The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-05-17
The Evil of Bad Roads.
Memphis Appeal. !

waking up" is the subject of our
country roads, In sleepy times that
are past the state of the roads excited
little attention. When continuous
bad weather made it as impossible to
get a load hauled dozen miles away
as to Africa, there was much grum-
bling and some blashemy. But the
misery was submitted to as storm,
and drouth, and flood are submitted
to. No intelligent effort was made to
change the state of things, and loss
and inconvenience were snarlingly
endured. But new spirit has been
infused into the land, progress is be-
coming as necessary to us as clean
apparel, and we all feel the necessity
of improving our country roads,
among other things we want. We
feel that the country road has not kept
pace with other improvements that
are going on. Railroads are con-
structed and telegraph poles raised,
but the old dirt road remains the
same unmitigated, harrassing nui-
sance as ever. As the railroads adj
vance the glazing contrast makes the
mud road still more hateful than be-
fore, at the same time it is found that
much of the benefit of the railroad is
lost when the miserable roads keep
the people for days and even weeks
unable to obtain access to them
-Four years ago the spring in the
West was an unusually wet one, and
the farmers of several of the North
western States were blockaded by the
bad roads; there came a sharp demand
for their grain and prices were high;
then was the time to sell. But bad
roads would not permit of hauling to
the railways, and the demand was
supplied from other quarters, and the
price fell before the farmers, blocked
by their own roads, could get their
grain to market. Bad roads are en-
dured because they are supposed to
be cheaper than good roads. These
farmers found that bad roads cost
money, and a good dead of it.
Besides such occurrences as these,
and there are few farmers who have
not felt the modification such occur
rences bring at times, there is the
steady wear and tear of vehicles and
the unnecessary waste of horse power,
entailing expense which has to emet
every year. Drain the roads, grade
them, let them be solidifed by the
addition of some kind of material, put
them in such condition that teams can
carry double the loads that have been
usual, and through judicious outlay
an immense saving is made. The
value of every acre and every horse
is increased as soon as this is done.
Good roads, kept in good repair, give |
the district that has them good rep
utation. It's ready facilities for
reaching market insure opportunity |
to get the best prices. When neigh
borhoods cursed with bad roads can
not get sack of corn or wheat or a
barrel of potatoes to market, then
comes the time to make profits to |
those who can, and they are the peo-
pie that have good roads. A country
with good roads is an attractive |
country. Everybody admires it and |
speaks well of it, and it becomes a
prosperous country, because it pos
sesses vast advantage SO many other
districts are without. Railroads i'm
prove and make quicker time, rivers
are improved and bayous are cleared
out, lands drained and leveed, the
breed of stock is improved, and the
of the farm are improved. |
In the country road to remain alone |
a specimen of sloVenliness and want |
OF enterprise, curse, a canker, an
INSTRUCTOR of prosperity and an OBJ
stacle to advance and progress?