The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-26
AN AUTHORITY on SUBJECT
In His Connection with Oklahoma
University Has Done Much Work
To Further Building OF
Good Roads.

lahoma is Professor Gould of the
State University. Ever since he has |
been at the Oklahoma State Uniyer
sity he has given courses In good |
roads and road construction and |
has done everything in his power |
70 further the movement flb |
probably knows more about the |
subject of road building material of |
Oklahoma than any other man in
the new state. When asked about !
the good roads movement Profes.
sor Gould recently said:
The subject of good roads is one
that Is going to attract much atten-
tion during the next five years. not
only In Oklahoma but in the entire
nation as well. In large measure
1t will take the place of the river
and harbor agitation that has been
so constantly before the country for
twenty years.
'ln my opinion the three subjects
that will be prominent before the
American people for the next two or
three decades are irrigation. forestry
and good roads. II | were young
man looking for a life work | would
certainly 80 into one of these lines
of work. and as | see IL now the
subject of good roads is the most
important of the three.
Good roads should interest every
one; the farmer who has to haul his
products to market. the merchant
who purchases them; the railroad
man who finally transports them to
the distant consumer But strange
as II may seem, people have to be
stirred up to understand the import
ance of good roads. One would nat
urally think that farmers and mer-
chants the country over would fall
in with the movement. In fact,
however, the general observation is
that the reverse is true. Most peo-
pie seem To think that because roads
always have been muddy in winter
and dusty in summer, therefore they
always must be; and ii follows that
the people who should give this mat,
ter their attention and help push II
along are in fact the ones who seem
most Indifferent, If indeed they do
not openly oppose the movement.
Such people, however, sometimes
wake up when they learn what has
been done on their behalf by the
general government You know that
"A bill, known as the Brownlow Bill.
was a few years ago introduced in
congress that provides for an appro-
priation of $4,000 900 to be spent in
various states ON the construction OF
good roads If this bill ever passes
Oklahoma will have her share of the
money expended on the construction
Of good roads.
Now the general government does
only half The state or community
must pay the other half The plan
proposed is for the community bene.
fitted 10 pay one-fourth OF the cost
the state government one-fourth, and
the general government the rest. OF
course there ore certain technacalities
and requirements to be met before
the money will be available, even II
the bill passes congress. but Okla
homa should be ready to use the
money as soon as the government
Is ready 10 give Il TO US.
In a dozen or more states in tn,
union whore the experiment has
been tried, IL has been found profit
able TO use short term prisoners Oh
the construction Of good publ,
roads. Whether or not this policy
will be success IN Oklahoma re
mains to be- seen
The greater part OF old Oklahomi
has fairly good roads Most OF tn,
soil Is a sandy shale that packs hare
, and firm 50 that the road Is neither
. very muddy nor very dusty. Th'
poorest roads are In the sand-hill re
; gions and II Is in these regions tina
good roads are most needed Jus
how 10 make good roads In sand 4
a problem not yet satisfactorily soly
I ed, and for that reason is question
, In which the people Of Oklahom
r should interest themselves.
In the Indian Territory side O
the new state the problem is dii
fcrent Throughout a good part o
eastern Oklahoma the rocks consis
4 chiefly of clays and shales OF Can
, boniferous age which become mudd
in winter and dusty in summer N