The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-25
How TO Get Better Roads.

and respectful consideration. Yet
when the subject of roadmaking is
preached, either in the legislature or
in town meetings, it is usually dis
missed with some such remark as this
Good roads are all right, and we ought
to have them, but just now we cannot
afford to spend any more money on
them" 1t is not well understood yet
that good roads pay for themselves.
But there is perhaps no more really inn
portant question to every town than
that of roads, and one of these days it
will be so admitted generally. Until
that time comes, however, there need
be no expectation that much advance
will be made. The most practicable
means of ultimately securing thoroughly
good roads is to convince the average
farmer that every cent that is devoted
to intelligent road.making is money
well invested. This is hard thing to
do. To many it seems as though roads
were sponges that absorb money and
continually want more, while no visible
improvement appears and the people
are no better off pecuniarily than be-
fore. Much of such reasoning as this
| is undoubtedly due to the wretchedly
unscientfic aud slip-shod work that is
done on the roads. AS road-making is
commonly practiced, the man who con-
cludes that it is waste of money is
nearer being right than wrong. But a
little reflection must convince any one
that first-class roads, over which a
wagon can pass safely and with the
least possible wear-and-tear, are posi-
lively economical to every one using
them. Wagons do not break down SO
easily on smooth, well-graded road as
on one filled with holes or covered with
mud. In the one case there is mini
mum of friction, and in the other the
wheels are ierked and strained to an
incredible degree. 1t is also evident
that team of horses cannot do the
same amount of transportation service
on a rough road as on smooth one
The farmer who can take but fair loaC
to market over poor road ought to bt
able to see without thinking twice tina
he could take larger load over thu
same road if the latter were in thu
hard, even state of some roads which
it has been his good luck to ride over
When these facts are borne home t
large numbers of intelligent residents
of the country towns, we will have bet
ter roads.
1t is matter for congratulaton tina
the subject is attracting increased at
tention in quarters other than rural
Instruction on the subject is bein,
given, or is about TO be given, in q
: least one of the high technical schools
No one is more interested in road
: making than Colonel Albert A. Pop
; of Boston, who has recently offered
through the American Economic As
: ISOLATION, two prizes of $500 and $50
for the first and second best essays o.
the subject of country roads and cit
streets. In Pennsylvania a definit
2 movement in the direction of bette
= roads is forming. Prizes were otfere
4 seme time ago for essays on the subject
and these essays have recently bee
= published in book form. They contain
7 a great number of very practical sug
gestions. In this connection IL j
worthy Of note that Governor Hill o
New York in his last message to th
legislature proposed plan for building
: good roads throughout the state. II
! would have the state assume the VOL
: of running two transverse roads through
: each county, intersecting near It's cen
trail point or at the principal place
These roads would be kept in frst-clas;
condition by the state, and in addition
7 to their own inestimable advantage tt
the communities they would be obiec
7 lessons of such force and value that tn,
other roads of each county would un
, doubtedly be put on a more service
able basis. The plan has much in it tt
commend it to the people of othe
states than New York 1t will be re
, membered that DR., James of Water
| bury proposed at the last session of the
legislature radical scheme for road
building throughout Vermont. The
| other important subjects demanding
/ consideration pushed this one aside
= and it was perhaps as well that the
= measure was not passed at that time
r Ii is to be hoped, however, that between
now and the next session road-build
f ing will be given careful attention anG
| that two years hence practicable auG
: progressive law on the subject will be
} adopted.
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+ Boarding Around. Fourth Period.