Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-07-22
BAD ROADS AND GOOD ROADS

EulCCf Truth: In my last trim to
the eastern states | drove from Towan.
da to Herrickville, Pa, over the state
road. This road is over 100 years old
and is today in a worse condition than
IL was thirty-ive years ago. II is
GAINED that when this road was laid
out the farmer who did it would see q
certain tree on distant hilltop in tbe
direction he wanted the road and he
would build the road direct to that
Tree, irrespective of the hills and gull
leys between. In all the last ten dec
ades not one hill has been cut down
or a gully filled nor has any attempt
Deen made to go around any of the
nils and save the steep grades they
nave to climb. In many places this
road is like the bale of a kettle over
the hill, they prefer to hold it I'D and
go over the top rather than to Law il
down and go around on the level
Every summer the farmers scrape a
little dirt into the middle of this road
ana IN the spring and fall when the
rains come the Transfers work it up
into mud and push it back to the sides
OF the road. The best teams could
not haul over a ton over this road
when it is in the best condition.
wagon road is an artery of commerce
and when it has been intelligently laid
out and kept in good repair usually
shows a healthy and prosperous COM
munity through which it passes. In
going ten miles over the above state
road | counted fifteen vacant farm
houses, and in many places where
once was a farm house is now seen
only the hollyhocks, the johnny-iump-
ups and the lilacs that grew around
its door. Many of the farmers who
lived along this road have gone to
their eternal rest and, me thinks, that
seeing the jaded and strained horses
pulling the scanty loads up one side
OF the hill and hearing the grewsome
screech of the brake going down the
other hurried them to their final home.
The wagon road between Salt Lake
and Ogden is about so years younger
than the state road in Pennsylvania
and much better, but it can be i'm
proved 1000 per cent. The railroads
found a good even grade, but the far
mers in laying out the wagon road
took to the hills and went three miles
oi 'hCl' Will uCoCIlDe SOlle vi IL. |
From the warm springs to the old |
slaughter house is probably the mean
est part and one of the most travelled |
in Utah. The great boulders in the |
road make you think the wagon you |
are riding in is a jigger. From the |
slaughter house to the county line the |
road has been well graded, but it is |
now in a very rough and stony condi- |
ton. From the county line to Center |
Vile the road is fairly good. Just |
north of Bountiful it turns square to |
he east and about thirty rods from |
his turn it turns at right angles north
To the farmers who laid out this road |
rom about two miles north of Center
vile to three miles north of Farming
on and the men who laid out the
state road the honors are
about equally divided. The road on
either side of Pennington exhibits all
he meanness, selfishness and ignor-
ince that could be found in wagon
Dad location. 1t passes over every
ILL., rock pile, and gully that can be
ound and takes a roundabout course
% do it, at Pennington II runs into
he side of the mountain then turns at
light angles west and about twenty
ODDS farther turns at right angles
forth and about sixty rods from this
,oint oUain at ripht anpleS wast and |