The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-17
ROADS OF EMPIRE.
letters on Savage Land as in Days Of
the Romans.

They are still in their places, many of
them those mighty rivets that the Ro-
mans drove aforetime Wherewith to hold
together the greatest empire that the
world had then seen. They are wonder
full things to look and tread upon; VOL
derful also if only as indications of the
logged strength of the race that builded
them, that plowed, straight as a dart,
across villainous country. to bring up at
last at the desired goal, defiant of OBJ
stacles: wonderful. too. in the power
which they have to kindle even the most
sluggish imagination For men VINO
have themselves lived and toiled upon
the outskirts in the new raw lands it is
ever a fascinating task to picture Brit
ain-tOday the 'eye. the soul of Europe,
the center of mighty civilization. the
heart of a vast emoire-aS it was long
ago when the Romans suffered exile
there with little gladness. cursing the
awful climate, yet finding solace for all
their Drivations and their griefs in the
extraordinary interest of the work which
lay to their hands-iust as do the ban
ished civil servants of our own time.
And the principal instrument by means
of which the Romans sought to open up
the jungles of Britain, to spread their
influence to render ubiquitous the tiny
forces of the conduerorS. was the same
as that which we employ for like ends
today-roads, the first letters which
civilization imposes upon the unrestrict-
ed freedom of a savage land.
And, indeed, if the British domino ton
We're to vanish as completely as that of
the Romans has done. the roads which
we have driven through countless will
dernesses. across wastes of forests. uD
and down the slopes of mountain ranges
which have stood as barriers between
man and man since the beginning of
things, would still remain to tell the
younger nations what manner CT men
were these English who ruled so large
a fragment of the earth. For just as
the dominion which we exercise over the
subject peoples IS wiser. more subtle,
1 more scientific than was that of the
Romans; Just as it was our object to
circumvent, rather than to break ruth
lessly through. the obstacles that stay
US, so the roads we build bear the I'M
print of a keener intelligence, a deeper
knowledge and a higher skill than ever
the Romans possessed. For with the
old world conquerors the primitive in
stinct still held its force-the instinct
/ that sends men who desire to make their
| way from point to point, to the top OF
every hill ard to the foot of every de-
cline that they chance upon on their
Journey
The present writer holds in hisdmem-
DRY many an aching recollection OF
4 tramps undertaken along the sfootDaths
traced through the wilderness by the
natives who dwell therein One such
march stands out pre-eminent-a march
from the lower to the upper valley OF
the Palagan river, in northern Rorneo
On every side wastes of rank lalane
grass spread away TO the spurs OF the
foothills. the dry. crudely tinted blades
receiving, refracting and multiplying the
merciless heat. For ten miles at q
stretch there was no drop of water tc
sssuage our raging thirst; amid that
hubble of Grass-clad hills no single tree
rose to give us the protection of ever
a few square inches of shade. and at the
end of an unspeakable days travel il
was calculated that we had climbed VI
and down more than 5000 feet of YER
teal height, though never at any one
time had we reached an elevation OF
more than 500 feet above the level of the
valley A modern engineer would have
found little difficulty in worming his
way almost on the dead level amid thoss
countless hills. but primitive men are
content to exoend upon the exertion OF
climbing much of that energy which
were better employed in evading unnec
essary sscents. And the Roman who
in spite of all his attainments was still
at the beginning of things, was in thi;
respect not greatly the superior of the
savages Of Borneo. He drove his roads
straight: he built them with solidity,
but he put the most elementary rules 0.
read making at defiance. and he set ir
England an infamous example.-Londor
Snactaf0r