Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-06-13
pooa ROADS CAUSE olscoNTlNr.
THEY HAVE DONE MUCH TO DESTROY
TIiH GLoRY or NEW ENGLAND
HOMES.

Good roads arc Of paramount lmpor-
tance TO every citizen, but TO the farmer
especially. For the past few decades
the farmer has devoted his attention to
the problem Of producing crops Of the
beat quality In the greatest abundance
at the least cost, and In the solution Of
this problem he has succeeded admlra-
bly,. But the longer and the better and
the cheaper his product, the poorer, ap-
parently, does he find himself TO be at
the end Of the rear. Others seem TO gain
the profit; loss falls to his share.
One cAuse Of this state Of affairs Ia not
difficult to hnd. The average farmer has
not yet c0mprehended and solved the
problem Of exchange. The expense OF
getting his produce to market and Of re-
turning those commodities for which he
has exchanged the products OF the farm
falls a. heavy burden uron the agri-
culturist. The cost Of carriage Of crops
Que way from the farm to the railroad
station, o to 10 mlles dlstant, and OF
fuel, fertilizers, machinery, commercial
feed stuffs, furniture, clothing and pro-
visions FROM the markets to the country
home has been 90 great ~ to reduce the
value Of farms, little distance from the
centres, 80 TO 100 per cent, causing them
In many cases to be abandoned.
For example, farm Of Is acres Of ar
able land In q square lot containing q
pretty house of Ave rooms In good re
pair, q barn, plenty Of fruit trees, located
In the midst Of magnificent scenery, on
main road, l-2 miles from Amherst
college, Massachusetts,, within two miles
Of two stations on two railroads, hardly
mile from church and schoolhouse and
store, has been for years offered for sale
without purchaser aud has often been
vacant, while many have paid $50 or el0O
more for tenement OF five rooms In q
second story Of village house than Was
asked for the rent Of the whole farm
house, barn, garden, orchard, pasture
and tlllage.
Poor roads are an efficient factor In
producing the discomfort OF our rural
population. Dusty and stony In sum
mer, muddy and deluged In spring and
autumn, rough or slippery or drlfted
with snow In the winter, poor roads are
dangerous to life and limb, q constant
tear upon horses and harnesses, wagons
aud carriages. They Isolate the farmers
family from the school, frOm the church,
from the postoffice and all Of Its educa-
tional facilities, from all the social Gen.
tres Of thought and advancing civillza-
tiOn. They have done more than any
other single factor to destroy the glory
Of the New England home of olden time,
to produce the abnormal growth OF the
city, with Its increasing evils, and to
make agriculture unremunerative to the
farmer.
What can be done to show the farmer
the necessity of good roadsg Poor, bad,
abomlnable roads are common. A piece
Of road properly constructed upon which
the farmer might drive his teams would
do more 10 convince him Of the value
and economy Of good roads and to send
him annually into the town meeting aud
his representative into the legislature
demanding good roads 10 return for
taxes assessed than any amount OF
pamphlets and pictures and speechmak-
ing.-Rev. c. s. Walker In Good Roads.