Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-18
THE GOSPEL OF GOOD ROADS.

THE GOSPEL OF GOOD ROADS.
There is no more important doc
trine, in material sense, which can
be taught in Colorado today, than the
Gospel of Good Roads. Good roads
will add to the value of every foot of
ground in the state and to the happi-
ness and comfort Of every inhabitant,
Good roads will make Colorado pros
porous as nothing else will or can do.
Good roads will open up the state for
tourists and make travelling pleasant
for those who reside here.
The whole state every citizen in the
state, Is in favor of good roads, the
good roads movement is not politi-
cal or local movement, it is state
wide and sky high. The only point at
which the residents of the state are at
variance in the matter is as to the
method to be pursued to gain the de-
sired results, the selfish motive which
cries out for personal benefit first.
In order for the people of Colorado
to gain the greatest benefits the good
roads must be state wide in extent,
no one community can receive the
maximum of benefit unless its roads
lead in from other points, local short
stretch of magnificent highway can
only afford benefit to the few who can
reach it while a state wide road will
bring people in as well as let them
out.
The method of building roads with
convict labor offers partial solu-
tion to the question only, the cooper
alton Of the state must reach further
than to merely give US the labor Of
few convicts for short period. the
larger cities of the state must realize
that their welfare is wrapt up in the
welfare of the entire state, Denver
must realize that the city is in the
state Of Colorado, a part of the state
and not the whole state itself.
If only roads leading to one point
are to be considered then all the state.
save that one point alone, is outside
the zone Of benefit but il q great sys-
tenn of highways is built the entire
state is benefited and will receive
dividends from the work.
At present some of the beauty spots
of the state are out of reach, they are
inaccessible because of the lack of ev-
Ell wagon roads leading to them and
are unknown even 10 the nearby resi-
dents on that account but a chain Of
good roads would make them common
property to the residents and the tour
ist alike.
The Mesa Verde ruins are known to
be the finest existing relics left by
the mysterious and prehistoric race
called the Cliff Dwellers but they are
visited only by the most enthusiastic
on account of the difficulty experien-
ced in reaching them. pack mule be-
ing now the only vehicle available to
those making the trip.
In La Plata county there abound at
fractions superior 10 those which year
ly attract visitors from across the seas
yet they are not visited because of
the lack Of roads, because Of the fact
that they are practically inaccessible,
when good roads would bring tourists
and sightseers here in vast numbers.
We take time to lament over the
fact that no United States senator
was chosen by the late assembly when
a good road leading into the San Juan
country from the outer world would
do us more substantial good than a
regiment of senators. We howl our
heads off II we hear that the fruit
crop Of the section is damaged when
a good road passing through here,
from somewhere to any place, would
be worth more to the country in gen.
eral than many fruit crops, we loudly
demand that the d. 4 r. G., broad
gauge it's road when q really good
wagon road would give us more real
We "strain at = gnat and swallow
= camel" with pretty good grace, all
things being considered. we need
rcilroad but we also need good high
way and Of the two, under the OK
isting conditions. we believe that the
highway Is Of sufficient Importance to