THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 57 



not more than three-fourths of what they would have 

 drawn upon a good graveled path. In other words, if the 

 cost of carting a load over this road is fifty cents, he has 

 paid fifty dollars a year for the privilege of a rough road, 

 to say nothing of the worrying of the teams, and the 

 breaking down of the carts, and the swearing at the mud- 

 holes. If any of the Hookertown people think that the 

 swearing reflects at all upon Uncle Jotham, they can sup 

 pose that the hired man drives the team sometimes, 

 though I don t say who drives. You see, when the team 

 ster finds himself with a load of green hickory stuck fast 

 in three feet of mud, it is rather a trying position for the 

 temper. 



A few days labor spent in digging stones and hauling 

 gravel, would make this road equal to a turnpike, and 

 then it would not cost five dollars a year to keep it in 

 repair. The teams would draw a full load instead of 

 three-fourths, and the labor saved here could be devoted 

 to other profitable work upon the farm. Now there are 

 thousands of miles of just such miserable roads upon our 

 farms, that ought to receive immediate attention. If there 

 is any economy in having a good strong team, there is 

 still more in having a good smooth road to work on. 

 Yours to command, 



TIMOTHY BUNKER, ESQ. 



HooJc&rtown, Nov. 13, 1857. 



. 20. TIM BUNKER ON A NEW MANURE. 



MR. EDITOR. I ha n t told you anything about my car 

 rot crop, this year, and the way I astonished the natives, 

 and myself about as much as any of them. It is seldom 

 that a new idea gets into the heads of the people up here 

 3* 



