The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1858-06-19
Volume 5.
~ROnd Matdsg There and Else
where.


ssnnvpGv+Road Malisg There and Else.
where.
EDa EasRY's JovRS al OF AosicvLrrkEs
You ask in number twenty Que Tor 6. |
says on the art Of Western road making. !,
Its clear from this, you are alive to the
one great want Of Illinois. We do want
proPsr System Of those great civilizers Of
mankind--Statc, county aud township
roads,. We want Legislation in the First
place for the compulsory location and re-
cord Of roads--putting it out Of the
power Of individual proprietors to stop
road. unless paid for the laud by the pc
titioners for the road. The State or coun-
~ should pay, if compensation DC ad-
Missile. which consider it is not. As
it is, our roaas follow 10, lines, making
in few miles so many letter rs round the
detached forty acre lots, the traveller Is
in constant doubt as to where he Is go
ing. This too, on the prairie, where
there are no distractions, or reasons for
going all round the sap-bush. II would
be great advance in road making to
create the Office of County Supervisor Of
Roads, giving the Office to the County
Surveyor, who would then drill the dis
trict supervisors. in the art and discip-
line Of road making, of which, in these
parts, they have no conception whatever.
Only think, that all the road making We
have consists in blowing up the whole
width and leaving it SO! From times
the most remote to the present date,
good roads have beceu an index OF the
progress in civilization of the people by
whom they are built. Those famous
street-ways which issued from the forum,
and radiated to the extremities of the
Roman empire, showed what the con
auerors of the ancient world thought Of
the efficacy of good roads. They were
constructed on the self same principles
which McAdam revived forty years ago
They consisted of frst--the two side
bitches or drains. with outlets where the
level called for them. These drained
the roadway. Secoud-the road-bed.
This was often filing in ct rough
stones: but McAdam has demonstrated
that the material OF the road-bed is q
matter Of indifference, aud that the
drains under stone work unnecessary -
Third, and last--the track, cover or root
of the road, AS it has been called.
McAdam made this of broken stone
which was ut once wheel and water
proof. Its curved surface shed off al
falling water, which tie drains carriee
of. and thus the road-bed remained dry
and consequently, solid at all times
These three parts are all the parts there
arc to aroad, and you cannot do withou
them, or any ,ne Of them. As to th'
broken stone roadway, that is not to b'
thought OF for country roads; but W.
have equivalents which answer nearly Al
well IN this climate. La these parts VI
have gravel; but the subsoil, when scra
ped into the roadway TO the depth of
foot, consolidatcs, shuts od the rains frou
the foundation Of the road, and gives
good highwsy for eleven months of th
year Such is the case in this section o
Egypt; and if in any other section o
the State, you have yellow subsoil, or
grayelly one, why, you have all you wan
10 make an excellent farmers road
With us, the drainage is always omitte
in working roads, az well as scraping tn
work into shape Ii is real blind blull
dering, and only road making by courtesy
The earthwork of every railroad is tn
best possible example as to how eoun
try road ought to be made. 4 railroa
has the three essential parts OF. all read
drainage, road-bed aud track.
would seem men might learn the OIL
from the many examples our railroads o
fer.
The expense of country road is bu
tfiAing where there are no stumps. Til
width being laid off, four or five furroH
are plowed on each side, next to the on
side of course for this is the commence
rnent of the drains. The scraper ca
ries all the plowed soil up into the Get
trail twenty feet, where it is shaped to
curve, having a rise Of twelve or mol
inches at the centre. The plow the
makes two more burrows to deepen tt
two outside ones plowed before TIL
brings up good road material, which
scrapcd to the track and leveied, and Il
two bitches arc there Travel makes
fine road OF this. 4 team aud two m.
will make sixty or eighty rods per da
l. is the best and only possible metho
believe, for our people to follow