El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-14
The Good Roads Movement
In the Mimbres Valley
Luna County Last But Not Least in Road Building.
By R. BEDICHEK, DEFINING, N. NJ

down one Of the principal streets Of
Temple, Tex, town then Of at least
z,5C0 people. Such a sight was not IN
common in many towns Of the same or
even larger size in the black waXy
belt of Texas. And the same is true
Of certain sections Of still more highly
developed states. 1t was only a few
years ago that the high road was i'm
passable in places between Nashville,
Tenn, and Louisville, KY, and this for
years uncomfortable road was at last
converted into one Of the best turn
pixies in the country in single day
through the efforts and organization
perfected by single individual
Good Roads Produce Revenue.
1t is. to say the least, strange freak
of community psychology that roads
are among the last public improve
ments to be put in; when it is obvious
to the most casual observer that q
good road is the greatest laDor-Savings
revenue-prOducing gOOd-temper-p
serving humanitarian century-Old de-
vice with which civilization is famil-
lar. 1t is one Of the things. one Of the
very few things, which later clF1llZa-
tiOns have apparently not learned from
the Romans. ImpassiOned orators tell
US in resOunddug sentences just what
caused the greatness Of Rome, ana
enumerate gltbly the causes of its ult1-
mate decline and fall and beseech US
with tears in their voices to adopt this
or that reform and thus participate In
the grandeur that was Greece and
the glory that was Rome, or avoid
certain tendencies which viii plunge
US into the sOrroW and desolatiOn that
marked the overthrow Of these two
classic nations. But it is seldom point
ed out that Rome was the greatest
road building nation of antiquity. The
orators do not ring the changes on
the Importance Of properly constructed
road beds, on the qualities Of the King
drag, on means Of eliminating the dust
evil from our highways.
AIimbres Valley Exception.
The 3Iimbres va1ley. promises to be
an exception to the general rule in the
matter Of road building. The valley is
scarcely two years old as an agricul-
tural region, and still a fairly good
entific road building. Previous to the
agricultural Development there was
little call. Of course. for good roads.
Cattle were driven to Deming across
the wide plains along trails through
the mesquite. and good roads were not
a matter Of prime Importance. But
with the development of the farming
interests here the matter Of improving
share of the public's attention.
Good Roads Bring HOmeseekers.
The popularity Of this development
has also emphasized the necessity for
good roads This development is based
upon the recently discovered feasibility
of pumping water for irrigation. The
installation Of pumping machinery ne
cessitates heavy hauling before any
crops are even raised, much less hauled
to market. Hence, about the first thing
that a developer notices when he be-
gins the improvement Of his land is
the imperfections in the road leading
from town to his particular tract OF
land. II there is a jug-hole in the road
and he has 1000 pounds of machinery
aboard ne is very apt to have this Jug
hole called pOintedly TO his attention.
If there is a little strip of heavy sand
across which only 1000 pounds can be
pulled by a good team and the remain
der Of his ten miles of road is hard
and even. he sees that this little strip
Of sand causes him to make four trips
to town instead Of one trip IL the sand
were removed. 1t is easy, therefore. to
see the reason FOR an early develop