The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-06-07
THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1900
BETTER COUNTRY ROADS.


The Need Of Good Country Roads"
has been made the subject Of an eN-
tended article in PcnrSon'S Nagaztne
for MAY. 1900, by Theodore DRESSER
He says:
STREAMS and rivers have been
brought to our arid deserts, forests
planted, and more railroads, telc-
graph and telephone lines built in the
United States, than in all the rest Of
the world combined, yet we have
trusted largely to Providence for our
country roads.
The question Of transportation is
no small item in the calculations Of
the merchant who furnishes farmers
with their supplies, but the farmer
has never taken up this matter
seriously or counted the great cost
he is subjected to by almost impass-
able roads. Road improvement is
the question Of the hour. Charlotte,
Wilmington, Greensboro and Raleigh,
have been aroused to its Importance,
and these cities have largely added to
their commercial prosperity thereby.
The farms around Charlotte have been
rendered much more profitable to the
tillers Of the soil, because the cost of
marketing products has been so
greatly reduced.
P6arson'S Mnynzinc contains two il
lustrations: One, a wagon drawn by
20 horses moving over the old conn
try road ii tons, whereas over L
stccl-trackcd road, one horse is rep
resented "a drawing | tons; these
pictures are taken from United States
Department of Agriculture records.
In Massachusetts, country rordS are
built at cost of f2O, 900 Il mile, while
very good roads i'll North Carolina have
cost but 81 800 per mile. Our county
has IN the past expended large sums
for the construction of railroads and
aifording collegiate education for idle
negroes and yet hcsitatcs To vote
bonds for road Improvement. The
interest un bonds issued for 10 miles
of road would be but $15U.OJ per an
mum. With three or four roads
diverging from Henderson for 10
miles each, the county could we'll al
ford the outlay of interest on the
bonds issued for construction and
create sinking fund at the same
time to retire the bonds at maturity,
say 80 years hence. This matter of
road Improvement has entered large
ly into the improvement ui value of
stock in the different factories cen
above.
What can Ilendcrson's business
men or the farmers conveying their
products to market promise them
selves when one travelling to il on
any road, will wish he had taken the
other road? 1t is doubtful whether
any town or city in this State is
cursed by such impossible approaches.
There are times in the rainy season
when it is all that two horses can do
to haul an empty wagon, Under
changed conditions with improved
roads, farmers can utalize the wet
seasons to 90 to town to do their
trading and employ their time durin 9
good spells of weather on their farms
There are so many arguments involv-
ing increased comfort, economy and
profits, that it would require more
space than can be spared in this issue
to more than touch upon few
points.
The wear and tear of horses,
wagons and buggies each year is
several times greater than the tax
would be. while the ease with which
products OF the farm. garden. orchard
and forests could he marketed. would
give many a farmer an extra dollar
which finds no Judgement in his
pocket under present conditions.
We will take occasion TO enlarge on
this all engrossing subject again