Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-08-09


IHPoRTAEcE OF ROADS. We are
not aware that nm estimate has ever
been made Of the actual cost OF the
public roads of the United States. or
that the expense Of providing them
has ever been attempted by any bu-
reau Of statistics, but we make the
rough estimate that thew have cost at
least seven hundred million dollars
probably much more-while unknown
millions are annually expended in at
tempting to keep them in repair. If
the money were only well applied, it
would be an expenditure Of great
profit and economy. as everything
which the farmer does off his own
land is greatly affected BY their con-
dition. All his many loads Of surplus
farm products are drawn over them,
and it makes some difference to him
and to his horses whether those loads
are conveyed easily over hard. smooth
surfaces, or dragged through mud
and against stones with severe labor
TO the team, fatigue to the driver and
wear and breakage to the wagon.
Every week he and his family, more
or less 90 to the village for number
less errands, or to church on the Sab
bath. and the good or bad condition
of the roads seems to affect every fl
Der, pleasantly or uDpleasantly, of
their feeling or nervous sensations.
On an average, there is at least TWEEN
ty miles of travelling each week for
the members Of a single family. It
would make difference Of FIVE dol
lars a week, everything counted,
whether this teaming and travelling
is done over a nice comfortable road,
or through mud holes, sloughs, ruts
and unbridged streams, or against
stones. Five dollars a week amounts
to $3.50 year, snug little sum to
tax the farmer with; and when this
sum is multiplied by at least FIVE mil
lion owners or drivers of horses, car
riages, wagons, heavy teams, ETC., the
aggregate cost would be something
over billion dollars Does any one
cay this is too large an estimate ?
Then proceed in detail and show in
what particulars but do not blindly
and ignorantly say it is wrong with
out careful examination. Suppose,
however, We admit that it is double the
reality, is not the six hundred millions
every year, expended directly or indi-
rectIy by the people, worthy Of more
attention on the part of patriots, states
men, politicians, ofiifce-seekers, pub
lic-spirited men, writers for newspa-
pers, agricultural journalists, and in
fact everyone who passes over road p?
So long as our public highways in
most parts Of the country are made
and repaired with so little interest
aud go little thought, we must suffer
an enormous loss. We would like to
ask how many of our readers, who
drive or ride over the common roads,
never see loose stone, or a fixed
stone, to strike, jolt and batter every
passing wheel, or who do not see hun
dreds of them which might be re-
moved with the expenditure of small
portion Of the road tax? How many
never saw sods and muck scraped into
the road bed, to form highway or
turnpike, which would be excellent
for corn and potatoes, but which when
worked into n mass of mud, or cut |
into ruts a foot deep, constitute a |
strange object to be called road p
How many neversaw along the road |
sides, thrifty patches of thistles, bur-
docks, mulleins, Johns wort, nettles,
etc, etc, ready to seed all the neigh
bors' fields? Until we can find such
happy persons in the majority, We
hope more attention may be given to
correcting these evils, although we
would not lessen the praiseworthy at
tention which is now freely accorded |
to enterprises and interests Of almost
infinitely less Importance, but good |
in their small way.-C0unt,y GcntIc-
Tlan.