Connecticut western news., 1885-08-19
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1885.
LITCHFIELD T& CANAAN OR GOOD
 ROADS VS. POOR ROADS.

tAdI IS spent HI tn1S town Dy the sum- mer people is something enormous.- Litehfeld Enquirer.
 The figures 684 represent the number of city people in Litchfeld. It's not exactly coincidence that these figures represent the number of city people in Canaan. but arrange the figures in the following order: 6+84 and they equal about the actual number of summer people in Canaan. "Why is this thus?" We will mention the principal reason. The roads in this town, to use city term, are perfectly horrid." 'There is nothing like getting used to thing and the natives have probably become accustomed to travelling in the same old ruts. dragging along through the deep sand, bouncing over the rocks and stones or splashing through the mud puddlee. Our city friends admire the beautiful scenery of Canaan. They appreciate the delightful. inyigorating and health giving air, the pure and wholesome water, the quiet and restful condition of the town, the absence of malaria and mosquitoes, the excellent boarding places, the railway, postal ,telegraphic and telephoneic facilities and all other at- fractions that combine to make Canaan delightful summer resort but they do detest our roads and they wonder that our townsmen are so short-sighted in re- gard to the highways, the condition of which prevents many city people from summering in Canaan.
 It is unnecessary to name or recount the number of delightful places in the vicinity of Canaan, but in order to reach these charming locations or points of observation you must travel over Can aan roads, which have from time i'm memorial been a by-word and Q re- proach.
 It is encouraging to note that our townspeople are gradually awakening from their lethargy and beginning to realize the importance of good roads and the direct and indirect benefit to be derived from them. Last fall small sum of money was appropriated and contributed for permanent improve ments to the highways It was begin ming in the right direction. Let the gsod work go on.
 For many years, as individuals, as a town we have wronged ourselves and our neighbors west of the Housatonic river, by neglecting or refusing to plank the bridge acros the Housatonic river, near Horace Barnum's residence. We have travelled hundreds of miles out oi our way and over terrible roads at that have lost much valuable time in those journeys in going not around "Robir Hoods barn" exactly, but in going around by Butchers bridge" to reach point about mile distant from thii village on the road to Twin Lakes and Chapinville. We have lost the trade O many people west of the Housatoni' river; have lost the trade of Chapinvill' and deprived ourselves of direct rout to Twin Lakes and Chapinville; hay, deprived ourselves and our city friend of delightful drive on the west banl of the Housatonic: have not made Can aan as much of center as we might ha' we only built few rods of road to reacl said bridge near Horace Barnum's
 The railroad company years ago bull that bridge with the view of aceommc dating both railway and highway traye and they offered the use of the bridg to individuals or to the town at nomi nal Compensation. Nearly enough none was raised to open the bridge to tn pulic, but owing to some disagreement that director of the railway compan had with a Weatogue farmer ''dog i the manager" policy was adopted in It gard to the bridge, and the public wa deprived of the use of the bridge, bu said policy might have been overrule and undoubtedly would have been ha Canaanites not been blind to their ow interests
 Time brings many changes To-da the public convenience more than eve demands that the before -mentione bridge and road be opened. The hir daripg and discordant elements no lor ger exist. It is said that experience valuable, Well, it ought to be wort something, for it certainly costs dearly We hope that our town will profit b its sexperience and will immediately mal the needed improvements in it's road open the road and bridge under consit eration and thus remove the barrier that prevent Canaan becoming 8 popl lar summer resort.
 Fellow townsmen, whenever 70 travel Canaan roads just remember thos figures, 6 B. 4, aud recollect had Canaa roads been permanently improved year ago, to-day we might have counted 6e summer dwellers in Canaan. Let | profit by tho lesson we have so dearl learned; let us mend our ways" an in few years we will be able to cou1 684 or even 864 summer dwellers i Canaan.
 Nearly hundred years ago New Ent land began to stream out to the WesteI Reserve, and founded it's first colony