Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-08-26
QUA COUNTRY RoAos.


waste ef Mon<y-
The ST Paul Pioneer Press. n re-
viewing IN article In the Forum By
John Wesley Bookwalte-. says while
Mr.. Bookwalter Is right In ascrihinx
much q the Tendency = population %
move from the country 70 the city %
the isolation OF farm life. and while his
plan Of having farm lands so surveycd
that there would be n village IN the
center Of each section where al the
families might live has excellent fea-
lures, we think that he has scarceiy
given due weight 20 The evil effects q
our country roads in creating and en-
forcing almost absolute seclusi0n Tor
country dwellerA
The worst difficulty about rural lSse
Is not the distance that separates one
habitation from another 70 is the fact
that this distance In be traverse5 Is n
barrier. during certain seasons Of the
year, almost as impossible As 4 noun
tain range or q swollen torrent Farm
ers, as rule. are well supplied with
vehicles aud horses They are not
welded to n life of solitude. but love
cheer and sociability even better than
other folks. They hnd these denied TO
them By the condition of the country
roads during q large portion % the
year. This Is less marked In our prairie
country than 10 Il In sections at the
east and south. where the soil changes.
under the influences of rainfall. 20 a
tenacious mud that practically mega
tives all locomotion- But even here
there IS considerable portion of the
year when n drive Of from thrce 20 ten
miles is anything but pleasant under
taking. In the most unfavorablF sitr-
ated communities there are fuIly six
months when neighborhood intercourse
is denied to all but pedestrians This
Is the great sacrifice which he must
make who decides 10 try country life
in the United States
1T is hardly doubtful that n large
share of the average Englishmal's pas
sion for residing in the country. and
still larger share of his fondness for
long walks and rides. In due 20 the fact
that he does not know what n poor road
is Such highway In Great Britain
as the best Of our country roads would
provoke the natives 10 an insurrection-
From one end OF the island TO the other
the traveller finds everywhere the same
beautiful, even surface fer driving.
equal in comfort and very like in aP-
pearance TO our asphalt streets, though
it IS only 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
- IL
the dirt bridlepath for those on horse
back And between them the ideal
highway stretches It's glistening length.
free from mud or stones or dust at al
seasons of the year Il Ii 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 painstaking than
one of expense. The Englishman 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 q pavement Then when
the maeadam Is laid on, he sees 20 II
that it has constant attention A little
break, slowly forming depression. Is
not allowed to ruin the roadway.
Stocks of finely broken stone arc ready
prepared everywhere. and the slightest
defect is repaired Immediately.
''We think IL can be proved that In
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 1t 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 spoilsmen- Most Of
the remainder has been applied unintel-
ligently. a 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 road and this process road
mending.'
There are signs of an awakening Of
intelligent interest in the subject in
some quarters Prcfessorships 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 n good
portion of the year, OF else compelling
all beasts of burden TO consume vital
force and exhaust themselves unneces-
sarily. II viii be saving TO be
counted by millions Of dollars annually.
and il viii be marvellous gain socially
and morally rs well rs industrially,
when we shall have such scientific
roadmaking in the United States that
the rural dweIler will possess, SO far as
private conveyance is concerned. the
same advantages that are enjoyed BY
the residents of cities"
suIphate of Copper solution.