The Elbert County tribune., 1906-11-01
FOR GOOD ROADS
THOMAS WALSH SHOWS THEIR
VALUE TO COLORADO.
THEY WOULD BRING WEALTH
Magnificent Opportunities Going to
Waste for Lack Of Them--Advo-
Gates State Department of Roads
Leaders Wanted to Start the Move-

Iceue's "dHtco 10 otdTt tnc WoNc-
men.
At the meeting of the Denver Real
Estate Exchange in the Savoy hotel
recently which was exceptionally we'll
attended Thomas Walsh was given the
place of honor on the program and ad-
dressed the meeting for over an hour
on the subject of good roads in Colo
RADIO. Mr.. Walsh said in part:
The civilization of a country is, as
suredly, measured, in part, at least, by
the conditions of its roads. In the con
structive work of the great Roman
empire, none have stood the ravages
of time. nor have given so many bless
ings or pleasures to every country
they invaded, as well as their own, as
have those magnificent roads they
built seme 1000 years ago. and 1t is a
perfect pleasure to-day to ride over
one of these old Roman roads. say
from Paris to Troville, smooth as ta-
BILE, with vistas of perfectly straight
stretches of thirty miles, lined on
either side with shady trees and
grassy swards.
The roads of Europe are all good.
II you ride outside of Carlsbad. for in
stance, you will see women. and some
dust off the road over which you are
passing. In mountains and plains all
over Europe the roads receive con
stant attention and care, not alone in
the maintenance, but also in their
beautifying. There are no mountain
passes, no gorges so steep that are
not traversed by splendid roads. III
the Tyrolese Alps. in the Pyrenees be-
tween France and Spain. and espe-
cially the Swiss Alps. splendid roads
of easy grades carry you through can
ons and passes and through the most
enchanting scenery. There is no as
set more valued by the Europeans
than their roads. Thousands of our
citizens 80 to Europe every summer
to tour over these well kept roads.
You meet them everywhere.
Many of the eastern states have
realized the benefits and blessings
that are to be conferred upon the
masses of the people, by the building,
beautitying and maintenance of good
roads. Take Massachusetts, for in
stance; some years ago the roads
there were like ours, almost impass-
able. There was a road association
established This association tried to
get an appropriation from the Legisla-
ture at first, but was utterly unable to
do 1t. They then, at their own expense
built every alternate mile of road. The
lesson to the farmers was so great that
after one year of trial they who op-
posed the appropriation petitioned the
Legislature to make an immediate ap-
preparation to build the intervening
miles, andt to-day Massachusetts has
well maintained roads that, with the
exception of their narrowness and
winding features, will compare favor
ably with the roads of the old country
Glance over the map of our state
for a moment. See what a grand, un.
broken chain of mountain range we
have reaching from the northern to the
southern boundary of the state. Travel
over all the earth and you will not
find such a magnificent panorama OF
mountain scenery; yet we have not, in
TACT, one piece of good road that Wis
itor can travel over from Denver mp
into the scenic places of these noun
tains. Now can you imagine anything
more worthy than the constructbn, OF
rathei the perfecting of a road leading
from one extremity of our state to the
other. along the base of those beauti
fll mountains, through picturesque
cities towns and villages, with
branch roads running up from them
into the most picturesque canons and
PARKS.
I'm these fountain resorts, to begin
with modest but well kept hotels could
he established. If we flood our state
with visitors and tourists, fine hotels
will soon spring up. Mountain resorts
with funicular railroads running up
TO the most attractive mountains will
be established. Look at Switzerland
and see the millions of dollars that
flow into her little territory every year
See what prosperity she is enjoying
from the tourist travel of the world
and yet beyond flying passage
through our state of some few thous. |
AIMS, we receive no benefit from tour
lists. and our state with decent roads |
can Dc made more attractive than
Switzerland
The officials in every county in the
state should give their joint co-opera. |
tion in laying out a system of roads to |
be worked up to, and all improvements
hereafter made on roads should be |
done under this system and with the
definite end in view that when the
plan at first decided upon was finally |
hnished, the state would have a per. |
feet system of roads. Instead of peri !,
odical repairing, the money spent |
should be used in keeping force con. |
tinuaily on the road, or il better re-
suits could be obtained, contract their |
maintenance. AT first 1t may not be |
necessary to macadamize them, ex.
cept in deep, muddy places. but wher-
ever macadamized roads were built. or
wherever it was possible to do so, they |
should be built for all time. Cement |
bridges and culverts should be built
instead of wooden ones Some ar.
rangements shoul/ be made to have
unlimited Quantities of disintegrated
granite provided, using steam shov.
els to load 1t on the cars Every county
in the state should cooperate in this
work under the leadership and in con.
junction with the state department of
roads. The beautifying of the roads