Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
GOOD ROADS g..


Good roads are said to be a sure and
certain index, to the enterprise and thrift
of the people Of any community. This
NAV be true to a very great extent, but
it is like all other general rules, there Is
occasionally an exception to the rule. IL
Is sometimes the case that enterprising
DeoDle cannot have good roads on account
of disadvantages which they are unaole
to overcome for time, but they event
ualIy succeed in overcoming them ana
their efforts speak praises for their en-
ergy and perseverance; they feel PROUD
of their efforts as well as being highly
benefited thereby.
In this country the lack of good roads
is dine partly to lack of enterprise and
partIy from want of appreciation OF
the benefits of good roads. Many think,
ar at least they sometimes argue, that IL
q road is passable, if there is no serious
obstacle in the way to obstruct travel,
that they are good enough. They do not
stop to consider that the better the road
the faster the speed is in travel, and IT is
much easier on your teams, the damage
done to vehicles much less, the cost
saved in repairs on wagons, the worry OF
teams and the loss of time it takes TO
make trip over a passable road snouIo
be taken into consideration.
Life Is too short to be forced to trudge
slowly along over a public highway,
when by a little effort you could make
and save time by keeping the ROADS
over which you travel in excellent con-
dltiou. Horses and mules cost too mncn
money, and it takes too many hard hcks
TO make the money to buy them with, to
be worn out and broke down by being
forced to draw O heavy load over
a merely psSsable road, when a
little more effort would tighten
their burden, and thereby pro-
long their usefulness. Wagons and other
vehicles cost too much money, andft re-
ouires too much labor to make that
money, TO have them worn out and
broke down, by being driven over rough
roads. besides the cost of repairs at the
shop. coupled with the disappointment
that is sure to follow any such accidents
with the time and worry Of having them
repaired.
These facts can be demonstrated
by a<mathematical calculation, if you
will only takethe trouble to make few
figures on the proposition, and you VIII
become convinced that what we say is
not mere assertions but cold and stub
born facts.
We are aware that 1t has become
custom or practice, we might say an IN
fallible rule, that when people are sum-
moned to work on road, TO make 1t q
holiday; a day for meeting your friends
ana having a good time instead of doing
very much work. We know this 70 be
true, for we have been one of that num-
Der more than once. We dic
not then comprehend the need OF
good roads, had no conception of thu
benefit that would be derived from them
and IN fact did not know what q gooC
road was and TO be plain, kind reader
we cared less. We thought If you could
drive your wagon along the road withou
turning it over that il was good enough
for anyone, and if any man cared TO
more he was, we believed, little cranky
But experience and observation IA
taught us different. We are thoroughl
convinced that there are but few thing
in any country that are OF more import
ance than good roads, and these view
prompt us to write this article, in IN
hope of calling attention to and causin
an interest in this important matter.
Few people, we are persuaded, appre
eiate and fully understand the responsi
biIity resting upon the overseers of ROADS
They are selected on account OF 81