Telegram-herald., 1891-02-24

IA prove c9s1ntIg fIazls sil& AsSF t1sHa
- - : ssAadar1 of sxcsElsace eeal-
parable xlla ethss lastssataoas 81 tAs
psssent day 5 ssssesssd - sons %
be tnz extraordinary development u
las railroad sgstenl. TIE eoaasFs
ghways nave been forced iato a
secondary proposition "a pebse Goa
adsEaIon. fheFs = fascslaEon
about the contemplation of big
thinzs and every one IA th.s b.g
Yankee n2non wants 70 engage "a soase
elg saserpFuSs. Ins sngsnesFs OF tae
country have studied railroad eaidiag
more taaa eousmon road build * snd
taBnsling Hl0re than tuEnp.ek-ng. Ihe
tlme = past Basn the meIehAadlss Of
the country will 10 transported long
dlsiaLces over public Tca1s, but taey
are still. and must ever be, ths collect
Ing ahd distributing reads. The farm
ers' produce makes rs nFst start TO
market over these roads ant the manu-
facturers products are distributed over
them.
The fact that the great railroad sys-
TENS have been developed TAR beyond
common road development IS no indi-
cation that the former ia ve been IA
any degree Inimical to the latter. The
fact IS the opposite. Railroads are
directly interested IN the con-
ditlon OF the common roads
writer ia the Railroad Ga
zette, who has revived the whole subject
says that something more than moral
support can be gwen boy railroad officers
10 the agitation for road improvement
With advantage TO their companies as
we'll as To the Contiguous communities.
The article assumes as fact, on which
arguments would be wasted, that what
ever tends TO the advantage of the pop
ulatlon living along any line Of railroad
must also incidentally result in benefit
To the business OF that raIlroad but II
calls attention 10 the serious Interrupt
ton OF the transportation OF freight
caused by the bad condition of the
country, an interruption which tells
upon the earnings of the COM
panies. The writer estimates that
over large portions OF the most
thickly settled farming country, the
time when loads may be comfortably
hauled to the stations does not average
four whole months in any year; that at
seasons when the crops are ready 10 be
moved, and the fertilizers should be
hauled from the stations TO the farms,
the roads are generally in a state to com-
pei taking not more than half load;
and that IN the clayey regions, includ-
ing about one-half of the area OF the
country, business IS practically stopped
during two whole months N the
spring when the frost is coming
out. Railroads, where bad roads
prevail, do losing business, while
those in the neighborhood of good
roads are overrun with business. So
great is the direct interest OF railroads
in the establishment and maintenance
of good common roads, that the writer
thinks they should recognize that inter
est either by making direct contribu-
buttons to road Improvements, or by
giving liberal rates for the transporta-
ton OF materials useful in road con-
structlon. And it seems as if the rail
road companies might also lend the
services of their we'll paid and skillful
engineers, to survey, lay out and direct
the construction of some of the main
lines of country highways that lead up
to the freight centers along the road.
Would not such good encouragement
as this, while also contributing to the
advantage of the railroads, at the same
time do much to al!ay much of the
bitter feeling so prevalent among the
agricultural classes against railroad
corporations? IL the latter recognize
the common interest OF both classes,
the former will speedily follow and har.
mony may dIsplace chickering's between
two of the greatest industries in the
country-railroading and agriculture.