West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-01-20
Read and Ponder

prosperity starts from the farm and
that agriculture must always take the
place OF the most important vocation
because IL produces the food on which
mankind subsists. Can this be sue
cessfully controyerted?
IF you will observe" prominent
educator has been quoted as saying,
"A family OF which three or four gen
erRtions have lived In the city. you
viii notice that the last generation
has I'm measure gone TO seed Coun-
try life is the weapon to meet Il with"
And In this connection let us ask
what greater inducement can be offer
ed to those living in the city to seek
homes in the country than good roads1
AT this moment we cannot suggest a
better one than good roads In other
words, not only Is agriculture the
basis of commerce and Industrial en-
terprise. but country life is the foun-
dation of every virile civilization. The
English people have long since recog-
nized this. No person lives perman-
emily in their terrible London. who
can afford TO live out OF Il, the more
prosperous classes spending three
fourths OF their time I'm the country.
which brings to the farmer a near
market for the product OF the farm.
a market which guarantees TO the
farmer an advanced price for his pro-
duct. We have found this out i'm
America, too. II has long since been
regarded as desirable TO live a half
hours, or even one hours ride out
from our great cities and large towns,
and every wealthy man builds a cour-
try home where his family spends at
least half the years. But we cannot
induce the city and town folks TO
come to the country II they have to
drive through mud every evening and !
morning going TO and returning from
their places of business
IL is a noticeable fact nowadays that
while the poor farmer boys and girls
are restlessly seeking the towns, made
so by mud roads. which at certain
seasons of the year are impossible.
that the wealthy city and town peo-
pie are crowding more and more into
the country, due TO good roads. The
tide to the country seeks not merely
health OF body. but TO return from ar
tihciality to nature, to escape the
nerve-facking atmosphere OF urban
civilization and get back to the first
principles. as IL we're. which are
found only near to natures heart.
Where else can this be found but in
the country?
We want to appeal to those who op-
pose the bond issue to ponder well
over this before they cast their ballot
against the bond issue. To deprive
the people of good roads is the great
est calamity that could befall people,
and those who are responsible for
such dire calamity can never absoIve
themselves for the gross injustice done
their fellow citizens. Not only this
generation but the generations to fol-
low. 1ou can scarcely pick up a
newspaper that you will not read
where our sister counties and states
are lending % build good roads. So
far as our observation goes there has
rot hoen cne bond Issue to build good
roads defeated. Are the people OF
Kingw ood district willing to go on rec
ord ac the frst community to defeat
a bond issue to build good roads? We
have too much faith in the progress
siveness OF the people of this district
to believe that they will cast such a
stigma upon their heretofore public
spirited citizenship. Let us, then, on
January 9Th prove to the world at
large that our motto is of the goth
century--the unrelenting foe of King
Mud!