The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-17
Evening Chat

. That West virginia Is slowly as.
. rrring the leadership among the forty
+. eight states Of the Union In the way
+. Of permanent road building Is shown
( by a comparison Of the state in re.
/ Bpect TO money appropriated. In round
; numbers there has been appropriated
In this state since 1912 the sum Of
: 91o.000.000 or s9.385,0o0 to be exact.
The greater portion Of this sum has
. already been spent In building improy-
+ ed and permanent highways while the
remainder 10 now being used to &C.
complain that purpose. In addition
! the total sum Of 81, 4s5.0o0 will posi-.
bly, be spent Or will be voted upon
within the near future in different
counties and districts Of the state. In
other words bond issues aggregating
the latter amount will be voted upon
before summer. Should all Of the
bend Issues now pending pass the to-
zal Hzm spent and provided. for good
road purposeB IN West Virginia will
be SIS. oo0, 900!
Since the legislature passed the law
making 1t possible to sell bonds for the
/ purpose Of securing money to build
roads over 30 per cent OF the bond Is
sues proposed have passed, issues ag.
gregating $4,000 have failed to get
the necessary majority. In all the
( counties and districts where the cleo
Z tionB have failed to result favorably
{ conditions have arisen or previously
Z exiHted that Influenced and determined
. the issues. In road building West Vir.
GINA now stands near the top but the
ultimate goal 10 not yet in sight. In
order that West Virginia and Its peo-
pie Bhnil grow, good roads must be
provided because growth and develop.
ment Of q stated dependent in large
( degree upon the construction Of perma.
nent highways.
Every time the weather happens to
turn q bit cool in the Spring or Sum-
Z mer the pessimlsts and would be
thought wise" persons begin to tell
their old chestnuts about how cold 1t
was last year and can even give the
exact date Of the snow that never fell
! 10 May or June. These would be sta.
sisticinns are invariably wrong In their
assertions and are extremely liable to
think that something occurred last
year which in reality happened several
years previous. The person who hears
these assertions however is usually
unable to say authoritiyely whether
or not the occurrence Is correct and
thus many false statements F-ss &c
) truth. These liars are cheerful in
their manner and have a most happy
facility Of telling their gloomy weather
stories TO some optimistic individual
who 10 planning a picnic or other ex.
petition to the country. Such doleful
and sad recollections even II true could
have no effect on the probability of the
present weather. Telling Of such mis-
cradle and disagreeable events as a
snow storm on Decoration day serves
no purpose except to discourage all
persons who have been hoping for fine
weather. Surely there Is enough
gloom md sorrow already in the world
without anyone adding to 1t with the
product Of their stale and stupid i'm
aginations. Whysnot talk about some.
thing besides the weather for
time?
Although no one! has yet produced
any real poetry about motor cars with
the exception OF some advertisements
that are almost worthy OF that classif-
cation yet many rhymes and jinglcs
have been perpretrated that are indeed
readable and pleasing. The following
by Arthur Guiterman in this months
issue of MOTOR Print" is one of tho
latest Of these and we think 1t worthy
OF quoting.
Now lilacs frame the cottage door
And motor ads grow more and
more
Aliurtng.
( Above. the winds have cleared the
Below. The roads are fairly dry
For touring.
Come out come out and greet the
mornip
The bobolink and motor horn
Are calling.
And when these pretty lines are
seen
Let's hope the price Of gasoline
Is falling"
In the lure Of the open road" as seen
through the Windshield Is the spirit
OF the Gypsy and our migratory ances.
tors. The following by Rudyard KIP.
ling was written before automobiles
were practical some later poet may yet
express the idea even better:
The Gypsy man to the Gypsy
And both to the road again.
And on erlloyers arm she leant,
And round her waist she felt II
fold,
And far across the hills they went,
In that newSworld which Is the old.
r Across the hills and far away,
Beyond the utmost purple rim,
Beyond the night, across the day,
Through all the world she followed
him.
Edgeway the home Of Artistic Bung.
nlows.-Adyt.
CASTO-RIA|