Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-22
ECONOMY OF BETTER ROADS


| ' SupJVCt II BEGINNING 10 attract
universal attention, says a Delaware
contemporary. Delaware is far behind
her sister states in this matter Of public
Improvement. Millions appropriated
| lor railroads, but not one cent for
county roads. There is nothing strikes
European more, on his arrival In
North America, than the excellence of
the railroads and the inferiority Of the
county roads. We quote from a very
able paper written by Henry Irwin, B.
A., Z. E., Canadian Pacific Railway.
Montreal, Canada:
"This inferiority may partly be due
to the fact that the rich, both in the
United States and Canada, almost in
variably live in the cities, where the
roads are better kept up, or else in the
immediate neighborhOod of towns
which they can reach by rail. The
country roads seem TO be principally
used by farmers, TO whom time seems
to be no object, and who do not ap-
Parently realize that good roads can
be profitable, since they do not actu-
ally place dollar bills IN their hands,
ana who seem to think that the only
way to increase their income Is TO sell
more produce, no matter how much it
may cost TO draw 1t 10 market; and
accordingly they spend great part of
their lives slowly plOddiRg over bad
roads without "A thought of trying 10
Improve them.
"The writer has recently seen an ac-
count of Investigations made by Capt.
IL. IOfrey as 10 the extra cost Of bad
roads In wear and tear of vehicles and
harness, the result being that he esti-
mated 1t at one (l) cent per mile per
vehicle over what il would be on
proper roads. The principal advan-
tage Of good roads are that larger
loads can be carried with greater
speed, that farmers can market their
produce at whatever time they can yet
the best prices, without being depend
ent on the weather, and that they can
also use the roads in wet weather dur
ing the winter and spring, when they
cannot plough, thus utilizing their
horses when they would otherwise be
lnle. In general, good roads practically
shorten distances, encourage inter-
communication between town and
county, benefit trade, enhance the
value OF all adjacent properties, and
elect large saving in money uselessly
expended in hauling materials over bad
roads,
Since good roads virtually shorten
distances and render travel over them
much pleasanter, they make property
through which they pass much more
valuable, especially in the vicinity of
towns, where many would live further
out in the country We're the roads kept
in good order. Captain Brown, man
ager of Hollywood truck farm In Vir-
glnla, makes a statement To the effect
that u pair of horses can draw fiifty-five
barrels Of produce over the roads ON
that farm, which are in excellent con-
dition, whereas on the ordinary country
road they can only draw twelve bar
rels. such country roads must entail
enormous unnecessary expense to the
farmers who have to use them. The
wet winter and spring months find
Delaware roads practically impossible
for hauling.
"Ihe mud and rough surfaces of bad
roads also tend TO destroy the wheels
and frame work o. vehicles and To
break the springs and bolts. Again, in
dry weather the dust Of badly kept
roads is very annoying, destroys
clothes, and tends to prevent people
from travelling. The fact that people
on this side of the Atlantic insist on
having such first-class railway accom-
modations, and yet put up with such
bad roads, has always been mystery
TO the writer.n
IL is high time for national Conn
mittee Of better roads.n A spirited
movement is on foot to induce the
commissioner Of the Worlds Column
biah Exposition 10 create IA department
OF road construction and .mainte-
nance" to construct a building for this
department In which road making and
road machinery can be daily shown by
skilled WorKInen, so as To he AN object
lesson TO the millions of visitors who
shall attend the Exposition. This
III -IlggestioH comes from Col.
PoI )ston. He further suggests
that: "To meet expenses Of such an ex-
hibit, and to provide the necessary
building, and TO attend 10 all the de-
tails so "a to bring il to a successful
issue, IL would be advisable 10 form an
association and invite all persons inter-
ested in good roads to join and send in
subscriptions. The railroad COM
panies, agricultural societies, carriage
builders, builders Of road making ma
chinery, furnishers Of paving materials,
owners and lovers Of horses, and the
public generally would probably be
willing to contribute TO such a cause"
Col. Pope himself will cheerfully con-
tribute 81 600 for this purpose.
This Is a movement in the right di-
rection, for the reason that the means
suggested are far better adapted 10 wide
spread information on this subject
than any other method which could
be presented for consideration. Mill
ions Of visitors will have the opportu-
nifty 10 witness the practical c0nstruc-
ton Of good roads, 10 see the machinery
for preparing the material, making,
and taking care ofroads. BY all means
give US "road construction and
maintenance department" at the
Worlds Columbian Exposition, instead
of "class" Of one OF the numerous
"classes' Of Liberal Arts. Let suIia-
ble building be erected 'in which can