The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-10-18
BETTER PUBLIC ROADS.
The Movement has Come to Stay
Road Meeting in Raleigh During the
State Fair-Report of Buncombe
County's Road Committee which
Visited New Jersey and Other States.

County's Road Committee which
Visited New Jersey and Other States.
All great movements in history have
succeeded after large amount OF talk
and agitation. If the agitation shows
that the movement has but little merit
in it, the people get tired Of it and
drop it. If on the other band. as IS
the case with this move for better
roads. it is iull Of merit and of vital
importance to the people, it will con-
tinue to grow until it has becomes part
Of the policy and practice of every
community. We have been asleep on
the question Of public road improve
ments for so long time that it re-
quires a considerable amount Of az ia
ton to wake us up SO that we realize
the situation. But once aroused the
people of North Carolina can be
depended upon to do the right thing i'll
the right way.
ROAD MEETING IN RALEIGH DURING
THE FAIR.
The great road conference held in
Charlotte in September adjOurned to
meet again in Raleigh on Wednesday
night of the State Fair week. at eight
O'Clock. in the hall Of the House Of
Representatives 1t is expected that
all of those present at the Charlotte
meeting and many additional delegates
from other counties will attend this
meeting in Raleigh on October 9th.
Every citizen Of the State who is
interested in having better roads land
| this includes everybody is invited to
attend.
Among the distinguished persons
who will address the meeting are,
Governor Carr, General Roy Stone. the
Government Road Engineer, Washing
ton. and Hon. ). b. Alexander, the
father of the Mecklenburg good roads
movement, and others. This will
probably be the last State meeting
held by the Road Improvement Associ-
alton this year. and we desire to have
it the largest. Let everybody who
wants better roads come and take part
in this meeting, and see the exhibits,
and then 90 home and start or push the
| movement in their own counties and
townships.
There will be large exhibit of I'M
proved road machinery on the State
Fair grounds, a part of which will be
| operated 50 that it can be seen at
work. One part of the exhibit will
consist of a county outfit for road work,
with prices and descriptions of the
machines SO that everybody can see
just what a county ought to purchase
as an outfit for this work.
BUNCOMBE'S ROAD COMMITTEE
REPORT.
One of the best recent illustrations
of the fact that the people of North
! Carolina are becoming aroused to the
Importance of this movement for better
roads, and that they propose to do the
work in the right way is seen in the
action of the authorities Of Buncombe
county in sending committee Of
citizens to carefully examine the best
roads and road systems to be found in
Mecklenburg county (of our own State
i'll Virginia, New Jersey and New
York. This committee has Just re.
turned from its extended trip and its
report is now being published in the
Citizen. 1t has done a good work MOI
only for Buncombe but also for the
whole State, and its report ought to be
widely read in every county. 1t is
hoped that many papers will copy il
from the Citizen. 1t is expected thai
the committee will also make a report
to the Road Improvement Association
in Raleigh October 24th.
The finest roads seen by the com
mittee were in New Jersey; where
indeed the finest roads in America are
to be found. These roads are Macada
mixed with trap rock, nine to twenty
two feet wide, and all of them have
been built under the best engineering
supervision. On these roads can be
frequently seen, two horses or mules
drawing loads varying from two t,
five tons. and on a Macadam road il
Union county, New Jersey. two hors e:
were known by the writer to pull ;
load of seven tons a distance of lively,
miles daily.
Perhaps the roads best adapted t
North Carolina conditions and especi
ally to our finances, were seen by tn,
committee in Canandaigua, New York
Concerning these roads the repOr
says:
Five members of your committee actin.
Oh the advice OF General Stone, accom-
panied him 20 Canandaigua, New York
where was found Il character of roaC
improvement best adapted to our means
h.,
stone Off their fields and piling them III
in convenient places, where the count,
hands crushed them and hauled tn
metal to the adjacent roads. They ad
vocated Macadam not exceeding eigh
feet wide and eight to ten inches thick
and used the material unscreened. pre-
ferring to have all sizes mixed togethe
(this point was also advocated b,
General Stone.) The cost of these road
we We're told, was from $4,000 t.
5000. 90 per mile; and We drove over on
which had not exceeded the smaIe
figure.
Every one with whom we talked SCENE,
pleased with thework done and general,
recommended narrower road and ;
thicker Macadam than was used in Ney
Jersey. The cheapness of the Canaan
daigua work, its being done not by con
tract, but on county account: tn
division of the public fund among tn
citizens. encouraging the farmers to clea
their lands of stone, We're among tn
most attractive features of our visit t
that place. J. \. HOLMES,
State Geologst and Secretary OF Mort
Carolina Road Improvement Association
Letter From RingWOOd.
RINGwOoD, y. c., Oct. Is, "a.
Frost and crispy this morning.
Tom Emmett, the baby boy of Mr.