Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-03-23
SQUIRE PRATT VISITS TOWN.

Squire Pratt was in tLy. on Monday.
a new rug had just been put down in
the EDITORS office, and he was reoucst-
Cd To remove an acre or so OF mud
irom his boots before he entered the
REGISTERS innermost sanctum. He
Id the best he could with a piece of
p'n> board, and then came in a-grumb-
lag.
ITS pity some folks are so par
ticular," he remarked. "lf you'd have
good roads we farmers wouldn't bring
so much mud into town. what gifts
me- he went on, ais the way our
roads keep so muddy when nobody
wants them that way. Sometimes !
lash myself If after all we are not sat-
lshed with poor roads. We stick to
the same old methods we had forty
years ago-that is. we put lot of
Stone on certain part Of the road
and then 60 away and leave il until
next year, when we do the same thing
over again. We blame the automo-
biles for our poor roads," he went on,
but the trouble is with ourselves.
we haven't kept up with the times.
We're managing automobile roads on
a spring-wagon basis.
Il drove to town over one of our
roads the other day right after show
Ter OF rain. The puddles showed very
plainly how our roads are being ne
elected. There was no drainage and
the little holes were becoming big
holes just as fast as they could IL a
man with shovel and pick had gons
along that four-mile stretch Of road
ne could have seen forty places where
10
on, and ten minutes at each place
would have turned the trick. One
fair days work would probably havc
saved hundred dollars expense later
on. Probably no road man had been
over the road since last fall. ASH
you, why not?"
thorities would put into effect the
man Hartzell has advocated, that our
roads would be far better at a great
deal less cost. What | mean by the
patrol system is to have a man going
lover the roads every week or two,
lopening drains, filling up holes that
|Are just starting, and keeping the wa
lter on the road bed Good roads men
In other sections keep piles Of crushed
rock at intervals for the use OF the
road patrol, and a stitch In time saves
rinc many a time. Now why can't wp
do something like this? Is there any
law against II? Isn't II common
sense? -,
"ld like to see this mayor OF yours,
|Stridef MoIer, put In charge OF the
roads In our district. They tell me
nc has made fine record keeping tho
streets OF Shepherdstown in good or
der-sot hrst-rate results with reason
abfe expenditures. That's what we
want-something to show for our mon
ey. The people are all grumbling
and wanting to know why we don't get
better roads with the big taxes we are
compelled TO pay, and don't blame
them. It's high time to try out new
plans, for our old ways are not salts
factory"
The Squire hitched his chair a little
nearer. "l'li tell you another thing"
nc said, lowering his voice. "The
women folks are taking an interest
In the roads, and IL thin~1 don't i'm
prove they are going to make change
in county affairs. My wife was talk
ing with a Charles Town woman only
the other day, who told her that the
women folks over there are getting
ready to make change in the way our
public business Is being handled. NoY
our emciais may not take any account
OF what we men say, but they better
set Mp and listen to the women. }
learnt long ago to try to do what my
vie wanted done. She's only one.
God help our road men and othen
county ohicers II couple Of hundred
women like her get after 'em."
The Squire fetched a groan and said
something about rheumatism as he got
up from his chair. 81 promised to be
home for an early supper" he said.
VI better be starting right now, or else
my wife may do something she'd be
sorry for" =.