Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-11-23
FARM AND GARDEN.
TRoLlEYs AND ROADS.
Why Car Tracks Should De Kept on II
nroyed HtDhWaya


proved Highways
For several years pasta there has
been jealous agitation In favor of
the Improvement of country roads. AS
pointed out from time to time In this
paper, this agitation, this movement,
is now resulting in practical better
ment of the highways in many locali-
ties, and a general discussion of ways
and means to such ends in almost
every enlightened neighborhood in the
country.
But the road-improvers and the
makers of road laws need to be on
their guard, for it has been demon
strated time and again In the near
neighborhood of large cities that SO
soon as country roads in populous
neighborhoods or between prosperous
villages have been graded and paved.
the builders OF trolley railroads pounce
upon them and divert them almost
completely from the purpose for which
they were intended. The extension of
trolley lines into the country should
be encouraged in all proper ways. but
the public authorities, the lawmakers
and the people should insist that these
trolleys should be located In proper
places. Such proper places are not
upon paved roadbeds, nor yet on the
spaces between the pavements and the
bitches
The pavement of macadamized
roadway is meant to drive on; 1t is in
jured very seriously by having horse
car track on it; for driving purposes it
is ruined by having trolley track
upon it-ruined as completely as
though an ordinary railroad track were
placed over the pavement. Nor should
the spaces between the pavement and
the bitches be used for railway tracks,
for these spaces are admirable driving
roads more than half the time, and the
rest of the time are needed for drain
age purposes in taking the rainfall
from the pavement to the bitches A
railway track of any kind would In
terrupt this drainage, which is of the
greatest possible Importance, as the
macadam pavement is, after all, as
much In the nature of roof as any
thing else. The inventor of this sys-
tenn of bodybuilding maintained that
If roadbed were made dry by drain
age, and kept dry by an impervious
covering, it would carry any load that
could be placed upon it. And the ex-
perience of four generations has
proved that Macadam was right in his
theory. But If we break this roof for
a railway track, or If we interrupt the
surface flow of water by railway
track on the side, then the whole pur-
pose of the road construction has
been defeated.
1t Is desirable, however, that trolley
lines should be located near to the
roads, for then they are easily accessi.
BILE. The natural place for them is on
the roadside beyond the bitches. This
location involves the expense Of grad
ing for the railway roadbed, and
hence the builders of trolleys endeavo,
to secure permission to put their lines
on the roadbed, where everything has
been prepared in advance. This is as
wrong as it can be, for such location:
not only ruin the roadway, but make
it dangerous to life. There should bt
Incorporated in every road law thai
no permission should be given to place
q railroad on the roadway without re
ferring the question to the popular
vote Of the township, and requiring
that the railroad should then pay {
rental of not less than ten per cent
per annum on the first cost of the
roadway. Such provision Of the Law
would compel trolley roads to seek ant
dnd other locations for their lines, ant
would leave the common roads for TIM
uninterrupted use for which they wer,
intended.
When the railroad came into exis
tence, two generations ago, the effor
to secure good common roads In Amer
lea was abandoned, because 1t was fan
, cied that with the development of tn,
railroad the common road would no
|; be needed. But experience has shown
that the greater the travel on the rail
roads the greater the travel on tn
common roads, and hence that the lat
; ter are really greater necessity thai
: ever. And we will learn the same les
son from the extension of the trolle.
system, for travel begets travel How
unwise it will be, therefore, just a
we are on the eve of securing for our
selves and our children good system
of country highways, to give ther
over to these private corporations TO
use quite foreign to that for whic
we improved them!-Harper's Weekly