The age-herald., 1901-10-13

out COWS are his beasts of burden. Witt the superb roads all around him, he does much on foot and the rest with the aid of COW or OK cart.
 Another stiil more decisive and curious proof of the fact that France once had. and not very long ago. very bad roads is seen from time to time in the lofts of chateaus where. covered with dust, motheaten and decayed. you perceive the abandoned "cow carriage" This was a tWo-wheeled conveyance drawn by COWS, sort of sedan, in which the fine ladies of the country houses used to travel, make visits and go to the neighboring towns for shopping. The roads were for the most part so bad that only such low, slowg going vehicle was safe.
 After the final fall of Napoleon and the coming of the more peaceful days under the Bourbons and the Orleans family, France had the time and money for in- ternal improvements. Then began an clap crate examination of the whole complex problem of how to create almost out of nothing great road system that would satisfy the big towns and the small vile lages, the country gentleman and the far mer class, the pleasure driver and the ambulant merchant.
 The American worker for good roads ought to study the way the French han dled the financial side of the problem, for there is the real obstacle. Money not only makes the mare go, but if there Is enough of it, will convert a corduroy road into {. smooth, macadamized highway and muddy"dirt road into dry. hard drive way.
 One French department, of administra- tive and political division, should be taken. It will be found that long discus sions occurred in the Departmental Legfs- lature, in which everybody took part. These bodies were then, more so than now, composed of the leading nobles, gentlemen, landlords and business men of the department The presiding of- ficer was the Prefect, or Governor, the direct representative of the central gov- ernment at Paris. Engineers were con- suited, municipalities were heard. com- mittees were appointed, communications were exchanged with the Minister cf Public Works at Paris, bankers were ne- gotiated with, loans were made, taxes levied and great debts were created, which, in some instances, are still un- paid. I doubt if any aspect of the finan- cial side of the subject was left unex- amined in the discussions and acts of these early French workers for good road. Hence 1t is that I would urge our American laborers in this same field to learn what was done by those men. whose efforts have resulted in such magnifi- cent network of splendid roads of every description.
 But the chief lesson l would draw from this French example Is one of encourage ment. We must not feel discouraged when we see what poor roads we have and what, fine ones France and other European nations have, and jump to the conclusion, as is so often done, that we can never hope to obtain such perfection because France has always possessed them" I repeat, there was a time when France was not so well off as we are now. and this even within the memory of men still alive All we have to do is to initiate these quiet old legislators and country gentlemen of one or two genera tions ago, and, long before our children die, the United States, or at least the old CT members of the Union,, ought to see, as France the disappearance of the stony, muddy sandy trails" and the appearance in their stead of macadamiz- ed. well-graded. broad highways, shaded with trees, provided with deep ditches on either side, and furnished with substan- tial stone bridges, the delight of cyclists and automobilists, of the farmer and peddler and of the coaching party and buggy tourists"