The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1892-03-09

r.
Journal. ~
The improvement OF Country
Roads.
Mr.. T. r. Proctor, the we'll
known breeder and hotel pro-
prietor of Utica and Richfield
Springs, writes an interesting
letter on this subject to the New
York Times, from which we give
the following extract: '
As an example of what can
be done in this direction with
out the aid of legislation, the
Village of Richfield Springs
furnishes an excellent object
lesson. Fifteen years ago the
roads in the vicinity were so
bad that it was an unusual
thing for a guest to bring his
own carriage there. 1t became
evident that good roads were
necessary $50 that visitors might
appreciated the beautiful seem
cry in the locality. The be-
ginning was made by the MEM
bers Of the bicycle club, who
had a natural interest in hay-
ing good roads.
They first raised a fund a.
mong their own members, to be
spent on the roads. Then they
waited on the pathmasters of
the respective road districts,
and induced them to do all they
could under the law. Then ev-
cry hotel and boarding house
keeper and merchant was asked
to subscribe to the fund of the
wheelmen for the purpose Of
Fsupplementing the work Of the
pathmasters by finishing off or
finely grading the roads within
a radius of six or eight miles of
the village.
The cycling club is composed
of active young men, and they
did their work Systematically
assigning different subjects to
committees, and keeping at
work early and late throughout
the season. Every district has
a road scraper, and the club
also has one of these machines.
The work has been done in this
way for several years, and the
results obtained are very graft
flying.
The roads, within a radius of
six or eight miles, have been
kept in such good shape that,
next to the baths, the drives are
now the principal attraction of
the place. The village has more
summer visitors than ever, and
they remain much later in the
fall, enjoying the beauties of
the autumn foliage. Very many
Of the visitors bring their own
horses and elegant turnouts;
the liverymen not only find
work enough for their own
horses, but rent all their extra
stalls. Many stalls in private
stables ars also rented.
The coaching parade has come
to be a very attractive annual
feature, and in the one of this
season there were no less than
seven four.in-hand brakes, own.
ed by gentlemen from New
York and Brooklyn, besides a
large number of victorias, sur
rsys, dog carts and Other
vehicles. The contrast between
the roads of today and those oi
fifteen years ago is striking
and shows what can be done in
a practical way by a few deter
mined men.
The benefits accruing to the
village are shared by the farm
ers as well as the villagers, anC
and, briefly stated, they are
Many more summer visitors; al
the stalls Of public and privat,
stables rented and the livery
men doing a good business; far,
mers furnish a much large
quantity of supplies, not onl!
for the hotels, butte hay, straw
and oats for horses--the goo,
roads make but few repairs {,
vehicles necessary.
| Last summer no less thai
forty horses were bought b,
visitors from farmers in tn
vicinity. Farmers on the i'm
proved roads can bring mucl
heavier loads to market wit
comparative ease, and farmer
on the unimproved roads are be
ginning TO see and appreciat
the value of these improvements
The members Of the bicycl
club ride into the country /
every direction, and their meet
ings are attended by wheelme
from many adjacent counties
Even the wheelmen Of the eye
ling clubs at Utica, when the
desire to make country runs, ii
variably choose the roads abol
Richfield Springs for maxim
: the trial.
-
THE rapid growth Of the mil
ing town of Creede would SUI