Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-08-04
woeLo,s FAR ROAD EXHIBIT.
An Opportunity 10 Educate the Pe"rir
That should Not Ise Lost.

THE Worlds fair viii be attended 5y
millions Of our citizens, and no better
opport1,nity is likely to present Itself
during the lifetime Of any one now Nv
ing to teach the great lesson OF the need
the construction and maintenance Or
raod roads. The following editorial
from the Brooklyn Citizen viii COM
mend itself Is al who are interested,
and it concerns every CITIZEN Of the
United states.
The movement for better roads IN
.very part IT the country is one that
.hould have the earnest support Of
every journalist. It is one in the inter-
est OF the farmer and Of the civilian
lalike. It is one in the interest Of health
of pleasure, IT business. The money
and the labor spent on them are spent
economically, and there il no subject 70
which the Legislature can turn is at
tention with more generally satisfactory
results.
IN this view the movement which
,eem. 10 have been inaugurated By Al
bert 4. Pope. Of Boston, 70 make COM
prehensive exhibit Of improved roads
and roadmaking machinery at the
Worlds fair in Chicago ought 10 have
general support His proposition, pre-
senred to Director General Davis, IS IN
brief. that some of the roads adjacent 70
the exposition grounds should be con-
strrcred IL accordance with the most
approved systems used IN Europe and
this country. Cross sections IF these
roads shoGld be shown IL some sultahle
place, together with the best machinery
| for preparing the material, making and
taking care Of roads. Stone crushers.
steam rollers. street sweepers. watering
carts. ETC.. should be included IN this
exhibit. He further suggests that road
construction and maintenance" be ciassi-
! aed a. a department., instead Of a -class
| IF one Of the numerous GLASSES" Of lib
eral arts. There should be a Building
| constructed for this department IN which
roadmaking and road machinery could
be daily shown BY skilled workmen, -
~ 70 be al object lesson 10 every visitor
He is willing to subscribe 81 900 tor
! ward the object here described. and
| thinks that 90 meet the expense Of such
an exhibit, and to provide the necessary
building. and 70 attend TO all the details
80 a. 20 bring IT 10 a successful issue. II
would BE- advisable to form an associa-
tion and invite al persons interested IN
good roads 70 join and send Ia subscrip-
tons The railroad companies. agricul-
taral societies. carriage builders. build
ers Of roadmaking machinery, furnish
ers Of paving materials. owners and
lovers q horses and the pnblic generally
would probably be willing to contribute
% such a cause.
Mr.. Davis replied that both hosts and
visitors would expect that all the prepar-
atory works On roads viii have been fin
ished before the fall opens. but suggested
That much good might be done by an
exhibit Of statistics concerning improved
roads in European countries as well a.
nj home, with cost Of construction aud
maintenance. etc. Still. Mr.. Pope urges
that there is ample time yet 10 erect a
suitable building in which 10 group all
the things useful in educating the peo-
pie in the building Of good roads. and
suggests that every state send cross sec
tions Of roads showing construction best
adapted 10 the particular locality, and
also samples 81 bridges
As to all this he argues.
Good roads cheaper the cost Of
transportation by saving time. reducing
the wear Of draft animals and Of vehi-
clfs. and thus lessen the cost Of material
10 the producer and the consumer. One
Of the saddest sights Of the times in the
older states is the tendency Of popula-
ton toward the cities and the abandon
ment Of farms. The modern develop
ment Of 'slums. the wretched outcome
of life in tenement houses. can be laid
largely to the bad roads existing in the
farming districts. which in certain sea
sons Of the year prevent social inter
course, making country life cherries.
isolated and narrow. Churches and
schools are neglected when roads are
snch as to make them difficult Of access.
The opportunities presented by the
Worlds Columbian exposition of teach
ing the 20,O0O,O0O visitors what good
roads are and how TO make and main
tain them should not be lost sight of. A
comprehensive display Of these things
would advance the movement 100 years,
and would hasten the coming in of a
nobler civilization and wider Chris
tianity."
Mr.. Pope has the earnestness Of re-
former, and he will no doubt be able to
convince many of the great importance
Of the matter he has taken in hand. For
ourselves, we have long been convinced
of it from personal observation, and we
should be glad to see the movement he
has inaugurated followed up by all per-
sons in the country who can do any
thing to advance it TO success.
Build None but the Best.
The state should build few great
through highways. connecting with one
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