The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-05-27
1 GOOD ROADS NOTES.
Value or Good Roads Everywhere.

|
Value OF Good Roads Everywhcre.
For many years past the farmers
md suburban residents of this great
republic have been hard at work help
ing the railroads extend their lines
everywhere. ''Just get q railroad
through my property, and my fortune
is made" has been the expression of
more than one extensive landowner.
And hehas gotten the railroads, with
great benefit to himself and his vicin-
ity. By their means he has been en-
ableIto get out to the centres of civi.
lizatSon, and to bring his produce to
good markets.
Lohg ago he should have devised
some way by which the public high
way dould be improved and made even
more useful to him than the steel
tracks of the great trunk lines.
Thdre is at present under consider
alton Ia plan for the introduction of
horsel4ss carriages, with wide-tired
wheels, for the main thoroughfares,
through thickly settled localities, the
carria@e itself to be of the ordinary
patternl, and coupled to it one or more
cars, ct very light and strong con-
structidn. This vehicle could be run
regardl{sss of the grade, and, to some
extent, of the state of the roads.
Ruts amid ridges of any ordinary char
acter vii ii not obstruct the progress OF
this car, e neither will the weather have
any effedrt upon it.
The heorsemau's worry is his horse
and harmless, aud all anxiety on this
score is dslone away with by the horse
less carthage. The running gear of
the vehi4sle will be placed under q
metal gudird, resembling an old-fash-
ion dripp}ing pan inverted. This af-
fords prod lection to the gear, and con-
fines the mud to the lower portion of
the equirb'ment. conducting generally
to the cor hfort and the cleanliness of
the passed. .tgers and car alike. While
q high rat9s of speed would be desira-
able, it idfs not expected that this will
be one off the main points, although
excellent thine can be made where the
roads are 4 good. This plan will I'M
duestionabeay necessitato the widening
OF the ordil ls,nary track; but this is n
/ '.fat,e. --vf.f easily managed. If only
Wido-tired vehicles were used, the cost
OF work on roads would be reduced to
AVERY low figure. Imagine horse
less carriage with q six or eight-inc
steel tire, which would act like aroller,
and smooth down most of the irregu-
larities on the roadway.
The suggestion that there would be
humping aud bouncing is scarcely
worth consideration. Jolting comes
from sudden contact with II single
| point. \ wide tire wheel would cover
so huch surface ut one time that most
of the iolting could be avoided, and,
except upon very hard, frozen ground.
would wear down the surface as it
went. leaving nothing to bounce aud
bump on.
1t is an interesting fact tilat much
of the good-roads enthusiasm has been
stirred up by the manufacturers and
riders of bicycles. The wheelman
must have good road, and there be-
ing so many of him, the beginning of
the movement was not in the least
] difficult
Toe much cannot be said against
the lIertncss of certain localities and
the at;ocious management of certain
| bits otroad. There are regions where
| one may ride for miles upon roads
that are almost rs smooth as n floor:
| then Suddenly the rider encounters
which is verit&blc Slough of Dcs-
| pond long stretch of deep holes.
ridges and cut-up rurface, which is a
disgrace to the Community that toll
crates it,
II is the shcerest nonsense to say
that auh pieces OF road cannot be
made pa'sablc. Sucn assertions show
more aM more clearly the need Of
| Government supervision of roads, and
the Importance of intelligent and
painstaking work from the foundation
TO the su facc.-New York Ledger.