The Bossier banner., 1907-11-21

ideas advanced and for arousing the in
terest of the public, for good roads are
what we need and must hare.
1t occurs to me that the very best thing
to do to at once realize the benefit of our
work and money expended would be to
vote a special road tax and issue bonds.
By doing this there would be little or no
wait at all. And the roads built should be
of the best material btainable-macadam-
lied or surfaced with gravel. 1t would, of
course, take a long time and a big sum of
money to build such roads all over our
parish, but We cannot expect to do it all
at once. Let us begin by having our
principle roads made good and few years
later those over which there is less travel
can be treated in a like manner. In the
mean time if the Police Jury wishes to
continue to make a small appropriation
each year for general road purposes-to
maintain a small independent repair out
| fit, or to let out the repairing of our pres
ent roads by contradictory well. This
WOulO NV III ohy way 1AeOtAOiO Will ClIO
other work referred to.
There is little more to be said. Perhaps
cannot. do better than to cite your readers
| to the following excerpt from an article by
Mr.. Richard A. Haste, of the Public Road
Office of the Agricultural Department., |
believe, which is now going the rounds Of
the press.
"The experience of Jackson, Tenn, fur
nishes not only an object lesson in good
road building, but it is shining example
of what few energetic business men can
do to build up the trade of town by con-
certed action. got the story at first hand
from S. G.. Lancaster, Chief Engineer Of
the Good Roads Commission of Madison
County, the county Of which Jackson is
the trade center.
'Ten years ago Jackson was town of
about 10000 inhabitants, the county seat
| of good county, as counties go in East
Tennessee. 1t was ramshacke old place,
innocent Of pavements and other modern
! improvements. It's main business build
ings dated back 'befo' de wah, and ante
bellum ideas dominated the community.
The soil of the county was rich, but one
half Of the farmers profits was absorbed in
hauling the products, mainly cotton, to
market. The roads were abominable.
''Now Jackson is beautiful city of
10000 inhabitants, modern in every res
pect, with miles of beautifully paved
streets, and from it's center thirty miles Of
smooth macadam roads lead out into the
country. You will have to swear out a
search warrant to find a mossback' with
in the city limits. All this was brought
about by the good roads microbes that
happened to find lodgment in the commu
nifty.
1T was in the early nineties that the
good men of jacksonville mossbacks ano
all-saw a great light. A tidal wave o1
) up to dateness struck the town. A sewer.
age system and other public utilities were
put in, the streets were graded and paved
and modern city bloomed fourth, as i
: were, in night. The progressive busi.
ness men of jackson looked upon theil
! work and saw that it was good. Then op.
portunity knocked at their door, and they
hastened to undo the latch.
''In June, 1901, a good roads convention
was held in Jackson. Prominent men, in
: cluding governors Of states, were there tx
) address the convention. A representative
of the Public Roads Office of the Agri
: cultural Department was there to superin
tend the construction of a section of ex
hibition road The Good Roads Associa
ton supplied train load of modern ma
chinery, and the railroads furnished tn
stone.
1.-THE enthusiasm created by this con
e vention took root, but it did not bring fort
fruit until the winter of 1903-4, the .winte