Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-09
THURSDAY. JANUARY Q. 1890.
County Roads.

II strikes ne that the farmers Of Virginia
have hit upon good method of improving
their county roAds This method was set
forth in our issue of yesterday.
There are numerous cOnvicts in the pen
iicutiary who can be more proftably en-
ployod in making good roads than in any
other way II proper arrangements can be
provided for controlling them and for
quoting tho fears Of the people who need
and desire good roads. but who may not
favor the proposition 20 put couvicts at
work in their respective neighborhoods,
The State might in few years be
rich in her highways. We believe
that no class Of our people have ever OBJ
jected TO The employment Of conyicts as
rosa-makers Therefore. there is no OBJ
staclo in the way OF using couyicts for that
purpose except the one We have already
mentioned namely. the apprehensions Of
the people Of the rural districts that the
conyicts might escape from their keepers
and DO more or less harm IN the c0mmuni-
ties where they might be at work. This is
nn objection. however. which the gentle
men who have recommended the employ
mcnt Of couvicts in this way have nodOubt
fully considered.
Good roads cannot be made without ex-
pending some money upon them. And yet
in one sense IL would Doe difficult TO lay ont
any money in that way. II 10 anything in
Che world. 10 the use Of money in making
good roads may be applied the saving that
If Won throw money out of the window il
4 . . III i.,
door. 1t is also one OF those things TO
which may be applied the saying Of SOLO
MoS. There is that scattereth and yet in-
crcnseth: and there j. that withholdeth
more than is meet, but IT tendcth Ia
poverty" 1n other words, the money
which is expended in furnishing the peo-
pie Of whole State with good roads is
only taken ont Of one pocket of the body
polite and put into another. The people
have the money as we'll rs the roads.
A second good suggestion is that the pro-
posed improvements of the county roads
shall be made under the supervision Of
competent civil engineers. II is not posi-
be Ia get good roads so long as the men
who construct and work them are not post
Ell as to the best methods Of constructing
them.
Colonel ALBERT 4. PoPE, Of Boston doliy-
cred some time ago in Syracuse. n. \. and
no doubt at other places, Il lecture on the
relation Of good streets to the prosperity Of
q city, which address be began 10y saying
good deal in advocacy of good country
roads. We have a copy Of his address. In
IL he warns bis hearers that 1t is only false
ideas of economy which stand in the way
of realizing that the best roads are tho
cheapest. IL is always economy 20 spend
enough 20 secure the best results, " and it
always costs less III the long rum But
Colonel P0pE would not spend any money
unnecessarily. rs Is evidenced 10y the fol-
lowing suggestion, which is evidently that
Of an expert lie says:
The country roads need be no wider
than - absolutely necessary Tor the accom-
mediation of the traffic and travel that will
come upon them In many places roal
wide enough for a single team Is all that IS
necessary, with suitable turnouts, for IT -
unwise and expensive TO attempt to main
tain a country roadway wider than the re-
quiremcnts of the community demand"
Colonel PopE quotes such striking re-
marks as the following:
I've are supporting hundreds OF horses
o. drag loads through holes that ought to
he filed. over sand that should be harden
ed. through mud that ought not TO be per-
United 90 exist.
I'VE have the misery of bad roads. and
are. actually or practically, called upon 90
pay premium tOr them. ii would he I'M
deniahly cheaper TO have good roads than
poor ones. A road well built is easily kept
In repair.
A mile Of good macadamizod road is
more easily supported than poor horse
THE indirect saving IN the cost OF
traction and wear aud tear of vehicles and
horses which would result from better
roads would probably far exceed any d.
rect saving IN expenditure ON the roads,
considerable as the latter might he.'
Colonel Porn quotes from Mr.. EDwIS
Cu,DwicE, who, speaking on this subject
nj the Institution OF Civil Engineers said:
I'm the present condition Of the coun-
FRY il Is Of vast importance 10 reduce the
cost of transit 10 the uttermost. II by
the improvement of the rural roads four
horses could be enabled 20 do the work OF
five, the saving OF the country IN ogrcul-
tural horses would not be less than seven
millions ayeCr.'
A year or two ago in advocating the en-
ploymcDt Of conyicts to make good roads
W. suggested that probably the best plan
would be TO make one first class road ex-
tending entirely across each county in at
least one direction, and so located that
each neighborhood could without much
cost form a connection with it by branch
roads But il would unQuestionably be
still better if there could be several such
trupk-hues established III every county,
thereby'tnsuring a larger number OF these
branch roads.