The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-02-14
Mr.. S. i. Parkilrs third talk on his trim

Mr.. s. T.. Parlkill's third talk ON his tri
abroad was listened 10 by q crowded hous
at the Congregational church on Sunda
evening. AT its close only one complain
was heard, mot enough of ii. could hav
listened another hour" Certainly each ON
present enjoyed the bicycle trip through
England, the account of the services in tn
cathedral at Chester. the visit to the hom
Gladstone and his church, and not least o
all the personal mishaps which befell him
self and Mr.. Engsminger. Mr.. Parkill CAV,
his audience seme practical ideas on rOat
making, which we give in full:
Men have always wanted to fly; to be abb,
without effort to rise into the clear ether O
the blue sky and sail away with the speed
OF the wind wherever fancy dictated. an
not sure that Adam had any desires thai
way. In fact we all imagine that when hS
was compelled to fly he didn't want to-
That was the second development of contra
ny human nature. Our illustrated family
bible, IL the dust was brushed from it and
it was opened to the representation of the
| flight from the garden of Enen,. would
prove that their flying was most unwilling.
but do believe that Noah, when he sent
forth the dove, felt pang of jealousy and
| he'd feeling of heplessnesS and humilia-
| ton that hc. with all his bare knowledge
and intelligence, Should be penned i'm within
the walls of the ark while the dove could
'fOllOw his free heart to swim in sunshine,
masterless rs wind, Fall fearless of the water
below. And ever since that time it has
been the mystery of youth, the study of
manhood, the longing of old age and the UNI
realized dream of science, of all the inven-
tons evolved from the mind or eXperience of
man. think a bicycle comes nearer the
realization of flying machine than any
thing else. Take bright, crisp morning i'm
the spring or fall, when the air is pure
and well OXygenated-one of those times
when it Is delight to take in full breath
then mount your wheel and reel off your
mile every eight minutes with the wind
whisting about your ears and the humming
network Of steel under you singing tune at
every inequality in the road -that's almost
flying. 1t is flying when your wheel hits a
stone and stops and you keep going right on
like the leap-fQr~life man in the circus. The
circus man has the advantage, though.
There Is no net spread to catch you when
your flight is ended.
Bicycling in England is simply delightful
The summer days are long, the riders are
numerous and the arrangements for touring
are so complete that even a stranger need
not hesitate to start on a trip. The greatest
comfort, however, is in the roads-roads
running everywhere, broad, level and
smooth as threshing floor. The dryest
time of summer does not make them too
dusty for easy riding and the hardest of
summer showers will not make over half an
inch of mud. We know nothing of road
making. We won't take time to learn. or to
do the work, and we are ignorant OF their
great value TO nation. We 90 loundering
on over Dogs and corduroy, over miserable
little bridges that are ever and anon giving
away, we wallow through mud and crawl
through sand and hump over hubs and
growl and complain, but seldom make more
than a spasmodic effort to secure q better
state of things.
An English road is one vast sheet of stone
made by filling i'm with broken rock that the
travel at last grinds and packs into one solid
mass. When a spot gives out it is at once
filled i'm with broken rocks and soon mends
itself AT intervals along the way will be
piles of broken stone ready for use, and fire.
quently you see men sitting oh pile of
rocks, breaking them into small pieces with
light steel hammers. 1t looks rather idiOtc
to an American to see q man sitting on q
pile of rocks hammering away, breaking
the bOulders into pieces not larger than Il
walnut, but after he has travelled over the
roads made of this broken stone he changes
his tune and would be only too glad to see
good number of men engaged in the same
work here. Many a merchant and many a
farmer will find the balance of his business
on the wrong side of the ledger this year be-
cause of impossible roads, whereas If We
had macadamized highways leading out of
town, it only the thoroughfares, all of our
much needed rain would have made scarce
" in troy
will have them. Our grandchildren may
live to see beginning made in that direc-
ton, but now their grandparents do road
work at season of the year that simply
helps to make the roads impossible. Here
i'm OwOsso we dump gravel on the snow and
l can remember when Washington street
was graded with clay. We as a people are
young, but with all our push and enterprise,
that is marvel to- the old world, we can
learn many things from our older and mere
conservative neighb0rs, and road-makng Is
one of them. Here lies the ready, practical
and easy solution of the prison labor prol.-
lem. We have 1000 or more prisoners in
this state. Why not instead of farming
them out to companies at 30 to 80 cts. day,
put them in gangs to build stone roads.
Why should not city like OwOssO, for in
stance. establish stone yard where men
who are out of work can earn at least enough
to keep the family i'm food, and have it UNI
derstOOd that those who, unfortunately, can
not get work, can earn small wages here:
and farther have it understood that every
tramp or beggar shall be compelled to earn.
here, of the city, the subsistence he tries to
frighten or tease out of Woodworking, honest
people. Make beginning in this work right
herein this city. 1t is cheaper than pavement
and with very little care will last forever. 1t
would not be many years then before we
could rival England in splendid highways.
Jubilee Singers.
A novel musical entertainment will be