The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-08-01
EXPLAINING THE LOSS
OF THE EDITORS SHOES
Wonder Is He Didn't Lose His Soul
and His Automobile on Those
Roads to Currtuck
BY w. O. SAUNDERS

I wish to explain my appearance on
the streets of this city Wednesday
night with my trousers rolled up dis
playing my noble legs sans shoes and
sox I had not gone temporarily in
sane. I had been to Currituck. My
experience Wednesday, afternoon and
evening on Currituck roads might well
be used for propaganda by good roads
enthusiasts.
1t is 20 miles from Elizabeth City to
Currituck G. H. On that 20 miles go
ing and coming my engine stalled twice
under water, my car got stuck three
times, my batteries burned out, broke
a spring and in trying to extricate my
sci from the mud in one place on the
road 1 lost shoe. I reckon that shoe
is still going down.
Two miles out from Elizabeth City
on the Camden Ferry Road, about nine
o'clock Wednesday night, imping along
on broken spring and with patched
up batteries that could not be used for
Hghts,a.my ear fell into hole or pft
in the very middle of the road. Other
cars behind me could not pass and
was in such a hole that no one could
pull me out without special equipment.
1t was necessary for me to wade to
town thru that two miles of swamp
road that has at times been patched
up with rocks, cinders, oyster shells
and brick bats. All the rock, cinders,
shells and bats were under foot every
step of that journey and when those
fine, tender, sympathetic feet of mine
struck the smooth pavements in town
your editor was just about played out
I had almost forgotten to mention that
on that two miles of ferry road between
the hours of and 10 on dark and
cloudy night one has world of com
pany in the shape of mosquitoes, frogs
and snakes.
To one not accustomed to driving or
bad roads, it is an eternal mystery how
, cars of any type continue to come and
go between Elizabeth City and points
. in Currituck county and beyond. The
roads of Currituck county are dis
grace to the state Of North Caroline
and a majority of the people of Curri-
tuck must be worse than barbarians tt
permit their roads to remain in the
) condition they are in nova condition
they have been in ever since first be-
came acquainted with that county ter
or twelve years ago. If isolation Ii
t their desire, then those Currituckian
). ought to build a wall around themselv
. es and be done with it. am convinced
2 however that there is not enough en-
5 terprise and energy among the tax pay
e ers of that county as a whole to built
3 anything.
4 AS for the three mile stretch of boi
l known as the Camden Ferry Road, be
u tween Elizabeth City and Camden
H, here is a condition that is evel
worse than that Of Currituck. Her
one actually has to pay toll to a privat
: citizen for the privilege of flounderin
, thru three miles of mud and water
stalling his engine, breaking his spring
q and getting stuck. The counties @
Pasquotank and Camden have neve
e had the enterprise to provide any sor
e of road at all connecting Elizabet
j City with that county. It has been lei
: to a private individual to build a roa
a and that Individual had only an i'm
t possible swamp to build on. Elizabet
: City. Pasquotank and Camden have &C
: to get their heads together and provid
: a better way of communication. Go
helping me, shall put bill thru tn
= special session Of the General Assem-
= bly, next summer to enable these tw
IS counties >to do something in this di
- rection.
h P. 81 am facing repair bill {
s25 or $50 this morning as result {
my little journey to Currituck, sd
= nothing of the amounts paid out Fl
being towed out of two of the thre