Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-04-14
GREAT BOULEVARDS.
SIGNS SHOW THAT A NEW ERA OF
ROADS HAS BEGUN.

A project is being discussed in New
York state to build great highway
from New York city along the Hudson
river to the Adirondack region. The
highway would be continuation of
the Riverside drive in New York city
and would touch all the cities and vii
lagos in the region through which it
would pass. The distance from start to
finish as the bird flies is about 400
miles, but the road would doubtless
cover at least 500 miles. If undertaken
and carried through, it would form one of
the most magnificent and picturesque
highways in existence in the world and
would return vastly more than its cost
to the public and the state.
The past few years have given ample
evidence that new era of roads and
highways has begun again. Before the
advent of the railroad roads were the
chief means of communication between
different places and neighborhoods. A
spirit of Improvement set in which if
continued would have given the country
fine system of highways. One ex-
ample of what would probably have
been done was given by the great ma
tional highway built across the ALE.
ghany mountains by the general gov
eminent in the first half of the present
century. Other enterprises of the kind
would doubtless have followed had not
the steam railroad come in and offered a
means of communication so much quick
er and cheaper as to drive the common
! 4 ;,,tD DIN-
road era has lasted for half century,
and while there is no evidence that the
locomotive as a motor power is to be
abandoned there are signs that the COM
mon road is to emerge from its obscurity
and recover some of its former popu-
larity.
One phase of this recovery will be the
laying out of great highways such as is
now projected in New York The city
of Chicago has such a highway under
construction and when completed it
will form drive unsurpassed anywhere.
1t will be known as the Sheridan drive
and it will run along the shores of Lake
Michigan and penetrate some of the
most picturesque regions in that neigh
borhood. 1t has not the natural advan-
tages of the road now being considered
in New York state, however. The latter
is planned to run near to one of the
most scenic rivers in the world and
through cities and localities made his
torc by great events. And If built 1t
will terminate in region which is be-
coming every year more popular as a
health resort and known as the neigh
borhood where one of the greatest ex-
periments in refOrestation ever under
taken is now being carried out. 1t
would pass through nine or ten coun-
ties, and if once begun. will undoubted-
~ be extended along the shores of Lake
Champlain to Montreal in Canada.
New Hampshire, too, is awaking to
the benefits to be derived from great
boulevard, and a bill has been intro
duced in the legislature to build road
to the White mountains. The complete
boulevard scheme as proposed includes
a fine highway running from the Mas
sachusetts line up through the heart of
the state to the mountains, there branch
ing of to the left and right, and extend
ing to Maine and Vermont. This would
boulevard up the Connecticut valley
and another one in the valley of the
Saco, but the full fruition of these mag
niticent pannings is a matter of years
and perhaps decades to accomplish.
New Hampshire Is not burdened with
wealth, and her citizens cannot all bear
a share in the expense that would be
m nf
these hopes. What Is wanted now
is but to make beginning. TO this
end bill has been introduced in
the house oyiding for the construction
of little more than twenty miles of
boulevard from the state line to South
Nashua to the bridge over the Plscata-
quog river at Manchester.
"Such a road would be an object les
son to the whole state" said Governor
Rollins. ut would lead to the better
education of the people of the state on
the matter of good roads and would show
the farmer that by a iudicious eXpendi-
ture upon the highways he can save
enough in the cost of getting his goods
To the local market to reimburse him for
the outlay without even taking into con-
sideration the increase in the summer re-
sort business which would ensue and re-
dound to his financial advantage as WE'LL.
With other cities discussing and car
rying out such projects it Is time for
| Philadelphia to consider a similar enter
prise, says the Philadelphia Press.
There are plenty of routes through
which picturesque drive could be built
in this state and surrounding neighbour
hoods. The mountain scenery of Penn
sylvania is but little known and chiefly
because of its inaccessibility. One or
more great highways leading to this re-
| gion would bring it into use and enable
its beauties to be enjoyed and its utilities
to be put to practical service.
The one great objection brought
against such projects is the expense.
The benefit to be derived in the rise in
value of property is always in the future