The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-17

ARtlFD NAf0N I'm NAtADAM Road. Al
JUNCTION. nIrH cRDfNA AIRY DIRT ROAD.
eport>men. But the bicycle-riders
spoke words of wisdom and truth. and
these in time found Judgement in the
minds OF the men wi no were at first i'm
clined 10 scott. The great arcume MT
that has always been used To encour-
age practical action has been that Il
any neighborhood once had even a
small section of good roadway. the
people would quickly realize the be n
efits 81 good roads. and see 10 IL that
the whole neighborhood was supplied
Now this was good argument. and
the prophecy il contained has been full
6lied in several Instances
In 1sSs the New Jersey legislature
passed an act authorizing the inhab-
ifants of townships to place all roads
and streets within the township under
the manageme nj of the township com
scitlee. and to raise money by bonds
for grading. matchmaking ard inn
proving the same. Under this law
several townships OF Union county
took action very quickly. Indeed the
law was passed at the instance of en-
terprising Union county men When
good system Of roads had been com
pleted in parts of that county the so-
cial and economical conditions were at
once changed. Property-owners who
could not find purchasers for lands
that were then Improbable were now
unwilling 10 sell at prices fifty and
one hundred per cent. larger than
those at which the lands had gone beg
ging. Building sites were in great de-
mand for country places for city men.
and the farmers were happy in an un-
accustomed prosperity. The example
OF Union county was followed in that
Immediate part of the state. but now
more liberal law with state aid has
TOR time put a stop 10 this kind of
improvement by townships. But in
another part of the state there has
been more striking and more inter
e>ting instance Of how much better
roads will be demanded SO soon as the
people know what be tier roads are.
Moore>town. in Chester township Of
Burlington county. is about ten miles
from Philadelphia. II is Quaker
neighborhood. and the Friends are
s"s''as 'Vh~xN &tiSC b'ul Ol HE II.
The section il admirably adapted TO
the growth Of vegetables nd small
fruits. and the excellent markets in
Philadelphia are TO a great extent sup
piled from there. The soil is sandy
where it is not clayey. and sometimes
IL is both. Till within three years
past the country roads have been a.
bad as roads could he. In summer and |
autumn 'hcy were more than fetiock |
deep in heavy dust through which !
wagons Were drawn with toilsome |
WEAKNESS. in the winter and spring !
many Of these roads were alinos, i'm
pas>able. and the farmer who sen; q
loaded wagon away entered upon a.
hazardous venture A. the merchant 1
who despatched ships tn unknown l
seas. When the team would return
was only matter Of conjecture and il I
the load weighed two tons. four horses
wer" needed to drag il through thu.
sand and nire. and even then the
wagons often stuck. The conservative
people Of Moorcstown several wears
ago lost patience with some of these
pad and dangerous pieces Of road. and
.he township ~ Chester appropriated
si-oOo Ia macadamize such places. The
township of Cinnaminson. adjoining,
aid Likewise. and during the summer
several little stretches OF good stone
road we're laid. For the first time in their
'ives mary OF the people Of the neigh
oorhocd saw piece Of good road. II
: true there were turnpkes in the
township coated with gravel. and one
y Two with . rubble-stonc pavement
On them. but these were not good
good roads st all except when com.