Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet., 1865-08-29

ROADrN NIATTERs. =.

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| realization of that better condition, which
shall place those highways in the fore
ground of con venionee and utility for
| surely 1t il of the first Importance to our
| fellow citizens that they should have as
many avenues of transt to facilitate the
movements or trade and commerce as ere
requisite, aud that those avenues should
be kept unobstructed and In good repair.
Hnving no lines of railroad communication
in our parish, and depending solely on
| the old fashioned dirt roads for transporta-
tton 10 nnd from tho back country, it will
never do to lot those roads fall into disuse
from neglect or want Of means and en-
ergy to keep them mp ss they should be.
II IA true, that circumstances beyond the
control of our parishioners, have couspirod
to render The roads almost impracticablo,
and to require now an unusual expenditure
Of money and labor to redeem them from
tho wretched condition in which they have
boer1 placed and IL is equally true that
the losses and sufferings Of tho inhabitants
generally, together with the total disor-
ganization Of labor, consequent on the late
war, find them in u position very much
cramped as to the resources necessary to
material progression. Nevertheless, as
"small beginnings sometimes make large
endings,n we trust 1t may not be long ere
we shall the most satisfactory results fol-
lowing the few efforts which are here and
there being made for improving tho public
roads.
The Police Jury Of our parish have made
their appointments Of Road oversoers, but
as yet, with the exception Of few indi-
v,dual efforts, matters seem TO remain in
aheyance.
II has usually beon tho case in former
times, to have all the roads properly
worked and in order by the lst Of Septem-
bor After that time the fall rains sol In
and prevent anything like thorough opera
| tions The period named is now at hand,
and hardly any work has been accom-
plished. In view Of the immense quantity
| of work required to be done, and the late
meas Of the season to do it in, we think il
| absolutely necessary that the oversecrs
| should set about AT once and Iose no fur
| tber time in the discharge Of their duties.
| The emergency admits Of no delay, no
l - .nlt il la II asa
| DUTY moreover, of every man who expects
| TO be benefited directly or rem motely (and
who ia there in the parish who does not y
| by restoration of tho roads to their former
practicable condition, to lend helping
| hand olther in the way Of labor or by
whatever becoming assistance he can rem
der to enable the parish, in the present de-
pleted condition Of its treasury, to obtain
the labor. Our merchants particularly
should, and wo believe will, feel it duty
to extend their monied MD toward such
important measures, conscious as they Ger
tainly are, that apart from the general
good they would DO thus subscribing, theii
own interests would realize in it an in.
vestment Of incnlculablc value.
Our city authorities with eommendabl'
zeal are progressing with the work upor
the streets leading into tho parish roads
Let shem be met with a like spirit on th'
part Of the paroGhisl authorities, and W.
may yet sec, ere the winter rains and muc
accumulate to make bad worse, pretty fai
samples of what may DO dignifod with th'
name of public highways. The City Coun
Gil Of Baton Rouge has also, we are nd
vised, ordered survey and contract TO
the construction Of bridge across White
Bayou, on the Clinton Road. By this
they have shown laudable desire to co
operate with tho Police Jury in matters 0
internal improvement, even to the goinl
beyond the corporation limits. 1T is ear
nestly to be hoped that this will be fol
lowed up by the Police Jury in other simi
lar work on that important artery Of com
| munication with the interior, and that th
, Parish Of East Feliciana, which by tha
"air-line" is placed in direct rGRport wit
US, will also find it TO its interest TO co
operate with our parish in such immediat
measures of reparation and improvement
rs will not fail to conduee largely to mu
0 tual advantages and conyeniences.
In conclusion, we desire to impress mos
/ earnestly upon the minds of all W no hay
y the power and authority to act in the pre-
4 misses, the utmost necessity which exist
J. of attending to the roads, and having thel
0 put into good and practicable conditio
as speedily as possible
Z
0 s0s- An old prediction of Napoleon
, recalled by one Of our contemporaries. 4