Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 12).djvu/110

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106
PIONEER ROADS

obtained in its vicinity, and that wherever it can conveniently be done the road shall be raised in the middle so as to enable the water falling thereon freely to discharge therefrom and shall pursue every other measure which in their opinion will best benefit the public in the expenditure of the money committed to them."[1]

In an act, passed April 1, 1796, supplementary to an "Act for the better support of Oneida, Onondaga and Cuyuga Indians . . ", it was ordered that from the proceeds of all sales of lands bought of the Indians the surveyor-general should pay £500 to the treasurer of Herkimer County and a like amount to the treasurer of Onondaga County; this money was ordered to be applied to "mending the highway commonly called the Great Genesee Road and the bridges thereon."[2]

A law of the year following, 1797, affords one of the interesting uses of the lottery in the development of American highways. It reads:

"Whereas it is highly necessary, that

  1. Laws of New York, 1796, ch. XXVI.
  2. Id., ch. XXXIX.