Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-14
CITY STREETS AND COUNTRY ROADS.
The Former Are as Bad the Latter
and Exert Much Influence.

/ In the movement for an improvement
of the common roads and country high
ways more or less surprise has been ex-
pressed from time to time that the coun-
try people should themselves seem luke
warm and uninterested in the agita
ton. In the first instance the farm
ing classes are afraid that if any
extensive improvements be inade the
burden of paying for them will rest al
most entirely upon those who own the
property through which the new roads
or reconstructed roads run. This fear is
most natural one and country people
ought not to be blamed for it. Such
roads as now exist have been built and
are maintained by local taxation and
TINS taxation at present, miserable as the
highways are, is not inconsiderable. The
profits on agriculture. as at present con-
Quoted, are not sufficiently large to en-
able farmers to contemplate the prospect
Of an increase of taxation with any
degree Of comfort. Under the circum-
stances they are not unanimously enthu-
siastic in support of the road improve
ment movement.
The present movement was begun,
Wheelmen; that IS by the bicycle riders.
There is on this account an impression
in the country that the desire for better
roads is merely in the interest Of sport
in which handwriting farmers do not
participate, and with which they have
no sympathy. Such an idea as this is
silly, of course. But it does exist and
therefore it must be counteracted. OF
course the wheelmen We're selfish in the
beginning of the agitation for better
roads, but their own interests in the
improvement Of the great interior means
of communication are so inconsiderable
in comparison with the many others af-
fected that they would scarcely count in
an enumeration Of the benefits which
would result from an extensive realiza-
ton from the movement which they
have started.
The third reason for Indifference on
the part of country people is the most
serious Of all. The great masses of them,
| fear, do not really believe that there
can be any better roads. They have not
seen any, nor did their fathers or grand
fathers. They are not extensive travellers
and when we tell them of the beautiful
roads in Switzerland, France and Eng
land, or recall the wonderful achieve
ments of those ancient engineers who de-
signed and built the highways which
radiated from imperial Rome, or those
more wonderful roads which the Incas
of Peru cut out Of solid rock and con-
structed across almost fathomless abysses,
they listen with incredulity and count
the ancient instances as fairy tales and
the modern examples as entertaining
yarns, which sailors and other travellers
; are privileged to invent. When it is in
, sisted that all that is told in these re-
} gardsis true, the untraveied farmer very
t likely asks himself if this be 50 why does
T he not see something like good roads
when he goes to the nearest city in his
section. That Is very natural in him.
He has been lei to believe that in New
York, Philadelphia. Chicago anlthe other
great centers there Is everything which
wealth can purchase or an enlightened
civilization require.
!. But what does he see in these cities:
He certainly does not see good roads.
, City people DO nearly all Of their riding
on railroads, ana the great majority Of
, them DO not realize what wretched
streets they have. The city r0adways
d are not built any better, considering the
/ traffic that passes over them, than the
country roads which horlify the urban
" gentleman when he goes to the country
d for his summer outing. More than this,
b they are more badly treated than the
country roads and the maintenance is
even worse. a gentleman who has lived
for forty years in a short street just of
Broadway, in New York. told Inc the
other day that not week had passed
during all that period in which some
part of the 200 feet of pavement on hi:
block had not been torn up at least once
and sometimes as many as dozen times
When city people tolerate such streets a!
they do, it i'll becomes them to preach Il
country folks about the bad roads il
rural sections.
There is no excuse for bad city streets
Enough money is spent to make then
perfect. Allowance is always made fol
the employment of competent engineers
and therefore the bad condition of road
ways which is almost universal in Amer
lean cities cannot be attributed to any
lack Of knowledge The fault lies some
where else, and not the least guilty per
sons are the very men who find faul
- with the roads of their country neigh
: bors. In town they are too busy L
d bother about anything except the bust
.r ness in which each is individually inter
l, ested They do not see what is before
d them nearly every day in the year, an,
Sc if they do see it they cannot afford tn
;. time to interest themselves in any move
y, ment to bring about better condition o
# things. But in the summer, during tn
/ vacation days, they have plenty Of tim
le to find fault with the common countr,
Il roads and to heap up abuse on the poo
lie farmers who are content to live all tn
o year round with nothing better owe
which to go than these poor highways
The farmers, without the means to d
% much better and without the knowledg
IA to build good roads if they had tn
is means, must stand all this abuse meekly
=, 1 l. -.