St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-04-23
Good Roads.
:. In Texas Farm & RauriI

Enic Graves in Texas Farm & Ranch.
The advantages of better highways
are many and obvious. The majority
OF the popu latiOn Of the world live in
the country and for the masses should
the greater number of improvements be
made. The particular reform which |
am now advocating would add much to
the prosperity of all; but especially
would it help the down tlodden tiIier Of
the soil. Good roads would curtail his
expense very greatly. To him, il to no
one else, during the greater part of the
year, literally, "tme is money" In
work, and wait for the time when the
ground is dry enough to till, or for the
roads to become fit for travel. so he can
market the produce of his toll. 1t they
were the proper kind of roads, he could
utilize this wet weather, instead of stay
ing in doors and bemOaning his luck be-
cause OF it. 1t lie tries hauling and sue
ceeds at all, it can only be with loads
one fourth the size they should be, and
with Immense Wear and tear to EUrses
and wagon, to say nothing Ut the in
roads made into the drivers temper.
Of all enlightened nations. the Uuited
States is one Of the most destitute of
really good roads. think the cause
can be traced to the fact that, in their
daily l8bOIiOus struggle for existence.
the masses cannot be brought to realize
the necessity of having good roads; aud
as yet, tho press, the only means by
which the subject Can be effectively
placed before them, has not taken much
notice of it.
In France, which has perhaps the
best roads in the world, tile highways
are kent in good repair-so good that !
Mark Twain says that they look as if |
they We're smoothed down and polish !
ca every morning by squads of men |
hired for that especial purpose" The
country ls divided into districts and
each district has an overseer who sees
that every road is kept in splendid con-
dltlon. In thia country every man is
required to work SO many days per at-
mum, or pay, its equival cnt in money,
for the maintenance Of public high
ways.
Why could rot each man pay, il
needs De, a little more at first, and then
q small tax annually, and so have the
same condition Of things here as in our
sister republic across the ocean 7 Put
ting them in good condition at first
would require good deal, but such
good things are rarely gotten for moth
ing, and surely the gain will over
balance the expenditures. In the ad-
of this work, could not con-
vict labor be used z 1t surely would not
hurt the eonvicts themselves, as they
are required to work ut something daily,
and it private individuals can afford to
pay The State for their labor, the State
itself eau afford to use them to carry on
puo;lc Improvements, especially such
work as this.
In macadamizing roads there has been
discussion az to which is
the better, a fiat OF rounded surface.
All agree that it should be higher in the
Diddle than e. lsew here, but how much,
. tie disputed point The general in
,lnation is toward a rounding surface,
out it seems to me that a nearly 1iAt one
would be preferable. If the road be
Kept III good repair, the water will run
II from Il very slightly s!opins aurfacc
IS quickly and as we'll as from round
al one, aud the llat pike affords more
DOM for travel tilaH a found one.