Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-10
AGRICULTURAL.
Country Roads.


I'm all the Northern and Eastern section
of the country there is coming to be NOR,
and more an appreciation of the actua
commercial value, in hard dollars and cents
of good country roads, and there is gradu
ally dawning on the public mind a compre
hension of the fact that a policy of patch
Ing up and temporizing from year to wear
without doing anything thoroughly well
or making permanent progress and i'm
provements, is the worst kind of economy
As bit of literature bearing on this sub
iect we quote the following article from tn,
New York Tribune. 1t was called out b,
way Of comment on the defeat of bill
introduced in the last New York legislator,
for large appropriation to begin gener
al improvement of the country roads OF
the state:
The movement in behalf of first-class
country roads-that is, in behalf of what
may be styled rural rapid transit-is still
young, since it may be said to have had its
practical inception in 1890. And. although
it has not received the impetus of legisla-
ton, ii has made real progress since i'm all
parts of the state: public sentiment has
been developed which sooner or later is sure
to make itself felt so strongly that the
legislature will necessarily respond with
the proper action.
In the course of an article expressing its
regret at the defeat of the road bill at AL
bany the Journal of Commerce argues that
the proposed appropriation would be 'the
best possible investment the people of this
commonwealth could make:' and it adds
that "a country that should lay out large
sum of money under impartial and iudic-
ious supervision in the construction and
maintenance of improved highways would
furnish the best boom possible to specula-
ton in real estate just as soon as New
\ OrkerS as whole come to realize this sa-
lient fact the appropriation will find no
trouble in getting through the legislature.
At present grumblers are to be found here
and there who meet and pass resolutions
based on the assumption that if the high
ways were improved as it has been proposed
to improve them they would cost more than
they would be worth. We commend to
these short-sighted persons the experience
of their fellOw-citiZenS who have secured
tirst-class highways. Take Union county,
New Jersey, for example. Some years ago
she determined to treat herself to as good
roads as could be built The cost was not
slight, but what was the result? The
Hon. Chauncey b. Ripley, in an address
which he recently delivered before the New
Jersey state board of agriculture, answers
this question. Here is paragraph from
this address:
The cost Of the Union county roads is Just about
- for each individual in the county, including
men. women and children. Ii is a fair statement.
and believe it quite true, that the people who pay
for these roads would not have them taken up for
Sl,WoOOO. or three times the cost. The statement
was made to me within two weeks by one well ac-
qualnted in the county, and familiar with the
whole history of the county roads. our real prop
erty in Union county has increased i'm value al
ready by reason of these roads all that they cost
us. and the roads are not yet completed.
There is nothing peculiar about the ex-
perience of this wide-awake, philosophical
New Jersey county. She has conserved
her own prosperity by making herself as
attractive as possible to whom it may con-
Germ in the vital particular of highways.
She has doomed her real estate by render
ing it not a WEAKNESS of the flesh, but a
delight, to travel over her territory.
Some of these days all the counties of
New York will 90 and do likewise, and
they also will reap good fruit from their jul
ed last winter the metropolis will secure
rapid transit. Under the policy which the
state adopted several years ago millions of
dollars have been and millions more are to
he spent in improving the canals. Now let
the country roads have a chance.
There is here a suggestion which, We
venture, has not occurred, in definite way,
to very many country folks, viz: that ra-
pid transit of the kind which well-made
and well-kept roads afford is just as impor-
tant for jewellers in country districts as is
rapid transit of another kind for the peo-
pie of the great centres. Writing on this
same subject some time ago DR.. Peter Col
lier, the director of the New York expert
ment station, says:
Consider for a moment the enormous
tax which our roads involve, without con-
Sdering even the millions upon millions of
dollars which during the past half-century
have been expended upon our roads with
out at present any evidence of improve
ment in their condition; consider the wear
and tear of horses, harnesses, and vehicles
which the condition of our roads for
months in the year involves; consider the
loss of time, which also is money, and the
wear and tear upon ones patience, for |
doubt whether grace has been given to any
sufficient to sustain him for a ten-mile
drive over any of our roads during several
months of the year.
While general state appropriation in
Vermont for the improvement Of our coun-
try roads is not to be expected or desired,
the importance of good roads needs to be
better understood and more constantly kept
in mind than is now the case. We are
talking much just now about making the
state attractive to summer boarders in the
hope of reaping rich harvest from this
source. 1t is good thing to do, but let it
be remembered that one of the greatest of
all attractions is a good roadway over
which it is a pleasure and not a torture to
drive.
Diversified Farming.