Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1922-01-28
Pocomoke City, Nd, Jan. %, 1929

Dear Sir:
Have been reading the Democrat
for some time, and while | do not re
call having seen any letters from the
people regarding conditions, laws.
both present and prospective, taxes,
local improvements and what not, |
am going to take a chance on shoot
ing at you to see if l hit the mark.
If | do l may shoot again.
Several times l have been moved
to "take my pen in hand" SO to speak,
but just kept still and let things DRIFT
along, and while l do not expect to
set the world afire, yet l want Chair
man Mackall of the State ROADS
Commission to know there is one res
ident of the commonwealth of Mary
land who does not approve of the
bill which Mr.. Armstrong, the Attor-
ney-General has prepared for the re-
moval of signs along the Sta:c
Roads.
l have a lot of reasons. Among
them, the prosperity of the country
depends on publicity. | will not
write an article on the value of al
vertising as this is not the place for
it, but I'll just stop here long enough
to say that l like to know about the
towns and countries | am passing
through. l have motored over a con-
siderable portion of the country and
have enjoyed the signs along the
roads in many states. | would like 70
tell about a lot of them, but l will tell
about two and the road entering
Owego, New York. One sign read,
"Slow down or take a bath" For sew
eral miles we had been enjoying read
ing signs telling about the road and
country. They were signed "Owego
Auto Club" When we saw the above
we were watching ahead to catch the
meaning. A few rods farther on we
made a sharp turn. Had we have
gone straight on instead Of making
the turn we would have taken BATH
sure enough as there was large pool
of water there. A sign read, "This
is the bath (some number, l forgot
how many have been in r U next ?"'
Entertaining Yes and instructive. !
cannot stop Others at the town linn
its would read, incorporated village
Of Speed limit 10 miles per
hour. Close cut-out. Sound Klaxon
at crossings"
But / must not tell of too many
outside of Maryland as the signs
along our roads are what concerns us
now. When we entered the State of
Maryland we happened to enter on
road where there were no signs tell
ing about the towns and country. We
had copied from the Blue Book our
route so knew how to make it to the
first State Road and in fact to where
we planned to stop few days. The
first sign | remember was red plate
with Danger" in large white letters
Slowing we learned that it was the
property of the State of Maryland
and that fine of $500 would result
if one were convicted of bothering it,
one half of which would go to the in
formant. Many of the signs were
SCARED as if a load of buckshot had
been turned loose on them. Sometime
later We saw at turn in the road a
straight pole painted white with dag
onal black bars. Someone in our par
ty asked what that was for. We
guessed it was sign of turn in the
road. Then we would occasionally
see yellow signs with names of
places on them with an arrow point
ing towards them, but nothing as to
the distances. All over the country
we had seen Goodrich signs giving
distances to various places, both on
the State Roads and off of Their.
They were always welcome, and at
night we nave turned the lights on
those signs to learn which road to
take and distance yet to travel.
But now let's come down to our
own section. How nice it would be if
6 sign coull be placed about two hun
bred yards on each side of the Kings
Creek bridge telling about the hor-
rible accident which occurred there
last fall ard warning others to look
out or they would be keeping COM
pany in the hospital or perhaps in
the next world. Wouldn't it have
more effect than the red danger signs
placed there by the State Roads
Commission Or the warning on the
bridge for motor vehicles to slow to
five miles an hour? How many cross
it at five niles an hour? How many
drivers could see the sign in time to
slow to five miles an hour?
Variety is the spice of life and l
speak for one that if the signs are