New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-10
ROADSIDE GOSSIP.
More About Old Roads and New Roads
Road Making as an Agent of Civiiiza.
tion-HfstOry Of street Paving in New
Orleans, London and the World at

Road Making as an Agent Of Civiliza.
tion-History Of street Paving in New
Orleans, London and the World at
Large, Etc.
One of our New Orleans journals greatly
given of late, even in matters non political,
to trust to its memory for its jests and TO
its imagination for its facts las e2empiifed,
for instance, in its assertion this very after
noon ION good authority" that the amended
city charter bill had been signed by Lieu
tenant Governor Antoino) recently paid an
eloquent but Inappropriate tribute to Queen
Semrams for the magnificent specimens OF
road making that she had left behind IN her
kingdom tor queendom) OF Egypt at some
intensely early period before the Christian
era. I trust it may not be considered
casus 6sM if I venture to suggest that
Queen Semiramis was ''usurping ruler OF
Assyr;a, not Of Egypt, residing first at
Nineveh and subsequently at Babylon. and
that the Egyptian roadways which have
excited the admirat ton Of your contem-
porary we're constructed by King Rameses
who died nearly 500 years after Semlramis
mad been murdered by her son. Qneen
S.m;ramis did, however, pave and tesselate
the streets and sidewalks Of Babylon. and
20)0 wears before Christ, if ancient his
torians are to be believed tcontrmed as
they are BY the explorations OF Lazard.
Smith and othersj. she anticipated and I'M
proved upon most Of our modern patent
systems of paving; and certainly never
%,I tri, wooden
roadway by duMping river mud on the top
of i. as we are now doing in New Orleans.
A. D. 1873. The bringing up o. these Od
halt forgotten names suggests now cioseii
civilization and road maxim: have gone
hand in hand together, and how the best
oayei countries in all times have been the
best governed, and the most prosperous and
Industrious.
L ia curious to think that while cur
Saviour was taking that melancholy walk
| from Jericho to Jerusalem, among the vlne'
| clad hills and olive groves of Palestine,
| knowing that He was walking to his death.
| Roman isgions were building up il barbarlc
! Britain. in uncivilized Gaul and mountain
| Gus Iberia road ways which were the heralds
| of a ne " civilization, destined eventually to
| ovectake and surpass the crnde, Titanic
efforts Of Egypt and Assyria, and to last
! through ages Of change. toreshortenlng
every year in their far.reaching influence
7! and effect. Traces of these Old Roman
roads are everywhere apparent in the most
! aourishinc countries OF Europe. In Eng
| land, IN the county OF Northamptonshlre,
near Peterborough, the city which George
H. Whaliey, the George Francis Train OF
| England, represents in Parliament (tha
same man. by the way. who
your Yesterdays telegraphic dispatches
| stated to have arrived in New York to ad-
vocate the claims of his fellow charlatan,
the Tichborne claimant. all through THIS
country. Roman roads. constructed before
the birth Of Christ, remain intact and IL
Good order to this day. The North road,
OF Peterborough. built exclusively OF gravel,
| raised ureIve fee: above the level OF the
surrounding country. serving alike IN those
old times as military defense ant. pro-
te. ion against the overflow waters OF the
! rive: and the sea. stand. 10 this day, as
solid A, when the Roman chariots frs:
24sse.: over it. and few repairs are ever re
quiced 20 be put upon it. In SPAN and
n France siniiia. monuments III Roman
perseverance and SKI! exist. The histor;ca!
"App;an way" leading through Capua to
Brundusium. named after Appius Ciaudlus
in whose time it was commenced. was bull:
nearly 800 years before Christ. and IS stu
an object os interest foc tourists.
The pavement OF great cities was s!owe!
in its progress than the art OF military roaG
making. London had few paved streets
until the fourteenth century. and as iate d:
Io3333 :he city was generally paved or iiooret
Wiz. slabs OF wood. heavy. uneven an.
irregular. but still not quite SO iinpasaaol'
as tie Nicolson pavement of st. Cnarie'
avenue. New Orleans. in ISL. The grea
tire of London IN 1865 made its way rapid J
from street 70 street by the aid OF tli
wooden pavement IN !7o2 a paving ac
wa. passed by the British Parliament. sine'
widely known as tie 'Nestmlnster paw
in: bill" This act compelled th'
corporation to pave with block stone
ard dag the sidewalks with the Port
lard slab. This system OF paving wa;
rendered necessary by the increased
and increasing traffic CT the city OF London
Till this was done Ed we'll known membe
Of tie corporation could walk the street
w;thou. being followed by crowd O; hoo:
in. citizens. pointing derisive.y 70 the:
:mrassab.e :horougl.aces. aud ealing io
redress. They had 20. mythical coz
tract and an aosuv,iiy impossible sui
:o- damages 20 fall back upor, and SO tAe,
had 20 give in at last, and the Nestmias,e
bill. was put into eject. The streets 0
London br the year 1870 begun 70 assi;r.'
. far condition. Abou; 49,, they we.'
pretty generally paved. and before iS-
,he streets OF the entire city weG'
clothed in granite, and renamed 8
unit. the year 1870. when NacAdam wa
. engaged to take up the square block Il
, Reyen. street. which he subsequently mac
a,:au:z.d A similar change was made :.
o.he: streets where private dwellings pre-
va;.ei, III. reason be.E: .lss ,naca.ian!iztt
roads were easily kept in repair. and wec
;oisc.es: and 10: SO destructive to IN
horses. whereas :. granite stree: was Gura
;,.,. ht,c Size noise was not Cndurab!e. a,l'
.h. .rear and :ear Of carriages and III
distraction 20 fine horse. called loudly !o
= change. IL 1874 a new system Ct WOO
.a.:uy vas introduced in London, the pay
i-c being o: various forms. cctagonal. sex
y,