St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-02-21
y Fresh oysters at Vilaseca's.
WHAT GOOD ROADS MEAN.

AS strong q commentary as any Oh
the effect which improved roads have On
land values is the fact that during the
awful panic of 1878 and the four or five
succeeding years of financial depression
real estate in Orange, N. j., hardly
dropped a point in value. Men who
know, attribute this wholly to the fact
that good roads and resulting improve
ments had so increased and "solidifcd'
land values in Orange (Which was prob
ably the best paved rural district in the
United States at that time), that even &
financial panic of great magnitude was
powerless to shake them. If this reason
is the true one, it offers considerable
food for thought to those who own land
farms or otherwise-in unimproved
localities, or who contemplate the pur.
chase of real estate.
America is home loving country,
and it is rapidly becoming a country of
people who own the homes they love.
It is getting to be the chief ambition OF
every young man to live in house built
or purchased with his own money, and
on land paid for out of his own pocket
book. The growth of the building and
loan associations, the fact that savings
bank deposits are increasing much
faster, oportionately, than the popula-
ton, are incontrovertible witnesses to
this fact. The original Yankees were
frugal to an extreme and their very fru-
gality, associated with the boundless re-
sources of new country, paved the way
for the rapid accumulation Of vast fort
unes by their posterity. Money quickly
gained was quickly spent, until the ex-
travagance of Americans became, and is
still, a byword in other countries.
And the Americans seldom protest.
They are accustomed to the waste of
money. Their fortunes have been too
suddenly and easily acquired for them
to understand their value. And this
wholesale waste Of money is no more
common among the richer class than it
is among the people who are in moderate
circumstances. Bill Nye said in recent
humorous article that it is safe to esti-
mate the cost of living in New York at
from $500 to $500 more than you get,
and there was more truth than humer in
his remark. Too many Americans live
beyond their means.
But a reaction is beginning to be felt,
and in no way is it more plainly in
dictated than in the desire of the rising
generation to be able to point to farms
and village and town lots with proprie-
tary fingers. The young men in every
walk of life-laborers, clerks, merchants,
farmers and workers in the professions
are beginning to take very active in
terest in real estate and in everything
that pertains to and influences the value
of real estate.
The remarks of Thomas Nevins, of
East Orange, N. j., on road improve
ments and land values which have al
ready been printed in this paper, showed
that they bear a very close relation to
each other. Mr.. Nevins realized this
fact twenty-four years ago and he is
now a very rich man in consequence.
But he was and is an exception. The
general public seems to be unable to
grasp the situation. Here is one ex-
ample which he gives: He bought forty
five acres of land for 81 500 an acre and !
improved it by putting down Telford |
roads at his own expense, the land, |
after all improvements had been made, |
costing him $40 front foot. The re-
suit was that he was able to sell his
land in a few months at a phenomenal
profit. Not bit of it went for less than
$50 front foot and much of it brought
more in the open market. No "boom"
was required to bring its value up to
$50 front foot. Good roads were SO
few and far between, that land which
fronted on them was considered cheap
at almost any price. His brother found
that the laying of Telford roads in Union
county, N. j., made farm, which was
osing money, profitable, and increased
is value from $50 an acre to 5000 an acre.
These are facts. If improvement of
'oadways will have such decided effect
N land values in those localities, it is
certain that it will have a similar effect
n other places. No owner of real estate
an make more profitable investment
han by paying his road tax, providing
hat road tax is levied for the purpose of :
constructing or maintaining broken stone
Dads. If it goes to pay men for throw t
ng dirt and loose gravel on the muddy a
nominations which prevail in most To- G
alities, he cannot waste his money more 9
bsolutely than by paying it for tax i
ecelpt. Payment Of road taxes in those =
circumstances is literally throwing mon n
y into the street. !
Ii the money and the equivalent work b
hitch will be expended by unintelligent t
bad commissioners and county boards !
urlng the next twenty five years in in u
lne endeayors to make "bricks without
raw"-to construct solid and lasting ie
lghways out Of oozing mud-could he h
lpitalized today. Every country road N
any consequence could be macadam- a
ed or telfordized and kept in perfect II IL
der for the twenty-five years, and ~
,od balance would be left in the county o. o.
easury after it had all been done. This Ii
Is been proven many times. It actually W
SITS enough more to maintain the pre- Il
liling bad roads for few years than it I'll
ould to maintain good ones for the same y I,
ngth of time, to pay the cost of con- II II
'ucting the good ones. This is setting :
holly aside the increase of land values
aich would be brought about by good
ads. sc
There is actually no question of greater tv
portance before the American public OF
lay than this one of road improve 90 90
mt. The abandoned farms of Yer a. a.
mt and other New England states are 40
'numents showing what bad roads are un
'able of accomplishing. There is no In
y OF showing what good roads can do lin
sept building them, and before this is 20