The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-10
Saturday. June ~. 1855.
yOV ESrION OF ROADS BRIDGES

AllN loiI
traveller came his footsteps were guided
to Rome and eventually his scudi were
put in circulation there. MOI that there
were no other roads in the country. but
that those that led to Rome were SO
much easier. pleasanter and safer 10
travel up on that even though they took
the travelor u of his way slightly. he
benefited so largely in h respects
mentioned. that he was not only content.
but glad to pay tribute to Rome in re-
turn therefor. The principle is the
same now that it was two thousand
years ago and is exemplitied in the pros
perity of every center of population IN
the country whose roads offer an in
ducement to travel. Nowhere IN the
country is this more noticeable than IN
the sparsely settled west where magnl-
ticient distances stretch out and set
tiers separated by d days travel are
considered ncighbors. To the little
communities that dot the face OF the
map and call themselves towns or cities.
and become he depots of supply for
the surrounding country. the question
of roads at once becomes an important
one. Witt two competing points. all
Sther thlngs being equal. the one which
offers the easiest and safest means OF
getting to it. will quickly pull ahead.
and So controlling are the advantages
named. that they VIII outweigh those
of Lessee distance and lesser prices. Cor
il Is a fact that is constantly being uem-
onstrated in this county that men Viii
go farther 10 d market and pay more
when they get there. than to and at
Miles City. simply because the road Is
better than the one We give them. This
is a condition that affects the whole of
the country lying on the north of the
Powder river and it mas been the case
for years with the upper Tongue river
and the Wyoming settlement adjoining
our southern boundary. For wears Miles
City has supineiy permitted a most lu-
crative trade from these and other sec
tons to go elsewhere. when it should
have come here. circumstances it is
true have i'll a measure forced this sltua-
ton upon Us. The county was heavily
in debt. and economy III all Expenditures
was the watchwor whether wisely or
otherwise. it has been the policy of the
county commissioners FOR some years
Gast To hold down the expenditures for
roads and bridges to Il minimum. So that
Il. ..,t IL. . t,.y
ance of the regime that tiourished
prior to lcsi. and the enforced
economy Of those that have governed
since. this county has really had to de-
pend upon what nature has provided in
the way of roads. and as for bridges.
God help those that cannot swim.
But as the settlement of the county
grows larger and of a more permanent
character. complaints become more mum
erous and emphatic from the outside
settlers. while the merchants at the
county seat are slowly opening their eyes
to the fact hat at a dozen or more
places in in the county. small trading es-
Establishments nave started up and are
doing a fiourishing business. every dol
lar of which would nave come to Miles
City if there had been decent roads over
which to bring it and carry the pur-
chases back again. II is not oyerstating
the case when we say that this county
is in need to-day of an expenditure of
from 10000 to $4,000 for bridges and
roads. and we believe such an expendi-
ture would be productive of the largest
amount Of immediate benefit and that it
would be almost universally endorsed by
the tax payers. The man who pays a
half a mill road and bridge tax and
browns a team Of valuable horses in
crossing Pumpkin creek. or comes with
in an ace Of losing his life in fording the
treacherous Powder river is not a proper
subject to talk economy in the matter of
roads and bridges to. and these instances
are multiplied day by day and week by
week. all over the county until il has
reached that point that no one comes to
Miles City except when he has to. and
he that has to. makes his will before he
starts. and thanks God with an un-
wOnted fervency on his safe return.
There is no one thing of greater impor-
lance to the people of Custer county
than this matter Of roads and bridges.
Some may say that it is a matter that
concerns Miles City alone. but hat is
not SO. While an improvement in the
roads would benefit Miles City pecun-
iarily, it must be remembered that the
people OF Miles City do not have to
travel over these hillsides roads and ford
these swollen streams. but as long as
Miles City is the county seat, the people
in the country do have to do these
things, and generally without much