The record-union., 1893-07-01
A STORY

With Moral-A Good Example-The
Santa Rosa ''Democrat'' Tells 1t.
There is nothing in which the people of
Santa Rosa have so great an interest as in
the Improvement of the roads leading to
the town. 1t concerns all classes. The
merchant, that his customers may come
III with his produce and buy supplies; the
doctor, that he may get to his outside pa
tlents; the lawyer, that it may bring his
client; the preacher, that he may increase
MS congregation; the iabOrer, that he
may get work, and the pleasure-seeker,
that he may enjoy his drives. The new
county government bill authorizes the
levy OF road tax on incorporated cities
which have heretofore paid nothing for
roads. The Supervisors should be en-
couraged to levy the tax which will give
Santa Rosa a considerable sum to be used
exclusively on the main thoroughtares
leading TO this city. The railroads are
good; they are absolutely necessary, but,
alter all, the life OF the town depends up
on its connection with its surroundings
by the best possible county roads.
Good roads did more than anything else
to make San Jose tiourishing city. 1t
has no better or more extensive country
around it than Santa Rosa. The improve
ment in San Jose, which doubled its pop
ulatlon, grew out of an apparently un-
eVentful circumstance. The advisability
Of sprinkling roads had been discussed
for long time, and all arguments i'll its
favor 1ell upon dull ears. The silurians
said it cOu.d not be done, it would not
pay, 1t was too expensive, and by their
penuriOus outcries they froze tho project
TO death. But there was d plucky little
community near town urging the Su-
pervisOrs OF their district to give
the system trial. 70 brace up
the umid officials, they agreed to
furnish man and team if the Supervis-
ors would supply the wagon and water.
The Supervisor finally consented, with
many misgivings as TO the upshot OF so
startling an innovation as the sprinkling
OF a country road. He wasn'ta candidate
for reelection, and he thought if the at
tempt was made to mob him he could
escape the county by the aid Of a good
team which he drove. The result was
an opposite surprise, the experiment was
so great a success that people Of other
districts clamored for sprlnkled roads,
and soon the system spread to all the
important highways over the county
1t revolutioniZed everything. The roads
everywhere were improved. A drive in
any direction was. pleasant, whereas
prior to the coming OF the sprinkler one
could not 60 a few miles from town
without being choked and having his
clothes ruined by dust. The price OF
land all along the sprinkl led road in
creased in value, the travel to the town
doubled, and there was a corresponding
increase Of business and growth of the
city. AS a final result, to quote a Santa
Clara paper, Now while the people of
other counties are clamoring for i'm
proved roads, Santa Clara County, on
the demand of her people. has built and
maintained roads that are free OF dust in
the summer and mud in the winter. 1t
cost some money, but, like good invest
ment, brought i'll in the outcome ten dol
lars for every one it cost" This is not a
| theory, it is a worked out practical result.
Shall we profit by the example? We can
do il with like results