The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-04-21
BETTER ROADS
FOR MONTANA
Governor Stewart Makes Plea
For Improved Highways.
old TRAILS and NEW.

When the Pleasure Vehicle Came into
Use the Question of Better Roads
Appeared as a Small Cloud Upon the
Community Aorizon-Modern High
ways Meet New Conditions.
Time was when any sort or avenue
of communication between commune
ties was looked upon as fairly abe
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 dignified 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 he
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
hand and relied upon the almost I'M
limited power of his humble animals TO
pull him through.
But the wheels of progress made a
revolution or two, and the pleasure We
hicle came into use, whereupon the
question of better roads appeared as a
cloud the size Of Il mans hand upon
~ 10 aIv tn
for something better dcrided the trail
that had served the population for
time and began to cry for highways
The difference between trail and a
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
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 so
long as nature was kind and the
weather Of character to make travel
pleasant. But at times the elements
conspired against the roadmakers. and
4
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
n balance and deficit when it came
to marketing his crop. 1t 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 a pro-
nounced saving-was economizing in
horsefiesh 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 1t had be-
come possible for him at a moderate
outlay to bring himself many hours
nearer market, provided the roads were
in passable condition. The combina-
ton 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 a minimum ex-
pense, and the authorities are striving
to give the people what they are call
| ing for in so 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 a road Of quagmires and ruts Is
not one that can be wrought in a day
or a year, but the county that devotes
every possible energy each year to ac-
complishing the utmost In the way of
highways thereby marks itself as 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 be
transported before. The inventor and
the manufacturer have made 1t posi-
BILE for the people to live in far great.
err comfort, to travel I'm luxurious ease
and to thereby win a competence where
such thing was impossible under old
conditions. and the people owe 1t to
themselves to discharge their implied
obligations. i believe that, so far as
Montana is concerned, they are doing
this, and the time is coming, and not
far distant at that, when the number
Of good roads enthusiasts In the state
will tally exactly with the number OF
citizens on the census rolls.
Over the Rockies.