Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Nov. 12, 1914, edition 1 / Page 1
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&0 VOL. XXVI IJOOXE, WATAUGA COUNTY, TIIl!HSI)AY,-mff. 12, V) I NO. 16. I Practical Road System for Watauga. - ' By (Jko. U. Shkukii.i., A. T. S.j Almost vtv fi'iiliuv of rural life in being ngitnted. thought. fully consiileivd ami thoroughly jotistmtel. a in J nny amount of discussed. For the most pin t Jt work I not n thing-of permu is gratifying to note that every nenee. 3. Deficiency in road judg change has indicated progress. rnenf. When Bill is overseer he However the re is yet unlimited makes a persistent fight for opportunity foi futuiv develop- j something. WhenFitzhughcorues ment along many lines that un ( in, 1m? tears it up. 4. The roads essential to the prjserity and re not worked when they need happiness of our citizenship. Tu-1 king o careful observation over our entire countv we are force- fully impressed that Watauga's j preeminent need is a better svs - tern of public roads. The pres. ent condition of our roads do not reflect honor upon our peo ple. By allowing ihem to re main in their unimproved condi tion, we are jvormnnently handi capped and offer an irresistible barrier to every progressive movement, that the very strong est are unable to suwsfully ov ercome. There are three hundred miles of unimproved road in Watau ga the Boone and Blowing Bock Turnpike being the only excep tion, and just one trip over it in the winter or early spring will re veal the fact that it is improved )x as to grade. Therefore we believe at least a conservative criticism in a general way is jus tifiable. We shall mention only j n few of the main lines that are most used. The road from Boone to Stony Fork, in many places ha9 at least a twelve per cent grade, besides being narrow, roc ky, sidling and muddy, making it utterly impossible to haul a reasonable loud or travel with; n ii v degree of sat isfaction. The toU'i iii) i) Boon' to Elk tiaiilly uur.vA into an almost inpereep t iiile i rail across .lakes Mountain wnich is an impassible barrier cutting off all western communi cation. I his trail will doubtless be marked by the next genera tion in EU township as a memo rial to the bravery of their pro genitors who were so daring as to take a wagon and team on such extreme heights without a road. Going west from Boone to Beaver Dams, you may find any sort of thing to impede tra vel. The road abruptly and un necessarily runs toward the sum mit of -Rich Mountain and de scends to Brushy Fork with the frame slope making western tra vel very difficult. For about six months in the year the entire surface of the road bed is com pletely overlaid with clay mud, varying in depth from six to twenty four inches. But passing Brushy For a still more intoler able condition exists, however we are very much delighted to know that you can either go in the creek, as was formerly the cus tom, or that you have the privi lege of driving down a very rocky bridle path about eight feet wide not necessarily in water the whole way. George's Gap compares favor ably with Jakes Mountain, en tirely isolating i e.iver Dams from ail iftlier . it- oft he coun ty. We may .-afely assume that it has even more than a twelve par cent grade, with a combina tion of all other bad features such as being extremely narrow, muddy, rocky, sidling, cut up with routes, and turn-outs, then i - wood and logs piled on the upper side of an eight foot road w ith every other conceivable thingcal nl.n1 t-. if,.u.l ,,!,... i. . . I . ger vour saint v. Il Ini tner con- . wdi.litv of , V , it.,..ed V insist ti,:,f-4-..v..i.,ht;., ti,..,," , ' Mn . make an earnest effort to take hi lienor nvar tl.. li,iP- und they had better ;..oih walk,- too. : Ti. following mis.ni., nny In iissignml forllit'fxistviKv of tli'e j.l..,,)rjil... i-on.IMioiis. 1. The ' rofuls vTi' not pro)Ml.v gnultMl. 