Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-08-23
Pedestrianisn.

A good deal is said about the indis-
position of Americans for pedestrian
Journeys. Ii l. not asserted that Ame
ricaus in Europe are less fond of jaunts
on foot than other travellers there; the
criticism and the censure appear to be
confined to our couDtrymen al home
Assnredly if our people show no special
fonduess for pedestrian excursions, il
is hardly a matter of wonder. The
most confirmed pedestrian demands
certain conditions for a journey on
foot; there must be good roads, at
tractive scenery, comfortable inns, ere
he viii! put on his walking CATERS and
take up his staff. Two of these re-
quirement> America does not possess.
Our way-side INNS are commonly white
sepuichres, which all men enter with
misgivings, and our roads are con-
structed as if pedestrianism were an
unknown art. One who undertakes a
long journey on foot with us knows in
advance that much of his jauUt must
extend over roads cut up with deep
ruts, without fOOtpaths at the sides,
for the most part unprotected from the
sun by shade trees, covered with loose
sand, that with every passing vehicle
or every puff of wind rises in clouds of
dust, and with miserable taverns for
resting places at long and uncertain
intervals.
There must be comfort for the foot,
and frequent agreeable resting places,
if We are ever TO see pedestrianism
take an acknowledged social place.
The public indifference TO the condition
of our highways Is quite remarkable
Visiting recently a fiourishing village
near New York, We found everywhere
evidences of prosperity and wealth,
except in the highways. The roads
that led oat of the town were lined
with extensive parks and costly villas,
but the owners of these summer places
permitted the highways that swept by
them 10 remain In state of most rude
disorder. I'VE have everything here"
said one of the citizens to us, churches,
schools, Libraries, gas, water. every
thing but roads" lt is puzzling to un-
derstand that public spirit SO active
in many directions should stop at the
highway. Remembering not only our
country roads but our city streets, it
would seem as il Americans were born
into an indifference upon the matter.
The necessity of poor roads in the early
settlement of the country seems to have
passed into an inherited idea of their
We dDPCdi W attCpS
bad loads as a dispensatiOn of provi-
dence which 1t would be wrong to re-
sist.
We most certainly shall never render
pedestrian excursions at all tOlerable
until the evil is remedied. And this is
matter for serious regret. Imagine our
roads thronged, as the mountain pas
ses of Switzerland are, with groups of
young men fresh with elastic vigOr,
with their cheeks Drowned by the sun,
their cheerful laughter ringing upon
the air, with knapsack on back and al
penstock in hand, giving picturesque
animation to the highway, and laying
for themselves foundations of health
and practical knowledgei Few things
could be better for our young men than
this, or better for the country at large.
Under dispensatiOn of such roads we
might come TO see the fixed national
habit grow up, as in Germany, where
by every youth would be understood
not to have completed his education
until he had explored on foot the by
ways and rural places of the land
Appleton's Journal.