Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-05-12

several days. The route sugseste through
the lover ~cunsias 81 Maryland and the
Northern Neck Of Virginia, in sddition TO
shortening the road v~rv considerably in
sny way. whether We follow the usual pnss
roads or open new and strsiehter road, has
the great advantage of passing through
level and sandy country. whereas nov it
passes through . rough. billy, clayey
country. That this alteration viii SOON
er or later take effect. cannot be doubted.
But. however desirable such = change
might be to ihc public, both for its con-
venienee and in Political point Of view.
and however advantageous it might be
TO the country through which it would
pass, yet there il little hope Of its being
effected in . short time or even at all BY
the enterprise Of private individuals. Be
cause, unfortunately, it 50 happens that
the inhabitants Of the counties. through
which this road must pass, both in Mary
land and Virginia. are the leas. enter
rrising Of any in either Safe, and have
no idea of the immense advantages result
ing from good reads. 1t is with them as
With the Spaniards. Portugcse and Ital-
ians, because nature has done much for
them, they choose to do nothing for them
selves. Although they possess soil and
climate, the most fertile and mild in the
world, yet 50 great is their Incidence,
that they scarcely grow suficiency for
their own wants. So the inhabitants Of
this part of Maryland and Virginia, be-
cause nature has blessed them with an
easy carriage for their produce. and with
soil the best fitted for roads in the world.
have scarcely done any thing whatever
f3r their improvement, aud have left ev-
cry thing to nature and to chance. So
that there ia not one single straight ROAD
in Prince Georges, Charles or St. Ma
rvs counties, but all 60 winding round
hills and breaks. rivule.s and marshes,
woods and fences. just as accident directs.
and on level ground, and nearly the whole
surface Of that country is level. The pub
lie roads are not straight, but bend 10 the
caprice. obs,inacy or convenience Of pri-
yate individuals. who have turned or al
tered them to suit their enclosures, and
set gates upon them in as great number
and where each Individual pieases, SO
that travellers actually lose more time
and have more trouble in opening gates Of
al sorts. from good to the very worst i'm
aginable. than would be necessary to mike
the best paved turnpike in the United
States. These great and paralyzing evils
would instantly disappear to the iufnite
comfort and credit Of the State on estab-
fishing one single channel Of intercourse
and communication with other States,
for they can owe their existence to the
secluded state alone in which these coun-
ties lie. Not having any thoroughfare
or great land chanuel Of communication
with other States aud portions Of coun-
try, aud being necked off to themselves,
they content themselves with Indifferent,
narrow and crooked roads for that COM
munication which takes place among
themselves, ard habit renders tolerable
the greatest evils, and to those who new
er saw a straigh, road or n road without
gates. these appear the best in the world.
But these crooked paths anil gates, the
trophies Of s!o,h and ignorance, could not
long exist where strangers would be con-
-sis.~it Ps,si"s t',ern in m;"d OF them by
their sutfcrings and complaints. Ano'h.
CT thing which would bring home to the
reflection Of contracted minds the n"ccssi-
ty Of improving such a road, would be the
direct and immediate profit that would
arise from the passage Of strangers. and
when once single good road was estab-
lished, it would be living example and
model for all other roads and complete
aud total change for the better would
take place over the whole face of the ad-
joining country. How profitable. how
useful, how desirable such change need
not be mentioned. A country without
roads is like a body without veins or
tree without roots, torpid mass, and
the greater the number and the longer
the veins and roots, the greater will be
their nouri,hment and strength, and to
carry on the comparison. If the veins are
choaked up aud the roots are decaveI.
and both are strangely and unnecessarily
crooked and winding, in an exact proper
ton will that body or tree be weak and
uSVV'NC. NOduS uc Tue cU1UnelS OF
conveyance for produce and intelligence,
the food Of the body add mind. The
greater the facilities for the conveyance
OF both. the greater will be the quanti-
ties produced. and the greater will be the
improvement, Of that country which pos
ses>es the best. The saving Of time, the
saving of hands, the saving Of team, the
saving of food and provenjer, the saving
of wear and tear Of vehicles in the course
OF years. is beyond all computation, and
the consequent improvement, created BY
these facilities. given to all the occupa-
tons Of life, and particularly to the agri-
culturist. who has to transport the great
est quantity Of bulky articles, is in the
proportion Of 6gures continually doubled.
But industry is still more promoted BY
the information aud knowledge men pos
sess than by the external advantages of
situation, soil, climate and population. To
End how true this is. we need only ex-
anime a map and history Of the nations OF
the world. Then how infinitely valuable
are good roads in causing a greater aud
more rapid circulation Of information. by
all the variety of means. BY ncighborly
Intercourse, by travellers. BY books, by
newspapers. Do We want examples to
show the melancholy and sad effects of
contracted intercourse aud bad roads ?
IL -. -