The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-26
THE following letter appeared i

sunday journal, under the neaulhB
Of "Western Rhode Island Roads. y
1t was signed by {. NJ. Whitaker,
Of Providence
Since the settlement Of Providence,
roads from the country to Providence
have been built year after year, and,
as the population increased, roads
extended back into the country. 1t is
assumed that the old fashioned meth
Cd Of building a country road was by
means of cutting way through a
piece of land and heaping up the soft
dirt in the center OF the cut, thus
making a road The same scheme
was in vogue in our forciathers' day,
and it is painful to the writer to state
that the same "old-fashioned" method
OF building or repairing country roads
in the western part of this beautiful
State is still in vogue-sand and deep
wheel ruts in the summer and mud
foot deep in the spring.
In fact, there is but short time
during the year when the roads in
that section of the State are suitable
for man or beast to travel over. a
stranger on these soads will say,
Why don't they repair the highways
here as they do in towns OF other
States2
The answer will be that the town
cannot afford it. Bosh ! Bond the
town and build macadam roads that
will pay for themselves in eight years
in repairs, besides giving the pleas
ure of riding throughout this beauti-
ful section of Rhode Island, equal i'll
every respect to the hills of New
Hampshire and the Berkshires. Many
people who go miles away from
Rhode Island and spend their money
outside the State, for scenery, health
and rest, little know that they can
obtain the same in the western part
of Rhode Island and within ten to
twenty miles to Providence.
Why don't the people go there that
do know about the western part OF
Rhode Island? ! will tell you why.
Because OF the poor roads and poor
travelling accommodations that is
the reason, and the only reason. We
hear a great deal about the reclaim
ing of abandoned farms in Rhode
Island. In many cases the old peo-
pie have passed away and relatives
allow the property to go to waste,
property which at one time was val
liable. In other cases, the young
people go to the city for employment,
before or after the death of their
parents, and forget the old home,
neglect to keep it up simply because
the roads are poor, making the pro-
perty discouragingly hard to reach.
Time comes when the heirs desire
to dispose of the old home. They
find city party that desires place
in the country, and they chucklc to
themselves when the party states they
would like to look their place over.
A carriage is procured and the party
is taken to the farm. Party looks it
over and is much pleased with it,
but finds it very hard and tiresome
to climb the long sandy hills and
roads, and in consequence shakes his
head and informs the person desiring
to sell that the place is too far out OF
the city and roads are too poor con-
sequently the sale is not made and
the owner returns discouraged.
Is it to be wondered at that the
western part of Rhode Island con-
tains so many abandoned farms' Not
at all, and they will remain aban-
doned until an easy method of reach
ing them isobtained. Not only this,
but many OF the present farms, now
in high state of cultivation, will bC
abandoned at the passing away o
the present owners if they are no
made easy Of access. Give us goo,
roads and valuation of property viii
be increased; there will be no aban
doned farms and prosperity in Stat,
agriculture will be resumed and tn,
old homes preserved, let us hope
by members of the family.
Burrillville must be acknowledge,
as the pioneer town Of western Rhod
Islaud for building macadam roads
and it is now a pleasure to visit Bur
rillville. Everything has profted b
the building Of good roads.
Probably the time will come whe