Sharp County record., 1890-05-08
ABOUT GOOD ROADS.

ABOU L GOOD ROA ID,
Extract from speech made before a CARR
age Association recently in Boston.l
Macaulay says that of all invent
ions, the alphabet and printing pres
alone excepted, those invention
which abrldge distance have don
most for the civilization Of our Spe
cies.
4 nation, or an age of civilization
is perhaps more easily judged an'
understood by the character and ex
tensiveness Of its roads, than by an.
other symbol of progress.
Intercourse between communities
and the development Of commercial
life, have afforded the necessity fo
regularly adopted roads of travel
and more or less systematically pre-
pared roaGways from the time before
the building Of those famous high,
ways between ancient Memphis anc
Babylon, over which the untolc
wealth Of the Euphrates and the
Niie found means of exchange, whefS
the magnificent cities of Nineveh
Damascus and Tyre, the earliest
great commercial centres, sprang up
and over which the splendid armies
of Xerxes and Alexander the Great
passed in all the pride and glory Of
those early days.
The roadways of which the earli.
est traces appear, were well conStrnc
ted. AZ IS evident fram tha "er!@'}Ia
found, but they were limited in mum
Der, laid out generally in direct lines
and had the advantage in their CON
struction of all the resources OF the
rich and powerful nations which
built them.
An eminent writer says: "Tht
road is that physical sign Or symbol
by which you will best understand
any age or people. If they have nc
roads they are savages, for the roaC
is the creation of man and the type
of civilized society,""
The Romans were, without doubt
the best road builders in the ancient
world. Their good highways was
one of the causes of their superior
lty IN progress and civilization
When they conquered a province
they annexed 1t by good roads, which
brought them in easy communication
with the great cities of the Roman
world. When their territory was SC
large that hundred millions of peo
PIE acknowledged their military anc
political power, their capital city was
the centre Of such a network ol
| highways, that it was a common say
inc, "All roads lead to Rome"
American roads are far below the
average; they certainly are among
the worst in the civilized world, anC
always have en,--largely as re-
suit of permitting local circumStanc
es to determine the location, witt
little or no regard for any genera
system, and waste, and Ignorance IL
building.
Fifty years ago, there was some
excuse for bad roacs, for our country
was poor. Now it is rich, there l.
no excuse.
A good road Is always to be de-
sired, and is a source of comfort anC
convenience to every traveller.
Good roads attract population
as we'll as good schools and churhes
Good roads improve the value oI
property, so that it is said a farm
living five miles from market connect
ed by bad road is Of less value
than an equally good farm lying tel
miles away from market connected
by a good road.
A larger load can be drawn by on
horse over a good road, than by tw'
over a bad one.
/ Good roads encourage the create
exchange of products and commodl
ties between one section and another
Good roads are of great value t.
railroads as feeders.
| Good roads mean better business
| Good roads encourage riding an'
driving, while bad roads mean les
business, for where the roads ar
/ bad the traffic must Of necessity b.
much less.