Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-01-22
HOW TO GET GOOD ROADS
Proper System Is More Important
Than Ardent Desire.

Than Ardent Desire.
The good roads movement seems "a
be causing some commotiop of late
and | noticed a quotation last week III
your paper from the Oregonian that
two things are essential TO good roads
IN Oregon; first, the general desire for
them; second, the intelligent determi-
nation to have them and we will have
TO admit these are essential in all
work, yet we will have to disagree
with the Orcgonain in this case.
Farmers are the class who most need
good roads and are the people here al
luded to and as a rule, the pioneers are
the farmers.
The pioneer. as rule was front
iersman and had always lived in log
house or a prairie schooner, most Of
them coming across the plains with OK
teams without good roads or much
hope of ever having them. Thus they
journeyed on toward Oregon, now and
then, as Parkman tells us, dropping
off piece of furniture as their tea ams
gavesout and the road got worse, blaz-
ing trail, making wagon track
right into the heart of the wilds Of
Oregon. A great trip and a great peo
pie that .made.it. They came without
roads, somehow, anyway, but got
here, subdued the Indians and annihi-
lated the grizzly bear.
But it does not appear as though
the Creator ever intended they should
live in marble houses or ride over
macadamized roads, yet we are certain
they desire them, aud have the intel
ligent determination to have them, if
they only had the system. Very likely
they never will, for they are rapidly
emigrating to that frontier from which
no pioneer returns and as to their
descendants, they will very likely
move to some other frontier, leaving
the good road problem to be solved by
the eastern immigrants Probably
many of these will come next spring
and summer, but our bad roads will
be a poor thing to introduce them to,
for / have heard eastern people say
they dreaded to settle in this country
on account Of the poor roads, and no
doubt many nave gone back on this
account. Think Of it People being
driven back to the cold east to face
the blizzards and the cyclone, rather
than live in a good climate with poor
roads.
Yet cannot agree with the Ore
gonian that these are the two most es-
sential things. In order to get good
roads, the first and most essential
thing to have. is system. 1 have
been listening ever since the good
road movement in this state started,
to hear some one mention q good sys-
TEN, one that has been tried, but if
anyone ever has thought Of it, it has
never come to my ears, and it is the
lack of good road law that causes
our roads to be IN the shape they are,
instead Of desire, intelligence and de-
termination, for how long would a sea
captain be in crossing the ocean with
plenty Of desire, intelligence and de-
termination if you take the systematic
chart and compass away from himt
But give him these with little de-
sire, intelligence and some detcrmina-
tion, and he will make about rs good
time AS the most ardent of them.
Here in Oregon we have the supervis-
or system as they have had in many
other states, and wherever they have
had this system they have also bad
roads and general complaint of poor
roads, but strange to say, no complaint
about the system
The pioneers had plenty Of desire
for something better or they never
would have made the journey they
did, and intelligence and determine.
tion also were not lacking, nor are
they lacking in the road question with
them or farmers in general and the
only thing lacking is the intellect to
tell the farmer and legislator also,
that they need system to work by.
This is left to the legislature at pres
ent, but if they should not find bet.
ter system it is very likely the peopl,
will initiate one sooner or later
There will be no trouble in finding
good system, as there is one in every
country whore you find good roads.
~