The Ottawa free trader., 1882-04-01
FOR the Free Trauc
Our Country R0ads--The Hast.

land shall endeavor to show that we, OF La
Sale county, are nearly two thousand years
behind the times, presuming that the railroad
has not altogether superseded the common
turnpike and the macadamlzed road.
II the question should come up again, and
IL often comes up, whether the ancients ex'
celed::thc moderns in any OF the arts and SCI
ences, | should be inclined to take the side OF
the ancients particularly IN regard to their
public highways, notwithstanding they were
built in contempt of all the rules of modern
engineering and sometimes by the exaction
of heavy taxes upon the people for the public
good. These roads, thirty.two in number,
commenced at the Forum, in the city OF
Rome and branching out from thence IN all
directions, extended TO the rcmotest frontiers
of the empire. They were built substantially
of stone and gravel. Posts. were established
along these routes, and soldiers were placed
there TO inform the war department IN case of
rebellion or disturbance, and to protect trav-
elcrs IN their journeying to and from the cap.
ital. When some nelghboring nation was
conquered or some distant country brought
under subjection to the Roman arms; when,
for example, Caesar sent home from Gaul his
"cent, Didi, Dici," the first act of the Roman
senate was to project road to those distant
regions The road from Rome to Paris passed
through many hourishlng cities; rs well also
as the route through Asia Minor TO Antioch
and jerusalem and the road from London TO
the Great Wall that separated England from
Scotland, served also to protect not only them
selves but the ancient Brltons from the in.
roads of the merclless Picts and Scots. These
roads were intended, not only as military
roads to facilitate their legions and their
stores IN case of insurrectlon or revolt, but
also to encourage commercial social and
religious intercourse between the provinces
and the seat Of empire.
Military roads extending from the court
house in Ottawa, to the remOtest frontiers OF
the county are not needed except so far as they
may facilitate the sheriff and his posse comit.
atus in the pursuit OF gang of horsethleves
or in breaking up den of gamblers but
there is no reason why commercial,
social, religious and esthetlcal intercourse
should not be kept up between the hoi bar.
beroi of the country and the elite of the city,
and If anything would bring about that state
of society, when there would be social inter.
course between the country and the town, it
would be by means of easy going Dads. Good
roads are the great civlizers of the age They
k,r;, g. g., N:
tant parts who soon become acquainted and
learn to appreciate and assimilate each others
manners and customs and habits of thought
and action. The rustic soon ceases to be q
clown and the townsman fop
1t was not until after the days of McAdam
that the country gentlemen of England could
60 to London without being laughed at and
swindled by the city swels and sharpers, or
be jostled off the sidewalk by the boot.back
and the chimney sweep. He was green,
gawky and unsophisticated ana a dupe to
yer y artful trickster
The county town. as it Is called, Is generally
the commercial center where all the business
OF buying and selling Is transacted; it is the
chief markettown. 1t Is the point where all
legal business Is transacted; the court house
and Jail and all the offices pertaining to them
are there, and the farmer is taxed pro rata
with the townsman for the support of these
buildings and offices. The judges and the
lawyers for the most part reside In the county.
town and dispense justice and law to the sim
pie rustic AS well rs to the opuent merchant.
The farmer Is compelled frequently in the
course OF his life to appear before the court
either rs juror or as Witness sometimes as
a plaintiff or AS defendant, and is a client
generally to some legal patron who furnishes
him, for consideration, the technical and
other points Of the law as occasion requires
He must 20 to town to have drawn up and re.
corded his deeds and his mortgages; his in
dentures and other articles of agreement, And i
as often AS he marres he must appear before
the clerk Of the court To obtain a license
The country minister must return the same,
and the country doctor must give an account
of all those he brings into the world as well |
as those that he takes out Country justices
and country constables AMI collectors must
show themselves there at stated times, and
those who have tailed to pay their taxes or
have committed some crime must go up" to
the county treasurer or to all, as the case
may be. The board of supervisors always
meet there, and 1t Is the headquarters for all
political caucuscs and conventions. Even
grangers find 1t convenient to attend to busi.
ness at the county.seat.
The countytown ought to and generally
does possess many attractions during the win.
ter months to the farmer and his family, as
the country, during the summer does to those
OF the city who are fond of rural scenery and
rural sports. There Is no reason why the
tarner should be obliged to hibernate during
a part of the year, to go into winter quarters rs
the woodchuck ana the rattesnake do and
remain there till the warmth of spring brings
HIM out. He should be rs wide awake at one
time as at the other. He should be situated
so that he would rather wear out than rust out
He should be enabled to enjoy the pleasures
of the city sometimes as well rs those of the
country for the country has its enjoyments,
too, in winter when the roads are good, He
ought to be enabled to attend the lectures that