The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-06-04

THE RoADs.--The following sensible re-
marks we copy from g Our Home" published
at Somerville.
Another crying evil, of which every one is
cognizant, but which no one tries to remedy,
is the present manner of working our public
reads. Whoever travels upon them at all
win call to mind as he reads this paragraph
"reminiscences of "ehuck-holes," mud, ruts,
stones, ETC., running through all his pathway
OF life, checkering every Spring day, and
many Winter and Summer ones. Only look
at it, Many people spend half the hours of
every day on the road. Others a quarter.
All use the roads more or less, for convent
enee, for necessity, or for pleasure. In fact
we don't go up stairs in our houses, the most
Of us, oftener than we travel upon the road.
Yet our stairs are smooth, free from impede
mcnts, clean. How would it be to have a curt.
load of stone sprinkled over them, and
through all the house Just the same,
It seems to us, as to have stones on the
road, to say nothing Of ruts and clucks Sc
riously, indeed, we believe travelling by carri-
age is robbed of more than half its pleasures
by bad roads. And soAy are the roads bad 2
Because under the present laws, the oyerseers
of the highways may work them as they
please, when they please, and in the manner
they please. In the Spring when the frost
goes out OF the ground, seed-time is at hand,
and to planting the overseer and farmers at
once 60, as if Providence scanted their time
for it, That lasts, say, till the middle Of May,
or first ofJane. Ifpreviously the overseer at
temps to do anything to the roads, the farm
ers say You must wait. We cant go on
the road now, nor our teams" As they have
the right by law to 1swork out their tax" of
course the overseer goes home and waits.
In the meantime wagons break their springs
horses are subject to wear and tear, land
drivers too, and everybody goes in mourning
over the condition of the road To Illus
trate, we know Of no less than four important
thoroughfares* in Somerset and Hunter,lon,
and we presume there have been four times
four, which the past Winter and Spring have
been in a condition well described as lawful"
1t ought to be lucky for the overseers of these
ed for their responsibility, but that thing sell
dom occurs. And when these roads are inn
proved, F" it is by throwing on them stones of
the size of mans head, covering them up
with sod ploughed up from the gutter and
turned upside down So we make the roads
in the country. eve tell this for the benefit
of city people !; and Of course, on learning it,
it will be an inducement for them to come and
live among us.) Now what ought to be done
Clearly a law should be passed containing these
provisions, among others:
/. As soon as the frost is out Of the ground
in the Spring the roads must be scraped and
worked.
l. Stones cracked to the size of walnut
shall be used, and none larger. They shall be
covered with gravel, and not dirt
3. Every week through the Spring, Sum-
mer and Fall, the overseers shall go over the
roads with hands if necessary, and fill up every
chuek-hole and, in Winter, except when tire
keep them from washing.
A. Spring and Fall the roads shall be clear
ed of the loose stones.
5. The overseers shall in the Spring, first
call upon the taxpayers in his district to aid
him and If they, or any of them refuse, he
shall secure the services of anybody in or out
of his district, and pay them the lawful road
wages.
0. Neglect or refusal of the ovcfseers to COM
ply with the law shall be punished with fine
of one hundred dollars on complaint ofanyone.
We hope that next Winter some one will in
troduce such law into the Legislature and
its passage must be but question OF time.
From Griggstown TO Rocky Hill from Cioy Hill TO
RingOes IRON White House to North Branch nom
White House to Now Germantown the last the
that any enemy OF enjoys In travelling could possibly
devse, believe known outside OF Virginia.