Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-01-26
Squire Spratt On the Road Route.

Squire Nihiser Spratt was in town
the other day and dropped into the
Register Office for chat. He was
\ looking well, though he admitted that
his whiskers needed trimming.
u see Your paper has been pitching
into the State Road Commission" ne
remarked. IL don't blame YOU This
is the hrst time | ever heard OF build
ing million-dol road where
noboIy wants il. At nrst I thought
that Gray Silver had named the route,
but since he himself has said 6e
wasn't really particularly interest
cd in IL, that makes the two coun-
ties mighty nigh unanimous against
IT, Building road through the barren
Pine Hills country at an expense 81
about fifty thousand dollars a mile is
like putting a forty-dollar saddle on a
ten-dollar hoss"
The Squire rolled his eyes around
and inquired: "Whar's your spittoon ?"
He was informed that the Register
Office had no such article. He went 20
a back window, raised the sash apd
expectorated, and mumbled: "Detn
printing Office that doesn't have
modern conveniences." Then he be-
gan again:
This here State road business is q
confidence game from one end 10 tie
other. Governor Morgan says he has
confidence in the Road Commission
ers. Major Fortney and DR.. Stephen
son say that they have confidence tn
ST. Clair Smith, the chief cnginegr.
Mr.. Smith expresses entire confidence
in Division Engineer Gray, and Mr..
Gray has full confidence in his superior
officers. It's a pity that none OF tho
road people have some confidence in
the common sense OF the people who
will pay for and use the roads.
81 got some inside information on
this road business" resumed the
Squire. "My brother.in-l laws nephew
is sparkin' a girl who works one Of
these here typewriters in a road en-
gineer's Office, and so | get my news
mighty nigh third hand. amt Ago
ing 10 contradict Mr.. Silver, SO we'll
elucidate him-no, mean eliminate
him. hear that the selection of the
Pine Hills route is really the child Of
Major Rrtney's brain, though he prob
ably never set UP nights studying the
project. He just takes map Of the
Eastern Panhandle and lays rule be-
tween Martinsburg and Charles Town,
and gives a squint or two. This VII
be just exactly right, he says. He new
er saw where the Opcquon creek
rambles around Rilcy's bridge, nor tsle
curves aAd turns that the old road
makes as she peregrinates across coun-
try like a drunken mud turtle. He new.
cr thought Of that high hump between
the old quarries, and the fills and
cuts and narrow roadbed that we know
all about II was nice and easy TO lay
out the road on a sheet OF paper-but,
gosh Almighty! It'll take all of Berkeley
countY's share OF that fifteen millions
TO build this one road, and then ste
won't stay built"
The Squire lowered his voice. "This
here Chief Engineer Smith must be q
purity nice sort Of feller. When lie
found how the people OF this end OF
the State were going on over the PING
Hills route, and what they were sayirk
absut the State road commissioners,
he done a noble thing He told Major
Fortney that he would take the blaIte
for il hisself. And so you'll find tHt
that the commissioners will pass tfe
buck on to Mr.. Smith and he will 6e
the goat"
The criticism was made that the
commissioners ought 10 have come ID
the Eastern Panhandle and observed
the situation for themselves so as &
give Il intelligent consideration. Tff
Squire shook his head. "Now you'ne
asking too much,' he responded.
"Them tive fellers on the commission
have their hands full right there in
Charleston keeping the big drove OF en-
gincers and assistants and surveyors
and fgserers and experts and upstarts
and clerks and typewriters in order.
They tell me they're jest swarmin'
around the place. and everybody knoYf
you dasseht GO fur from homo n
swarmin' time"
The Squire arose and asked the wsy
b the barber shop. He cut OF Blk
chew Of tobacco, but before he in
serted il he said: "From all | can hear.
il these here road men had laid off the
routes they have named before they
was appointed to Office they would haH
landed In Weston instead Of Charles
ton. So far as them that are respon-
sible for the Pine Hills route is con-
cerned, they ought never to have stop
ped this side OF the Home for In