St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-26


adopted IN foreign countries have much
in them of communication. and worthy
OF your careful consideration.
The calling of this convention is very
timely, for our legislature is in session,
and upon the formulation of your plans
| and ideas will, no doubt, enact in laws
such measures as Will materially aid you
in this work. The subject is one which
commendS itself to every citizen. and
the members of the legislature will not
hesitate to grant you all reasonable as
SlStance. To railroads we give largely
oil our lands to stimulate their building; ;
TO commercial enterprises, q handsome
bonus. Rest assured that to this meas =
| IRE, which will so largely enhance the
value Of farm lands and assist in the
establishment of schools and churches,
promote social relations and Danish the
isolation Of farm life and stimulate and
build up the industrial interests of our
state, the most careful attention and
consideration will be given.
Your labOrS will be watched with the
greatest interest, and the proceedings
Of your convention be read and studied
by the people throughout the length
and breadth of our state.
In behalf. then, OF not only the people
OF this city, but OT the state. / extend to
you cordial greeting. May your SEES
slOns prove harmonious aud fruitful of
much good, and may your stay here be
pleasant and instructive. May all the
roads you plan lead always to St Paul,
and may You have occasion to travel
this way frequently.
Variety Of Sentiment.
c. ID. Gilfillan, of st. Paul. was asked
to respond He said substantially:
Il have had some experience in build
ing roads in this state. There IS work
enough done and taxes enough paid to
have good roads. Sentiment must be
awakened until it is disgrace for a
farmer to allow mud puddle to stand
before his property. In New England,
before the Yankees were scattered all
over creation, a broken plank i'll
bridge was thought a disgrace. We
cannot rely on the state or general gov
eminent to do these things for us. We
don't want to do this"
Senator La Due, of Rock county,
thought that the first duty that de-
vOlYed upon those engaged III the move
ment was to excite all the enthusiasm
possible He urged united action.
w. H. Grant Is credited with being one
of the very first to enlist in the cause.
Importance, said he. IL labor under
some embarrassment in coming up here
from my farm. We must be careful
about tearing down established meth
Ods."
perhaps we have advanced too rap
idly in this matter" suggested Mr..
Johnson, of St. Peter. 81 desire to
thank the acting mayor, Mr.. IngerSoll,
for his words of welcome. | predict
that this pioneer convention will in time
make the people of Minnesota proud OF
her roads"
After few pointed structures upon
the condition Of the roads in Ramsey
county, Mr.. Brown offered this lndict-
ment: Il was prevented by snow
bank 800 feet long, in front of the home
Of the supervisor OF Mounds View
township, from getting here as soon as
/ wished. 1t is time some one said
something about the poor roads of Ram
Sey county. ! rode with Mr.. Hill to MIR.
Giltillam'S place at one time, and we
nearly cot stuck III the mud. To get to
Lake Phalen you must get a guide. as
there are no guide boards. | will close
by saying ! regret that Mr.. Giltillan did
not continue his speech"
And the discussion ran along at con-
siderable length in this strain. The
common consensus Of opinion was that
Immediate aid positive steps should be
taken to make the movement a perma-
nent Institution, and a good roads aSso-
citation WAS generally advocated.
Prof. Fremder@ast's Paper.
The discussion was followed by
paper by Prof W. w. Prendergast, of
The state experiment station. The sub
ject was Good Roads, Their Influence
on the intellectual, Moral and Social
Welfare of the State"
Among other things the paper re-
cited:
From earliest times culture and good
breeding have centered i'll cities. This
is a fact which it is futile to deny The
words we use to express these qualities
prove 1t beyond cayil. Polish, polite,
urbane and civil are derived from the
Greek polls, or city: the Latin urbs. a
city, aud ciyls, resident of a city.
How shall we account for this? Science
has shown that all differences and
peculiarities among men are traceable
directly 10 either heredity OF environ
ment. 1t follows, then. that the superior
refinement of manner Possessed by resi-.
dents of cities is wholly due to their
surroundings, since they and their more
sturdy country cousins are of the same
race. This shows that the more men
rub against each other the less friction
is caused by such attrltion. Rough cor
ners are rounded, asperites softenCd.
rudeness checked. Sensible people
soon learn that they are likely
to be paid back in their own
coin, and see to it that their cur
rency has the ring of the true metal
While mere smoothness of manners and
an outside show of politeness result
from dealing with strangers, it may be
safely said that sturdy integrity and
true culture spring from long continued
association and constant business rela-
tons among the same persons.
Now, every impossible road is an in
SuDcraOle barrier 10 local advancement,
cutting off all INSTRUMENTATION and
closing all avenues which lead to social
and intellectual development. BY in
generating every family in the farm
prison we shut out the leaVen of prog
ress which the spirit of emulation
arOuSes among people who often meet
to discuss matters of mutual interest,
whether material and local, or literary,
scientific. spiritual and general. Such
a Chinese wall separates each man from
his fellows, from every spur to I'M
provement, from every incentive to
mental and moral growth.
For the highest good OF the people of
any community it Is quite essential that
facilities be established for cOmmunica-
ton with the outside world, especially
with the great centerS of civilization,
literature, traffic and art. This may be
carried on by travel, or through the
medium of the mail service, preferably
by both. but bad roads obstruct both.
A thing is of value in ratio to
the extent TO which it can DE utilized.
A man may have a coal mine a few
hundred feet below the surface of his
land and still perish Of cold on account
of its inacceSsibility. SO. people may
be well educated and yet undergo men
pabulum. Men Of literary tastes, com
PEELED by the wretched roads to forego
the benefits of the daily mail. soon dis
cover that the habit Of reading is hemg