Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-01-28
river route as would be required on
the Fincastle and Cumberland Gap

river route as would be required on
the Fincastle and Cumberland Gap
route.
J.. w. Harman, for appellees, ask
led the question as to the number of
industries on the new route, or the
possibility of industries of any char
lacter ever being developed on the
old route. He cited the fact that
I Liberty Hill, once thriving town
of the county, is now deserted vii
llige, not even store being located
there, and that there were fewer
people in the Cove today than at any
time in the past history of the coun-
ty. He said that highways should be
established where they will serve the
people, and that greater percent
age of the people of Maiden Spring
district lived on the north of the pro-
posed river route.
That the Virginia statute specific
ally directed that the new highway
should follow the Fincastle road, was
the argument advanced by attorney
George G. Peery, who spoke in be-
half of the Fincastle and Cumberland
Gap turnpike as the proper location
Iiof the State highway through the
county. The bond issue ALLEGATION,
the highway commissioners judg-
ment twice given in the case, after
careful investigation by engineers;
the fact that the State pays all the
expense of the road and county
money can be used elsewhere in the
county, and other reasons, Mr.. Peery
thought, were unanswerable argu-
ments for following the old route.
He said that the State proposed to
build thirty miles of fine macadam
road through the county, and main.
tain it for all the time to come; that
the county funds could be used else
where on roads that might be desig-
mated by the good people of the coun-
ty. "The State highway will pass
through the town of Tazewell and
the town of Rosedale in Russell coun-
ty in any event, as these points arc
designated in the statute" said the
speaker. He said: "The new route
would require five miles of new road
and thirteen bridges; the old route
would require five miles of new road
but no bridges. The roads must not
be closed to the farming industries
of the county. for if you do you will
shut up your coal mines and facto-
ries and produce condition of stag
nation and starvation" Mr.. Peery
called the attention of the opponents
OF the old route, in answering the
argument that the taxes of the coun-
ty come from the new route, by stat
ing that hte Cove and the section
adjacent were paying the taxes of
the county, and bearing the burden
for years and years, while the pres
ent coal mining section was a forest
and wild land, and bore practically
no taxes at all.
Attorney Barns Gillespie for the
new route, was of the opinion, that
the reason the Fincastle road was
selected in the bond issue plan, was
because the people living in that sec
tion were more influential and
wealthy than those in the section
where he thought the new road ought
to go. "The grade will be much bet
ter down the river, one-half mile
further only, and hundreds of more
people will be served than the 9TH
er route" Mr., Gillespie made
strong argument for the changing of
the location 10 the river route.
So far as could be ascertained the
commission has not indicated their
decision in the matter, but at the
conclusion of the argument offered
counsel on each side opportunity to
file briefs if they desired to do SO.
A meeting is to be held in Roanoke
this week when it is said decision
of the matter will be given.
The general Opinion seems to be
in the county that the State High
way Commission will uphold the
judgment of Commissioner Coleman,
and order that the State Highway
traverse the Fincastle and Cumber-
land Gan Milo