Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-09-05
OUR ROAD HISTORY.
OLD HIGHWAY BETWEEN NEW WORK
AND PHILADELPHIA.

great civilized nations Of the world,
and in many respects our highways
bear but slight resemblance to those
Of the older countries, says Maurice
Eldridge, acting director of the office
Of public road inquiries.
The Britons neglected the roads
which had been made by the Romans,
and, failing to build new ones, their
country for centuries was provided
with only bride paths or at most with
narrow highways for small carts.
These highways wore, except in dry
weather, practically impossible, and
in the sparsely settled districts much
Of the travel had to be carried on by
means of pack animals. The idea of a
central control of road systems, which
is the only means by which any extend
ed work in this direction has ever been
accomplished, had died ont in the mid
die ages and had not at this time been
revived. For these reasons the tradi-
management of roads which followed
the first settlers to this country were
practically valueless.
The first great American road which
the historian tells anything about was
laid out in iii and ran from New
York to Philadelphia. Its antiquity
and the fact that it connected these
two cities gave it the name of the "Old
Post road" Tho opening of roads
was an important affair in those days.
and doubtless it was more Of an I'M
dcrtaking to construct roads than it is
to build railways today. BY studying
the history of the Old Post road we at
once realize the potency of the adage
that "the history of roads is the his
tory Of civilization" The Indian trail,
the blazcd trees and the foOtpath, fol-
lowed by the bride road for pack
trains and the rough road for carts
and wagons. which were subsequently
graded and paved, making a more
easy means of transportation, are all
stepping stones to higher degrees of
civilization
In the early colonial days the roads
were at first built and maintained prin-
cipally 10y the use of volunteer aid or
free labor. Each town or settlement
had what was called q village green
and in this open place the citizens as
semblod to discuss matters OF public
import At these meetings the care or
the poor, the nfirm, the deH! mutps,
etc, was discussed. The opening OF
new and the maintenance Of the oid
roads were also among the most inter
esting subicts of discussion. The
citizens would here offer their services
free of charge to the community or
town for building or maintaining the
roads running through or by their
lands. These offers to maintain the
roads free Of charge soon became SC
limited, however, that the towns were
forced to pass ordinances compelling
nil ablebodiea men to work the road
a specifed number of days or in lieu
Of such labor to pay monthly tax
to the pathmastcr or road overseer.
1t is easy to trace progress in all those
matters which were discussed on the
"village green save one. and that is
u,, ..ta,o1 ,,hor., evctnu, of WORKING
'nc io'Oe" i"''i . .,,7
foauS, Wnlch eAiSts ii "ioeI VI Liz
states to this day.
The following extract, relating to
A., al, +hol. oP loc,+ino and
llt e"'l9 i'',''i''.>''' W. e. 80
ou''',i's ,o, w., o. 80 u,ritt,n hy
t,'' u''' ,', -,' T., nn+,in1, unnrr
ue'' ~ " "'i,, = ,-f,r;,io.
'iieh 80 0'''''
Do you THINK my u'ar s'' li'"' ee r,e" ~, ro
.n;rn ,,at orr GREAT roads leading from one place
10 another should be Strengthened, shortened and
established by law ana me power !" 'i'a eoun,'
courts to AFTER tne, og and If is NV
o ori,i they will take place in time The lon
ger. therefore, they are delayed the more people
will be injured py the "te,"o,o. M'm t|9 the
Iemost valuation unon the labor OF the people
who work upon the roads under the existing law
and the customs OF the present oaS' ,'p 'ep'n'
oil thei' ny way o' st,int with ,bc ncriot
sbal arrive when turnpiNes may with propriety
be established would be infinitely less burden
So'',I ~ ,ho Contractor would meet no favor
IN .nis ease tho i.,rct would rive information
Of neglect, whereas negligence under the present
system is winl'ed at by the enly peoP.e wins VI"
know the pa''iGn nad rafer encounter the
,roanyonicnce Of bad roads than the trouble of ar
Information and 20 away prejudiced against the
country for the polity OF IT.
This system OF working out INC
tax was as llnsatlaTactory Ill 'he Gays
of Washington as it is now. Much de
lay and Inconvenience were caused DS
the deplorable condition or the man