IT "
A
VOI.O
ItOOXC WATAUGA COUNTY. X. C. VIlUliSDAY MAY- lO.lSIlt, XO.
Ml
SLID-
7 V
Your
Future
Prospects
may look bright enough to-day,
but what guarantee have you
that they will be the Mine a few
years hence? Howdoyoukaow
but that you will be ill capacitated
or deprived of your present in
come by an unfontccn calamity t
Ask these tome question of
policy holder in the
Equitable
Life
and see how quick he will answer
tliat he is protected against mis
fortune ; that he is assured of
comfort in his old age ; that his
family is provided for after his
death. This is worthy of clore
investigation. ' For particulars
address
W. J. RODDEY, Manager,
Department of the Carolinas,
ROCK HILL, S. C
1'IIOFESSIOXAL.
W. B.COUNITLL, Ju.
Attouny at Lav.
Boone, N. C.
W. 15. COILNCILL. M. I).
Boone, N. C.
Resident Physician. Office
on King Street north of Post
Office.
j. v mrmim
A110RXEYA1 LAW,
M Alt ION,' N.r
-(.')- .
Will practice i;i the courts ol
W.it.uiXfi. Ash, Mitchell, McIKnv
cl! an I all nlier counties in tht
western district 8"Si!Miiil ntten
tiou given to the collection tt
t-laiiiiK."
W. B. t'oi-ncill M. I). T. C. Elackbiirn.
Boone, N. C. Zionvillc, X. C.
Council! & Blackburn,'
Physicians & Surgeons.
r3tVi lis attended at a ll
boats.'M
June 1, '1)3.
E. F. LoVILL. J. C. FLKTCHEIt.
L0V1LL & FLETCHER,
AT70RXEYSAT LAW,
BOONE, N. (
f&S" Special attention given
to the rolletion ofcIaimf.B&
L. L. GREENE, & CO.,
REAL ESTATEAG'TS.
HOOXE,N. C-
Will, givs special attention
to abstracts of title the sale
of Ileal Estate in W. N. C.
Those having farms, timber
and mineral lands for sale,
will do well to call on said Co.
tit Boone.
L. L. GREEX& CO.
March 10, 18U3.
NOTICE.
Hotel Property tor Suie.
On account of failing health
of myself and wife, I oner for sale
my hotel property in the town ot
Boone, North Carolina, and will
ell low for cash and make terms
to suit the buyer, and will take
real or personal property in ex
change. Apply -soon.
W.L. BltYAN.
Tarties putting papers in
my hand for execution will
pie lse advance the fees with
tic papers and they will re
ceive prompt attention, other
wise they will be returned
not executed for the want of
fees. D. V. Baihd Siiff.
OiOODKOADS.
BT8.T. K EL-SET.
"There is a time for a I I
things." iind this seems to be
th time for talking good
loads, and (lie merit's of the
various systems of road ma
king from the days of Julia
Ciesar to tin present time a re
being pretty thoroughly dis-
eussed, and no small amount
of abuse is being heaped on
young Jonathun bcanse the
highways and byways of this
extensive "new ground 'Turin
aiv not as well improved as
those of John Hull's littleold
turnip patch, nndothei small
an 1 Ion occupied farms of
his neighborhood. There is
no doubt but much of this
criticism is just aial well de
served, but when the Tidal
wave of indignation has pass
ed we w.l.y see that the peo
ple have done about as well
a-s they could under the cit
cii instances, ami that, most
of the expensive work that
has so far len done is main
ly on the right track.
We are cited to the great
roadinakers and to McAd
am and Telford, and sagely
told that they had reduced
'lie science of road making
near about to perfect ion, and
that we are to follow their
system if we would huvegood
roads.
It isnotdonbted that those
men did the best, they could
under the circumstances and
with trie conditionsthat then
existed. Hut wiihin the last
oO or GO years the whole
transportation business has
been entirely changed by the
use of steam, electricity and
other I'lechauical forces on
iron tracks, and the cost of
transportation has been so
greatly reduced tlmt there is
no possible chance for cotnpe
tirion between the old and
the new transportation. Be
fore the advent of railroads
the U. S. Government, and I
think some of tire states, com
menced building long lines of
"good loads" to connect im
pgrtunt sections of the conn
try, but ihe building of the
hivst railroad anywherein the
direction of these roadsluade
them useless as through lines,
and as the direction of trav
el was changed they became
almost useless as local roads.
They were abandoned by the
Government and I think gen
erally neglected by the com
muinties through which they
passed.. The history of these
roa 1s would have been the
history of "good roads" gen
erally, if they had been built.
The attention of the . people
at once 1 urned to the rail
road as their dependence for
travel and transportation.
They could get to the depot
a few miles away oer a bad
road but they ?ouldnot haul
their produce to get their sup
plies from distant markets
over any wagon road be it
ever so good. So the brain,
energies and capital ot the
country have been devoted
to railroad tuiilding to the
neglect of other roads. And
now with 175,000 miles of
railroads the people begin to
feel that they are pretty well
supplied with men ns of travel
for the "long hauls," and the
question of "short lu'uls,"
that is the best means of
transportation to th H. II.
stations and the towns and
through the country and the
binning communities is up
tor onsi.ter.it ion.
