The Irish standard., 1891-06-06

n cArAl, liE8 re ADhIAlslEE=R.
Ehss ralmuous 500 chlni,,aa q and his Valuabls
5SsI Git tosP osterify
philanthropy finds many forms, says
HE Kansas City Star. Some who are
GOOD at heart go about relieving this
man 81 that in a sort Of q retail sbenevo-
I1ence; others, whose natures are whole
sale, are generous to nation or q race.
John Loudon Macadan, that canny
Scot who made the famous pavement Of
his name, was OF the latter class. Mac
adam was born in Ayr in 1855 and lived
to be so years old. When only fourteen
He left the land Of wind and heather
and came to New York. abiding with
an uncle already some time there. This
befell in ITO Here he was when the
revolution broke out, and, being Of OBJ
durate tory blood, his faith was with
the king. This had its reward, too, as
In the latter part Of the war and during
british occupation Of New York he be-
came agent for the sale Of prizes at that
port This was a good, fat place, and
his fortunes, planted SO IN the warmest,
,sunniest corner Of the wall, waxed
nightly. So the young Scot grew
fortunate and rich, but il the peace Of
'83, when, with others Of his brood, he
was forced to leave, he lost the major
part. However, he brought home to
Scotland enough and plenty to purchase
an estate In his native Ayr, and pay
quite bag Of donbloons for it, too.
It was now that his eye-frst fell in
appreciation on the awful roads Of his
country. Government, noting this, APP
pointed him trustee of roads. Now
did Macadam enter into the matter Of
good roads with great spirit, and began
tzealously to study their construction.
In 1893 he was forced to give over roads
for time, being called on during the
following four years to pay some heed
ito his country's navy in the Office OF in
'spector; but at the close of his term, in
1902. he returned to the beloved study
OF the turnpike.
He travelled all over England and the
south Of Scotland at his own expense,
with no other purpose than roads. This
running about he kept up for some
thirteen years, and until he had COW
cred in his journeys over thirty thou
sand miles and expended more than as
many thousand dollars.
Roads were fad with Macadam, and
to be permitted to gaze on them and
wallow through their mud and mire at
10 cost to himself of dollar mile was
as good and cheap amusement as he
But, while he was jolting
about over bad causeways and abiding
at bad taverns, Macadam was thinking
and planning and scheming, and the
purpose thereof was roads. Every jolt,
every lurch, as he rolled along in his
carriage gave him an idea.
In 1911 he embodied his views in a
communication and unloaded it on the
helpless house of commons Of that day.
GLOW to Repair Roads, was the sub
ject, and he dealt with it clearly and
-Four years later the pow
ers gave him chance on the roads
about Bristol, and here was put in the
first of that sort Of paving now re-
the world over as macadam.
Macadam's work was mainly in the
country, and the buxom agric,1lturist
of his day and region gave him great
trouble These fought and opposed
him tooth and nail, after the manner of
men when one attempts their benefit.
Mankind learns slowly, and the farm
ers and traders about Bristol preferred
their roads of mud and mire on their
way to market rather than the good
hard pathway of Macadam.
But the Scotchman persisted, after
the shock-headed fashion of his sort,
and at last conquered. He and his roads
began to be appreciated. When the re-
vulsion came in his favor it came with
out a limit. Every body, everywhere in
England, wanted a macadam road.
Flowing, and grading, and rock crush
ing were gone about in earnest and
with such good effect that when the old
roadmaster died in 1886, at the age of
90, it was said that Of the thirty thou
sand miles of country roads which laced
and threaded England fully ninety-nine
per cent were macadam.
At divers times parliament voted to
Macadam an aggregate sum Of thirty
thousand dollars. This scarce matched
his actual outlay, so for his time and
genius he was never paid. But his
fame lasts, and his name is written as
one Of those who lived orgeneral good.
His monument is the roads Of England
SAFE DEPOSIT COMPANIES.
Their Business Was the Result OF Res
taurateurss Experienco. 35s ;$5#