The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-01-21
AS TO GOOD ROADS.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE HIS
TORY.
Shows The Excellence of Sonth Caro-
lima Roads Before the Establish
msnt of Railroads.

Shows The Excellence of Sonth Caro-.
lima Roads Before the Establish.
msnt Of Railroads.
Columbia, January 4.-Several
days ago it was stated that the Good
Road Association would give out a
series of articles on the question of
good roads, so as to arouse interest in
the work. The first of the series has
been given to the press for publication.
1t reads:
IL is a trite remark that the roads
Of a country are an index 'ofits civil
ization; that they are the physical
symbol by which to measure the pro-
gress of any age or people. "If the
people are stagnant the condition of
the roads will indicate the fact if
they have no roads they are savages."
Roads are not only the first product
of civilization, but reacting they be.
come the chief factors in its advance
ment. Look where we will in history
we find that road builing and pros
perity go together, that every great
people have made this one of the fore
most industrial questions.
''In Peru, the Incus built great
roads, the remains of which attest
their magnifcence." Humboldt in
his Aspect of Nature" speaks Of the
mountain road from Quito to Cusco.
as "a marvellous work not inferior t.
the most imposing Roman roadways
1t was from 1900 to 1000 miles in
length, 20 feet wide, paved with stones
10 feet square. and had a ruraing
, stream aud road ofshads trees on each
side. Prescott says "Is was con-
Quoted over sierras covered with snow;
galleries were cut zsthrough living
rock; rivers we're crossed by means
of bridges swung suspended in the
air; precipiccs were scaled by stair
ways hewn out Of the native bed. and
ravines of hidcous depths were filled
up with solid masonry"
THE STREETS OF BABYLON
Were paved, it is said, 1000 years
B. c., and the highway leading from
Babylon to Memphis was paved at an
early date, and along it arose the
cities of Ninevah, Palmyra, Damus-
Gus. Tyre, Antioch and other great
commercial towns.
The Importance of the roads to the
welfare of nations was unknown to the
Greeks. The Senate of Athens, the
Governments of Lacedaemon, Thebes
and other States of Greece bestowed
much care Upon them.
The Carthaginians also were sys-
tematic and scientific road makers.
and not little of their commercial
and military importance is due to that
fact,
THE GREAT ROMAN ROADS.
The Romans learned the at of road
building from Carthage. and in their
hands it reached its highest develop
ment. The earliest and greatest of
Roman roads, the Appian way, was
commenced in 312 b. G. The city
of Rome was afterwards connected
with all the chieftowns by paved road
ways. Later these lines of communi
cation were extended through Savoy,
Dauphine and Provence; through
Germany. every part of Spain,
through Gaul and even to CONSTANT
nople; through Hungary, Macedonia
and to the mouth of the Danube.
Neither did the interposition of seas
obstruct the labor or daunt the cntcr.
prise of this great people. The lines
of communication thus constructed to
the shores Of the continent of Euro c
were continued at corresponding
points Of the ncigl boring islands and
con'incnts-Sicilv. Corsica, Sardinia,
England, Africa and Asia were ac'
cordingiy penetrated and int, re, ted
by roaGs forming the continuation of
the great European lines. These
gigantic works were the most sold
structures OF their kind which have
been formed in any age, and many
IF them still remain. often forming
the foundation OF modern roads, and
in some instances constituting tie
roSd surface now used. a trench was
cxcavn'cd the entire length and width
of the roadway, and in this the road
materials were placed in four layers,
having Il total thickness Of about three
feet Il } the statumen, consisting of
large flat stones laid in mortar; (2)
the rudus, composed of broken stone