Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-06-09
Public Highways.

IiSHNaN siioulu Hc vi CoiINeHicht
width. What that width should be, de-
ponds upon the locality. For ordinary
travel through a sparscly settled country.
thirty feet will perhaps afford reasonable
convenienccs of way. The road should
be constructed with wrought part on one
side, to the exterior line Oh the other. For
much eonvezity increases the friction of
carriage whccls-;oo little, does not give
the necessary drainage
For ordinary roads, a rise in the middle
of about one twelfth of the width, will
perhaps be found suitable rule.
The surface of the highway should be
even. Improvement on this poiat las
travelled slowly. The same rocks in the
wheel track Of our stage roads, that called
forth profane CALCULATIONS three genera
tious ago, are still performing their uuholy
work. If every surveyor i'll the county,
should do nothing more, the present sea-
son, than remove the stone from our high
ways, and level the surface. more would
he accomplished for the convenience and
comfort of travel. than has been done in
amy one year. for the last half century,
while at least one half the road tax would
be left uncxpcndcd i'll their hands.
In the construction of roads, the stone
should first be removed. and then the
evening of surface can he attained by the
use of the plow, harrew and loaded roll
Ter.
The surface of highways should he
hard-ovcr soil of gravclly loan this
in quantity is easily securcd and when the
road is once properly made, it will remain
for years without need of rcpair-when
the soil is clay. gravel to the depth Of six
or eight inches should be used, Surveyors
10 not hesitate to expend annually more
or less of labor upon the same clayey
road-and still after any considerable rain
storm, it is hard road to travel.
There are few towns in the county
probably. where gravel cannot be found
within a mile or two of the clayey high
way. If then, the same amount Of labor
which is expended in three or four year,
in the ordinary mode. to little purpose
should he employed at once in covering
the road with gravel, road will be form,
ed that will stand for years, and which
will really cost less. than under the com.
mon system of annual patching.
1t is to be deplored that no specific sys-
TEN has been established by which high
way expenditures shall be regulated
Hundred of thousands of dollars are
annually expended in our state, and yet
without any policy, under which, slowly
but surely, valuable permanent results al
well as better present ones might be ac-
eomplished The consequence is, that
those funds to very considerable extent
are unadviscdly spent, the people receive
no fair equivalent for the burden imposed
upon them. We look too much to the
present. and too little to the future.
II nothing else be done, it seems at least
possible, under the law of the State, that
sound rules of road making be incorporat-
cd into Surveyors warrants, and these
warrants be distributed by the State auth
critics, among the several towns-and
obedience to them enforced by law.
In this way more of science, and of in
tslligcnt action, and of wise forecast, might
be infused into our highway policy, whose
beneficial effects would be felt over the
whole State. A.