OF real
life. yet II Ia one that we can all have
II we will but put forth the effort TO
get better roads in this county. The
condition OF the roads in the future
Will depend upon the attitude the
people Of this county will take to-
ward the public highway