The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1895-10-10
AGRICULTURALH HINTS.
GOOD ROADS CRUSADE.

.ac,. and Figures Collected by the
League OF American wheeimeD.
The racing man and his many
troubles have been attracting so much
attention of late there Is a tendency TO
forget the League of American Wheel
men has anything more serious to
occupy its time. The fact remains that
racing and the matters pertaining
thereto are but a side issue and have
little or nothing TO do with the actual
business OF the league. The league.
which was formed in 1880. had been In
Existence but a short time when 1t was
discovered the roads OF this country
we're vastly inferior to those of other
Countries. In view of the act that
bicycle riding was poor sport on any
but the best of roads the league took
np the matter of arousing interest in
the question. Starting with a purely
selfish motive the subject has grown
till now the league is pledged TO all of
It's vast membership to continue the
agitation till success shall crown the
Efforts To secure favorable legislative
action or the question.
In order that the movement might
prove n success the farmer had to be
Interested. as he it was the principal
burden Of the improvement would fall
upon. At the outset the wheelmen
were unfortunate enough to incur the
dislike and antagonism OF the rural
slement through the fact that the
courts had to be ~rcsorted to in order to
I..tIu tLot a.. ..ha.1 tya m uAht.la
and entitled to a share Of the road.
The farmer contended that the bicycles
scared their horses, end as a result
they were greatly opposed TO allowing
the rights of the road to the advocates
of the rev method of transportation.
The matter was fully settled In the
courts, and in n number of instances
the misguided farmer was compelled
TO pay for the machine that his wrath
had impelled him to drive over. This
state Of affairs naturally led the
farmer to believe the wheelman his
natural enemy, with the result the
good roads agitation met with scan,
courtesy.
That good roads are for the benefit
Of the farmers as much or even more
than any other class, vas a act that
had then to be demonstrated to the
satisfaction Of the tiller of the soil.
Progress In this line has been slow, buI
at last matters appear to be progress
ing nicely, and the chances are the
near future will see n great movement
in favor of road Improvement. TIL,
poor condition of American roads
arises from a number of causes TIL.
country is eve and less densely pop
ulated than the farming districts o
Europe. As a result, Zach of the rura
residents is responsible for a create
amount of roadway than is his foreign
cousin. Another and potent factor II
the present state of affairs lies not II
the total neglect OF the highways, bu
because a great deal Of labor that
now put on the roads Is not applied Il
a manner calculated to produce tn
best results. Every community hn
laws requiring n certain mount o
labor to be expended on the roads eac'
year. This labor seems to consist i
scraping the mud from the sides of tn
road and piling 1t as high as possible |
tue centcr, tHus ioTciuH JIG tcanho Y
drive in the ditch to either side I'll
the road is gradually beaten down t
the center egain. Were the sam
amount of labor expended each yea
In building gravel roads the resul
would be miles and miles OF valuabl
turnpike in the course Of a few years.
There is no manner In which none
can be applied for improvement o
farming property that will pay large