Road Congress'! und Bond
Convention, nud National.
State aud District "Leagues
for good roads" a re hi order,
and probii! Iy th' U. S. ('on
giess and every State legis
lature will beaskeil ihis win
ter to legislate in the inter
est of good roads.
With all this new awaken
ing on the subject we may
exp' ct to see great improve
ments in our country roads.
Hut I think there is danger
of underestimating the work,
trying to do what we cannot
do, and things that would
n )t nay if we could do and
thus wasting time and mon
ey and real'y retarding the
work of getting good coin
try roa df.
The general drift of opin
ion appears to be in favor of
the MaeAda in r.md. that the
depeinlance for all good
roods must be a bed of bro
ken rock or gravel. There
are many localities so situa
ted that the'MacAdam or
the gravel is a necessity and
should be used for the road
bed. But. to attempt to use
the .MacAdam for our coun
try roads generally is now
entirely impracticable. The
cost of MiicAdani varies
greatly in different ' localities
owing to difference in conven
ience of obtaining materials
and either local differences,
but f.ir the country at large
the averave cost could not
lie much if any short cf $10,
000 pr mile. We have no
means of obtaining the mil
age of the public roads in
the U. S., but on the CO. day
of June 189:? there were 243,
722 miles of public road on
which the 'U.S., mails were
carried. In North Carolina
there were 10,748 miles of
public roads covered by the
U. S., mail service, whi::h is
probably not over one half
the public roads in the coun
try. Hut if we take only Hie
milage of the mail service, we
would have, to make good
MucAdam roads an expense
for thell.-or some$2,5'K),
000,000 raid for North Can -lin.H
the snug little sum of
.1107,480,000.
Of course it is impractica
ble -to expend uny such a
inount ol money even for
good roads. But we are
told that we should begin by
working out the lending
tliOioughfarcs and the unst
important roads of thecoun
try; and that theStute and
N a t i o n a I governments
should make the roads and
pay for t hem. All ot . hich
may appear very plausable,
but when we come to select
the "leading thoroughfares"
und most important roads
we shall discover that, we
have no longer any public
roads that are "leading
thoroughfares" and of gener
aimportance to thecountry.
The Railroads have localized
them.
Now when this extensive
system of State and Nation
al road making begins, we all
know that it will be around
the centers of business and
wealth and where the xojle
are ino.st tible to build roads
themselves, and when the
favored localities have got
their good roads and lhept
pie begin to feci the burden
of taxation, the great tidaljgra le qrid direction, good
wave for good roads will I drainage, firm ground etc ,
-etfa.nto subside, mid the
leoph will be enabled to e'
clearly that the real question
is as General Hancock said
of the tariff 'A local i.su.
Government ro.nl making
rti!l then stop, but the cx
h-nse has In en incurred and
t l,e people mu.st all help to
j ay it, and all except tlios.
along t lie favored lines must
still make their own good
roads or go without.
We are cited toother couil
tiicsthat have worked our
excellent systeais of good
roadsat Government exp'm
ses. Hut ;;s I un deiotand the
situation thceoiciiio.i umk-r
which lhy worked their
road- were very different from
ours. Their g'od roads were
largely bir It. before the rail
roads. Their countries are
comparatively small and are
densely populated, and what
under those circumstances
would hepracticab'eand best
lor them ami might be f o r
the densely populated dis
tricts of the East, might w ith
our large extent of sparsely
settled country and genera!
system of railroads b-t entire
ly impracticable anc unwise
for as to undertakV.
I believe then that we must
depend o'i local taxation and
local enterprise for good
roads. That the Stateshould
employ a competent person
as State Supervisor of public
roads, whose duty it should
be to learn t Ik1 wants of the
State and the different parts
of the State, and advise the
legislature as to the condi
tion of the roads and the need
of legislation for their im
provement, and also to ad
vise the local authorities as
to the best means of impro
ving therir roads. And it
would be well if every county
could have a competent, per
son to look after the count"
road's interests, see that the
roads are properly located
as far as possible, und that
the money and luborexpend
ed on the roads are faithful
ly and judiciously used for
their maintaimuice and im
provement. So far as I have been able
to learn the best results have
been obtained where the ex
pense of making ami main
tabling the road has been
shared by the labor and cap
ital or property interested.
The question is so often ask
ed what kind of roadsshould
we make and is the McAd Jin
the only dependence lorgood
mads. I should say that for
some time to-come our main
dependence for our North Car
olina couutiy roads uiust.be
the dirt road. We can't have
anything else because we
can't make it no matter how
desirable, but we can do a
gi eat deal towards improv
ing our dirt roads, and may
have fairly good roads ex-
cept in the wortt weather,
roads that will b? a credit to
the country, at an expense
that we can offord, if the peo
pie will take an interest in
their roads and go at the
work in good earnest. The
roads are too many of them
badly located. Such roads
tdiould be relocated, so as to
run to best advantage for
and then be carefully worked
so that the water fdiall be en
tirely below the ro id bed,
and care taken to prevent
washing. H road are well
located and properly worked
it is suprisingly cheap and
easy to in ike and keeo up
dirt roads that will be in
good condition for travel
during the greater part of
the year. And when once
the dirt roads ;ire properly
located and worked out we
eau improve them as we are
al l; by beginning with the
vorst places and coveting
with rock gravel eic., ami in
time we may Le able to make
thoroughly good Ma?.Vdam
roads through the suburban
and even the rural districts
of the State.
