Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1892-07-15
Look to Your Highways.
fContinued from last week.


Look to Your Highways.
tContinued from last week.
The first paved and regularly con-
structed roads known to history were
built by the Carthagenians. Then the
Romans, very quick indeed to take
advantage OF all economic discoveries
developed their system Of great and
lessor roads, called respectively mil
itary highways or consular or pretor-
ian thoroughfares and local Was as
the Via Flammia the Via Appia and
others). first in Italy and afterwards
throughout Europe, which has dis
tinguished them down to our time as
the finest road engineers known to the
world. All over Europe, Asia and
Africa, wherever Roman armies pene-
trated, they built roads SO perfect
and durable and easily kept in order,
that some are in use to this day and
are the wonder OF modern engineers.
The military roads were built to make
easy the communications of Rome
with strategic points within the en-
pire and were built aud repaired by
the government. The lesser ones by
the municipalities whose trade was
fed by them. In making the great
roads the method pursued was first
to excavate and level the road bed;
then layer OF stones was put in,
sometimes solidified by morter; then
q bed of grouting (stone or brick and
morter) then one of sand or clay
heavily pressed; then the top dressing
OF irregular stones, mixed with cement
and arched to the curve OF the road
bed. Spain was especially favored in
Roman road construction, the numb
er OF miles being reported as high as
10000 in the whole IberIan Peninsula
Mr.. Knowles, U. 8. Consul at Bor.
deaux, France, says '"The finest road.
ways existing in France today, the
greater arteries Of inland traffic were
built by the same hands that con.
structed the Appian Way"
All successful nations have paid
great attention to the maintenance
of good roads in conquered districts
as we'll as within their own territories.
1t is a necessity to nave good roads
for the operations of modern army,
Notwithstanding the general prevail
ence OF railway systems In all parts OF
the civilized world. The experience OF
the allied forces in the Crimean War
and,,of the Army OF the Potomac in Vir.
ginia are striking instances OF the effect
of bad roads on military operations.
Major General Sir Edward Bruce
Hawley, British Army, writing on this
subject says San example Of the dif-
ferent rate at which troops move over
q good and bad road is afforded by
the campaign of Waterloo. Napoleon
following Wellington and Gao1ehy fol.
lowing Blucher, both Quilted the field
OF Ligny on the afternoon OF the 17th
OF June. The Emperor, marching by
the great paved chaussees of Namur
and OF Brussels, assembled his army
that night in the position OF Waterloo
seventeen miles from Ligny. Gronchy,
moving by country roads, had great
difficulty in bringing his $4,000 men
to Gembloux, five miles from Ligny,
by ten O'Clock that same night"
1t is however chiefly with the econ.
omic value of GOOD roads that the
American people are concerned to.
day, and ia that connection we will
perhaps find indications as to our
best course, learning what has been
done in that direction in those lands
whose highways are recognized as
models.
Mr.. Loomis, U. s. commercial agent
at St. Etienne, France, reports that
"the road system of France has been
OF far greater value to the country as
q means OF raising the value of lands
and OF putting the small peasant pro.
prietors in easy communication with
the markets than have the railways.
1t is the opinion of we'll informed
Frenchmen, who have made prac-
tical study of economic problems that
the superb roads of France have been
one OF the most steady and potent
contributions to the material devel-
opment and marvellous financial elas-
ITCHY OF the country. The far.reach-
ing and splendidly maintained road
system has distinctly favored the sue.
cess OF the small landed proprietors,
and in their prosperity and the en-
suing distribution of wealth, lies the
key to the secret of the wonderful
financial vitality and solid prosperity
OF the French nation"
ITO be continued.)
Literary Notes from the Century 90.