Peninsula Enterprise, January 13, 1894

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Transportation -- Road - MaintenanceTransportation -- Road - Shell surfacingTransportation -- Road - Legislation

Governor McKinney in his last message to the present Legislature, recommended that there be some legislation favorable to our public road system. This is undoubtedly necessary. In this county we have no road system. The question very naturally presents itself to all thoughtful minds, what system do we need? Can we agree upon any one plan which will satisfy the majority of our voters? Take the road from Drummondtown to Onancock. This road is travelled possibly as much as any road in the county, and much more that the majority, yet it would be very difficult to find a worse road in the county than this one is. If our farmers would but realize it, it would pay them to shell this, as well as many other roads in our county. To drive over such roads, one's life is in danger; it is hard on team and vehicle, and tires the strongest man. Shall we say, then, tax every citizen for the purpose of keeping up our roads? This will be opposed by many, on the ground that many of our citizens are large property owners, but very seldom have occasion to travel over our roads. Argument of [illegible] be in such a [illegible] very little, if the [illegible] This system [illegible] objected to buy very many, [illegible] did not amount to as much [illegible] cost them. If a direct road [illegible] be objected to, we present a second thought -- let the roads be leased for fifteen or twenty years. Let the county give a certain road to any man, for fifteen years, that man giving bond to keep the road in first class condition. Let this man get his money back by charging a certain amount, that amount being fixed by the county, to all who travel that road. This system, we think, would reach most or our county road, and in a few years they would be in good order. This system would be more expensive than the tax system. The most expensive of all road systems in the no system which we now have. This no system is found expensive in the wear of vehicles and the killing of horses. It costs money annually much more than they are aware. It might be well for us to come to some understanding as to a road system which will improve our roads and give satisfaction to the majority of all concerned.

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Fields -- Livestock - Dog problemFields -- Livestock - Sheep

"To protect sheep and other stock in Accomac and Northampton." -- Senate Bill.

We have not seen the bill referred to and know nothing of its provisions. We do know, however, that our Senator is a level-headed man, and we can quite believe that he had the courage of his convictions. The sheep industry here is decayed. Few farmers dare attempt sheep raising because Tray, Blanche, Sweetheart, Brindle, Pug and Little Fancy spread themselves over every acre of land fit to graze, and roaming at will with a taste for racing and mutton forbid the attempt. The hundreds and hundreds of worthless dogs, worth nothing to their owners, an annoyance to neighbors, a foe to sheep, all over the Peninsula, destroy all hope, of raising sheep. We trust our Senator has "to protect sheep in Accomac and Northampton," paid his respects to the dogs in the way of a rousing good tax on them. It would be a feather in his cap is he had, and a larger and brighter one is he shall succeed in having his bill enacted into law. It would be a great kindness to the dogs -- because hundreds are maltreated by starvation, and kicks and cuffs for stealing, with sometimes merited death, to satisfy hunger. The commonest humanity calls aloud to him. The poor man whose substance goes to feed "three of a kind," or more, and neither of suite, would thereby save largely, and prosper the better. The blue-blood, those fox hounds, setters and pointers of royal blood, would feel a special pride in this silver collared canine with the treasurer's badge of tax paid, would rise up and call him blessed. Paying a tax, and for his dog, he would be his owner's property, and as such be protected by the strong scarcer -- the treasury fuller. Seriously, we hope Senator LeCato has taken strong grounds for the taxation of the dogs of these counties. We are overrun with them., and seem to have the same superstitious awe of them as the Turks in Constantinople -- for they increase fabulously with none to make them afraid or kill them. Put on a tax, Senator, and put on a good one. If a dog is worth anything his owner ought to be willing to pay tax to hold and protect him. Put the tax on -- a good one -- whether the owner likes it or not. Too great interests are at stake to be trifled with by "yaller dorgs." Sheep-raising can be made profitable here without the mousing pointers and crossfield hounds, that run at will over everybody's field, but not with them. The more valuable are driven out -- the worthless kept to keep them out. The case is, Dogs vs. Sheep. We give our verdict, duly considered, in favor of mutton. Tax the dogs out -- let the sheep in.