The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-10-25
GOVERNMENTS
AND ROADS.
RoADIMPROvEMENrA ANALyzED
Mr. Nfernsee's Address TO the Road
Congress. Important Suggestions.

! ino ioIo"lDg address delivered be-
fore the recent South Carolina Road
Congress held in Columbia by Mr..
FRANK Niernsee, gives some interest
Ing information in regard to roads of
the past and contains some suggestions
as to the improvement of the roads
OF the present period that seemed to
strike the convention favorably:
From the time of Moses there have been
royai roads. First the Egyptians, afterwards
the Israelites and then tho Greeks called
! their lines Of travc! that were not used for
| special purposes royal roads or kings high
ways. In Greece the royal roads were in
spected and cared for by tho senate at
Athens In LaceGemOnia, Thebps and other
States they were under the Supervision of
tho most eminent men. Their roads how
ever, wcro not the best of the ancient. 1t
1t was reserved Tor a commercial city Garth
age, to build the first paved roads The Ro
mans followed the example of the Cartha-
SenianS and their great highways, which
connected Rome with Its provinces were Tin.
most renowned and durahie ever construct
ed. All over Europe. Asia and Africa
wherever their @mpeIorS ruled, they build
roads tha. have been >UpposaI by the su
porStitions OF different ages to have been of
supernatural origin. phis is attestcl by tho
names applied 10 tham in Italy, England.
france and Spain. In the last mentioned
tpey nave been known by such names as
calzadadcl-iiablo (roads of the deviD cal
zada de las giSantes (rOads of the giants).
According to 81. isidorc the first paved roni
was built by tho Cac:ha.cuilns ami the
same authority states than the pnunicians
opened and lcft - their successors n ,ond
across tho Pyr"nEecs and the Alps many
centuries before tho Christian crn ,rb,
most ancient Roman road outside of Italy
was IN Spain and led from Cartha.ena to the
iyfcnnees, where j: connected with others
that led across the Alps 20 Rom" This road
was travelled by the ie-ions Of Scipio. Tho
1
III" roads :h"n completed The
emperor made the system oi com,nun-
cation 50 conplct" that iI;tlr else was LETT Tor
his suc3esSorS to TO .han to care for the
roads already cCnstrCrtpri. OlhiS SUCCESSORS
ifaJan was the most Jealous, Us is shown by
various Inscriptions. in preserving tho public
highways ana in "Cr.S,fu"tin;, c;hrrs His
example was followed nv Others hut after
wards the authority Of the cmp.rors declin-
Cd ana little caro- waS gwen 10 distant public
work. The removal Of the c0ur. 20 Eyz;,ntine
ny Constantine comIlHtcd the abandonment
n' fnad building and was the beginning or
~. decline Of that ,Hagni;iccnt system of
hiShSays that laced Rome 10 It's most distant
provinces. The Romans divided their roads
INTO military highways. calle, prct0rian
,hofoughiar"s an" local Was. The first Was
bulC 20 t:cjiita!" the marching OF armies and
10 connect tn" "Guital with thn PRINCIPAL
o'ti"s and strategic points. Thcv were con-
strH"tcH ana k'l n r"rai- l,v tho imperial
government. -" second were the ro"tcs of
'O-A.''''i''' ''!.l ''oIIcIt'l Towns and trade
cent?, aid we constructed - assist tue
fEtNNGHH ana i.t"rcC;r.r Gi traffic They
""r" hui and maintained by lnunicipii
gov'Tnmrnts. In Austria there are two
'.,; Dl.;s,s oi rp'!iS-cnc "aied the state road
winch lS cAtircly l!nde- tho control of and
kept IN complcte repairs hy the government
1AH other, known AZ u provincai or district
Toan, winch are maintained and kept in re-
l|Nf partly by the Eoycrnmcnt and partly
by the provinces through which they pass
In Franco tn: puhc roads arc divided
IN M? IG F$T SlsS2g. as S?o|s: First national
~ sSr"iy I q: Tho c9s Of ,hc ar.nas,!la .nas!an.4
third, township roads, which, thVUgh con- |
stSuat"l by tho r,r.i!uInrS, receive, in most !
Eases. sApport ether from the state or from
III" departments Tor thci- maintenance.
"Thn mo: 'fn read system OF Franco was
i2srGGr2tch ~ The FRS: Napoleon an'i ear
ri"d forward - H. satisfactorily an. splendid
conclusion Ivy NanoleuM th. Ihirl
Tho road system Of Fran" nas heaa Of
far greater value To ,hs courtrv Il" Il means
Of rsisin;; -" N"iG" OF lands art p1ttinS
small rroprie:or.' III easy .aw-IUu;,.ati ii
with tL2r n"rE":- ;iiau have ;i,' railways.
IT is the opinion Il w"ilinioru"l Fr"nchmrn
who haV" made. '-;.". .ir.! s..!y al economic
problems, that -" -. =" in"i~ ui France
nave hcen one ct,':' .I.o,, steady and potrut
contributors 20 The ma, -';l Development
and marvellous i.uan"it. elasticity Of that
country. The f!r-r'acL."S and Sii1ndid!y
maintained rcah system n;ss distinctly fav-
Hrcd II" success II III" mil E.H,."i pro-
prictcrS AID IL ;h"l- prosperity aud IN"
"usCing distribution al 'y"E.:.' li"S the key
20 the secret ii Tho waHi."'u nr'nrjal
vrGitv ana :"&! r:,,g '-i.E g: lns t:'''!'h
ii..i.D
In Germany h" ;..,:s are also under
government control.
"ln England "a" ::...Jis" svs!nm took
care OF thc .nai!.en:.ur" ot roads w - 1878.
when by IA acG OF nariiau"r: ~" system w&S
abolished. Ihe new system puts the duty
and maintcnanc" Of the highways upon ~"