The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-01-25
Country Roads

From the Baltimore SIN.
Governor Beaver, Of Pennsy lvanin, in his
message 10 the Legislature, now in session in
/ Harrisburg, calls attention to the necessity
of improving the condition of the country
roads IN that State. lie holds to the doc
/ Urine That ait is good economy t. build roads
permanently and Substantially" and he re.
rummcnds a revision of the highway laws OF
peunsylvaniq in order to bring about the i'm
pruvement lie desires. The time has come, "
he says, "whcn the comfort of the people us
ing the public roads of the State 81 ,ull
be con>ilcIcd. Economy in the trans
portation of our products, saving in
the wear and tear of vehicles and
animals, and the needless multiplication
OF highways AL demand that the laws gov
cininG tie laying out and construction ct our
roads should he radically reformed and sys-
tumalizcd."
The arguments used lay Governor Beaver
in the interest Of the farming population OF
prnnsvlvan'H have been repeatedly urged bv
Tile Sun with respect to the country roads
OF Maryland. Is IL province and State, Mary
! land has existed ;Or mere than two hundred
aud fifty years, and yet, with The exception
| Of Il few ill-kClt ,urnpikCs, there has been M
chang from the dirt roads first laid out by
the early settlers. Nocivil engineer has been
employed in regulating grades, nor has any
aaention been paid anywhere 10 improving
the bed Of roads beyond an occasional dump
ing ct stone in mlry places. AT the very sta
sons when farmers find it most convenient TO
/ bring their heavier products TO market the
roads are in the worst condition, and they
will continue 50 until the Legislature passes
q general law making their improvement OBJ
1gatory. As it is, the commissioners of each
/ "a m rlnthfl with thu 4, 10,
much or as little as possible towards the care
ut roads aud bridges. Next to the school tax
the road and bridge tax is one Of the heay-
lest that county properly-hulders have TO
pay, and from year to year they have moth
ing to show for all this expenditure Of mon.
cy. The road mending consists in clearing
out tLe bitches, where there are any, and
throwing the dirt from them on the road bed,
to tie washed out again into the bitches after
The first heavy rain. Every fall and spring
iunumerabe complaints are made of the bad
condition OF the roads Where there is
heavy hauling they become absolutely I'M
pussiJe. Teams are stalled and wagons
wrenchcd aud rackcd, yet the same old co.
lonial practice is kept up without regard to
the fact that traffic has immensely increased
with the increased population.
The construction Of certain lines of rail.
l't'ls nus SblllIN llul uIlClbl dNtt llllS COuul-
tion OF things. But where loads have to he
hauled from five to ten miles to railroad
station transportation by rail is not of much
bsnttiu To the farmer. His teams are idle for
the most part through the wiuter, and with
good roads il would be cheaper for him, in
many CNs,s, to do his own hauling.
"Thc history Of CiyiIZltion,' says Govern
or Beaver, "is The history of roads" This is
an oil trucism, but it is well to keep it in
mind. We may add to it that every good
road 10 II market increases the value of the
land through which it runs. Moreover, in
nll large cites, like Baltimore for instance,
there is always II DRIFT OF part of the popu-
latte II towards the surrounding country, some
Tor tie sake OF economy, Others to build them
selves summer homes. All or nearly all do
business in the city, ana their natural incli-
nation !, TO sclcC! their residcuce on roads
that give them the best facilities for reaching
it. a good driving road is chosen in prefer
cnce to AL others. Where this is not to be
had-and there ARE very few around Bait
morc--lhey take to the rail ins end, md tins
is one OF tac reasons why residences are be
in! strung along the railroads for many miles
OUT OF llc city and lagos built up.
Our bad country 90 Is Is also another rra-
SON why lands within easy distance Of the
city command lower price than those of any
ut cr city OF equal or even lesser population
within our Knowledge