1 2. Tln-y wer not sclent illcallv it. , o. There is a lack of interest and enthusiasm on the part of the hands, and Gth, public senti ment does not demand better iroau ,lf we are tohavebetterroads an 1 we are going to have them or wage an incessant war on all opposition the very first thing we are eomjielled to do is to cul tivate a good roads spirit. Pub lic sentiment in every township in the county must be thorough ly aroused. Good roads meetings must be held; enthusiastic mem bers must communicate the spir it to the indifferent ones w h o have never been interested. Gbod roads must be talked in every home, around every fireside, and to every neighbor. Let the Good Head spirit pervade every home in Watauga until the mighty force of public sentiment shall blend a united voice for improv ed roads. We trust that advo cates of ability and influeuce will offer their bodies a living sacri fice in campaigning the county, over which will be their reasona ble service in behalf of good roads. When the people assume this attitude there will be a road revolution worthy of notice, the effects of which will be perma nent and far-reachiug. .i. - Taking into consideration the fact that ntauga has only 2 millions of taxable property, we can see no consistency in our ex pending the large amounts that Btinco'mb, Wake and Iredell have spent, neither do we advocate ei ther the macadam or sand-clay roads, owing to their immense cost, but we do advocate a good system of dirt roads in every sec tion of the county. The ideal road for Watauga should not ex ceed a four per cent; grade; should be twenty feet w i d e ; should have a smooth, rolling surface and a good drainage sys tem on either side, with under ground culverts wherever needed to dispose of all water without washing or Injuring the road We might be rather compromis ing as to width in deep cuts and high banks, but we must have the grade and drainage regard less of cost, because these are es sential, and we can never have a road without them. Necessity demands that we shall have a better system of roads, but we find it difficult, if not impossible, to designate just which roads we should have first, and we offer this merely us a suggestion, speaking in behalf of the masses of the people. Our impression is that an east and west line should first be construe ted through the entire county, beginning at Todd, and running by way of Boone, Vilas, Sugar Grove and Beaver Dams to Ten nessee thus connecting" the two railroad points. The main east and west line would be easily ac cessible to most townships by the construction of short mter- j swtinfr roads. We feel that there is not a citi zen in the county who would I Clare insinuate mui un ,i . . i . i :.. 'not needed. But now comes the "Ul "m" . , .... pn'riotic test. Merely admitting the necessity of sucli a roac. ,s o, no material importance, consiu ering the amount required to con ' . , .. StrilCt it. Tile prOpOSlllOU Ul.eci ly confronting us is, how shall i we raise the necessary funds on terms of juM iiv and ent iiv eipial it. We join with man v of our lest citizens in deelaiing that taxation has long sinee ivui-IhhI a limit. We affirm there is only one thing about which we are more sensitive than taxation Our wives. But the fullness of time hasabundantly proven that we can never have good roads unless some special mean are provided. Therefore, without hes itation, we propose that a tax of 40 cents on the hundred dol lars valuation be levied, half of which shall go to the county for the construction of main lines the other half to the townships..liheir duty will be keeping the to be applied on needed roads Mr. H. B. Varner, of the North Carolina Good Roads Asssocia- tion, declares the State is paying a tribute every year to mud and bad roads the immejise sum of four million dollars. (Jf all con ceivable extravagance this is by far the worst, as it is absolutely thrown away without benefit to any one. Dividing the four mill ions of dollars by the one hun dred counties in the State, our proportional part is forty thou sand dollars. Although ourcoun ty is comparatively small we feel that it will average with the oth ers, owing to the lact that we have no improved roads. Our proposed tax will amount to ten thousannd dollars annually, just one fourth the amount that is voluntarily paid in mud tax.. So the only logical conclusion from a financial and economic stand point, is to retain the thirty thousand by levying the ten thousand dollar tax and build ing roads as long as there is ne cessity for them. . -The cost of the Boone and Blow ing Rock turnpike which is in a low state of improvement is $(100 per mile, but with an additional $400, a good rolling surface and complete drainage system may be added. We may safely as sume on an average that a mile of good road can be constructed for 1 ,000 dollars. So with our ten