MODERN CITY ROADWAYS. 



525 



ditions, has always resulted in great mortality, as witness the ter- 

 rible plagues which have swept over the old cities of Europe, and 

 the disastrous results during the summer of 1898 of concentrating 

 large numbers of our volunteers in camps not subjected to rigid 

 sanitary regulations. 



It has been amply demonstrated, however, that our cities can 

 be made at least as healthful as the country districts, and an in- 

 creasingly large number of engineers are engaged in such city 

 building. 



One branch of this municipal work will be considered in this 

 paper — that of street improvement. The first impression gained 

 by a stranger entering a city is undoubtedly that produced by the 

 appearance of its streets. If they are poorly paved, irregular, 



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Sections or HoM/tN Ro^ps 





dirty, and generally unkempt, he will consult his time table to 

 see how soon he can get away. If they are broad, smooth, clean, 

 well shaded and lighted, he will stay as long as possible. 



In spite of the pride of the American people in the develop- 

 ment of our cities, and notwithstanding the fact that their wealth 

 enables them to have only the best, they have been slow to appre- 

 ciate the value of thoroughly well-paved streets. As stated by Mr. 

 Albert Shaw, European cities have been ahead of us in accepting 

 the doctrine that " smooth and clean highways are a wise invest- 

 ment from every point of view, and that so long as the work is 

 done in a thorough and scientific manner the result is worth hav- 

 ing, regardless of cost. No city should think itself rich enough 

 to prosper without them, and no city is so poor that it can not 

 afford them if it has any reason whatever for continued existence. 



