The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-12-25
THE ROADS OF THE WORLD.
How COUNTRIES BUILD PATHS
FOR coMMERCE AND WAR.
The Ancient Roman Koads-Those
or Modern E"rnra-sc.-... A-.e-.
can and Fiji Roads.


Since mankind constructed society aud
became distributed over the world roads
have been necessary to toe existence and
progress of the race. From the time Of
Moses there have been royal roads.
First the Egyptisns, afterwards the
Israelites and then the Greeks called their
lines of travel that were not used for
special purposes "royal roa Is" or the
kings highways. In Greece the royal
roads were inspected and cared for by
the senate at Athens. In Lacede .nonia,
Thebes and other States they were under
the supervisan OF the most eminent men.
Their roads, however, were not the best
of the ancients'. 1t was reserved for a
commercial city, Carthage, to build the
1rst paved roads.
The Romans followed the example OF
the Carthaginians, and these great high.
ways, which connected Rome with its
provinces, were the most renowned and
durable ever constructed. All over
Europe, Asia and Africa, wherever their
Emperors ruled, they built roads that
have been supposed by the ignorant Of
different ages to be OF supernatural
origin
The continued existence of some of
these wonderful roads thousands Of years
after their completion has proved the
skill aud greatness Of the master minds
which planned and built them. The
Roman via Appia, the via Aurclia, the
via Flaminia, the roads to the Rhine and
the Danube, and the 1000 miles Of road
from the Wall of Antoninus in Great
Britain through Rome to Jerusalem still
reveal lessons Of construction worthy Of
tho study OF the road builders of the
nineteenth century. They were accu.
rately divided by milestones, aud ran in
direct line from one city to another, with
worry little respect for the obstacles of
nature or private property The middle
part was raised into II terrace aud con
sisted of several strata Of sand, gravel
and cement, and was paved with large
stones, which, near the capital, were of
granite.
Adam Smiths assertion that "the
construction Of roads is the greatest of
all improvements" and the saying of tho
Abby Reyual that "whcrever we shall
find no facility Of travel from u city to a
town or from village to hamlet we
may pronounce tho people to be bar
barians" have long, especially in Europe,
been accepted by mlnkinl. Roads are
the acknowledged civilizcrs of the
world.
Americans who find tncmsclvc, in
Europe are struck with a:tonishmeut Mt
the enormous loads drawn by horses and
dogs. One glance of the eye from the
loads to the roads aud half the wonder
: would be accounted for, because the
roads have almost everything to do with
it. The ancicnts knew and appreciated
the Importance of good public roads.
Many of the roads built by the ancient
Romans and travelled by the proud
Roman COnqucrors remain to this day.
This is particularly the case IN Turkey,
zSssEs tth.ssY la4syG yeg.si4Ge-. the Roman
ern, been in use, with little or no repair.
Roads in Europe nrc quite usually
t1anked on either side by two aud some
times four rows of shade trees, which add
much beauty to the country through which
they run and from Il distance are pnrticu-
larly picturesque where several roads in
terscct. One can mark the roads in their
windings sometimes rs far rs tho eye can
reach by these fresh green shade trees,
which, with the various teams of horses
and dogs laden with the products Of
farms, mines and shop, consprc to make
n very pretty scene. The public roads
of Belgium enter into successful compc-
ton with the railroads, SO much SO that
u man who has his team does not by any
means consider himself forced to send
his products by rail.
One can mount his wagon at the Eng
fish Chauucl and drive through the
breadth OF Europe except in time of
snow, or its length, without sinking as
deep rs the fcllcS OF his wheels in the
aud, in any weather ut any time of the
year. The rolls arc so firm that rain
does not soften they, they arc no sloughs
~ walc tnrou ch, no periods when the
factory an the farm are cut oil from the
rest OF the world by IN impossible sea OF
mud. The loss iii break downs Of vchi-
rlcs. Of l,r"ak@9c il ..!g..c -, t,nc to
nbor, incrcl lsci fool, shortened life and
injuries to horses by bad roads in the
United States would amount to an i'm.
mense sum of money if statistics could be
gathered aud formulated. Railroads,
also, are directly interested in good
country roads. Whatever opens up the
TelnOlc littn lOC lOr ciNV ntullnS tb tuc
railroad station, or brings an additional
acre OF Gtublc land nearer to the city,
cheapens the market for the poorest and
increases the volume of trade and com.
merCe for all.
The French roads have compelled the
respect and admiration OF foreigners for
century, and of all the roads in the
country those considered the most excel
lent and at the same time most difficult
of maintenance happen to lie IN the most
rugged OF the Alps, with their peaks for,
ever snowclad and rising to height of
1l,UO0 feet. These Alpine roads arc
numerous, Of easy grade, solidly built,
always open and always Sool save when
temporarily blocked with snoN. They
are subjected to the most changeful and
violent forces Of nature. Snow, frost,
ice and iuripu, glacial torrents spriugin.
suddenly into existence at unexpected
points have souyh. for il decade to de.
stroy them, bat in vain. The greater