Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-08-19
FOR A GOOD STATE ROAD.
Talk OF Bill to Work Convicts on tho
Publtc Highways.


Pubiic Highways.
II is said that an effort will be made
Mt the session of the General Assembly
next winter to pass bill providing for
tho employ ment of couvict6 on the
county roads, either 10 New Castle
county or the entire State. There arc
advocates OF such scheme in all three
of the counties, but whether the Aenti-
ment ia sufficiently strong in Kent and'|
Sussex counties has not been Rscer-
tanned.
Ii has been the desire OF some OF tho
leading citizens Of the State. aome
farmers included, to have a first'class
macadamized road clear through the
State from the northern boundary to
the Maryland line on the south. The
very thought OF such thing suggests
an enormous outlay OF money, which
would certainly be the case in the event
Of the three counties giving out con-
tracts for such work. In fact, undsr
the present conditions, such thing Is
| next to an impossibility, ami it Ia not
reasonable to expect anything OF this
character for great many years. But
| there are many who believe it could be
accomplished at little expense by the
| employment of convict labor in that
direction. Its feasibility has been
discussed time and again in all parts OF
the State, but up to the present time
| nobody has taken any special pains to
| push the matter to a successful ieHue.
| There is probability, however, that
a definite step will soon he taken.
Farmers, merchants, owners of We
hicles and bicycle riders are Interested
In common and the matter has been
talked over in all classes.
| The wheelmen are now the most in
terested, and they may take the initial
step. For several years they have
longed for a ridable road down the
State. They have two reasons for such
| desire. In the first place the country
below Wilmington is comparatively level
and road through that section would
make splendid riding. In the second
place, there are no Sunday trains down
the State, and as wheelmen take great
delight in making vista, on Sundays
they would not be handicapped by lack
of facilities for travelling. All wheel
man asks for is a good road, and this is
| what they now want down the State.
There are numerous attractions down
the State for the cycling fraternity in
Wilmington and with the proper faoili.
ties they could make quicker and more
frequent trims. The towns are not very
far apart, and would make splendid
iumpa." as the wheelmen speak Of
distances between places.
The cycling element OF Wilmington
and New Castle have been interested in
the subject of good roads for some
time, but have succeeded in accom-
plishing little. They proposed to start
in with good road between the two
| 0ifIaa anil malta nj olfnrf IN n
horse owners. Some of the latter class
took an interest, but there was not
enough push manifested tn carry out the
object and the scheme was temporarily
abandoned. The project has not been
dropped, however, and will not be I'm
til some good result is obtained. They
hope for good roads all over the county
and will work with will to get them
as soon as an opportunity is offered.
This League of American Wheelmen,
one OF the strongest organizations ia
the country, has obtained a good foot.
hold in Delaware and is liable to WELD
its power in this direction at amy
time 1t has advocated and obtained
good roads in all parts OF the country,
and so much complaint has been made
about some OF the Delaware highways
that the officials are pretty well ac-
quainted with the condition of affairs
here. When the local wheelmen make
another move here they will endeavor
to enlist the assistancu OF tho League,
which will undoubtedly do what il can
TO help the good work along.
But. as stated above, the whselmen
are not alone advocating good State
road. They have many friends and sup.
porters who are not wheelmen, and
should the proposed bill materialize at
the next session of the Legislature all
classes of people will undoubtedly advo-
cate ii.
Some people, il is true. are opposed
to putting Gonviuts 10 work, but as
work on the public roads will not inter.
fere with the trades, most Of the oh.
lection will undoubtedly be Withdrawn.
Many Of the opponents to workhouse
are known TO favor tho project, and it
is generally felt that all that IS neces-
sary is for some person to deyise some
feasible plan and draw bill on that
line
Al present there is no definite plan
outlined, from the best information oh
tainahle, but thore is ample time
before the meeting of the General AS
sembly.