The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-03-15
MACAULEY'S WORDS
APPLY TO AMERICA

six hours going nine miles. One
chief cause of the badness of the roads
seems to have been the defective state
of the law. Every parish was bound
TO repair tho highways which passed
through it..The peasantry was forced
to give their gratultous labor six days
in the year. II this was not sufficient,
hired labor was employed. and tho ex-
pense was met by parochial rate.
The rich commonly travelled In their
own carriages, with at least four
horses. People in the time of
Charles the Second travelled with six
horses, because with smaller num-
Der there was danger Of sticking fast
in the mire. Nor were even six horses
always sufficient"
Duplicated Here.
All this was the condition Of high
way traffic in England 231 years ago
and it can be duplicated in many
parts OF the United States today.
Among tho pictures in the Office Of
the American Highway Association at
Washington there is a striking paint
ing OF precisely the same sort Of
thing that obtained in Mecklenburg
county, N. c., only few years ago
four mules pulling a wagon loaded
with two bales OF cotton. over a.
Charles the Second highway and by
way Of contrast two mules pulling
eight bales with several colored field
hands as necessary ballast to make
the load comfortable, at spanking
pace over a modern highway for
which this Revolutionary county was
at one time famous. 1t has been es-
timated by careful government ex-
perts that only about 10000 miles OF
really first rate modern highways are
to he found in the United States-the
total mileage of public roads In jan
uary, 1915, was 2,273,131. The total
mileage of all surfaced roads" was
247,490, and 1t has been very nearly
800 years since our first American
parents began to appropriate the lands
Of the aborigines so that they might
redeem this land and make 1t the hab-
itation Of civilized peoples!
There are many striking parallels
between the United States now and
England in the time of which Macau-
lay wrote. The most OF the public
roads here are little IL any better than
were the roads when Charles was
king. In his time the people objected
to the laying OF taxes for the construc-
ton of good roads. They do now in
this country. They protested against
working the roads then; they do now
in this new land OF light and liberty.
When what were called Flying
coaches style Of carriage which
under favorable conditions OF wind
and weather and with ample relays
OF horses could go fifty miles the day
when first invented. there was much
objection among the special inter-
ests" because this innovation would
interfere with their vested rights"
the keeping OF inns were entertain
ment was furnished for man and
beast; the untimely schedules Of the
coaches which arrived too late for
supper and departed too early for
breakfast; the destructive effect the
new business would have on the breed
ing Of horses, and the general disturb
ance OF settled conditions. at was
BEdVely ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Lual ITO pubic
carriage should be permitted to have
more than four horses, to start often
er than once a week, or to so moro
than thirty miles day." and the king
was solemnly petitioned to this end.
Before the reformers Of 1885 could get
what they wanted in the way Of good
roads they had to fight for II. They.
got 1t, so that within a comparatively
brief time after the conditions had
become so bad they could not get any
worse, the building Of highways be-
gan and 10000 miles OF turnpike
roads made life all the more worth
living in England.
Same Old Mistakes.
Isn't It strange that. with the his
tory and experience Of all the coun-
tries OF the old world TO guide and
warn. the United States should have
chosen to make the same old mistakes
on its own account, and that. with all
its unexampled growth and wealth,
there should be at this day over e.
100000 miles OF public roads in this
country? The poorest states In as
sessed values are not by any means
the slowest states in public spirit.
FftI, .,a "a. &1.a aAata 40 F1ffs.as.i