The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-07-25

The following article on county road'
by Mr.. Charles Corner oil the railroad
commission was read before the Texas
Academy of Science at its recent mee'1hs
here and it is published in full in today
issue for the benefit of The Statesman
readers.
Mr.. President, Gentlemen of the Texas
Academy of Science: Al n recent lheot'
ING of this academy, a distinguished mem
her. whom we all heard with much proht'
yenturcd the assertion that all hull'I',
progress, material and even moral, Wouiu
he found in the last analysis ITO be due 10
science. Now, although | can NOT agfee
with the whole of that statement, II lur-
nisrhes me AN excellent excuse Ior HItro-
ducng the subject of county ROADS 10 II
scientific gathering. For, DeHeNe, sh
little MS questions of pure science ehuer
into this subject, that good roads are not
only a large part of progress m theh-
selves. but are the prolific parents OF a
great deal more.
Nowadays the drift of population IS
towards the cities, and the energies OF
mr pcOple seem devoted TO their enlarge
ment and wrapped up in their adorn1nent.
1t is still true, however, that God maue
the country and man made the TOWN., anu
it is to the country THAT we must always
look for the simpler and stronger iorces
and the sturdier virtues THAT must Tor
over underEe adj true progress. If we
Aotiter ourselves that the cities foster our
highest achievements, we can not lOrGeC
that they are also the breeding grOuhu
of our greatest plaques. 1t rs by lINakphS
the country districts more prosperous
and therefore more desirable ITO hive in,
that county roads may become an enof-
nous factor in the well-being OF the stare:
Addressing the Texas Academy OF
Science. no apology is needed for tireatin?
the matter locally. 1t lis also my etlrHevI
desire TO contribute somewhat to The ac'
tual establishment of these highways
amongst ourselves, and from some technl'
cal and practical acquaintance with the
matter in hand. hope 10 add my mite to
the general fund of knowledge THAT must
flow from all honest discussion.
Merely for the sake of Illustration, let
MS glance at some previous phases OF the
subject.
The Romans. who were an exceedingly
practical people, built roads in Gaul and
Britain whose tracks remain ITO this day.
They were constructed i'm straight lines,
and convey an impression of a desire to
get there very characteristic of ourselves.
We Shall not adopt their specifications,
for we have not the unlimited labor sup
ply of n subject people, nor are our first
considerations merely MILITARY AS the
Roman empire fell ITO pieces in the Fifth
and Sixth centuries, the Appliances of
civilization became dilapidated, and during
the hong might of the middle ages, wheeled
carriages were replaced all over Europe
by the primitive pack-saddlc This state
of things remained practically UNI
changed, so far as it affected the common
people, until the end of the last century.
LIN discussing u bin for the bettcrment
of English roads about 1850, a country
member humOrously remarked that judg-
ing from their general condition they
might be more readily turned into CANALS
than improved highways
Napoleon the First, amongst his Other
endless activities, inaugurated an add
mirable system of roads i'm France. In
THAT country the highways were divided
into imperial, departmental and com
mnnal They are very thoroughly con-
structed, and are Frequently adorned with
avenues of noble trees. They are NOW,
of course, national instead of imperial,
and are admirably directed by the splen-
did engineering department Of the POINTS
ct Chaussees" or Bridges and Roads"
In Great Britain tine work was done by
turnpike companies and highway boards,
and lit as only in recent years that the
turnpike trusts" have become eXtin-
guished. This brings us to Kentucky, and
there is always u temptation ITO copy KEN
lucky i'm the matter of roads. The result
of TITS system was good and the argument
that the people who used the roads paid
for them has a show of reason, but as a
matter of fact their maintenance is eX-
ceedngly costly ITO the community. Mr.
\. =. Shaler, writing in Scribners in 1889,
points out that there are not less than
1000 families. or not far from . per cent
of the population of the State, who are
supported by tol-gate keeping, and that
the tax on the commonwealth is i'm conse-
quence at least $1,000,000 per annum in
excess of the cost of maintaining the
roads. Again, one of the most important
utilities of country roads is partially de-
feated by q hesitation TO travel MS freely
as one would without FOIL thus preventing
much of that social intercourse which il
is desired to foster.
BY force of circumstances we. i'm Texas,
have stumbled in the matter of transporta-
ltion and communication upon a certain
inverted order of progress. We are able
TO travel tn the ends of the cluth i'm CON
ditions of luxury that the Caesars might
envy. whilst denying ourselves the priv
lege of visiting our ncighbOrS in the same
precinct, if thC rain has DESTROYED the
usefulness of the road to their house
We eat the excellent fruits and vegetable,
of California. Colorado and the trOpic!
largely because the truck patches of on
farmers are not in touch with our towns
Notwithstanding this, we have OF
account of our cheap and fertile lands
low taxation ana the freedom of our in
stitutionS, held a commanding position IN
the markets of the world with certain o
our raw materials, and the wealth tina
has come to the whole country in Simi
lar way has grdironed the continent witt
railroads. and in one section. at least. as
tabHShed manufacturing industries of tn
first Importance and magnitude. | thin
we have cause TO be proud Of our progress
and that is one reason why it behoOveS Il
10 meet new conditions with the RICH
front do not think it can be candid
said that the rural districts have nd
vanced pari paSSu with the great cite
in the ease and comfort of living; on tn
other hand 1T is true that we have no
Developed like conditions of poverty. w
use improved machinery in our fields. bu
1t has been purchased in other State
ana we are not very thrifty in taking cah
of it. We have built court houses of in
posing dimensions. and established exec
lent schools which are annually turnln
out school children somewhat diSSauShc
with their surroundings.
We have also secured reasonably Ell
4. 4.