The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-06
Special Courses in Highway
Improvement at Many COL
leges at the Present.

WASHINGTON, Feb Sit is an old
story about the tenderfoot who went
Z from Atlanta down to Augusta with
tie intention of making his home there
and was drawn into little game OF
draw poker with sundry citizens oil
apparently innocent ways and found
himself about the time the church
y bells began to ring in the morning
shy to the full amount Of his 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 chat he
would never play poker again in q
town where they teach it in the pub
lie schools"
The only thing this we'll authenti-
Gated story has to do with the sub
iect Of good roads Is to note the very
evident advantage Of thorough train
ing even in the least important occu-
pations and the most gratifying edu-
cational zeal with which the cause OF
good roads is being pressed through
out the country. In all the larger and
better colleges and universities spe-
cial courses have been provided for
yaars in economic work and in many
Of the first rate schools instruction
has been given in domestic studies,
or In what used to be called 1.-The sci
ence Of things familiar; but 1t has
not been until recently that good roads
have been recognized as a subject
Of sufficient economic Importance to
warrant inclusions among the special
ties Of college training. So important
indeed, has the subject become that
special courses in road work haye been
established in eighty-three Of the uni
stiles and colleges OF the country. This
may be regarded as new feature IN
practical education upon a subject OF
the most intimate relation to the al
fairs OF the people. The pioneers In
this educational work were the good
roads trains" which we're sent through
the South by the railroads ten or fif-
teen years ago with government ex-
merits to demonstrate" the economic
value Of good roads by building speci-
men sections by approved methods
of substantial materials, so that the
people might see with their own eyes
what good roads really mean in I'M
mediate and direct benefits to 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
neople until it has reached the schools,
the colleges and universities; and no
institution is now giving the best serv-
ice which does not provide for spe-
cial instructions in the science Of good
roads. :,
A good roads school will be held
at Perdue University, Indiana. this
month under the direction of the
school of civil engineering of that in
stitution. The University Of North
Carolina will have good roads in
stitute in the month Of February. Cor
nell University will devote a week to
good roads instruction in February.
The University of Tennessee at Knox
VILE has provided for a short course
in highway engineering The Uni
versity of Illinois has established a
similar course. The University OF
Michigan has done likewise. The Uni
yersity of West Virginia has just COM
pleted its third annual session in the
school Of good roads. A post grad