The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-06-21
MASON COUNTY
TURNpKEs
Mr.. w. HOltOn Key Makes Interesting
Statement Concerning County
Roads After Making Inspec-
ton TOur-Large Num-
Der Of Turnpikes In
bad Condition.

that l do not feel as pubic spirited
citizen and as a tax payer that same
should 60 unnoticed by me as well as
every tax payer and citizen in Mason
County |, therefore, have taken II
upon myself to go into the records to
see what | can find pertaining to Ma
son County's turnpikes. find no
public record of the number of miles
of Mason Countys turnpikes system,
and, 1, therefore, set to work making
list of all the turnpikes in Mason
County, and after putting down my
ideas as to the length of each turn
pike, | have commenced the measure
ment of every macadam road in the
County, and i'm the various articles
which | propose to give the public, ]
am going to report the condition of
the roads as | measure same.
In June 9Th, took the Washington
& Murphysville pike, leading from
Washington to Needmore. This road
for most of its length has a splendid
bedrock and for the most part of same
this bedrock is showing up, in other
words, the rains have washed the fine
macadam and exposed this bedrock
lt VI dllldbt Oli Nllio pAht 10 Ntlg BObi
the water running for a great deal of
its whole length in the middle of the
turnpike instead OF in the cutters
There is quite lot of rock being haul
ed to be applied to this road sometime
this year. | would say, there is more
work going on this road, this spring,
than any three roads have been over
There is being some good ditching
done but il is of class that is expen-
sive There is 9 2-10 miles of this
pike.
After leaving Washington & Muir
physville pike, proceeded over the
Sardis & Mayslck pike from Need
more The first mile and one-half
from Needmore has had some very
good work during the last Is months,
but from the Absolom pike to the home
of Alfred Peed, the road is getting in
a horrible condition from the lack of
work Since 1912, there has been one
string of rock, that know of. put on
this pike between the last named
points, which is a distance or proDa-
bly, IL miles. The water continues
to run in the middle of this turnpike
and, therefore, depreciating it much
faster than II otherwise would. At the
lane leading to Ben Hawkins farm,
there Is a hole in the road feet IN
diameter, that during the past winter
became so bad that it was almost i'm
possible for traffic to get by, this hole
remains and probably one load of rock
would fix it so that II would never
again give trouble. There is one
small bridge on this road between the
Manley and Allison farms, that has
been covered with 3 inches of dirt and
mud for the last three years and can
not be seen IL ii were not for the ends
of the bridge sticking out. AT the bot
tom of each hill on this pike, which is
rather steep one, there are very
large and deep mud holes which could
be fixed for very small amount Of
money. There is talk in this COM
munity, of the citizens giving enough
of their time to haul rock to fix the
worst parts of the road. There are
three splendid concrete bridges that
have been put in on this road In the
last four years, thereby eliminating
any more bridge troubles on this pike
This pike is $40 miles in length.
On June 18th, took the SardIs road
where 1t comes on to the Lexington
pike, near Benjamin Longnecker's.
This pike is in fairly good condition
for the first clio of mile, or to Muir
physville's Precinct line, west OF the
first bridge. From that point to Need
more, this pike is the worst piece of
road. believe, in Mason County. The
water runs down the center of the
pike. there being no effort, whatever,
to carry same on into the cutters. This
pike needs more rock than any pike
have seen in the County, and unless
something is done with II during the
next four months, Maysville will be
cut OF from Robertson County during
the next Tobacco Season, in Maysville, |
unless the Murphysville & Washington
Turnpike holds up sufficiently to take
care Of the traffic. There is some rock
being put on this road but II is such |
negligible quantity, that II will hardly
do much good. There was only one
piece OF this road put In good condi- |
ton, last year, from the home of John |
Maley TO the gateway of ]. c. Jeffer-
sons. According to last years report, |
there was quite sum OF money put on
this pike but the point of above is the
only point between the Lexington pike
and Needmore that show it. In some
places, that the bitches have filled up !
so much In the last five years, that the |
earth is from TO inches on top Of
the pike. At the junction of the dirt |
lane leading from Mayslick through |
TO the Shannon neighborhood, Il seems |
there has been creek running down !
the middle of the pike and has washed
away more macadam than $4,000 can
replace. There is only one bridge In |
this stretch of pike of $40 miles
that is in first class condition. / have
been no further than Needmore on
this pike. My report OF the balance |
of il will appear In another issue
Opposite Joe Manley's farm, | took
the Absolm pike. which leads across
to the Lexington pike. There are
? 2-lO miles OF this and there are 4
bridges In that distance. There was
1880 spent on this road in 1915, most
OF which consist Of rock hauled ON the
road which have never been mapped,
and. consequently. remain on the side
OF the road, Parts OF this road are 30
rough that Il is almost impossible. The
rains and the water running down the
middle of the road have b0on tho an