The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-09
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h Road One ton.

The road question is being agitated in
the East 1t ought to be taken up in the
West. Indeed the whole country should
be aroused over the poor roads that are to
be encountered almost everywhere through
out this broad land. ;" Passing by the streets
of the cities where attempts, more or less
successful- very often less-are made to
keep them in passable order, we have in
mind the roadway5 the highways and
lowways of the country districts. How
few places there are where good carriage
road may be found leading from town to
town The railways, of course, have
smoothed the path for long distance travel,
but the communication between towns and
villages away from the railroads is made diff
fcult by the wretched condition Of the high
ways.
j Good roads are marks of high civiiza-
ton. Judging by that standard, what sort
of civilization is that which obtains out
west, or for that matter in most of the
oldsr states of the Union! In Europe the
art of road-making has been understood
/ for centuries, aud the turnpike roads OF
Old England are pleasure to travel on. Ia
wet weather or dry, they are always pas
sable and even, and vehicles can be driven
upon them without miring or wallowing in
dust. In this country the distances are
often very great between towns and settle
ments and the cost of good roads is there
fore comparatively high. But public con-
venience demands improvement, and the
expense entaied would be saved in the
4 No ~,
OF vehicles and the waste Of horse power.
Clubs are being formed in various parts
of the United States in the interest of good
roads. Agricultural associations, bicycle
clubs, transportation companies and otter
societies are taking up the question, aud
the subject of scientific road-making is be-
ing investigated.
Titan has as much need to wake up on
his question as any other part of the coun-
try. The lightness of the soil here renders
the roads masses of binding dust in the
summer aud treacherous mud-pattes in the
winter. The evil is aggravated by the
| irrigating bitches that cross the roads al
frequent intervals and the overflow from
canals and bitches.
What saving there would be- in q single
year in carriages, buggies, wagons and
carts, besides horsehesh and personal com.
fort, II Utah had good roads connecting the
principal settlements In remote parts OF
the territory travelling is often horror
In miles upon miles there will often be
found not single sign OF improvement. The
roads are in their native state except such
changes as lave been made by travel.
A great deal of commsndsbls work has
been done in spots, and the Legislature ha.
been as liberal az the state of the treasury
permitted in appropriating funds for road:
over mountains and in the most Difficult
places. But this labor is hardly patch
ing" to that which is needed It is not Il
be expected that hne carriage ways can b.
built at once over the immense distances
where they are needed, but much more
than Ia now attempted might be done tt
make travel possible if not pleasurable
The subject ought to be taken up ii
every county. 1t should be made Ieadins
public question. The aim should be Il
have good road from every considerable
town to the county seat, or at any rate one
good public road through each county, con
Meeting with the adjoining county in
given direction. Where irrigating ditche.
must cross the roads. bridges should bt
built. The number OF those ditch cross.
ings could be materially lessened by gooi
regulations. Overflow water can be KEEP
off the roads. A ditch on each side of the
road should be run where possible and thu
road rounded sufficiently TO drain off water
Road supervisors and selectmen should
be chosen who will be fair to all sections
of county and not devote their efforts
to certain parts, with view to the prof.
and convenience of q favored district
Combined and persistent Efforts in each