The Washburn leader., 1916-03-17
BETTER ROADS
FOR MONTANA

VVvVU u0Vu OSVW0uS UsOnVO uOO
For Improved Highways.
OLD TRAILS and new.
When the Pleasure vshiels Came Int
Use the Question Of Better Roads
Appeared as Small Cloud Upon the
Community Horixon-Modsrn High
ways Meet New Conditions.
Time was when any sort Of avenue
of communication between communi-
ties was looked upon as fairly ade-
quate. writes Governor Sam v. Stew
art Of Montana to the Anaconda Stand
ard. The country was sparsely settled,
demands for hurried communication
were negligible and methods Of trans
portation were Of the crudest. The
chief user Of the trail. which through
courtesy was sometimes digniaed BY
the term 'big road" was the freighter,
the bullwhacker, who knew that be-
tween the beginning and the end Of his
trip lay long strip Of soil whereon ho
might expect any variety Of weather
and encounter soils that were Of vary
ing degrees of preparedness for his
train. But the fact worried him not at
all. He employed the best means at
hand and relied upon the almost un-
limited power Of his humble animals to
pull him through.
But the wheels Of progress made q
revolution or two, and the pleasure We
hicle came into use, whereupOn tho
question Of better roads appeared as Q
cloud the size Of a mans hand upon
the community horizon. The advocate
for something better derided the trail
that had served the population for .
time and began to cry for highways
The difference between a trail and
highway Is vast In comfort. in utility
and In cost, and the latter item had
much to do with keeping the move
ment back. A hit or miss system was
evolved whereby little work was
done at long intervals upon the roads.
and then for long periods they were
left to take care Of themselves. The
result was partially satisfactory %
long as nature was kind and the
weather Of character to make travel
pleasant. But at times the elements
conspired against the roadmakers. and
it was often the case that the driver
found as much of his vehicle below the
surface as above 1t.
BY and by men began to figure from
the economic side of the question, and
it was found that In the road that lay
between the farmer and his market
was to be found the difference between
a balance and a deficit when 1t came
to marketing his crop. It required no
argument to demonstrate that the man
who could make trip to market in
one day where he had formerly occu-
pied two days was making pro
nounced saving-was economizing IN
horse6esh and in farm utensils and
winning an extra day that would prove
Of value to him in his ranch work.
Evolution In machinery building
brought US finally to the automobile,
the pleasure vehicle and the truck, and
the question Of improved highways be-
came one Of pressing importance. The
owner of the pleasure car cried aloud
for better roadway. and the farmer
Joined in the chorus because It had be-
come possible for him at moderate
outlay to bring himself many hours
nearer market, provided the roads were
In passable condition. The c0mbina-
tion Of rural resident and city owner
and city business man was Irresistible.
To meet the condition thus brought
about Is now the problem engrossing
the attention Of city, county and state
authorities the country over. Engi-
neers are giving their best thought to
the problem Of evolving the best meth
cd of road building at minimum ex-
pense, and the authorities are striving
to give the people what they are cali
ing for in 80 far as the funds available
will permit
The difference between good roads
and the bad variety Is the difference
between industry and sloth, between
pride and carelessness, between the
don't care community and the COM
munity that will be satisfied with moth
ing short of the best. The transition
from q road Of quagmires and ruts IL
not one that can be wrought In day
or year, but the county that devotes
every possible energy each year to &C.
complishing the utmost In the way Of
highways thereby marks itself az pro
gressive and filed with the vision Of
greater and better things to come from
improving the resources at its hand.
One Of the greatest benefactors Of
our time was he who made It possible
to transport two tons over our country
roads where less than one could b.
transported before. The inventor and
the manufacturer have made It posi-
BILE for the people to live In far great
er comfort, to travel in luxurious care
and to thereby win a competence whefe
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