The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-09
WORK OF THE GOOD ROADS TRAIN
BY M. v. Richards.

The Good Roads Train left Alex
! andria, Virginia. October 90, 1901,
and as made up there, it con-
sisted of two officers cars and camp car
fot the laborers, and ten car loads of
machinery. Later on two car loads of
machinery were added, making twelve in
were the secretary of the National Good
| Roads Association, the assistant director
of the office of Public Road Inquiries,
Department OF Agriculture, the engineer
of the National Good Roads Association,
and representatives of the various manu-
facturers OF road making machinery used
on the trip, a photographer, secretary
and four laborers. The president of the
National Good Roads Association joined
the train at Winston Salem, y. C. The
director Of the Public Road Inquiries
Joined the party at Mobile, Ala. and
| continued with the train until the close
Of the Atlanta convention.
| At Winston Salem n. c., where the
first stop was made, four days were spent
in road making and a convention of two
days was held The road demonstration
was made on an extension of Vance
street adjoining the Winston city limits.
About 1000 feet of macadam ana as much
OF earth road were completed here The
Winston Salem people made excellent pre-
rarations for both the demonstration
end the convention. Great interest was
! nv Gu 10
but by delegates from all northwestern
/ North Carolina The convention was
participated in by the Governor and
| United States Senator's of North Caro-
lima, members of the train and Others
The Northwestern Good Roads Assoca-
tion of North Carolina, with headqua-
rers at Winston, was organized, with
president, secretary treasurer and vice
presidents from eleven counties The
number of delegates registered was about
200, but the attendance both at the con-
yenrion and at the road demonstration
was very much larger
The train left Winston Salem Sunday
morning, November 3, and arrived at
Asheville that afternoon for the second
stop. Four days We're given to the work
al Asheville The road demonstra zion
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branch OF the Southern Railway, about
four miles from the heart of the city
| The work completed consisted OF about
| 1000 feet of macadam road and from
! i 600 TO 1900 feet of earth road. AS at
| Winston Salem. the people were very
much pleased with the demonstration
made. The convention was held at the
court house November 9th and 9Th. There
| Nera 5}raI in att a
ance at the convention and the proceed
| rgs were of much interest.
| The third stop was at Greenville
Tenn, where ample preparation had been
made fer the coming of the train and the
holding Of the convention. The attend
ance upon the road demonstration and
the convention was very large, and
included delegates from almost every
East Tennessee county. There was deep
| interest shown at all sessions, and at
some of them the capacity OF the hall
was not sufficient for all to obtain ad-
mission. The people have been laboring
| with the heavy clay roads, and they
seemed anxious 10 find q way by which
they could have better highways. One
| of the greatest successes Of the entire
| trip was at this point. The road work
OF grading and surfacing. a good part of
| the distance being macadamized. At the
| expiration of the stay scheduled at that
! point the road OH account of rainy wealth
err was in a very incomplete condition
! The train was divided there and part of
the machinery and the crew left behind
and the work completed, two or three
| extra days being spent at Greenville.
! ion Vcn hpt
| Tuesday, November 18th and 18th. n
number of delegates took part in the dis
cussions. The East Tennessee Good
| Reads Association was organized with
president. secretary. treasurer and vice
presidents from Greene, Carter, Wash
ineton, Hawkins, Sullivan, Hamblen and
Cooke counties. One OF the results of the
Greenville convention was the raising by
private subscription of money to COM
plcte the Tusculum road on which the
work was done from GreenvilIe to Tuscu-
lum College, a distance Of about four
miles Indications all point to the fact
that the visit of the train to that place
stirred up an interest on the subject of
improved highways that will result in
speedy Improvement of the roads in the
mountain country adjacent to the South
ern Railway.
| At Chattanooga four days. beginning
Wednesday, November 18th. were spent.
The work there resulted in much good.
Three sections OF road We're built on
Vance avenue, consisting of an earth
road, a ebert road and q macadamized
road. a two days convention was held
participated in by a large number Of
people. Among those present were many
of the most prominent people Of Chatta-
nooga and Hamilton county and roed
officials, business men and farmers from
other sections The Chattanooga District
Good Roads Association was organized.
The train LETT Chattanooga Sunday
night November 18th, and arrived at
Birmingham, Ala, early Monday morn
ing. At this place for the first time a
full week was spent. Birmingham and
the people In that section of Alabama had
heen agitating the question of improved
public roads, and those In Birmingham
and Jefferson county fully realized their
great value A very active committee
had the arrangements for the visit OF
the train in charge. During the week >
stay at Birmingham the Good Roads
train made nearly q mile OF roadway on
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