Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-03-19
ROAD BUILDING.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS BY
]. o. SANFORD, OF VERMONT.
HIS ADDRESS AT THE COUNTY COM
MIssIoNERs CONVENTION IN
ELLSWORTH.

The question OF road improvement has
been under discussion for some ten years,
at least, in the New England states.
think it was taken up in Vermont in 1892,
and in Massachusetts and most OF the
other states about the same time. AS far
as know, every legislature in these states
is now wrangling with the question OF
Improvement of the roads.
Why the great importance OF this? Be-
cause roads are essential, and because
roads have not improved in the same rs-
tito that other things have improved. We
have improved our buildings, we have
improved our cattle and our horses, every
thing with which we have to do in our
civilization has been rapidly changed and
greatly improved, but we have the same
old roads.
A class of people are saying to US that
we must have roads built right away just
like the roads OF the Old country. They
return from The old countries and tell us
that they are ashamed OF America. II
has the poorest system of roads OF any
civilized nation. They say that whereas
the condition of the public roads Is as
sumed to be an index to the civilization
of people, in this case 1t does not prove
to be true, for we boost OF our civilization,
and yet have these poor roads. There has
been great deal Of discussion on the SUBJ
iect, and 1T Is still going on. The drift of
opinion IL that we should build scientific
roads.
You expect me TO come here to-day and
advise you to engage In the enterprise OF
building scientific roads here in Maine
Macadsm roads-but am not going to do
it. try to be reasonable about this mat
ter. l admire the Macadam roads and
like to see them built, and they are being
built in all the states, as far as / know.
In our own state OF Vermont we are
making grand progress in the building of
those roads, but II Is in the cities and
large villages, which have machinery for
building them and means 10 pay for them.
] have no concern about the cities and
villages; my concern Is for the rural towns.
My home is in one OF these rural towns,
and have always lived Ia one OF them. /
sm acquainted with their conditions, and
have watched with sadness the decline
in population, and the decline in wealth,
and the decline in agriculture, in rural
New England. 1t has distressed me. /
have studied the question deeply, and il
there is any one thing that will cheek this
decline, ia my opinion, it is the building
OF good roads and the maintaining of
good roads. With good roads and good
schoolE ruraf Nav ENGLAND will ia he care
OF itself.
In our own state the leading men are
doing a great deal in the way OF adver-
Using the natural scenery, for the money
they can get out OF 1t, as business propo-
sition. II this same expense WAS put into
practical work in improving our roads,
these natural attractions would advertise
themselves, for when we have good roads
in this beautiful country, people will not
Keep away from 1t, and when there are
good roads and good schools, the people
that are here will remain. Where can
they find better placer
NO RADICAL CHANGE.
Now, what shall we recommend for
road Improvement? do not see that 1t
is possible to make any very radical change
in the rural sections OF New England.
We notice that Massachusetts, Is doing
below us-buiiding these expensive Mac
adam roads 10 the rural sections of the
state-and we watch it with deep inter-
est. Many people in Vermont think that
is applicable to Vermont; and probably