The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-10-06
6 GOD Roads R66tt5s

Road and Side-Path Construction.
Vt is now about twelve years since
wheelmen began the agitation for
better highways. The subject then
was Of NO general interest, and
had, up TO that time, received no at'
ton, except iG O few favored locali-
tbs where wealthy towns had begun
to improve their streets. 1t is true
that quite q reputation had been
gained for these villages, but their
Example had not melted others to make
similar improvements.
Of all travellers. the cyclist IS best
fitted to notice and appreciate the con-
dition Of the highways. and it may he
trnly said that though, n 1886, his
seat on the high wheel elevated him
above the lowly position Of to-day, he
was much more likely to come into in
innate, personal contact with road
surfaces that he is at present. His OBJ
servation and experience sooE con-
vinced him that highways were Sener-
ally badly made and poorly kept. and
that their improvement would be
distinct public gain.
The public at first regarded the
wheelman's advocacy OF better roads
as purely selfish move, and this idea
has not even yet been wholly dissi-
pated; but so much investigation and
discussion have followed in the wake
Of the persistent agitation by cyclists
and other good road advocates, that
it is now fairly evident to a consid-
erable part Of the community that the
welfare Of all classes would be pro-
NOTED in many ways through the es'
tablishment and maintenance of firm,
permanent roadways.
The wheelman, for his part, is bet
ter equipped to traverse poor roads
now than he was prior to 1890, for
low bicycles and pneumatic tires place
him at a great advantage as compared
with high machines and hard tires Of
the earlier date. If he possessed no
public spirit, his interest in promoting
further Improvements might languish,
but he is still found in the forefront
Of the agitation and is sure to remain
there.
1t is not to be denied, however, that
the work he undertook, and is so active
in promoting, has its aiscouragements,
and that he is sometimes almost tempt
ed to leave it entirely to others, who
are, or should be, more deeply inter-
ested in it. Nevertheless, he remains
loyal to it, and will continue to do
so until full success is finally achieved.
But, having gone thus far, and ac-
complished so much, in general way
it cannot be considered strange, or
disloyal to the good roads cause, If
wheelmen give more heed to their i'm
mediate interests. especially in places
in which it is thus far impossible to
secure action on the highways. There
are still many localities in which roads
and paths are unfit for bicycles to
trfa~el over through a good portion OF
the year, and are~at- nc time gAad-alld
it is not only desirable, but eminent
ly right and proper, that riders Of
cycles should endeavor to provide de-
cent pathways for themselves under
such circumstances.
There is no conflict in the two ideas.
Hard highways are national necessi-
ty. They must eventually come. Many
steps toward securing them have been
taken, but many more remain, and in
the undertaking there will be no hard
er or more faithful workers than the
wheelmen Of the country.
But smooth side paths are the only
source of enjoyable riding for thou
sands of wheelmen scattered through
out the land, and are of deep impor-
tance to them. Their construction not
only confers upon such cyclists a
prompt and considerable benefit, but
gives to others a permanent illustra-
ton Of the advantages conferred by
means Of rapid locomotion and trans
portation. thus inculcating on obsery-
ers one of the fundamental reasons
for the existence Of good roads.-L. A.
W. Bulletin.