Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-07-29
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS
Dusty Highways Mean Disease,
Says Government Expert.
VALUE OF IMPROVING THEM.
Where Thoroushfares Are Good Chill.
dren Are Clean and Well Cared
For and Vice versa-Ho~ California
Learned an Economic Lesson.


roads 1 invariably see neglected. un-
kempt, unwashed children. II travel
along good road L see children well
| cared for. do not say that one di-
recuy follows the other, but they I'M
doubtedly go together. A community
that Is negligent OF its roads will be
negligent OF its children. and n COM
munity that is negligent OF its children
will not produce good citizens, nor.
above all things, will 1t have high
standard OF public health"
This observation on cause and effect
was made by DIR. Allerton =. Cushman.
assistant director OF the office OF pub
lie roads of the United States depart
ment OF agriculture. at a meeting Of
the American Public Health associa-
ton.
DIR. Cushman was asked to Justify
the statement. ct Is, 1 think, justified
by day spent I'm an automobile In
any country section" said he. land. in
sisting as l do on the condition, |
think 1t has a bearing on the question
so frequently asked by unthinking
Americans. What possible relation
can there be between the public road
and public healthr
"If the medical men OF the world
know what they are talking about the
relation is intimate. Dirt and dust
mean disease. Cleanliness and sanitary
surroundings work for n better citizen
ship. The relation OF science TO nun
dane things Is evident. II one will use
even percentage OF the powers OF de-
duction which Conan Doyle gave TO
Sherlock Holmes. Science holds I'm her
archives delightful little story which
well illustrates my purpose. 1t Is re-
lated that ut one time the flavor of the
famous Staffordshire cheese had de
parted and n splendid industry was
endangered. Sir John Lubbock. the
great naturalist, made Il prolonged In
vestigation and finally reported To the
farmers that I'm his Judgment the best
restorative measure possible would he
TO import great number OF cats and
set them free In Staffordshire
Naturally the unbelieving scoffed ut
the proposed antidote, for they deemed
the suggestion ridiculous. They asked
reason for so extraordinary a pre-
seription
shire cheese comes from hybrid clio
yer which formerly grew here I'm great
abundance said Sir John. The bum.
blebee Is the one means OF cross ferti-
llzing that clover. The field mice have
Increased very rapidly in numbers Of
late, and they are destroying the nests
of the bumblebees. If you can destroy
the mice, the bees can work on that
clover and Staffordshire cheese will
soon be as good as ever Get cats
| therefore,
81 don't vouch for the story" con
unued DIR. Cushman, but / indorse II
Tor its power of illustrating the deli
cate equilibrium which under our com
pick civilization exists between the
public health and public utilities. No
body will deny that the 2,150,000 miles
of public roads of America constitute
the national dust factory and furnish
fully so per cent Of the dust we III
Il hale. The delicate breathing appara-
l tus of the human body was never
meant to harbor such substances as
i every passing breeze blows from the
II thoroughfares, and the percentage of
i people dying from disease carried by
/ dust Is higher than is generally be
4 iievcd
when tho public will concedc that
i to be fact the director Of public
1 roads and the state and county road
/ builders and ovcrscers will get great
l er degree OF popular support than they
l now receive. The American finds
| dusty roads menace only when 1t Is
| brought home to him that they cost
| him money. That was demonstrated
l to the orange growers of California n
L few years ago. when dust covered fruit
l no longer commanded SO high n price
as when free from dust. The result
i was an aroused interest i'm road i'm
/ provement and I'm dust suppression.
l Appeals on the score OF cleanliness and
/ good health never stirred the Califor-
| mans, but n slump in the price OF
1 oranges brought about wonderful
era of activity. The outcome was
| gratifying and California soon had
dustless, oiled roads In that state
the oils possess higher asphaltum
base Than the oils of any other section
Of the world, and when they are
| spread on tho roads the volatile por-
ton Of the oil evaporates and the MS
phaltum remains as binder.
"The almost immediate success Of
this plan attracted the attention OF
highway engineers throughout the
world. In France and some of our
eastern states It was at once assumed
that oiling was the best road treat.
ment and that the longcd for solution
OF the dust nuisance problem had been
found. This has not been proved to be
the case, because IN many localities the
only oil available possesses petroleum
rather than nm asphaltum base. II
has been found that when tho VIOLA.
tile portion evaporatcs the oil left be
hind becomes greasy and similar IN
consistency to vaseinc. Such quality
Of oil does not adhere aud bind the
road, but IS picked up and scattered
by passing traffic.
"IL then, as the doctors say, dust
means dirt, dirt means disease, and
disease means death, dusty roads have
no place in our national economies"
child's Tribute 20 "UnoIe Remus"
l a Cleveland 0DO man WIN lovps tho