Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-12-24

civilized races OF ancient times. And
the wayfarer who now travels those
roads Is no doubh filled with pride at
the mere thought OF having sprung
from a people that reached such
high degree OF intellect more than
thousand years ago. Now, fancy our
grandchildren looking back two or
three hundred years from now and
comparing the intellect OF Brazos
County citizen with the condition OF
our roads today. Instead OF feeling
that thrill OF pride at being descend.
ants Of ours, they would no doubt,
deny the charge. And II we could
come back to Brazos County two hun.
cred years hence we would have a
hard time locating a living soul that
would be willing to acknowledge be-
Ing our posterity. When America was
first discovered, four hundred years
ago. the Inca Indians OF South America
had built system OF roads that today
are classed as the best roads in
America. They have stood the storms
OF time for more than four hundred
years and are as good today as when
first built. Here we are. considering
ourselves the most highly enlightened
people on earth In the Twentieth Cen.
tury. and our roads could not possibly
last and be used five years without
work. and to find any trace OF them
after a lapse OF fifty years would re-
, quire a search warrant In the hands
Of an officer with an airship.
! We have examples all over the coun.
try. showing what wonderful changes
can be accomplished by issuing bonds
and doing something" The wonder.
full results accomplished at Washing.
ton City. the capital OF the United
States. should cause every man in
America to be willing to vote to i'm.
prove streets and roads
The roads OF the Eastern States, a
country more sandy and hilly than
BrazOs County. are paved or grayeled.
and the citizens point with pride to
their beautiful thoroughfares. The
country Is dotted with beautiful, well
improved farms. fine residences. large,
we'll filled barns, and everything de-
notes prosperity. When We consider
the land OF that country is much
poorer than Brazos County, and sells
for more than three times as much.
We naturally ask ourselves what can
cause this great difference The ques.
ton is easily answered. The mer.
chants OF that country know the pros
perity they enjoy depends on the con.
dition OF the roads entering their re.
spectiye cities, and are anxious and
willing to vote a sufficient amount OF
money to construct and maintain first
class roads. The farmers are on TO
the fact that good roads decrease the
distance to market more than one
half, and that only small per cent
OF the money raised by voting road
bond issues Is really paid by the farm
ers, and that the farmer reaps the ex
elusive benefit of all money paid In
fixing the roads They also know II is
n proven fact beyond question that
bond issues bring in and place in cir
culatiU2 large sums of money in a
community, creating markets and
prosperity that would otherwise often
suffer for funds with which to trans
act the legitimate business of the
country. Knowing all Of these facts
the citizens of the Eastern States took
advantage of them and have created
lovely homes and prosperous citizens
on lands that we're formerly consider
ed barren waste.
The small effort of the city of Bryan
in paving her principal street shows
the wonderful results of spending a
small sum In improving. Now we are
all wondering why Bryan waited sc
long. We know her citizens of few
years ago were intelligent and appar
emily progressive, but they had not
developed that get up and do some
thing" spirit now prevailing, There
is usually feeling among some of the
people OF the country opposing the is
suing of bonds to improve roads, ant
the more backward community Is
as a general rule the greater is that