The Press., 1890-05-08

sections of the county roads are now fin-
 ished, and they are already alive with
 vehicles of all varieties from the heavy
 wagon to the lightest carriage and cycle.
 The wonder seems to be that good roads
 were not constructed years and years ago. When we began the construction of these
 roads last year, it was said that we were
 fifty years late in adopting the system.
 The sentiment now is that the unimproved
 roads are unfit for the civilization of this
 century. This sentiment is uniform, There
 is no minority, no opposition. If the peo.
 pie are right, as Andy Jackson used to
 say-and we think they are-then first
 class roads are the only roads that will be
 acceptable to the people of Union County from this time on. Our new country roads
 are as good, for all practical purposes, as
 the drlves in Central Park. Why should
 we not have the best of roads ?t When we
 drive off these Telford roads, which are ss straight as an arrow and as smooth as Q
 trotting course, to work our passage on
 zigzag portion not yet improved, full of
 ruts and mudholes, covered with rolling
 stones, up hill and down hill, it seems in-
 credible that so important an improve
 ment should have been delayed SO long. Once the people are provided with im-
 proved roads, they would no more return
 to the old dirt road than they would to the
 finder box in place of friction matches, or
 to the hint-lock musket in place of the percussion rifle" 43f
 "You find much interest in your work
 outside of Union County and outside your
 state, do you not ?" was asked.
 "Yes, indeed" replied MT. Ripley. "A few days ago ex-Judge A. B. Happen,
 of Fordman, N. r., very prominent and influential man, asked me for copy of
 the New Jersey county road act He said
 he had read every article published in The
 Times on improved county roads, and he
 wanted to see something done in Vest
 chester county and the annexed districts : where he lives. The roads are horrible , there now. If Gov. Beavers proposition,
 that the public roads of locality indicate } the degree of its civilization were true,'
 the judge said Fordham would have to ) rank among the most benighted communi- l ties. He spoke of the Washington bridge, ) just completed at cost to the city of New York of &, ,O00, ,00O, and declared there was no road to get to it.
 ''I told the judge," continued Mir. Rip.
 ley, "that that $3, ,OOO, GOO would have giv- ) en Westchester county throughout roads l as good, for all practical purposes, as the
 boulevards of Paris. Yet there that bridge ] stands with no approach to it by land. ! "This country is far behind European countries in the matter of good wagon
 roads. the reporter suggested.
 3 "Far enough behind, ]" replied MT. Rip : ley. "When was speaking with Judge Happen he referred to the fact that in 1783 3 John Adams, writing of the highways in
 Europe while on his journey from Paris l via Amiens to London, said The roads 3 are the best have ever seen in France. 8 They are not paved; or, if they are, the , pavement is covered with flint stones,
 These stones lie in heaps on the side of the B road and are used to mend the highways : In the year 1890, no less than 107 years
 after Adams wrote, Judge Happen feared it would not be possible for the public au- B thorities or highway commissioners to give l. similar attention to the principal roads and : thoroughfares in the annexed districts of
 New York City. It contains 12 900 acres - and 150 miles of highway. Some of these t highways at least ought to be put in good condition" 96 i.a.giW
 '- In answer to specific questions about the }, New Jersey county road act, the practice 1T under it, and the cost of road improve. lment, MT. Ripley said ssThe county d board of chosen freeholders, answering to y your county board of supervisors, is con- ), lstituted, by that act, g road board. The D tboes 6s empowered to declare, ia its dis. ,f creTiOn, certain roads county roads; this % is done by filing map in the county
 clerks office, Tn any county, indicating on
 such map the roads so declared county
 roads. The act contemplates the laying
 out of no new roads. A limited amount
 of money may be raised for the purpose 10 of constructing and keeping in repair :, these roads, not to exceed, in our county, $500, 900 for the first two years. The work must be done under the direction of a
 competent surveyor or civil engineer. Il rt must be done by contract. The cost of
 our county roads is about $l0, per
 mile. We are therefore making thirty '- miles with our $3O0, 1000. The act is very ,o simple in its provisions, and occupies moi 'o more than two pages on the statute book. a In practice little difficulty has arisen un.
 der it. By the end of this year the county IF roads in Union County, N. J., will be
 completed. The act is general in its ap plication as the law requires, and any o county may avail itself of the provisions. # It is not obligatory upon any county to /. designate and work roads under the act" Among others who have become greatly
 interested in the improvement of county IT roads is MT. Charles Butler, one of the old
 est, wealthiest, and most highly respected
 members of the New York bar. He lives 'r in Westchester county during the sum.
 mer, and knows how bad the roads are y He has obtained copy of,the New Jersey :, road act, and is understood to be anxious that something should be done. tlA
 MT. Austin Abbott, who spends his sum
 mers in Ulster County, has also had his
 interest awakened in road improvement d has secured copy of the New Jersey act
 and is said to favor the enactment of 6 g similar law in this state. MT. John o O'DoE :, nell, of Jamaica, Queens county, has also interested himself in the enactment of g law for improving the roads in his county
 ----11--z----l- l--z-------@-s;,
 At the next regular meeting of Eas Central Pomona grange, at Hillstown ir
 East Hartford, the lecturers time will be le occupied with discussion upon the fol lowing set of resolutions, all the speakers to be volunteers, and no one to occupy more than ten minutes at any one speech 7 nor to speak, but once, unless there is 6
 vacancy. ., ngl,.:
 Resolved That all patrons of Connec y ticut and farmers generally throughou
 our state should encourage the formation a of farmers leagues for the better protec. tion of the interest of agriculture.