The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-07-06
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 Horizon-Modern High
ways Meet New Conditions.

Appeared as Small Cloud Upon the
Community Horizon-Modern 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 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 ut
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 the
question of better roads appeared as
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 a
time and began to cry for highways
The difference between a trail and 4
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 SO
| 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 it.
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
balance and a 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 pro-
nounced saving-was economizing in
horsefesh 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 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 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 ]!
not one that can be wrought in da!
or q year, but the county that deyote
every possible energy each year to &C
[ cOmplishing the utmost In the way 0
, highways thereby marks itself as pro
gressive and filed with the vision 0
[ greater and better things to come from
improving the resources at it's hand.
, One of the greatest benefactors @
, our time was he who made it possibl
to transport two tons over our countr
r roads where less than one could b
Y transported before. The inventor an
;. the manufacturer have made it poss
S bic for the people to live in far great
/ er comfort to travel in luxurious cas-
and to thereby win competence wher
e such thing was impossible under ol
+ conditions, and the people owe it
@ themselves to discharge their implie
8 obligations. | believe that. so far q
Montana is concerned, they are doin
u this, and the time is coming, and NJ
D. far distant at that, when the numbt
IS Of good roads enthusiasts in the stat
f will tally exactly with the number I
II citizens on the census rolls.
| Hxa~ ConL;a~