The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-01-15
COUNTY ROADS.

we cannot publish for two reasons. In the
frat place, the author does not give his nAme,
on in,uperabe objection; and in the second
place, while the main idea Of tho article we
can heartily endorse and commend, il con
tains. mAtlOr not proper to give publication
10. Some of the conclusions ana NhorQforss
are erroneous. We know that cur couNty is
sally lacking in good roads, sHd wo know
I lat it in somo measure initiates hgsinst the
prsspority..of tho city. Easy ways OF irgresa
and Ogross, to and from the city, fer wagons,
carriages, and persons on horseback, is q
dOsid,rRts for any town or city surrounded
with thickly settled, prosperous neiGhbor-
hoods, like Dallas 10, that roteil dealers may
have q good trade and ready customers
TIE greatest. local Necessity of Dallas 10 in
sure a psrpetually rich wagon trada ia good
roads in ev0ry direction. More readily than
for snythiug else, beyond ordinary taxation
for the necessary expenses OK government
the people of tho city snd yof DSllsr
will pay & special tax to secure good wsgon
roAds--trunk roads SO TO speek-lcSdiaS
from the city in every direction. Turnpike
or macadAmizsd roads, az main stems, in
every direction for few miles out, viii
open the worit places ard make the city &C
ceS,ible at oil seasons, whereby a large trade,
nov driven elsewhere IN seasons Of bad roads,
will DO constantly poured into tho city. Tho
idea is not TO undertake too MUCK at once
but, under moderate system OF assessment
TO adopt system of local roads and push
them forward eeuitably in each direction,
from year to year, till the great object shall
be attained. The people will willingly pay
reasonable assessments for such reads on
such a systsn of Justice to each section 81
tho couRty. In this rich section Of tho coun-
Try, with ito fertile blsck lands, the soil be-
ing dsSp and remarkably sticky when wet,
it tskes but little rain 10 make roads bsd
sad in lGnOS, 40 plentiful in this thickly
settled county, almost impossible. Az
consequence our highways need
mora sttcation, more work. aud more money
10 keep them in good condition than in Sec
items OF the state where the soil is sander
and lighter. In the palmy days Of tho Ror
nan empire, when tho eagles Of It's vctori
Gus leglons had spread their pinions in all
the countries round about the hill city, and
tho coliseum in nj its m0guiacence re-
sounded with the shouts Of enrapIured audi
ences, it WAS cue Of the chief cares of the
state TO furnish good roads. The Appisn
way, notwithstanding the neglect and the
ravsges of centuries, still remains in somo
degree parf3ct in places, as a monument to
the akill and tho enterprise OF tho road
builders of those days. No vineyard, with
its luscious ttores,uf grapes, on hillside or in
vSrnal valley, that did not have ito eoay
highway to tho great city and the yellow
TiSer was tapped with pyr'dof roads well
built, and pse,abla AT all seasons
of The year, The railroad builders OF
cur timOa may be TO US what the Roman
road builders were 70 those ancient times, bat
fer local purpose we need "dirt rCHds," MS
well SIS these great arteries Of commerce. and
trade, the iron and steel tracks that span our
country and ptrneato every section. Our
state road law seems to DO exceedingly ipef-
Geiont. We do not propose in this article to
diIcum the weaknesses Of tho law, but ms it is
a subjo't of compliant all over the state it
10 not Smiss to call the attention of our leg
islAlorE, now in oonolave assembled, TO take
il into consideration and give il little dec
toring. II haI been suggested that tho nu-
Msrous COUNTY prisoners, criminals convicted
OF miHdSmossorA, who have TO sorvo cut five,
imposed by confinement ia CouAty jRilI
might BIS utilized by working them on the
public roads. Germany, and pOrhsps other
European countries, use certain classes
Of prisonors to work public thorough.
fares, and thus mSkSs them of ben
fit TO the state. Without entering into
any discussion of what the Ststo ought
10 do, lssying that to tho wisdom of the gen
tlsmOn selected by the people 10 sake their
lava, sVhce ii TO SAY, that Dallas sadly
needs good roads Leading into every section
Of the county. The population of Dallas
county, outside of the city, is twenty thous-
sad or morS, a thrifty, industrious, we'll to-
do peopls in tho main, producing largely Of
grain, cotton, etc, all Of which they require q
nArket for, and they naturally will seek
those points easiest of access. Give them
good roads for their wagons aad carriages
and they will come to Dallas, and rot only
the people osthiE county, but very May
from contiguous countits. This trade /,
worth securing ard kerping, and one Of the
means to DO 1t is mska good roads. Let
others ssy how thase roads should DO secured.
VS. ara satisfied that tho means for building
COED rOSda and bridges ia right at hans.
We have m abundance of stone and gravel
and timber sui,abls for bridge tmbers for
oar small streams, and oil that is necessary
is the energy and enterprise to construct the
roads, Al before suggested, we need not at
tempt too muck at once, but building
mAcadsnizad roads few miles out from ths
city each year, main trunks, country roads
will lead into them until in ayear or two
We can have turnpikes leading 10 tho couu-