N&W in 1912--Competing roads

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Sun., March 17, 1912

NEWS OF COEBURN, VA
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Roads in Bad Shape
    The public roads in this section are in the worst condition that they have been in for several years. As many of the new roads were brought to grade last fall, and as that work was just about finished when the cold weather set in and the work was stopped for the winter, it left the newly graded roads in such shape that when the rains set in and the new grade work got thoroughly soaked with water the roads became so muddy that now it requires four horses to pull an ordinary two-horse load.  For some days it has been almost impossible to get coal hauled and as a result many people have been out of coal because the roads were in such bad shape that none could be hauled. The rains the past week have resulted in nearly all of the small streams in this section being filled to almost overflowing their banks.
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[This article shows the difficulty of getting freight to and from the railroad over what were apparently just dirt roads as well as showing why the railroad was depended on for long-distance freight hauls.]

Gordon Hamilton
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