This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ...away in the mud, now sir, if you want to ship your products bring it to us and we will ship it and only charge you three prices for it, leaving the trouble and expense of improv' ing the wagon road to reach the depot, to private enterprise. Wonderful and patriotic legislation this: I had rather float the cargo bysteamer or roll it by rail from San Francisco to New York, than drag it through the mud ten miles to these public carriers. The trunk of the tree should have its branches and fruits well distributed through the agricultural districts. I don't wish to say that we should have a good, costly, improved road to each farmer's door, but all shipping points should be at least respectably and conveniently accessible by good roads. This is a mutual interest. All parties are interested. The producer, freighter, trader and consumer alike--not equally interested, it is true, but interested at least to an extent that would justify a liberal co-operation and encouragement on this subject. That town, city, depot or river landing having the best roads leading to it, will always do the most business and prosper, while the reverse is equally true. In some of our states the railroad companies are lending liberal aid to the improvement of roads touching their depots. They ship the gravel and stone hundreds of miles free of charge and deliver it to the farmers at the depots. The farmers haul it and spread it, and thus both parties are benefitted. This is the proper spirit and cooperation like this along the whole line of interested parties soon produces wonderful and beneficial results. There is an apathy prevailing in the public mind on this subject of improving our common wagon roads not creditable to the American people. That man, I care...