Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-05-05
GREAT BOULEV4RDS.
slSEs SHOW THET a NEW ERA OF
ROADS HAS BEGUN.

splendid IIIshrnyr Projects In sew
eraI ststes-Grsnd Highway Along
the T.udson-New Hampshire 10 Tap
the white Mountains.
A project is being discussed in New
York state TO build a great highway
from New York city along the Hudson
river 10 the Adirondack region. The
highway would be a 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 nj least 500 miles If undertaken
and carried through. il 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 ana
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 II
continued would have given the coun-
try 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
{ 80; hy-t Tho tynnlrsll
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
q means of communication so much
quicker and cheaper as to drive the COM
mon roadway into obscurity. The steam
road era has lasted for half century.
and while there is no evidence that the
locomotive as motor power is to be
abandoned there are signs that the COM
mon road is to emerge from its ohscur-
ity and recover some Of its former pop
ularity.
One phase of this recovery will be the
laying ont of great highways such as is
now projected in New York. The city
of Chicago has such highway under
construction and when completed 1t
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 Gdvan-
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
toric by great events. And if built it
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-
ly be extended along the shores of Lake
Champlain to Montreal in Canada.
New Hampshire, too, is awaking to
the benefits to be derived from a great
boulevard, and bill has been intro
duced in the legislature to build road
to the White mountains. The complete
boulevard scheme as proposed includes
fine highway running from the Mas
sachusetts line up through the heart OF
the state to the mountains there branch
ing off to the left and right and extend
ing to Maine and Vermont. This would
very we'll pave the way for another
boulevard up the Connecticut valley
and another one In the valley of the
Saco, but the full fruition of these mag.
nificent plannings is matter of years
and perhaps decades to accomplish.
New Hampshire is not burdened with
wealth, and her citizens cannot all beal
share in the expense that would be
entailed by a speedy contamination OF
these hopes What is wanted now is
but to make beginning. To this end q
bill has been introduced In the house
providing for the construction of u lit
tie more than 90 miles of boulevard
from the state line to South Nashua tt
the bridge over the Piscataquog river al
Manchester
"Such a road would be an object les
} son to the whole state, " says Governor
Rollins. at would lead to the better
education Of the people of the state or
the matter of good roads, and would
show the farmer that by judicious ex
penditure upon the highways he cal
, save enough in the cost of getting hi
10 he 1oonj +y, ,I,,,.
him for the outlay. without even tax
ing into consideration the increase il
the summer resort business which would
ensue and rebound to his financial ad
vantage as well. "
With other cities discussing and car
rying out such projects il is time fol
i Philadelphia to begin to consider sim
, liar enterprise, says the Philadelphia
Press. There are plenty Of routes
, through which a picturesque driv,
. could be built in this state and sur
rounding neighborhoods. The noun
tain scenery of Pennsylvania is but lit
tie known and chiefly because of its in
!, accessibility. One or more great high
' ways leading to this region would brint
0 it into use and enable its beauties to b.
5 enjoyed and its utilities to he put t,
practical service.
The one great objection brough
. against such projects is the expense
;. The benefit to be derived in the rise il
t value of property is always in the flu
ture and cannot be used to pay the frs
: cost. A writer in the New York Mai
1 and Express suggests the use of convic
r labor for building such highways ant
? the suggestion seems entirely practica
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