Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-19
GIVES LESSONS ON
ROAD BUILDING
GOVERNMENT MISSIONARY I'M
LOS ANGELES
Advocates Of Better Highways Hear
Interesting and Instructive Lee
ture on Subject Delivered
by Expert

1--WE are at the dawn of the greatest
road building era of any country in the
world. and the state or community
which is the first to grasp the situation
will reap the greatest penetits,' said
Samuel G. Lancaster, the government s
good-roads missionary, at a meeting
held last night in the assembly hall of
the chamber of commerce.
Mr.. Lancaster's statement and virtual
admonition were likewise cheered by
an audience which completely filed the
hall and which was composed in con-
siderable part by members of the Pas
adena board of trade. which Institution
is pushing the good roads movement
in Los Angeles county.
Many statements made by the speak
ef, showing the benefits to be obtained
through the acquisition of good roads
were cheered, and judging by the
amount of applause which greeted Mr.
Lancaster's remarks and the apparent
interest taken in the speech, each per-
son present is good roads enthusiast
Mr.. Lancaster is connected with the
agricultural department of the govern
ment, and he travels about the country.
educating the people on the subject OF
good roads and impressing upon the
residents of various communities the
Importance of improving highways for
CO1lllllGItldl ItdSOllSs NY NItipiiiiS A''A -
ers to bring their products into town
and to make their necessary purchases
He also argues for good roads as a
matter of pleasure as well as profit,
and shows how the farmers themselves
are enabled, through good roads, to en-
joy their trips into the cities and towns
instead of making the trip that is tire
some over roads that are almost impas-
sable.
He carries with him a stereopticon,
and by the presentation of photographs
of roads before and after Improvement
is able to present object lessons on the
subject.
Lecture Is illustrated
AS the views were thrown upon the
scene Mr.. Lancaster gave an interest
ing description of the scene, told of the
location, the cost of the Improvement,
the nature of the material used ana
other details connected with the work.
Some of the slides gave road scenes
in various countries. One is picture
OF a road built by the Romans before
the Christian era, and which is in good
condition today.
Mr. Lancaster said that the character
of the roads represents .alrly we'll the
civilization of the builders. He said
that it was necessary to have the con-
fidence of the community in the busl-
ness of road making. There must be
business methods in the handling of the
funds and also good judgment dis
played in selecting materials and in
supervising the work of construction
He would have a road with tight
roof and a dry cellar. You can't float
stone on a sea of mud,' he said. He
advocated the use of angular material,
and said that his home county in Ten
nessee, which has n population of less
than S0,000 is spending 100000 for good
roads and shipping the material from
Illinois because it is the best that can
be obtained for the purpose of road
building.
Tonight Mr.. Lancaster will deliver
good roads lecture in Pasadena, and
Monday he will be in San Diego. After
ward he will go to Washington state,
where he will remain for several weeks.
In an interview Mr.. Lancaster said
that he was favorably impressed with
what he has seen of the roads in South
ern California, but said that with the
great supply of oil available the roads
We're not what they should be.