thousand dollar tax the first year we can build half wav to Todd. The second year to Vilas' sane things for policy sake and the third year to Todd, thefourth the hope of re-election. There year to George's Gap, besides fore we suggest that that a road having twenty thousands in the commission be appointed by the townships for. local construe- Governor, who shall have super tion. vision over all the roads in the The proposed tax mav not at county. We believe it should be first aDDeal to the nronertv ow- strictly non partisan or at least ner wh; is over forty five years of age and has been released from road duty. He may have a feel ing that he has worked the 27 years required by law, and is un der no further obligation. But The Butler Drug Store NEW AND UP-TO-DATE Prescriptions Filled Headquarters for the best Stationery and Candies; Toilet Articles and Rubber Goods Mail us Your Orders. The Best and latest fountain chnks, Call on us at the old Tost Office Building. E. S. STALLINGS, Manager Monuments, Tablets & Headstones. 1 S ALL SIZES. SHAPES AND COLORS, Marble and terial. PRICES RE RIGHT, come and see our work, or write us for Prices and Designs. MOUNTAIN CITY I Mountain City, r ' whether he lias uorki-d or tint, iihmiI should ! ba.d altogether llic fad prominently remains on merit giving it only to such that we have no roads. There nu n as are intensely interested may also In a ix-cuiingly iuius- in road improvement and have t ice for tie man subject to road the go d of causu at heart, duty who owns only a few acres Doubtless keeping in time and of laud has no team: never uses cooperation w ith the Interstate the road exivpt occasionally Highway Commission would walks to the store or carries a 1 make their work more effective turn to mill, to have to pay a and satisfactory. We belie vet he tax for building roads to be used commissioners should go into ev by the team owner. But we de-ry section of the county and dare it is to the interest of every can-fully consider every need, man to see that this tax is lev-j then hire a skilled engineer to ied. The roads should be built lay out such roads as they may by the tax and not call into ser-lthink projier to the greatest pos v ice the regular hands because ! sible advantage. A monthly re- road in repair. So relievingthem of any sjiecial duty, we believe that our entire plan is founded on the divine law of justii-e, for whether vou own much or little you will be comM-lled to pay your proportional part, another principal we may well associate w ith the economic policy is the great increase in the value of land. An authentic and conser vative report declares a good road system increases the value of land ! dollars jer acre. Take for instance the man w ho owns 100 acres of land valued at 2,000 dollars. His tax will be 8 dol lars while his land will beincreus edS'.MK). There are 200.874 a cres of land in Watauga which increased per acre will amount to $l,so.s(i( combining this with the 40.0(H) mud tax audde ducing 10.000 for building and construction. We have a saving of $1,887,800 to the county. We leave the matter optional with the people having stated only a few unvarnished facts that withstand the test. The sincere desire of my heart is that the next legislature shall make am ple provisions for our relief. Next we favor taking our en tire road system out of the hands of the county commissioners as they hold office for only two years and in so short a time they cannot acquaint themselves with our greatest needs. Besides this office is purely political and he temptation is very great to do not more than two members should belong to the same polit leal part v. The term of office should be six years, having ap pointments made every two so that an old member shall always be on the board. The appoint- Granite of the very best ma voursery truly, MARBIEI COMPANY . - - lennesbee'o.rpg., Bufffti0, port sworn and subscribed to of all receipts and expenditures should be published in the coun ty piper so that every one may know their exact proceedings The commissioners should receive ample remmuneration for their work, but not enough to create an undue desire for the office. With the above designated plans we are confident that we can better our condition. When we have once established inprov ed roads with eight days well ap plied work at the projter tinie we can maintain them. We realize realize