Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-05-21
Road Makiag--a Reform Needed.

out our State. Our roads every spring
and fall. are only patched up" as every
4 body knows, instead of being thoroughly
repaired. The principal trouble may be
attributed to the system of ,corkfng om a
tax. by each inhabitant, under Highway
Surveyors who are either incompetent, OF
too busy to attend to their duties, or who
take SO little interest in them, as to nearly
or quite neglect them. The little interest
manifested in town meeting. IN electing
the Surveyors, shows how people regard
the matter. In some districts, men have
to be coaxed 10 serve, while in hardly any
district can one be found who desires the
place. Then it is well known that the
most scrupulous regard TO rendering a
full return of laborfor the time spent Is
not a peculiarly of the system. Nearly
or quite one half the money assessed 10
be worked out is wasted in this way
while, in these times, when there Is such
n demand for labor there is no saving to
any man to be permitted To work out ms
ROAD tax Ii was otherwise in the early
history of our country, when money was
scarce-then it was a privilege to the
inbabitant to work himself. The tax
used 10 be worked for two-thirds or three
quarters cash. but now it is nearly or
quite dollar for dollar And we have
poor roads, at the same time, rendering
towns liable for large damages in case OF
accidents.
Bad roads are expensive and annoying.
The travelling public are entitled to roads
..safe and convenient" The wear and
tear to carriages over bad roads is con-
siderable, and men pay heavier taxes in
keeping their vehicles in repair, than they
are aware of. Causeways draining the
roads are continually getting ont ofrepair
and because necessity is created FOR q
considerable job 10 repair, they are sur
fered TO remain out of order, damaging
the road more and more, and incuring
hazardous risks.
Every practical man knows that it is as
easy TO make road right in the first
place. and repair il properly, when need
ed. rs to have it poorly made and re-
paired, and when done right once, il is
done permanently, and but a slight tax
viii be required 10 keep il in order. We
believe remedy for the present bad con
dition OF things would be, 10 do away
with the Highway Surveyors. and have
good road builder in each town to attend
10 all the roads; then raise two thirds or
one half the usual amount, and put 1t
into the cash tax.
While on this subject, we commend to
the attention of our readers the following
remarks from the Railway Times, which
point out the right and the wrong way to
make road, with broken stone. The
process. which it condemns, is described
= follows -
The upper soil Is removed. and coarse
gravel or broken stone supplied 10 bring
up the grade, and the road is then left 10
be worn down smooth by passing teams
and carriages. Think what n waste of
power is thus involved, what an immense
and useless wear Of vehicles, what loss OF
time and what amount OF general discom
fort. Drainage is seldom thought OF, and
during the wet seasons, and especially
when the frost Is coming out orthe ground
the roads are nearly impossible. The COM
mon remedy Tor AL this is 10 pile on more
gravel OF broken stone, and then again
commences the destruction ofwheels. This
useless tax 10 the owners of horses and yc-
hicles could nearly all be prevented it the
roads were properly made, drained and
cared for Proper drainage is the first es-
scntial then the road dressed with gravel
or stone should be formed and rolled into
proper torn: ~ she'd water--a very slight
incline 10 either side Is ali that is necessa-
ry-and then YOU have 4 road that is easy
10 horses, and the load i carried with half
the power that Is expended in hauling over
MANY OF the roads in our suburban towns.
Less gravel or broken stones, but more
care that is kept in place and smooth, is
what is required.
In England and France powerful steam
rollers have been introduced with bene-
fetal results. \ London paper thus de
ScribeS the process of road-making now
becoming generally adopted in the larg-
er places:
The road is first preparedby being loos-
eued with pick-aXeS then covered with the
ahn n
dressing OF sand is laid the whole is then
watered An immense roller IS propell-
ed by steam, and moved slowly over the
prepared surface 1t eXerts pressure of
twentyeight tons, aud the result is that in
an unusually short time firm and COM
pact Macadamized road is formed SO
smoothly that the lighteSt vehicles may be
immediately driven over it without injur-
ing the spring. The engine works almost
without noise, and appears To consume
nearly all It's own smoke.
The Scientific American, quoting the
above. recOmendS the adoption of a SINH
lar plan in this country, and says:
Daily care is required for while TO pre-
vent the forming of ruts ; as soon as the
ruts appear they should be filled and then
rolled over again. This costs something.
but the eventual or resultant cost is less,
both 70 the town authorities and those who
use the roads. than is that of our present
system. A smooth and even surface is
nearly as important on common roads as
il is on the railway. The science of road
making is simple enough. but our people
almost always fail in il. Once properly
constructed and drained. our common
roads could be kept in good working or
der for 1.-THE of what it now costs. The
use of the steam roller simplifes the mat
ter very much, and probably before long
it will be freely used in nearly all our larg.
or towns. One of these powerful steam
rollers has lately been constructed in Eng