Connecticut western news., 1892-09-22
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, ss, 1892
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Roads Again

The hO8OS Agaln.
 Editor of Neaos
 Your article in last weeks NEWS was good for a starter, but it occurred to me that it might be good thing to keep stirring up the people on this important subject, and as all reforms have to be brought about by agitation let us keep at it for it is said "keeping everlasting ly at it brings success"
 Why it is that the people of this town, and particularly this village, show such apathy in regard to our roads is beyond the comprehension of any person com ing here from any other place where they have comfortable roads There arc 8 good many strangers here in the course of the year and they on looking over our village always compliment us on having our houses, lawns, sidewalks etc. in such good condition; but should they chance to take drive on our roads they cannot help but criticise our roads as much as they praise the former. Citizens, we are blind to our own inter ests in allowing this state of our roads to exist! If they could be made even comfortable, every cent thus expended would come back to us in increased val uation of our property. How can we expect city people to come here to board or locate summer residences with such ''damnable" roads as we have? Would any of us. were we to change To- cation, go to a place with no better roads than we have? should think it safe to say not onel Our roads are a reproach to our otherwise beautiful town and there is no reason why they should be as they are, other than that given by one of our sarcastic townmen, who said live put up with the roads as they are because our fathers and grandfathers did" Is this not very poor excuse for these progressive times?
 When 8 sensible man wants to exter- minats weeds he does not cut them down year after year but he digs and pulls them out by the roots. Is not our. present way of fixing roads similar to cutting weedsa Year after year we pay to have the sand scraped from the ditch into the wagon track only to have it washed back by the first rain; and many of our people think the roads are worse in some places after being repair ed than before. We will not say what is best to be done, but our annual town. meeting Is near at hand and then this road business is to be settled for moth. CT year, and it does seem as though il we would all give the subject proper thought, and talk it over before tha, time, (call @ meeting to get expressions from different ones if advisable) that we might bring some ideas to said towr meeting worth acting on. Anything done will be better than remaining ir this lethargic condition we are now in We would offer as suggestion tha this sand scraping be stopped and lei the side roads go, as long as they art passable, for one year and put all the money formerly used in that way witt that which can be raised otherwise, into putting onnPf our main roads in good condition and that one road to be tht one leading from near MT D. l.. Peirce' to the Norfolk line as this is one of tn, most travelled roads and should receive first attention.
 Let us do something beside talk Talk and sand are very poor material to mako roads of; clay, gravel and fin, limestone are great deal better.
 REFORM, Canaan, Conn.,, Sept 19, 1892.