But in rotHusion I must
say that I do not think the
MncAdam will be the road of
the future, or that it w ill ever
be the main dependence for
transportation for the rural
districts, and the country
generally. The steel tract
can ne laid at much less
cost than a good MacAdam
road, and freight ana pas
sengers can be transported
over the steel rail at much
less expense than is possible
over the best earth or rock
road that can be made. So
I do believe and am sorry
to say it, that the steel
track -whether or not, we
will it or wish it, the steel
track road with motors pro
pelled by steam, electricity or
some yet unharnessed force
of natuie wid be the road of
the country, for the "short
hauls" as well as the "long
hauls." Of course the wagon roads
must be kept up ns a conven
ience and for light travel be
tween neighbors and neigh
borhoods. But the work will
boon the steel rail, and the
wagon roads being thus re
lieved of the heavy work can
with a good dirt ued be eas
ily kept in good tiaveling
condition most of the year.
I trust that no one will mis
understand my position. I
am heartily in favor of hav
ing the best country roads
tl.a we are able to make,
and for the last 20 years 1
have been advocating the
improvement of our country
roads nud devoting a large
share of my time to mukiY.g
the best country roads that
the meansat command would
allow, and I shall not be ac-cused-by
those who know of
my work of not being the
earnest, friend and advocate
of good country roads. I
have however feared, and in
this communication tried, in
my poor way, to show that
in our zeal for good roads we
are in danger of attempting
more than we are likelv to
accomplish, that aid from
the Government is likely to
help only where the help is
, least needed at the cxnense
of the whole country, that
we have the means and ma
terial at baud to make out
country roads fairly good
the larger part of the year,
and that we should be cau
tious about over burdening
ourselves to make upensive
roads that from present indi
cations seem likely to b so
far suHr?edel that they will
be of little use for the mam
ohjeetsfor w hich a large part
of the expense was incurred.
Let Is Be Just.
When a man is rnsl hi
first impulse in to hit the first
head in sight. Times are
hard and the irost conspicu
ous object in view is th Denr
ocratic party, in power at
Washington. A great many
people, acting u ion impulse
instead of reuson, are there
lore disposed to hit it. These
leope should remember that
we are still living under the
laws that the Ilepubhcan par
tygave us the tariff law and
the financial system, except
ing only that the silver pur
chas law has been repealed
after having been in foice
three ye'irs. These people
criticise the Democratic ad
ministration also for its re
cent issue of bonds, and yet
they should remember that
Mr. Foster, President Harri
son's Secretary of the Treas
ury, advised, in his last re
port to Congress, that pro
vision be made for an issue
of bonds. Why? Because the
Treasury which had been left
full by Cleveland when he
went out of the presidency in
1889, was nearly empty by
the close of Harrisons term
and the gold reset ve was de
clining so rapidly that Mr.
Foster and everybody else
saw that unl?M some means
were takeu to protect it it
would soon fail below the
hundred million limit. Peo
ple forget these things when
they shouldn't. To blame
the Democratic party for the
hard times, which began in
the winter of 1890 and have
been getting harder ever
since, and for the nation's
empty treasury now is no
more rational than to blame
an Jidministi-rttor because his
intestate was a spendthrift
and he found the state insol
vent . -St a tes ville La ndma rk.
A Valuable Brood of Chickens.
Mr. M. F. Jones, u mer
chant of this place, uispite of
the fepringduilness, theother
day made a trade that ou,-?bt
to oe the foundation of n
great fortune. He nought
nineteen hens from a fanner
and turned them loose in his
coop. An hour later in pass
ing by the coop he noticed
that they had made a nest
and lain eight eggs. Elated
over the celerity with which
hisinvestment wasoeginning
to pay interest, he went back
in u short time to see how
his pro'die hens were getting
on. To his astonishment, he
found that one of them had
gone to setting and was
clucking us naturally as if
stored away in some hidden
nook in her nativebarnynid.
Of course he told all his
neighbors and visitors a
bout w hat an industrious set
of hens he had, and toward
night to prove to a couple of
friends, who rather intimat
ed that he must be exagerat
inga little, that it was la
straight tale he took them
rput to see for themselves
when "lo and behold' the
heads of three little chicks
v ere sticking out through
t he feathers of the old hen.
Not till then was he fully a
ware of the magnitude of the
luck the day had brought
him. Such a breed of chick
ens ought to make any man
rich. Mr. Jones is a deacon
in the Methodist church and
will give anybody a certifi
cate that every word of the
above is so. Xewloti Enter
prise. ' . V