American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-02-17
o OF A

1t is an old story about the tenderfoot who went from
Atlanta down to Augusta with the intention of making
his home there and was drawn into a little game OF draw
poker with sundry citizens of apparently innocent ways
and he found himself about the time the church bells be-
gan to ring in the morning, shy to the full amount OF ms
wad. He had enjoyed the evening very much, OF course,
but when he was invited the next day to "sit in" declined
with much feeling on the ground that he would never play
poker again in a town where they teach it in the public
schools.
The onlv thing this well-authenticated story has to do
with the subject of good roads is to note the very evident
advantage of thorough training even in the least import,
ant occupations and the most gratifying educauonal zeai
with which the cause of good roads is being pressed
throughout the country. In all the larger and better col,
leges and universities special courses have been PROVIDED
for years in economic work and in many of the flrst-rate
schools instruction has been given in domestic studies, or
in what used to be called "the science OF things famliiar;
but it has not been until recently that good roads nave
been recognized as a subject of sufficient economic I'M
portance to warrant inclusions among the speclaitles Oh
college training. So important, indeed, has the SUBJECT De-
come. that special courses in road work have been estab.
lished in eighty-three of the universities and colleges OF
the country. This may be regarded as a new feature IN
practical education upon a subject OF tie most lhtimace
relation to the affairs of the people. The pioneers IN Chls
educational work were the good roads trains which were
sent through the south by the railroads ten or 1liIeen
years ago with government experts to demonstrate the
economic value of good roads by building specimen sec
tions nv approved methods of substantial materials, so
that the people Nigh tsee with their own eyes what gooo
roads really mean in direct and immediate pene1!tS 10
them in the conduct of their business and the prosperity OF
their communities. From the demonstration trains the
gospel of good roads spread among the people until 1t mas
reached the schools, the colleges and universities, anu ho
institution is now giving the best service which does not
provide for special instructions in the science OF good
roads.
A good roads school will be held at Purdue University.
Indiana this month under the direction of the school OF
Civil Engineering of that institution. The University or
North Carolina will have a good roads institute IN the
month of February. Cornell University will devote a
week to good roads instruction in February. The Uni
versity of Tennessee at Knoxville has provided for a short
course in highway engineering. The University OF Hi
nois has established a similar course. The University OF
Michigan has done likewise. The University of West Vir-
ginia has just completed its third annual session in the
School of Good Roads. A post graduate course IN good
roads is now being given at the Iowa State College. A
special course under the direction of the highway depart
ment of the College of Civil Engineering for the education
of county road officials. will be given in February at the
State University of Kentucky at Lexington. Illustrated
lectures on highway construction have been one OF the
special features of the work at Columbia University, New
York. last month and this. A special course in road build
ing and maintenance has recently been concluded at the
MARYLAND Agricultural College, and everywhere the edu-
cational forces of the country are realizing that no In
struction in civil engineering is complete that does not COW
er this vital subject.
The course in highway engineering provided at the Uni
yersity of Illinois will give some idea of the practical Inn
portance of the work. Two weeks were devoted to the sub
iect under the direction of the Colge of Engineering ant
these two weeks were filled with demonstrations covering
such special topics as surveys, methods OF construction