The record-union., 1895-03-05
HOW TO PROSPER.
California May Help Herself If She
Will.
General Roy Stone, in the .s'Overland
Monthly,'' Tells How to Bring
On Prosperity.

from paper in the Overland Monthly for !
March by General Roy Stone. Special |
Agent and Engineer, Office of Road Inquiry
United States Department OF Agriculture
The Overland has asked me for word
upon the road problem in California be-
fore leaving the State, and | am glad to
be able to make that word one of encour-
agement as well of counsel and appeal.
California OF to-day represents, as 1t
appears to me. the highest forces of
American civilization. Either by recent
selection or by descent through only one
generation, it has had the pick Of the
vigor and intelligence of all the older
States. An environment in the highest
degree stimulating has developed and
cultivated the ambitions. aptitudes ana
powers of the original pioneer and State
builder until they have been able to
build up a commonwealth that is the ad-
miration of the world. see only one
blot on theirwork. and from an Ameri-
can standpoint that one is no disgrace
for if it is, the Nation shares it.
THE "RELIC" MUD.
Our "relics OF barbarism" were not
"twins," but triplets, and the third one
was mud" Two OF the three have been
is still with US, but there is twice enough
to give it a wipe" before the century
closes. and before that time California
can easily be the leader iprthe work. Her
best sentiment is already awake on this
subject.
The Road Convention at Sacramento
last week comprised representatives OF
the universities, colleges and technical
societies, the commercial bodies, munlcl-
palities and county governments, the
oranges, alliance institutes, humane So
cieties, wheelmen and other organlza-
tions, besides forty delegates chosen by
the Governor of the State; altogether
several hundred men and women all
assembled at their own cost and giving
their most earnest work to this reform.
Governor Budd opened the session, and
committees of the Legislature were IN
constant attendance. In composition IL
was easily the best Of the many State
Road Conventions L have attended.
CALIFORNIA; CONDITIONS.
In physical conditions California re-
minds me constantly of France, with
many points of advantage over that
country. 1t has nearly the same area, a
better soil and finer climate, and vastly
more valuable minerals. 1t would easily
support an equal population. Its only
apparent inferiority is its highways. In
France to journey by country roads is
one of the supreme delights of life; in
most parts of California it is a task in
winter and torture in summer. In
France, to dwell all the year round on
ones own estate in the country, however
small, is a privilege and distinction,
almost a patent OF nobility. TO be
obliged 10 do so in many of the most fer
tile sections or California would be pun
ishment with periods OF mitigation. The
average California farmer loses one-fourth
of the home value OF his products through
ivan nzrl in TlFln frn n nGIln
talon. The French farmer grows ricn
so fast by means of his good roads and
his constant access to markets that he Is
the financial mainstay OF his Govern
ment in all its emergencies. Following
all the losses OF a devastating war France
was able 10 pay in cash a thousand mill
ion dollars as war indemnity,
then to sink hundreds OF millions
in foreign canal speculation, and
all without exhausting her resources,
or perceptiDly impairing her pros
perity. i careful observer says 1.-THE
wonderful financial elasticity OF France
is due to her prosperous agriculture, as
sured by her goou roads"
SHALL WE WAIT?
Should California wait for good times
to build good roads, or reverse the pro-
cess and build good roads to bring good
times? Good times, through other means,
are elusive and perhaps distant, but good
roads (at least throughout all the grea
central valleys OF the State), can be haC
promptly and certainly by means ab-
surdly easy compared with the great dif.
hcultles commonly apprehended. The
current progress OF road-bullding in The
United States, as disclosed by the inves
legations of the Department OF Agricult'
ure, is developing such economies il
construction, and such equitable and wide
distribution OF cost, that even IN the mos
unfavored localities the burden OF eX.
pense is extremely light. In California
1t would be nothing. 4 little good bust
ness management, little concert of aC
ton, a little outstanding of resources
natural and artificial, are all that is need
ed to secure this blessing.
THE DETAILS.
To particularize; it is found that 70
almost all country roads one-half tn
width of macadam formerly used is al
that is necessary, and IN fact preferable L
the greater width, while improved meth
DDS, machinery and appliances for trans
portation are bringing down the cost C
that one-half nearly one-half-more, S
that excellent stone roads are being bull
in places more difficult than any here 10
less than $1,000 per mile. whereas til
usual estimate few years ago was 300
to s., 900 per mile. On the financial SID
OF the question the fact is every where be
coming recognized that the rural popuIa
ton is no more Interested in road i'm
provement than the people Of cities an
towns, and the heIp OF the latte
is freely extended to the farmer
through various form of State aiC
The railroad companies also al
recognizing their own interest in aidiu
the movement, not only Tor the pre-
motion OF the general welfare, but for tn
direct advantages OF increasing their ow
traffic and equaliZing it throughout tL
year, and they are sinking all thought {
making profit out OF the trausportatIo
of road materials, and even proposing
carry them at the bare cost OF train serN
ice, contri ributing thereby the use OF the
tracks and general administration towaT
the cost of the highways which some
them are advancing their taxes for yea
ahead TO assist further III the movemen
THROW OFF THE LOAD.
With all this aid the ancient burden
bad roads is lifted Oil the back OF the d;
tient farmer anu he goes on his way r
joicing, not only that his way is mac
smooth, out that no new burden OF tax;
tion is substituted. For great part
California the conditions Tor road in
provemeut are absolutely ideal. At Il
request OF Governor Budd l visited Il
State Prison at Folsom, and found the
every requisite for The production of 70;
metal at the absolute minimum of co:
and from that point the railroad leads
down grade 10 Sacramento, and then
level and straight through eli the centr
valleys of the State. The state at Folso
has a splendid equipment OF water pow
comparatively idle, and endless guam
ties of good rock in the prison ground
so that the labor, the power, the rock al
the railroads are brought together as
have seen them no where else. L
prisoners need the work in the open
!, III