The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-27
HIGHWAYS OF EAST
AND THOSE OF WEST
Robert c. Shelton Points Out
Advantage Held by East
ern States.
BODYBUILDING HISTORY
FROM EARLIEST PERIOD
Comparisons as to What Horse
Can Draw Over Good and
Bad Roads.

Robert c. Shelton of Salt Lake, VIII
has given much attention to the goot
roads movement, read an interesting pa
per at tho convention Wednesday after
noon on the good roads of the east
compared with the poor roads of th,
west. Mr. Skelton has visited eastern
states number of timos for the ex
press purpose of studying roads con
ditions. In his paper Wednesday he
traced the building Of roads from the
times when men were In savage state
J down to the present time. In sub
stance, Mr.. Shelton said:
The numerous eyolutions Of the human
race since primeval times has marked In
delibly the cpochs, also the avenues and
transition from one stage of civilization
10 another until today we have real as
through the ages chronicled In most in
stances by natures unerring hand either
In gradually developed races of the hu-
man family. or the silent tombs OF beings
or things gone astray from the paths OF
progression and advancement of condi-
tons and circumstances with which they
were enQroned
Savagery left It's footprint to be sue
ceeded by culture and rehnements, each
had its pathway thither through the
minds of the philosophers. or the jungles
paths were all sufficient. there being no
yehicles-no roads were needed Succeed
Ing these conditions crude wheels re-
quired power to draw them-a stage on
ward. through thickets, mountains. dcs-
erts and plains gave way for passage and
more convenient transit from place to
place. Finally animals tanned and made TO
bear the burden of draft, marked another
step toward the various civilizations OF
the world.
Roads are built because they are
hx-
First, because existing conditions OF
civilization have ever demanded the ave-
nues through which life's necessities can
be transported,
Second, wealth demands the highway
upon which pleasure, sightseeing and
mirth may be gratifed.
Under such conditions the task is com
paratlvely easy, but back OF all this Is
the pressing necessity for good roads;
hence their construction. Necessity In
early times impelled the construction OF
berland highway, undertaken by the gov
ernment In 1898 or thercabours. running
from the Atlantic through Pennsylvania,
Ohio. Indiana and havng, for its OBJ
Louis The motive behind the project
TO build the Union Pacific railroad was
quite different; In the former case the
cotton OF the southern states sought de-
livery at northern mills, and tho In
feasibility of transporting products from
Atlanta. Mobile and New Orleans made
IL imperative tnat n ROAD or avenue or
some kind be built to haul the commodi
ties to and from the distant extremes.
In the case OF the Union Pacific railroad
there was no congestion OF commerce de-
manding its construction. but beyond the
then populous portion OF the United
States lay the golden west. and, awak- |
ened by the spirit of progress already
we'll under way in the east enterprise. |
adventure and fortune invited the pro-
noters TO forge ahead and possess the |
great western empire. then unclaimed |
md unsurveyed. Ever since the uniting |
II the rails on Promontory mountain. |
Utah. the subject OF road building In the |
United States has had a different phase. |
rhe Pacific ocean has been landing on |
,ur western shores her rich Oriental |
,argoes. which. with dispatch. have gone |
overland TO the eastern ccnters, aug |
nentlng population to an abnormal ex-
.ent In some cities and localities where. |
Is a necessity. good roads had 10 be built |
% make possible travel TO and from farm
and factory with lies necessities. We |
observe, then, that an era OF reclaiming |
he latent wealth of this continent has