Show roads the tot test or of civilization it hns has recently been advanced advance a in magazine anil and newspaper articles that one of the best tests of is a nations prosperity find and general ajro progress r ess in the he march of modern civilization is to bo be found in tho the nature and condition of our common highways dy cy this it is not meant how tho the boulevards streets aud and alleys of her largo cities are pai pa ed and kept helit in condition but how the approaches arp roaches to the cities the turnpikes tho the country roads and tile tho cross country cuts which the farmer fanner must use in order to bring brin 3 his produce to market aro are constructed and maintained judged from this standard it is claimed that america is less civilized today than any european country and that tho the united states would havo have been in all essential regards moro prosperous than it is at present it in ill place of its railways it had secured a system eystein of highways Ligh ways constructed and maintained in tho the highest state of the road makers mikers art many of its cities would bo be but country towns and the buffalo would still roam over much of tho the country t r y t to 0 tile the west of the mississippi on jn aan tho h 0 other jt h hand the banners would know more of one another than they do at present though they could not market their corn in Liver liverpool they he y w would 1 I still bo be able to take it to mill without tile the doro tax chich the bad roads so BO generally luvy levy upon them thein or which tho the toll takor taker requires as tho the price of a passable way in su c h a abc well 11 united community dis dia t bauce an ce counts for little against tho the duties of life the farmers could attend their own meetings they could do their duty by their churches and have a share in the festivities which enliven and enlarge their lays days on oil the contrary where tho the roads are bad all tile tho duties of the citizen and the social being are most imperfectly done tho the people get in tile the habit of a hermit life and tho the winter season which should bo be the time of social intercourse is passed ju in seclusion st louis post dispatch |