Norwich bulletin., 1912-11-14
DANIELSON
Pilot Car, South Coventry Owned, Reaches Borough and Continues to State Line-C. M. Robinson Outlines Plans of Good Roads Association Valuable Horse Runs on Track.

One leg of the state girdling tour of the pilot car Of the Connecticut Good Roads association was completed We1- nesday, when DanielSon was reached and run of the last five miles male to the Rhode Island border, east of here. A few minutes before noon the car was back in Danielson, having completed for it's occupants an oppor- tunlty to inspect one of the east t1 west trunk lines that the Good Roads association hopes to see built, the par t1cular line in question to extend from the western border of the state beyond Danbury through that city, Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, Gov entry, Willimantic, Brooklyn, Daniel son and to the Connecticut Rhode Is- land border east of this place There is another east and west route, along the Sound, and two north and south routes
 The pilot car in use Wednesday by the touring party is the property of Louis A. Kingsbury of South Coven- try, a relative of Mrs. M. A. Shum- way of Danielson. It was occupied by MT. and Mrs. Kingsbury, Dr. w. L. Higgins of South Coventry and C. M Robinson of New Haven, attorney for the Good Roads association.
 The big machine left WiNimantic on the days run at 9.17 a. m., reaching Danielson at 10.30 it's passengers some what chilled from the cold run across the country. There was no reception committee on hand to do the honors for the visitors, but Senator elect Ed win H. Reach was immediately gotten in touch with by the party and taken into the machine for the short run to the Rhode Island line.
 Mr. Reach, acting as pilot of the pilot car, directed the party on the drive up Reynolds street and through South Killingly to Little Rest, follow ing the route adopted by the state highway commissioner for macadamiz- ing during the coming year. On their return here MT. Reach entertained the party at dinner at the Attawaugan hotel.
 In coming from Willimantic, Attor- ney Robinson said that the route trav- ersed was to South WindEam and Windham Center, to which latter point a good macadam road was available, but from Windham Center to Brook lyn, a distance of 13.3 miles, he found | the route in what he described as "a state of nature" and in such condi- tion as to indicate that little had been | done to improve it in fifty years. In places he found it foot deep with sand, with low spots at intervals, and l in such a general state as to make it appear probably almost impossible for automobiles in wet weather.
 | In describing the purposes and in tents of the organization which he rep resents, Attorney Robinson said:
 'The Connecticut Good Roads asso- citation was organized by the boards of l | NorwaIk, Bridgeport, New Haven, Wa terbury, Hartford, Danbury and other Connecticut cities, It's purpose is to secure legislation that will provide for the putting down of trunk lines, gird- ling the state, east and west, north and south, with a concrete base that will give the state permanent improved highways. Such a concrete base as il
 is desired should be put in would have
 a top dressing of material yet to bt decided upon and would give Connec- | ticut trunk line highways that would
 endure.
 Tt is well known that prosperity
 cones to communities in direct propor. tion to the facilities for communicating
 with them. Such highway as is plan
 ned would probably more than doubl'
 the property vaNles along it's route
 Some cases are known where propert!
 values have increased over 200 per cent
 as soon as a road similar to the on
 proposed here was mapped out"
 Attorney Robinson said that the plal
 is to ask the state for legislation tha
 will provide for a bond issue of iron
 $5 ,O00, GOO to $6,000,000 to meet the con
 struction cost of the proposer high
 ways. The interest on such an issu would be more than taken care of b. tf1e fees now annually paid to the sta
 by automobile owners. The averag ! cost annually per mile for keeping I repair the water bound macadam road of the state is approximately $1,0O'
 Mir. Robinson says. The concrete pave ment the Good Roads association
 advocating would be put In with fiv
 years guarantee by the contractor!
 and after that period the upkeep woul . be comparatively small as compare to the repair cost for the present typ 3 of state roads. The estimate of savin on repairs alone is $500,000 a year. l
 word. MT Robinson said, the plan
 to apply business principles to stat
 road building and to save money ths 5 is now being thrown away.
 i, The plan is backed by business me : of prominence in Connecticut the pres g ident of the Good Roads associa1o = being General Henry A Bishop of Ne : Haven, with Dan c. Seitz bushes l manager of the New York Worl
 whose home is in Connecticut; Ger
 eral Wallace T. Fenn, Wethersfield, an :. George M Flames, Bridgeport, as vit }. presidents.
 : The pilot car left here early in tf y afternoon for the return run to Will