The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-01-21
GOOD ROADS.
From the 8 Gospel Of Good Roads. .

#s%l had many talks with Hubmfre be-
fore I left the farm, and though lie
didn't seem to be quite convinced !
could see that he had begun to think
the matter over, aud Lam satisfied that
.Hubmire will work out = sound con-
clusion. He is q conservative fellow;
but he has slow. sure. tenacious and
persevering way II thinking that is
sure to land him on good ground when
he starts IN the right direction ..s -.
! have told you OF my experience
with Hubmire because he is, in many
way, y typical representative OF your
class. What said to him was, in my
honest Judgment, applicable to thou,
sands of similar cases to he found in
every county Of the United States. s
The American farmer has nerve,
vigor. ambition, industry, good soil,
good climate and every nat ural facility
for the successful pursuit of agrical.
ture; but the average American farm
is = lonely institution. Its owner is
separated from his neighbours, largely
denied that many socixl advantages
which belong to people who are able to
mingle with each other from day to
day, kept at home from gatherings. So
cial political and religious. from which
he might receive both pleasure aid
benefit. His sous desert the farm for
the more profitable and enlightened
conditions of city life, and the allure
ment of profit which is held ont il
every community of successful farmers
is MT 50 conspicuous in the United
States to-day rs t" entice our farmers
SONS from the greater promise Of sec.
cess offered by mercantile occupations.
Farm property is no longer it, active
demaud and investments which il
other years would have sought the
security afforded by farm mortgages
are now directed in Their channels. G."
to any IF the large cities Of the Union
and YOU will find upon the bo"ks If
the real estate dealers an endless array
Of notices OF farms for sale u 10 ex-
change for city property.
But did not intent to digress. 1t
will interest you to know more about
the roads of France. Ii that country
there is no such diversity between tllt
material progress OF the farmer aud
that Of the Observation-Disclosures the
country and the town-as is found in
this country. The farmers prosper and
have always prosprred. Every dolla'
spent by the French Government t.:
bring itself more closely in touch with
it's rural population, has been we'll i'll
vested. You remember that terrible
war when from Prussia, the King, the
warrior and the statesman led tin
German legiuns across the breadth .,
the French Empire and forced the
capitulation of Paris; and how II"
brave Franchmen were Inundated b,
the exacting terms Of peace wh'c'
their conqu-rors imposed. The i'm
mense tribute demanded by the Ger
mans at the close of that war, NOW
twenty years ago, was made up from
moneys contributed in wonderful
degree by the French farmers, and tin.
admiration of the world which thei.
patriotism excited III the payment 81
that tribute, WAS not greater than tn
wonder which everybody felt at the
ready thrift which had enabled thea.
to meet such enormous demands.
Here is Il picture showing IL valley
near one Of the small villages in thu
interior of France. The scene is about
80 miles norwesterly from Paris, no,
not far from AMiens. which many
years ago was Il fortified city; but The
ramparts haIe been torn down and r.
placed by splendid roadways, adding
to the beauty and thrift IT the cit.
and to the convenience and pleasure
Of it's people.
In the foreground you see the SAM
kind If hard, smoo tn road that l.
shown in the last picture. In the dis
tancr down from the hills and through
the valley, you see u white line of road
showing The variOus directions j.
which these roads run aud the uniform
appearance which their hard tinisht,
surfAcrs present.
OF course these roads of France art
not built Ivy farmers who ''wOrk out :
their highway taxes after the manner
followed in this country. nor are the,
repaired by the use Of plows, hoes {"
scrapers like those which are brought
into use at the annual farmers picnic
which takes place when you 90 out t.
"work the ruad'' in your township
On the contrary, they are built an,
kept up under a system which is per
haps the most perfect in the world
There is All otlicial-in.chief, who take:
charge of all the main roads of IT.,
Republic and requires from his sub
"rdi"ates complete reports at frequent
intervals. In :his manner information
is always at hand showing the condi
ti"n Cf the roads in all parts Of tn
country. OF course. the work is divi
ded int" different sections. which, i,
tnrn, are ii charge Of subordinate en-.
gineers ~ sup-rintenden,s. Broke,
stone is furnished by contract, AM
considering the amount If labor &C
c"mpljs'"d each year on the Frencl
roads. the cost is surprisingly small
The roads "f our own State, ut lpa>
the important roads, should be mai,
tainrd il the same way The inefi
cient. hapi,az'rtl and ridicul"uSly tx
pe,Sive methods which We have fcl
lowed for the last hundred years
should have convinced us by this tim
Of necessity Of change OF course