Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-26

that check tho normal intercourse be-
tween tho country store and the farm
ers doing business with 1t.
In, another way. tho financial report
reflects the condition Of bad roads.
Tho farmer who has to spend q dayto
go to the country store. and return.
and finds 1t long hard Journey at the
best. counts the cost of these trips as
part of the high cost of living, for the
in working on his farm. And SO the
farmers wife performs tho daily mir
acle OF stretching his income to n
seemingly impossible extent. ana makes
his hard earned dollars go farther than
any of her sisters do except. possibly,
the wife of the country parson. Where
thrift is carried to such n degree. the
country store cannot expect to do n
big business. and this condition will
be reflected. as above explained,
through the entire system OF financial
links reaching to New York, Chicago
and San Francisco. Good roads will
go long ways toward eliminating
the bad effect Of these seasonal con-
ditions on the country's general pros
perity.
WHAT ONE MAN IS
DOING FOR GOOD ROADS
Bad roads are kind of habit. Coun-
school youths found them good enough
for their youthful needs, and so when
the young folks grow up and drive to
town over them the poor roads seem
fixture in the landscape They are
known to be bad. but SO is rain in NOW
ing time. and both are looked upon as
inevitable. 1t, is this habit of regard
ing poor roads as incapable of better
ment which has to be broken down,
and It Is not easy to change established
habits.
Fortunately, road improvements are
not usually stopped when they have
once been started in a thriving. intel
ligent district. but it is often slow
business starting them. The habit of
mind, the contentment with ruts and
mud must be overcome. Although a
district may have been settled for
more than century and have a we'll
to-do population. its roads will be
take the matter in hand and wake up
their neiGhbors to the advantages of
god roads. Sometimes the persistent
efforts OF one man can accomplish thus.
An instance recently investigated by
tho American Highway Association
affords good proof Of what one man
can do to turn poor roads into good
roads.
A good many comments have been
made among the roadbuilders of South
eastern Pennsylvania lately about the
steady, quiet progress in road improve
ments in the part of Chester County
adjacent to the State OF Delaware. The
county has long been famous for its
roses and peaches; it Is now coming
into prominence for its road improve
ments, and the record of these improve
ments is a story of the public service
OF one man.
DU POINT INTERESTS
NEIGHBORS IN ROADS
In 1906. Pierre S. du Pont bought
very old estate at Longwood, laid out
over $50 years ago in the old immortal
style. but allowed to fall into rather
poor condition by it's later owners. 1t
could only be reached from Whining
ton over poor roads, after leaving a
fair turnpike running from that city to
the Pennsylvania line. The improve
ment OF an estate while the roads about
1t were left in bad condition seemed
one-sided business to the new owner
of LonEwood. The rich agricultural.
fruit and dairy district would plainly
be helped along by good roads, so
Mr.. du Pont began to interest his
neishbors in tho work
At first IT was pretty slow work for
some OF the people thought that the