Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1917-04-26
OUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.

Inc coming election Tor road
bonds means more to Watauga
county than any other election
ever held in the county. Our pres
ent system of maintaining pub.
lie roads IS expensive not only to
the men who are required to
make them and keep them up,
but to the men who are requir-
ed to use them. The system is 90
detective that most Of the coun-
ties OF the State have abandoned
the old "road hand" method and
have adpted the bond method.
Under our present system We will
spend about seven thousad. five
hundred dollars a year and re.
quie six days labor from at
least $500 men. This labor alone
at one dollarperday will amount
to $4,000 per year. Add this to
the special tax provided for in
our road law recently adopted
and we will spend for roads in
this county in taxes and labor
$2,25O We know what has been
the result of the labor system
alone. The intolerable condition
of ourroads in this county is the
Observation-Disclosures for a bet.
ter system. The purpose OF the
present election is to raise $780,
OLO and build from 100 to $50
miles of roads; roads that can be
used not six months in the yeal
but twelve months in the year.
The time the farmer wants a
road is not so much in the sum-
mer when his teams are busy on
the farm but in the winter when
he has time to haul his products
to market. We have a chance at
this time to secure three things
that we cannot afford to miss.
First. The Federal road aid
law has provided a fund to be
, given those counties that vote
bonds to build roads. From this
fund it is estimated that We will
/. get $4,000.
: Second. The State proposes tc
keep up and maintain one road
5 through the entire county after
0 it is built.
I Third. The Virginia Caroline
Railroad Co. has agreed to ex
;, tend it's srOad from Todd to Boone
!, a distance OF twenty miles, at
!. cost OF not less than 100000
d if we will vote 5000, 900 in bond
with which to build good roads
We once voted 100000 to ,
e rail road. This company doe
. not ask us for one cent, but j
!, ;. does insist that we build goot
r. roads so we can getto their roat
d when they build it. The railroad
!, :. is willing to pay its part of tn
taxes, for it knows that wha
will help the county will be q ben
? eft to it's road. u We vote dow
the bonds we will fail to get e
ID ther of these things. 1t isourgo
N N den opportunity and We canno
a. afford to let this chance 60 by.
IN What will the Roads Cost!
One hundred to one hundre
and fifty miles of road will reac
~ y. each and every township in tn
rk county. The State Highwa
ID commission after a study of OF
road building soils say that v
can build our roads at q MAJ
10 imum cost of 100000 per mil
With the $50,000.O0 from tt
nd Federal aid fund and the propo
ng ed bonds we can build 125 mill
~ " of road. We can buy some tur
~ pixies already built and sper
$50O.O0 per mile on them,
IN IN more if we desire, and make the
~ good roads for much less ths
$2,00O.00 per mile and save Il
Nd people the tolls on these road
ns | built, a few years ago, sew
on' miles OF road, IA feet wide, mo
ns ns of it it through timber lands, f'
do $225.00 per mile. | feel sure th'
ur. 81, 10000 rer mile will be sui
,di. A. :,