Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-08-20
fm tbe fmmu,
For the C~hrOnicle-
ROAD MAKING.
Messrs. Editors :

MesSrS. Editors:
In your paper of July 3Oth is an arti-
Gle on Road Making, quoted from the
OhiO Farmer, and written by Lewis Boil
man, of the Indiana State Journal. The
subject is truly, as you say, an inter-
esting one to farmers" and it is equally
true, THAT much more ought to be said
about it," But saying much, and OBJ
serving little, and thinking less, may
make good roads on paper, yet but few
that will be fit for farmers or any body
else to travel. Without any comment
on his views of the ineficiency of gov
eminent, as "an unfit agent to do any
thing" or the dishonesty OF the citizens
in holding that ''lhe State is a bird 10 be
plucked, or a fowl 10 be cheated" per-
NIT me to say, respectfully, to your read
ers and everybody else, that his first
position, if applied to Ohio roads, is alb.
%solutely erroneous, viz "Our roads are
too wide" This may possibly be true
of some portions of Indiana not seen by
the writer of this article, but certainly
not true of the roads of Trumbull coun-
ty, or any other portions of the Reserve.
His next idea is that "roads must be
thrown up in the middle in order 10 make
them good" Now take these items of
advice together and they constitute the
old fogy argument in favor of all the
miserable hog back tracks that disgrace
many sections of our country. He would
have a road just wide enough for two
wagons to pass each other. This gives
his measur exactly-and you and 1
have often passed over or through such
roads with peril, on soil, too, capable of
the best kind of track. Call to mind, if
you can, whcn or where you ever saw
such a road remain good two years, or
even one. The thing is impossible.
In order to keep level, or as boatmen
would say, ueH trimmed, wagons are
obliged to 90 astride the ridge whilst
there is any, for the moment you devil
ate to the right or left from the cenLer
line your lower wheels are blowing lus-
lily and fast returning the earth to the
ditch whence it came. The next fol-
lows steadily in the track of its unfortu-
nate predecessor, and although Mr..
3. advises that "the supervisor must i'm
mediately call out a hand to prevent it,"
yet the work of blowing and plunging
goes on, until, instead of shedding water
each way, it holds it from going any
way. But Mr.. B. says sin wei weather,
in clay soils, roads will get deep, no I'M
~derdrainiag will prevent it." A clay
soil is a frequent, and generally unjust
apology for such roads.
Now reader ii you care or think at all
on this subject, compare such Bollman
roads as people are making and re max
ing annually, with roads made from
thirty to thirty five feet from ditch to
ditch-but little, if any raised in the
center-well smooihed so hat wagons
may run level, and with abundant room
to escape any rut that may commence,
leaving it to heal up without ''immedi-
ately calling out a hand to prevent it"
One condition, however, is indispensable
that is to draw the water thoroughly
rom the sides Of the road, and allow
none 10 stand st .gnant in the dilches.-
These hints will, if well applied, secure
good permanent roads on any soil where
a road can be maintained without stone
or other foreign material. Nor ale such
roads visionary-you now travel on them
with ease and pleasure, in many districts
in this and adjoining counties, where
the narrow ridged roads utterly failed.
Respectfully, ]. F. PORTER.
NEWTON FALLS, Aug. 9th, 1856.