Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-02-13
ROADS BUILT BY UNCLE SAM.
Several Great Highways Constructed by
the United States Government.

the United States Government.
The impression seems to prevail gener-
ally that the present agitation in favor
of good roads well kept is something en-
tirely new to the United States. That
this idea is mistake is shown by the
following extracts from an article by
Gath in The Cincinnati Enquirer:
Thomas jefferson suggested the en-
ployment of the treasury surplus for ex-
tended public improvements. Senator
Pope, of Kentucky, was the introducer
in 1910 of a resolution to authorize the
government to take half the stock in any
turnpike roads which might be incor-
porated by any of the states, and es-
pecially between the heads of the eastern
navigable rivers and the nearest western
waters, and also the links in a great pub
lie highway from Maine to Georgia,
land generally to the stock of all COM
panies which might be approved by con-
gress for - opening turnpike roads.
The bill of Senator Pope was amended by
Senator Smith, of Maryland, to increase
the national subscription to these under
takings from one-half to two-thirds. The
bill was then postponed to the next ses-
sion of congress.
John Pope died in 1912 He was
governor of the territory of Arkansas six
years under Andrew Jackson. He de-
serves recognition as the boldest and ear
lest proposer of comprehensive scheme
of internal improvements.
AT the same time Peter B. Porter Of
Niagara Falls, introduced into congress
a similar bill, and supported it by an
elaborate speech.
The only practical result of these joint
endeavors was an appropriation of $780,
600 for the national turnpike road from
Cumberland toWheeling in the year 1870
Before all those people came upon the
stage Alexander Hamilton, as secretary
of the treasury had reported to congress
a system of internal improvements.
Again, in Hamilton's examination
bearing date of December, 1901, he says:
1.-The improvement of the communi-
cations between the different parts of
the national purse"
In Hamilton's letter to Dayton, dated
1899, he says: "To offset the Virginia
factionists the improvement of our com
munications, as well interiorly as coast
wise by turnpike roads, should begin
The improvement of the roads would be
measure universally popular. None
no
regular plan should be adopted, cock
tensive with the Union, to be success
sively executed, and fund should be
appropriated sufficient for the basis of a
loan of Sl,000,000. The future from
tolls would more than reimburse the ex-
pense and further utility would be pro-
NOTED in every direction"
Gen. Washington wrote to Patrick
Henry in 1885: "Our roads should be
Strengthened, shortened and established
by law, and the power of county courts
to alter them should be withdrawn"
A proposition was made to extend the
National road from Vandalia, HIS, to
the Mississippi river, and thence to jeff
erson City, Mo-, which Mr.. Adams said
had more sense than all the work of that
session of congress.
The cost of the National or Cumber-
land road from Cumberland, Md, to
Uniontown, Pa, sixty-one miles, was
1896 200, or 5000 per mile, across the
Allegheny mountains. The western sec
ton had cost up to 1919 about SIT 900 a
mile. or $4,000 for thirty-six miles
The military opened the great road
from Nashville to New Orleans in 1919,
reducing the distance 300 miles. The
same year the military road from Detroit
to the Miami rapids was made, reaching
the Black swamp.
Gen. jackson opened the great militia
ry road from Florence, Ala, to New Or
leans.
BY 1888 the business of the national
road at Wheeling supported seventeen
steamboats,; the steamboat clearances
were 73S during the year
Braddock's original road followed an
Indian trail from Oldtown, Nd, to Pitts
burg.
In 1859 Col. James Bard was sent from
Carlisle, Pa, to cut Braddock's road as
far ON as Brownsville.
The national road was undertaken by
the government in fulfillment of con
tract with the state of Ohio, the state
agreeing not to tax government sales OF
land in Ohio for five years after sale;
per cent of the sales were to be applied
to making a road from the Atlantic nav.
| igable waters to the lower Ohio. This
promise the government has not kept
and merely built from Cumberland, Md
Congress passed the act March 30, 1906
The road commissioners, Eli William,
and Thomas Moore, of Maryland, an(
Joseph Kerr, of Ohio, located the roaC
in 1906, taking Braddock's route t.
Gist's, and Burd's route to Brownsville
By 1907 the site had been chosen from
Cumberland to Sandy Hollow, the east
ern division. The remainder of tn,
western division to Wheeling was no
fully settled till about 1917.
The road was SO feet wide; the road
bed from 80 to "a feet. 1t was paved 2;
feet wide, Is inches deep in the middle
~ inches at the sides.
The lower stratum was a pavement o
stone, closely set vertically, covered