Beyond Paved Section, West Jefferson Street Is a Ford-Swallowing Swamp, Jan. 6, 1920

From The Monroe Journal, covering Union County, N.C., Tuesday, January 6, 1920. 

Monroe Hs Dismal Swamp According to This Writer. . . So Bad Is One Particular Street That Even the Merry Little Ford Gets Stuck Up

By O.M of West Jefferson Street, Monroe

To the Editor of The Journal:

Noticing that our broad-minded mayor invited critical discussions of our alleys and streets, I have sharpened my pencil for an essay on that subject.

We live on a most wonderful street! It begins attractively with a broad, city like appearance which leads us to the bow-wows. The broad paved street abruptly narrows down into a bypath of rocks over which we stumble, running into protruding fences. As we travel westward we need rubber boots to plow through the mud at the crossings and find ourselves in a deep gulley. This leads down into the Dismal Swamp. Across the swamp is a narrow plank, following our mood for adventure, we bravely, but carefully sway across the bridge and find ourselves at the foot of the hill. A narrow zig-zag path runs on and stretches across the hill—and then ends without any warning. This street is called West Jefferson.

Often-times innocent travelers in cars and vehicles have had narrow escapes from plunging head-forward into the dismal swamp, being deceived by the broad avenue leading into this trip.

A few nights ago a merry, little Ford got lost and bogged up and had to call lustily for assistance. The assistance charged him four perfectly good dollars for pulling him up out of the street and back into civilization.

There is one redeeming feature about the street—it is a fine place to graze the cows of the town. In summer it is thickly dotted with cattle which furnish us with music—and flies.

Looking down into the meadow today, I see one patiently standing among the tall dead weeds.

Dear Mr. Mayor and Mrs. Aldermen, we love “our side” of town, but we can’t get up much civic enthusiasm when every day this street looms up before us like a big giant.

We would like so much to be able to hold up our heads and feel that we were city folks too. But I wonder if I am not just blowing bubbles—just blowing bubbles into the air!