Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-10-12

With winter coming on, which is
SO much dreaded by our doctors be-
cause of the terrible conditions of
the roads, DR.. Lee Humphrey know
ing that Mr.. J. r. Alexander of
GAINESVILLE has given the road ques-
tions in this community much
study, wrote him in regard to his
views on road matters. While some
of our people have heard Mr.. Alex
ander's views, few if any have
heard from him so comprehensive a
statement as is contained in his log
ical reply to DR.. Humphreys in
quiry, which we reproduce in it's
entirety as follows:
GAINESVILLE, o., Oct 6, 1922.
DR.. Lee Humphrey, Malta, o.
Ny dear DR.. Humphrey:-Yo our
letter. received several days ago,
has remained unanswered until the
present time, because 1 have been
away from home most Of the time
in making my campaign as a can
didate for. Congress.
Twas pleased to learn of your in
terest in the road question and to
know that you SO heartily endorse
my views with reference to the
building of the less expensive types
of road, so that for the same
amount of money we can get a
much more extensive mileage.
The minds of many of our public
officials seem to be concentrated up
on the building of a few miles of
brick or concrete or macadam road,
hut at cost of $4,000, $4,000 or
$4,000 a mile the people can af-
ford to build only very limited
mileage-entirely too limited to
answer the real needs of the people,
for the ones that are sure to be
passed by are those who are in most
desperate need of better roads.
wish I could arouse the people
of this part of the state to the SER
iousness of the situation that is con-
fronting us, and make them under
stand how the problem can be soly-
ed only by the building of gravel
roads. Gravel roads are thorough
ly practical, useful throughout the
whole year, and can be built in
Morgan, Muskingum and Washing
ton counties at a cost of $4,000 per
mile, including ditching and grad
ing, this cost being increased in
such counties <as Noble and Monroe
by an additional cost for transpor-
tation of the gravel.
There is fine gravel road from
Columbus to Chillicothe. Gravel
roads are built extensively in Fair
field, Ross, Pickaway, Knox, Co
shocton and other counties of Ohio.
They are used extensively in Indi-
ana New Jersey, Wisconsin and
other states. A mixture of gravel
with our red and yellow clay makes
a wonderfully fine road bed.
/ have been much distressed by
the decrease in population in our
rural sections. This is a matter of
deep moment to city people as well
as to the country people themselves.
If this decrease continues, and it
will continue unless we get roads
for the country people, we will have
a most serious problem to solve.
While the state of Ohio in the
decade from 1910 to 1920 increased
In population 21 per cent, it is a.
startling fact that SO of the 88
counties decreased in population.
These Of course are the rural coun-
ties.
In that 10 year period Morgan
county lost nearly 10 per cent of
her population, Noble county 4 per
cent, Washington county over per
cent, Monroe county Is per cent, |
while Guernsey county, because of
her coal mining, gained per cent,
and Muskingum county, even in
cluding the city of GAINESVILLE, gain |
ed only ] per cent.
In Morgan county every township
with the exception of one lost in |
population in the decade; in Noble
county all but two townships; in
Monroe county every township lost,
and in Washington every township
lost with the exception of Marietta
township. In Guernsey townships
gained and IL lost; in Muskingum
s gained and 19 lost. To permit
such losses in our population to
continue leads us to inevitable ruin.
Will the people not see the SER
iousness, of the situation if the ex-
Odus from the country to the cities
is not stopped? In 1890 the popu-
lation OF Ohio was SO per cent rural
and SO per cent urban; in 1900 only
AZ per cent rural, in 1910 only 35
per cent rural. in 1920 only % per
cent rural-a steady drop. Per
haps now we have in Ohio only one-l
half as much rural population in
comparison with city population as
we had 80 years ago. I,
What is the answer? My answer {
Is to stop building roads at $4,000
and $5O,000a mile and use that I
money for building gravel roads |
costing from $4,000 to $5UUO mile. {
Would you rather have one mile Of I
brick or concrete road, eventually |
running off into the mud. or, for
the same money, get from 10 to 25
miles Of gravel roads. running from