Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-05-03
Wayfarer'S Observations.

The careful reader of current newspaper
literature has noticed The unusual
though highly to be commended, agita-
ton in favor of better roads. From the
''blazed path of the first settlers to the
ordinary public thOroughtare of today
undoubtedly represents progressive de-
yelopment though hardly commensurate
with the practical knowledge, improved
facilities and more abundant means at
the disposal of the present generation as
compared with their predecessors of a
few decades removed r>o'nerly all
roads - ~ Rome" and though the ex-
preston was used fgurativelv it NAV
with truth be said that the art of success
ful road making as practiced by the Ro.
mans is ALMOST entitled to rank with the
wonders o! thc worla, as some of the
roads constructed by them remain intact
to this day, though more than twenty
centuries have elapsed since their COM
pletiOn. The secret of their construction
has not been handed down, evidently
otherwise certain roads not hundred
miles from the commercial metropolis of
Essex County would not now be terrors
by night nor objects of anath ema BIZ day.
louch mans pocket and generally
speaking responsive chord will have
been violently disturbed, and the excen.
tiohs hut prove the rule. A noteworthy
exception must, however, be recorded
whenever The administration of the de.
partment of public highways in ma
JorIty OF the towns and villages in the
pate OF Vermont is called in question,
Tor IN spite OF the fact that larger sums of
money are annually appropriated and ex,
pended, thoroughly constructed road
yet remains an object of public curiosity;
curiosity by the way, seldom prati6ed
How not to build on sure foundation
seems to have been the motto of many
would be road builders and theresult ha
been vexatious delays and personal dis
comfort, hard to be tolerated in these
gays OF rapid transit and comparatively
luxurious wheeled vehicles. 1t is not
however, matter of time and corven;-
ence alone, for recent practical investiga.
t'ons have fully estahlished the fact that
oao roads are constant drain on our
resources. 1t has been proved thai the
same force which draws one toa an y
muddy earth road will draw four TONS
on hard Macadam road, and that on
some improved roads loads of fourto five
tons are habitually drawn by a two
horse team. This means saving Of ~
per cent and reduces the cost of road
transportation from 80 cents to 71hcen,s
per ton per mile, which is condition co
much to be desired, that arguments are
unnecessary as che who runs NAV read j.
A single Illustration NAV not he ONT af
pace, however, On one THOUSAND tons
qt freight hauled two ca miles saving
OF tour hundred and fifty dollars womb
be effected taking the above estimate as
q basis.
Before finally Diminishing the subject Of
roads wish to quote the words of an
eminent authority thereon.
There is not COMMUNITY or town in n.
thickly settled parts of She country thar cav ars
not provide itself with Thoroughly gond
EEilsenways by anticipating It's road taxes for
sfteen or twenty years. Money borrowed on
IRON the annual road tsxes Would he st'e s, on
e e,ent i9r the work in each locality, while The
e,l would involve little if any. in-
ms plan has been tried with good re-
SUITS and is worthy of intelligent and I