Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1910-05-19
The Good Roads Revelation.

throughout the United States is
positively amazing. The sub
ject cannot be referred to longer
as a movement" 1t amounts
now to a revolution. 1t has run
away with the keenest observers
and nobody has a clear concep.
tion OF the magnitude Of the rev.
olu ion unless he has spread be-
fore him the newspapers OF the
nation, teemng with articles be-
ginning like this: "Neyer before
in the history OF thu United Sta
tes, perhaps not in the world, has
there been such widespread in
terest and practical activity for
good roads asis the case today"
The quotation is from the Motor
Era, but 1t is typical. Could the
people of communities that have
not yet secured modern high
ways only see, as ore looking
from a mountain top sees strech.
ell before him a vast landscape,
the manifold activities OF the
American people in their efforts
to fill the one grent, crying need
OF the age, they would. straight.
way go and build good roads il
it deprived them of many things
they now enjoy.
cit is inspiring to. an advorate
of good roads to note what is be
ing done ly energetic citizens in
every state of the union. If a
community is not actually en-
gagged in constructing good
roads it is talking about it, and
enough talk will turn the trick.
The press carries an astonish-
ing amount ofgood road matter.
This may he taken as a sure sign
that the nation is busy with the
problem of the twentieth cpntu-
ry, for the press holds the mir
ror up to lie. 1t is giving promi-
nence that it never gave before
TO reports of good roads meet
ings, to speeches delivered at
such, to the opinions OF men ell
gagged in the work; and it. fea-
lures all OF it along withthe RI
cipst news stories.
Public sentiment as n result, is
becoming crysta lied. Marvellous
good roads developments is just
ahead of us. Enormous sums will
he spent during the next fe W
years for improved country high
ways. In congress, CD, bills are
Icing introduced one after an
other in response to public senti-
ment, and the idea that t h
government is in duty bound to
take q hand in building roads is
growing. Every one of these bills
propose federal aid. The various
+govprnors are laying more ana
more stress on the need and the
value of roads in their messages
to their legislatures. Governor
Sanders, OF Louisiana, sets forth
the attractive iJea that the led
eral government should connect
state with state, that the states
should connect county with coun
ty, and that the counties should
connect their subdivisions. Co
operation between the national
government and the state, and
between the state and the coun-
Try, is going to lie the plan in the
| future.
What a country we would have
| if the whole were knit together
by q system of smooth: hard,
highways! Progressive me cannot
travel in mud, but place her On a
permanent surface and she goes
Place her there, and there would
be as great a change in ourrural
lie as there is between he Oxcart
and the aeroplane rage. Much is
being said OF conservation of
resourcas-the construction Oi
Oi good roads is the very essence
OF conservation. 1t costs ouI
people five hundred millions all
nually to haul over bad roads
counting the cost at % cents
per ton per mile. Withimprovet
roada NO rOull aavp more thai