The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-01-25

a high state OF civilization. The i'm
provement in the condition Of the COM
mon highways proclaims in mute yet
unmistakable language the advance
ment in the civilization of a country.
Highly specialized industries. which
usually attend a high state of civiliZae
ton among a people. seldom flourish
where means is unprovided for quick
exchange of commodities. As the
standard of living in a community
rises. il soon finds expression in a de-
:nand for better roads-roads suitable
for the gentleman's saddle horse, for
the family carriage. for the salesman's
road wagon, for the delivery mans
automobile car, and for the pleasure
seekers and tourists automobiles
The most natural system TO follow
in road building is to begin the i'm
provement in the city or village. work
ing outward in the different directions
on the lines of least resistance. but at
all times striving to reach the greatest
population and the heaviest traffic.
The work should be placed in charge
Of q man who understands road build
ing and road repair. This statement
is equally true whether there be much
or little money available for the work.
The system which permits the appoint
ment of men as road supervisors re-
CARELESS of their fitness for the posi-
ton is accountable in a great measure
for poor roads and for the feeble in
terest taken in road improvement.
Probably there is no more road work
in many counties than could be super
intended by one man, and that man
could be selected with an eye to his
gualifica tons for the work to be done.
which would result not only in better
roads, but also in greater efficiency
and economy. Such a system prevails
in many of the older States of the
Union, and it has been suggested that
| it might prove most desirable in this
section under our conditions.
The use of improved labor saving
machinery in the building and repair
| of the common highways no doubt
would result advantageously to all
concerned. To illustrate: If a ma
chine were devised whereby two men
and four teams with the machine,
could perform as much of given
kind of work in a day as ten men could
perform in the same time with teams
and the old slip scrapers, it is evident
| that the purchase and use of such
machine, provided, however, that the
price was not exorbitant, would be
most desirable and would result in
much economy. Furthermore, If at
the same time. with such a machine,
the work could be done infinitely bet
ter. it would seem to be the height of
folly not to invest in one. The modern
road grader is just such machine.
| The road grader has become so popular
in most Of the older States to-day that
| the old slip scraper is seldom seen,
| and when it does appear it is used
| only in corners where the grader can
not reach the work. With a modern
grader in the hands of an expert in
every county, the roads leading out
from our cities and towns would soon
discard their shrunken appearance and
take on a more rounded, elevated
form, and the holes apd inequalities
would gradually disappear, leaving a
surface SO uniform that they would
delight the eye and afford pleasure
to the traveller.
Space will not permit of an extend
ed discussion of the methods and
means for road improvement, but at
least enough has been said to intro
duce subject which is deserving of
much thought among the people of
this section. We are on the eve of a
great wave of progress. and would
it not pay both the merchant and the
ranchman to give the matter of road
building and road repair more atten-
ton?