The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-17
A WORD ABOUT GOOD ROADS.

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sections we virtually have no roads,
and that what we call roads T a
disgrace to civilization, so many of
us are time servers, and dread the
bug-bear of public ridicule, that we
dare not say what is best. Any can
did man will admit that good roads
mean bigger loads pulled from one
place to another with more ease and
less expense than can be carried over
the muddy ruts that have the mis-
homer of public roads.
Every now and then some would
be philosopher strikes an attitude
and tells how the roads ought to be
worked. That is about as sensible
as telling the cave-dweller how to
put a mansard roof over his house,
when he has no house. Nearly every
man who discusses this subject Will
get off some shOp-worn platitudes
about chow to improve our high
ways" and then wind up hoping he
has not exposed the tender pocket
nerve Of the taxpayer.
To begin with, as the cook books
say: First catch your rabbit" The
first thing to do is to build a road.
Right here I wish to say that while
the dear people may be rightin social
and political matters, the popular
pulse is almost invariably wrong are
new inventions and new enterprises.
This is abundantly proven in the in
PRODUCTION of the railroad, steamboat
and other tried and successful inven-
tons. Even as great a nan as Daniel
Webster launched his clOQuence
against the railroad as a visionary
project. Before good roads are the
rule in North Carolina, they must be
laid off and graded by practical road
builders. A man who is fit for this
place deserves and must have pay.
When people are thoroughly aroused
on the subject, they viii vote taxes
or heartily contribute money for the
cause. When Il road IS once built, it
is very little trouble to keep in good
order.
As for a convict, being 50 modest as
not desiring to be seen on the public
road, that is all stuff. He prefers
that to the dark workshops of the
penitentiary, and as Prof. J. A.
Holmes says, his health Will be bet
ter. l have, unfortunately, been de
MED the privilege of being q convict,
but have seen them in the close air
of the workshop, and on the road
convict force, and both from appear
ances and their expression in the
matter, they prefer BODYBUILDING.
On a good road, even in winter, "a
horse can pull 2,COO ID with ease. On
a bad rood in bad weather, a good
horse can pull 900 pounds, and the
breakage of wagons and harness, to-
gether with the murky tornado of
blasphemy raised by the Jehu, is GER
tainly not an offset in favor of bad
roads. On a good road a horse can
draw a buggy y miles an hour and
not break down nor spatter the Occu-
pant of the buggy from head to heel
with blue mud. On a bad road he
7 can navigate four miles, make the
driver look like a mass of mud and
chaotic rags, and swear like a sea-
man.
We will imagine that cotton has
! gone up from Z to 10 cents by a freak
of the market. Some granger has
20 bales he wishes to place on the
market. He has three crow-bait
horses and a wagon Of decidedly
gothic architecture. He haStenS tC
equip his spike team, loads three
bales and HES to market - miles
He goes into a deep rut, off comes q
wheel, snap goes a tongue and coup
ling pole, one horse lies down tt
dream of battle fields no more, DAYS
of danger, nights of waking" Before
he can rally and come again, cotton
has dropped back to z cents and he
becomes a red-mouthed and howline
anarchist. When he meets the wild
eyed publican who says the sheriff
wants taxes, he curses the whole
government as a nest of thieves. L
he had been on a good road he couIC
have pulled 10 bales with two horses
got 10 cents instead of z, and whe1
he met the meek and lowIy publican