Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-21
PRESSING NECESSITY FOR GOOD ROADS.

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PRESSING NECESSITY FOR GOOD ROADS.
The present severe winter has empha-
sized, as nothing else can, the absolute
necessity for the city and the country COM
munities giving immediate attention to the
building of good roads in this city and
county. We look upon the necessity as
grave, indeed as imperative as it is to carry
on city and county government. Unless
we are prepared to relegate this county to
the condition of the wilderness; to isolate
1t as efiectually as if it were hedged in by
an impossible wall, we will at once while
the skies lower, consider ways and means
and lay out the working plans for action
as soon as the weather permits and not
rest on our oars until fair weather dawns
then let the summer slip by before agree
ing upon a system of road improvement.
The means of communication between
the city and country off of the lines of the
railroads, and in most cases between farms
and the railway stations, are, in such
weather as this, practically NIL. Without
communication there can be no trade, aud
without trade no prosperity. Products
must be brought to market and exchanged
for supplies, or production and supplying
cease.
To say that seven months of the year
communication is good, amounts to moth
ing When roads of good quality are
most needed are in the season when with
out them transportation would be most
difficult There is no sentiment in this
matter, but plenty of hard business neces-
sity. We cannot afford any longer to
suffer five months of disgrace by puttering
and patchwork road improvement. In
short, the need is so great that Sacramento
county could make money by assuming
debt of 100000 for the construction of
cool roads, free from mud in winter and
dus in ;ummer. We have what are
9.lled three or four good roads leading
out in different directions from the city;
but that can only be said in COM
parative sense. They are good COM
pared to the abominable excuses that
pass for roads leading into other
sections and that are supposed to be feeders
to these trunk lines. Even in summer the
so-called good roads are not at all what
they should be, since some are fetlock deep
in dust. Until far into the hot season, for
instance, the road from the city to Brigh-
ton and beyond is so "hubby" and so
carefully dotted over with big, loose cob
bles that it knocks an ordinary buggy to
pieces to travel it, while the dust is SO
thick and binding as to make it martyr
dom to drive upon it. If any one has any
doubt on this subject let him compare
these "good roads" with some of the fine
highways of Snta Clara county, and of
other sections we might name, where the
people have found that every dollar spent
in making good, clean road means ten
dollars of profit all around, to say nothing
of enhanced valuations of lands and lots
and the comfort of the people.
The city, on its part, should at once set
tie upon plan for making connection on
the east, north and south with the coun-
try roads by improving two east and west
and two north and south streets from
boundary to boundary. These highways
should be so built as to endure the heaviest
travel and the toughest usage in winter,
and to promote the speediest and most
comfortable travel in summer. What the
city needs to do first and now-that is, as
soon as weather permits-to make n
street perfect as roadway, broad, strong
and clean, to Thirly-first street, and
Twenty-frst street from n to Y. On the
north side Twelfth street should be made
equally as good to the city limits, and
from that point to the "Grant" roads the
county should build thoroughly good
highway Later, the other two streets to
relate the county roads to the city's street
system should be constructed one north
of \ and one east of Twelfth, from
boundary to boundary.
The fact is-and it is folly to attempt to
conceal it-that the farmers now come to
the city limits, leave their teams and take
street cars TO the business section and
carry back only such light supplies as they
can convey in their arms, because within
the city from the eastern border it Is al
most impossible for good team to draw q
wagon, to say nothing of load. Such a
condition is shameful, and another winter
should not see it repeated. There are FIVE
roads from the country leading to the
city's borders that are even now passable
by farm teams and wagons, and over two
of them for some miles the teams can go
at trot, and still the roads are not what
they should be. So that the rural resident
finds ii possible 10 come to the city gates,
without Sailing on some of our roads, but
once there he finds an memorable barrier
forbidding his entry to the city that in
vites him to come in.
On its part the county should undertake