The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-08-28
Effect on Rural Districts.

BtU TOHuS constitute tne CsedteSl
drawback to rural life, and for the
lack of good roads the farmers suffer
more than other classes. 1t Is OBJ
viously unnecessary, therefore, to
discuss here the benefits to be de-
rived by them from improved reads,
Suffice 1t to say, that those localities
where good roads have been built are
becoming richer, more prosperous.
and more thickly settled, while those
which do not possess these advan-
standstill or are becoming poorer
and more sparsely settled. II these
conditions continue, fruitful farms
may be abandoned and rich lands go
to waste. Life on farm often be-
comes, as a result of "bottomless
roads," isolated and barren of social
enjoyments, and pleasures, and coun-
try people In some communities suffer
such great disadvantage that ambi-
tion is checked, energy weakened and
industry paralyzed.
Good roads, like good streets, make
habltation along them most desira-
BILE; they economize time and force In
transportation of products, reduce
wear and tear on horses, harness and
vehicles, and enhance the market
value of real estate. They raise the
value of farm lands and farm pro-
ducts and tend to beautify the coun-
try through which they pass; they fa-
cllitate rural mail delivery and are
potent aid to education, religior
and sociability. Charles Summer
once said: "The road and the school,
| master are the two most important
agents In advancing civilization. The
dlffefence between good and bad
roads is often equivalent to the diff
ference between profit and loss. Good
roads have a money value to farmers
as well as political and social value
and leaving out convenience, COM
fort, social and refined influences
which good roads always enhance.
and looking at them only from the
almighty dollar" side, they are
found to pay handsome dividends
each year.
People generally are beginning to
realize that road building is a pub
lie matter and that the best interests
of American agriculture and the
American people as whole demand
the construction of good roads and
that money wisely expended for this
purpose is sure to return.
The Improvement of country roads
Is chiefly an economical question, re-
lating principally to the waste of eff
fort in hauling over good ones, the
initial cost of improving roads and
the difference In the cost of maintain
Ing good and bad ones 1t is not nec-
essary to enlarge on this sub.ec in
order to convince the average reader
that good roads reduce the resistance
to traffic, and consequently the cost
of transportation Of product and
goods to and from farms and mar
kets is reduced to minimum. The
initial cost of road depends upon
the cost of materials, labor, machin-
cry, the width and depth to which the
material Is to be spread on, and the
method of construction All these
| things vary so much In the different
States that 1t is impossible to name
the exact amount for which q mile
of certain kind Of road can be built.
The Introduction in recent years of
improved road-building machinery
had hlaH hn ~ bnv L.,
of the States to build improved stone
and gravel roads quite cheaply. First
| class single track stone roads nine
feet wide have been built near Can
andaigua, N. Y, for 5000 to $1,000
per mile. Many excellent gravel
roads have been built in New Jersey
for $1,000 to $1,000 per mile. The
material of which they constructed
was placed In two layers, each being
raked and thoroughly rolled, and the
whole mass consolidated to thick
ness of eight inches. In the same
State macadam roads have been built
for $4,000 Ito $4,000 per mile, vary
ing In width from nine to twenty
feet, and in thickness Of material
from four to twelve inches. Telfori
roads, fourteen feet wide and ten to
twelve inches thick, have been built
in New Jersey for $400 to 5000 per
mile. Macadam roads have been
built at Bridgeport, Conn, eighteen
to twenty feet wide for $4,000 to
$4,000 per mile.-F. T. Nelson, in the
New Orleans Picayune.