The Portland daily press., 1868-04-17

Hoo to hare Better Rodds-Sinan,o1as off for
Eatrope-Intearadl Reuenue-Sickness Of Cash
ier Small ,. .. p. ~ ~

| f10U 10 HdCe bettef R0QGS-S2nlnl01lS OF tOf
| Europe-Inter7aal "Reminiscences of Cash
| aer Small. ... .sra ..aa- .l aal -
LEWISTON, April II, 1863
| To the Editor ofthe Press:
The weather has softened at last, and the
snow is rapidly disappearing.
| The roads are in a truly Serbonian condi
ton. Is there any good reason why travel
should be so excessively abominable upon our
roads every spring? 1t seems to me that jul
dicious application of the labor now put into
three years should give far better results
| This is the unanimous opioion of scientific
men, and what they say should certainly be
| needed .s
One thing alone, thorough drainage would
| improve our roads hundred per cent and
| proportionately lessen the cost OF repairs. In
many instances ditch three feet deep upon
| each side of the road with slope that will
quickly carry off the water, will amply suffice
| When these are not enough, then there should
| be frequent underdrains running athwart the
| road or central underdrain running length
wise in the middle. Thus drained the roads
will be dry and ready for service the moment
the snow leaves. An example of the good eff
feet of drainage may be seen at Paris Hill, in
Oxford county, once proverbal for its mud,
but row fast getting out of the slough by sim
pie drainage above. Indeed, nothing else
can put an end to the Serbonian roads of
spring.
Roads should always be made fiat as possible
and no vegetable mould-no surface soil
should ever be put upon them.
A certain percentage, say one quarter, of the
dc 10 bo
pended by each town in permanent road inn
proVements-in matchmaking, in drainage,
in cutting down OF zigzaging hills-and anoth-
er small percentage should be expended under
the direction of the County Commissioners
and County Engineer, in similar improve
ments at such points as will best suit the
whole county. Thus we should gradually Sc
cure good, durable roads, at a much less cost
than now. But such roads We can never
have under the present abominable system of
road management, with its district surveyors.
Each town should have road-master, with
necessary assistants in service the year round
to keep up" the roads, which is better than
repairing; while there should be county en-
gineer, with his corps of laborers, constantly
at work. No state road official is needed ex-
cept for the railroads.
The sculptor, Franklin Simmons, and his
wife, who heve been spending several months
with their friends in this city, will sail from
your port tomorrow in the HISTORIAN. Mr..
Simmons contemplates a residence of three
years in Europe for the purpose OF studying
his art and executing the numerous orders
which have accumulated upon his hands. He
also has under consideration several ideal sub
iects, which are very fine, if 1 may be allowed
to express an opinion. That he will achieve
distinction in the ideal world, the beautiful
bronze soldier surmOunting our soldiers mon
ument, is one of the very best guarantees.
During his brief stay in England he hopes to
secure an opportunity to ma Ike a bust of John
Stuart Mill
1t is now eight years since Mr.. Simmons-he
is only twenty-eight years old-got fairly at
work in your city; but dnring those eight years
he has done an immense amount of labor. In
deed, thus far in lite his art career has never
been equaed in this country, either as respects
the amount or quality of the work which he
has executed. Springing from obscurity and
struggling against circumstances exceedingly
adverse, he has now reached those nights
where it seems that he should command the
future. His health is admirable and his pow
ers of application immense.
The collections of internal revenue for this
district the last quarter, were quite large, to
wit: For January, $33,3c0; for February,
$32,635; for March, $4l ,224. Total: $1o7,21
Mr.. A. I'll. Small, cashier of the First Nation
al Bank, is very sick. He has been confined
to his house four or five days. ee.-
RARIOw