The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-03-12
Good Roads.
What's the use?

does not refer to the benefits Of gooC
roads, but the persistence of discus
sion.
After twenty years what's the use
to keep it up? 1t often occurs with
these discussions that people will
always live contented, satisfied with
primitive conditions, used to hard
ships and small gains. But we don't
I've. always. There's the rub, and
another generation comes on; they
see things and begin to wonder and
speculate. Why have we lived on
the roadside, hard run, no market,
no money, always tied down at
home-always the same to-day and
tomorrow, up early working all day
till late and tired, worn out, end so
on until the crops are laid by and,
then perhaps a little time for the
hook and line. but the stock are to
look after, the cows to milk, the
churning to do-children growing
up. A little summer school-just a
little, because the roads and har-
vest will keep them out of school in
the fall, and in the winter school is
impt ssible because the roads arc i'm
passable.
So we move to town, some of u.s.
We are not willing to issue bonds
for roads, but we can move to town,
rent the place, and if we haven't got
time to run out every day, good
weather or bad, and see that every
thing is going on all right, the fences
go to rack, the crops are neglected,
the farm goes down-and there you
are.
What's the use?
Good roads could have been built
then at five, six or seven thousand
dollars mile. But we didn't want
to burden future generations with
road tax. We were perfectly willing
to break our backs in pioneer days
and make pack horses of our women,
but our children we wanted to live
in luxury, without any responsible
ties, and we keep on buying few
more acres and clearing little more
land. After while we have "catch
in the back" we lose vim and vigor,
the stomach refuses to act and we
can't eat. The children have gone
to town to school or to college in
some other town. We are lonesome,
sick and tired.
In the winter time of life and
winter weather we look out again on
a dreary roadside-the same yester-
day, the same to-day - muddy
dreary, not living soul in sight.
Old age is inevitable, If we live
the span, but old age and loneliness
is pathetic. Could we not have been
a little more liberal with our public
roads and schools and kept the chill
dren at home with us? Could we
not have afforded it? You did not
think SO then. If you will admit the
truth, you think so now. So we
have waited, and the country, so
rich in natural resources, has been
neglected and allowed, some of it,
to go to waste-or backward and
undeveloped as compared to those
communities, where public spirit has
been kept alive.
In the spring the children come
home from school,, fresh from town
CT city. They look around at the
old farm, the little schoolhouse,
mother and dad aging with look Of
onxiety on their faces. They see
the new world and tho old before
them, and the next year they leave
the farm and tho old folks for new
life where there is progress, life,
pleasure, comfort, civilization. The
farm that has been kept for them,
free of extra road taxes, is deserted,
sold, and the new owner, the young
farmer, is either to take the same
view of life or he begins to live in an
age of development and progress.
But we are on the threshold of a
new era. Has there been any change |
in sentiment? Thirteen years ago
Sam Lancaster, later the recognized |
authority on good roads and king of
the western coast public highways,
was in Union City and made an adj
dress to the County Court of Obion
County OH good roads. He was in
vited here by Judge Lawson, the
man of wisdom, but was completely I