Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-12-12
Road improvements.
Editor ofMs Fausite O.. Reraldn

Editor Of he Fqveite Co, Herald
"A few days ago saw In your paper resun'
Of Turnpike operations, or more correctly
speaking, "Road Improvement" In our county
] wish to call the attention Of our County Com.
missionors to the condition Of few of these
roads which costsuch yastsums to The people
Of this county.
The Law required of our County Commis-
sioners to appoint competent engineers to si-
perintend these roads, who were to be paid ut
the rate of $500 per day and the general spec
lncations on all these roads required that the
ascent and descent of the grade on every por-
tlon Of all these roads, shouldbe less than one
foot in fifteen feet, and clothed the engineer
with ample power to demand and enforce com
pliance with those specifications or any atera-
tions that he might order. The very terms Of
the imply that the grading and
ditching should be first completed before the
gravel was put on, and that was the only way
that good road could be bullt in a workman.
like manner; for whenever the gravel is put
on before the grade and ditching is completed,
1t can't be rcCtined, and must be taken hereaf-
ter as botehed job and standing monument
of the ineompetency of the engineer who had
it in charge, lin the shape ol'piles Of dirt here
and there thrown up on the side of the grade
orin thefenee corners on all our roads, the
general eXeusefof which, as rumOrhas it, was.
that the contractors and engineers were una
Bile to determine which way the water would
run until q rain would come; then they would
be able to determine to a certainty how to cut
the ditches but unfortunately Providence did
not furnish rain to suit their convenience; but
when at last aNrain came, snow followed and
then n freeze, and 10 aud behold our contrac-
tors and engineers are likely to continue in
the same predicament before they can complete
their roads and draw their bonds, until gen
oral thaw takes place in the Spring ri
Thespecial Specifications on the Wabash road
were made ont tolerably correct, but one or
two hills on that road the grade is distressing
Iy steep, and calculated to provoke curse
from every teamster that travels the road
Some Of the hills on that road, as well as the
Waterloo and Columbus roads, never ought to
nave been left in the condition they are A
portion of the hill near Waterloo, is graded so
steep (being 20 inches to every IS feet that in
cy weather, with heavy load, it will be dam
gerous to travel And the Wabash hill on the
Wabash road is prettymuch in the same shape,
ind the Sugar creek hill on the same road, not
much better Several other hills on the Co
umbus and Waterloo roads, are graded to
bout one inch to the 12 inches, which is Is
inches to every IS feet instead of 12 inches
The Jacksonville and Prairie roads are liable
o similar objections, but not quite so serious
S the Others We hope that our engineers
II the Leesburg Il Wilmington road will see
hat the construction of those roads will not
e liable to the same objections, and that ev-
ry portion ofthe grade and bitches will be
Dmpleted in accordance with the specifica-
Ons before the gravel is allowed to go on
ne road And let us forever get rid Of the
lildish excuse (that they must wait for rain
enable them to tell which way the water
ill run,) Such an excuse is hardly admissi-
e for a competent engineer as contemplated !
Y the Statute. ~ {