The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-14

maintain them. The governor of New
York advocates in his last message build
ing two roads across each county, and the
creation OF public state debt for this
purpose.
Ignorance of the principles Of good road
construction Is largely responsible for the
universally wretched character Of our
American country roads. In Massachu-
sets, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Mary
land, Connecticut and Ohio agitation for
better roads is most active. In some Of
the Oldest settlements of the East the
highways still wind over the hills, just as
they were laid out $50 years ago, instead of
following the valleys, when possible, Civ
ing shorter route without the present
heavy grade. To maintain such unskill-
fully constructed roads costs immensely,
and. of course, they fall into neglect, and
when they are repaired it is by putting
sods and muck from the bitches upon the
road. instead of small stones and gravel.
General Roy Stone, distinguished civil
engineer, has formulated plan by which
the United States government shall assist
the various states, so desiring it, in the
construction of comprehensive systems of
highways. This he does not propose that
the government shall do by direct appro-
priations, but by loans. upon which the
states shall pay small rate of interest
and which in time they shall repay. In
America on a dirt road two horses will
strain over load of hay weighing half a
ton until they break the whifiletree, while
three horses will draw four tons of hay at
an easy trot over French road. To haul
2,lO0weight with wagon over a Telford road
requires power of only 46 pounds, while
to haul the same load upon even gravel
road laid on earth requires LAT pounds, or
three times that found necessary on the
Telford road.
The absence OF drainage and narrow
wheel tires destroy common earth roads.
European farmers use broader tires, and
that of their hind wheels. so that the two
sets of wheels do not "track." In Bavaria
stringent law is enforced against the use
Of narrow wheel tires. France has 130, 900
miles of good roads, and the French gov
eminent spends s1s,00O,OO0 year to keep
them in repair, about as much as it costs
to keep the horses of New York state, with
one-fourth of the territory of France, four
months.
Union county, New Jersey, where 600
miles of improved roads have been built,
has not a single farm lying idle. The
same change has followed the building of
improved roads in Parke county, Indiana.
The farmers hauled much bigger loads,
and did it in March much more easily
than in August; wagons lasted a great
deal longer; horses were rarely injured,
and SO it paid to keep better stock, and,
what was of very great Importance, mar
kets could be reached at any season. Rich
people came into these districts of i'm
proved roads because they could drive in
comfort at all seasons of the year.
There are 300 abandoned farms in New
Jersey, but not one in Union, the county
OF improved roads. where farming lands
are valued at $2O6 per acre, against $65 for
the rest of the state. There would seem
to be no good reason why every town
should not issue bonds for matchmaking
its roads. This would meet the objection
OF expense, since coming generations, who
would reap large portion of the benefits,
would also help to bear the burden.