the magnitude of this un dertaking and feelthat it can only be accomplished through the combined effort of our entire citizenship. Therefore we enter into the cause heart and mind, soliciting the hearty cooperation of every progressive man who longs to see within the next ten years a complete road system throughout the entire county. Your Fall Cold Needs Attention No use to fuss and try to wear it out. It will wear you out in stead, lake Dr. King s New Dis covery", relicMollows quickly. It checks your cold and soothes your cougu away. Pleasant, an tiseptic and healing. Children like it. Get a 50 cent bottle of King's New Discovery and keep it in the house, "Our family Cough and Cold Doctor," writes Louis Cham berlain, Manchester, Ohio. Mon ey hack it not satisned, but it nearly always helps. L. L. Burkhead, a North Caro linian, has been appointed post master at Columbus, New Mexi co. Hopeless Lung Trouble Cured. Many recoveries from 1 u n t troubles are due to Dr. Bell's I'ine-Tar-Hone. It strengthens the lungs, checks the cough and rivts relief at once Mr. W. S. Wilkins, Gabs. N. C, writes: "I used Dr. Bell's Pine-Tar-Iloney in h case uiven up ns hopeless ami it fleeted a permanent cure (to a bottle of Dr. Bell's Pine Tap-Honey. If yourcouuh is dry nmthacking, let it trickle down i he throat. ou will surely get re ief. Only 23c at your druijuiist. Bishop It. M. Waterhouse, D. D., is presiding over the Western North Carolina Conference now in session at Shelby, N. C. BLOCKADED. Every Household in Boom Should Know How to Resist IL If your back aches when the kid ueys are blockaded, You should help the kidneys with their work. Doan's Kidney Pills are especially for weak kidneys. Recommended by thoueands here's testimony from thisvicinity. M, M; Childress, lenoir. N. C. says i suffered a ert-at deal Iroin kidney trouble for a number of years. The kidney actiou was ir ejrular and the kidney secretions contained sediment 1 could hardly straighten after I stoo ped and my hack pained me nearly all the time. Finally I .used Doan's Kidney Pills and they stop ped the I pains and made my kiduei normal j 1 am glad to confirm the public state ment 1 then g ve, recomin ending. Doan's Kidney 1'ills. Price 50c, at all dealers. Don't si in ply ask for kidney remedy get l)oan"s Kiriue? Pills the same that ' Hf iUiAnc,a K A I nut Childress had, I oster Milburn R0FESSI0NAL. J .V.. l- Milit-r Joliu M. Bingham Fletcher & Bingham. 'ATTORNEYS AT LAW. BOONE, NORTH CARO. Will practice In ttia curt of W taua autl adjoining t-outtlej. Car ful and prompt atteutigu given to all Matter ent runted too, 1 lgn. lit Dr. G. M. Peavler, Treats Disease of the Eye, Ear Nose and Throat BRISTOL. TENN., 1 15 'H ly, T. E. Bingham, Lawyer : BOONE, .-...'. n. c Prompt attention .gi?en to all matters of a legal nature Collections a specialty. Office with Solicitor F. A. Lto. ey 1-29. ly. pd. Silas M. Greene, JEWELER Mabel, X. C. : A!l kinds of repair work done under a positive guar antee. When in need of any thijiginmy line give me a call and get honest work at honest prices. Watch RiAiiu.a A Speciai.tve VETERINARY SURGERY. ;i have been putting much otudy an this subject; have received my diploma, and am now well equipped for the practice of Veterinary 8ar ery In all Its branches, and am the July one in the county, all on or address me at Vilas, N. . R. F. D.l . G. H. HAYES, Veterinary Surgeon. i-n-'ll. E, S. COFFElf, -AT101LEi A7 LAW,- C00NE, N. C. Prompt attention given to all matters of a legal nature. SOT Abstracting titles and iouection ot claims a special l-l-'ll. Dr. Nat. T. Dulaney - SPECIALIST - YK, KAR; NOSK, THROAT AND CHEST KVKS KXAMI.NKD FOIl GLASSK3 FOURTH STREET Eristol, Tenn,-Va. EDMUND JONES LAWYER LEX01H, N. C,- Will Practice Regularly in the Courts ot atevga, 6-1 'ii. L, I). LOWE, ATTORXKYJAT LAW. Banner Elk, X. C. Practice in the courts of J A very and surrounding counties. Care ful attention given to all matters of a legal nature. 7-6-12. F. A. LINNEY, ATTORNEY AT LAW,- BOONE, n. c. Will practice in the courts of the 13th Judicial District in all matters of a civil nature. 9-11-1911. E. F. Lovill. W. R. Lovill Lovill & Lovill -Attorneys At Law -BOONE, N. C Special attention given to all business entrusted to hteircare. .. .. ,
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 12, 1914, edition 1
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