The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-10-27
OUR COUNTRY ROADS.


The St. Paul Pioneer Press, in re-
viewing an article in the Forum by
John Wesley Bookwalter, says: "Whiloi
Mr.. Bookwalter is right In ascrfbing
much of the tendency of population to
move from the country to the city TO-
the isolation of farm life, and while his
plan of having farm lands so surveyed
that there would be a village in the
center of each section where all the
families might live has excellent fea-
lures, we think that he has scarcely
given dne weight to the evil effects Of
our country roads in creating and en-
forcing almost absolute seclusion for
country jewellers.
The worst difficulty about rural life
is not the distance that separates ono
habitation from another; it is the fact
that this distance to be traversed is
barrier, during certain seasons Of the
year, almost as impossible as a noun
tain range or a swollen torrent. Farm
ers, as rule, are well supplied with
vehicles and horses. They are not
welded to life Of solitude, but love
cheer and sociability even better than
other folks. They find these denied to
them by the condition of the country
roads during large portion of the
year This is less marked in our prairie
country than it is in sections at the
east and south, where the soil changes,
under the influence of rainfall, to q
tenacious mud that practically mega
tives all iocomotion. But even here
there is a considerable portion of tho
year when drive of from three to ten
miles is anything but pleasant under
taking. In the most unfavorably stu
ated communities there are fully six
months when neighborhood intercourse
is denied to all but pedestrians. This
is the great sacrifice which he must
make who decides to try country life
in the United States.
1T is hardly doubtful that a large
share of the average Englishman's pas
sion for residing in the country, and
still larger share of his fondness for
long walks and rides, is due to the fact
that he does not know what poor road
is. Such highway in Great Britain
as the best Of our country roads would
provoke the natives to an insurrection.
From one end of the island to the other
the traveller finds everywhere the same
beautiful, even surface for driving,
equal in comfort and very like in ap-
pearance to our asphalt streets, though
it is only a superior macadam. Over
this the heavy English carriages, which
horse could hardly move in this coun-
try, bowl merchants up hill and down
dale. On one side is the graveled foot
path for walking people, on the other
the dirt bridlepath for those on horse
back. And between them the ideal
highway stretches its glistening length,
free from mud or stones or dust at all
seasons of the year. 1t is small won
der that people love the country, and
that short distances do not deter them
or compel them to live secluded where
the facilities for travel are such as
these
Yet the difference between the coun-
try roads of Great Britain and those of
the United States is rather one of in
telligent interest and painstalSing than
one Of expense. The Englishinan has
simply learned how to go about road
making. He prepares the surface with
almost or quite as much care as we do
for laying a pavement. Then, when
the macadam is laid Oh, he sees to it
that it has constant attention. A little
break, a slowly forming depression, is
not allowed to ruin the roadway.
Stocks of finely broken stone are ready
prepared everywhere, and the slightest
defect is repaired Immediately.
l.
many of the older communities of this
country the people have actually paid
out more money for highway construc-
ton and repair per mile than it has cost
the English to create and maintain
their almost perfect system Of roads.
A good deal of the money has been
wasted by political spoilsrnen. Most OF
the remainder has been applied unintel-
ligently, lot of men digging deep
bitches on either side of the highway,
throwing the earth from these into the
center and thinking that this convex
surface of newly-dug mold could be
called a road and this process road
mending.'
There are signs of an awakening of
intelligent interest in the subject in
some quarters. Professorships have
even been established in some of the
colleges to teach the art of roadmaking,
and people are beginning to understand
the frightful economic loss of putting
an embargo on travel during a good
portion of the year, or else compelling
all beasts of burden to consume vital
force and exhaust themselves unneces-
sarily. 1t will be saving to be
counted by millions of dollars annually.
and it will be marvellous gain socially
and morally as well as industrially,
when we shall have such scientific
roadmaking in the United States that
the rural dweller will possess, SO far as
private conveyance is concerned, the
same advantages that are enjoyed by
the residents of cities"
C-D- ~F 81,