Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-11-07
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GOOD THoRoUGHFAREs.

Like Charity, This Writer Thinks, They
Should Begin at Home.
All things considered-youth and
overgrowth, inexperience and careless
ness, and, in the majority of cases, lack
Of opportunity to judge by comparison
the United States has kept reasona-
BILE pace with other nations in the mat
ter of roadways. There is an appalling
territory to be covered, beside which
the establishing of good roads in Eu-
ropean countries seems like child's play.
One of the chief troubles in America has
been the rapid development of our tre-
mendous railway system, which has
absorbed the time, attention and cap
ital of men and companies who have
given thought to conditions of COM
munications between districts. Far
reaching and essential as this mode of
conveyance is, it must be remembered
that the finest railroad in the world in
no way lessons the local need of good
roads in the communities through
which it passes.
While one naturally expects to find
the greatest degree of comfort in these
matters in the oldest settlements, it is
a fact beyond dispute that the younger
cities of the west are far better paved
than eastern cities generations older,
while country roads in populous dis
tricts average as good. In no other
matter do men SO easily reconcile them
selves to Indifferent and inefficient serv-
ice. The amount of discomfort en-
dured daily in cities paved with granite
blocks, for instance, is past compute
ton. Irregular of surface, noisy, dirty,
hard alike on horse and on vehicle, this
barbarous system has had but one
merit to recommend it: 1t is durable.
Considering it's manifold discomforts,
this is rather fault than virtue.
Other materials are durable, cleaner,
more comfortable in every respect, and
yet are vigorously fought against by
partisans of the granite blocks. who are
jounced about in carriages and deaf
ened by noise without realizing the
degree of discomfort to which they
subject themselves. No sane man would
elect to wear hair-cloth shirt because
it was durable and seldom required
change, for he would consider the many
forms of creature comfort sacrificed
to this sort of economy. Yet few peo-
pie seem to realize that granite pave
ments are the hair shirts of communi-
ties, and that the day for Notifying
the flesh has long gone past in civilized
countries.
Good thoroughfares, like charity,
should begin at home. On the day
when each commonwealth, after care
full investigation and satisfactory tests,
unbiased by bribery, preferment or
political affinity and reward, compels
by act of law the laying of whatever
form of paving has been demonstrated
as best for city and country use-on
that day the millennium may be de-
scribed approaching. Then the Amer
lean tally-ho coach will exist with
reason, because of land not despite
the lack of fitting roads along which
to roll its picturesque expense. Parties
planning pedestrian tours will not have
to cross the seas to find a starting-point
for their itinerary; country homes will
be more sought for and more enjoyed;
and the native American will begin to
form an acquaintance with the un-
dreamed-of beauties of his own land.
based upon something besides snapshot
gllmpses from railroad train, and
deepened into an interest and admira-
ton made possible only through the
intimacy begotten of good roads,
Marion Manville Pope, in Lippincott's
Magazine.