Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-07-21

taking an hours jclting on the hubs, and ct
the end Of that hour finding ones wagon So
riously damaged and ones self only four
miles from where he started. Let us con.
slider tho question Of good and bad roads in
its economical aspect. Suppose road Of
ten miles 10 length to have daily burthen
Of twenty tons, or an annual burthen Of $3.50
tons the carriage Of this amount over this
ten miles Of road would amount in one year
TO S1S,7S0. Now If in any way this OK.
pense can be reduced one.half, $1,000 will
be saved every year. These figures show
that in most cases the necessary improve.
monis would almost If not quito pay for
themselves in one year. The expense Of
keeping poor road may be partially seen
when we consider that from actual expert.
monts upon good, broken stone road one
horse can draw three times as much as on
common gravel road. Then there is the
wear and tear in wagons and harnesses, extra
feed for the unnecessary horses, aud the loss
Of time To both man aud beast, TO say moth.
iug of the narrowing up Of the Transfers
feelings at getting stuck in some neglected
mud hole or in some easily avoided hill side.
The cost of keeping a good road in the
best repair but slightly exceeds, if indeed it
equals, that Of keeping the average country
road in its usual detestable condition. Foot
up now the two sides Of the account. Re-
member that from one.third to one-half Of
the power now will suffice, in the improved
roads, to do the same amount Of business,
time will be saved, and-what is in no way an
inferior ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS given TO every
owner or driver of horse. Remember, also,
that with the improved facilities Of commu-
nicaton will come proportional rise in the
value Of real estate, aud that the proposed
improvements will benefit, not merely our
own selfish selves, but will be a most valu-
able legacy to posterity, and we seem to
have decided balance in favor Of good
roads. Hence we see the necessity Of new
road system and new roads.
The system which seems most feasible, is
that presented by Mr.. Gillispie in his mas.
terly treatise on roads, which is, that several
towns, say county, unite in hiring com.
petent engineer, whose business it shall be
to superintend all the roads Of the county,
survey new routes, change old ones, make
plans for bridges, etc. He in turn should
appoint competent man for his assistant in
each town, who should be overseer of the
working men during the busy season. Dur
ing the rest of the year the town could we'll
afford to employ him regularly to inspect
the roads under his care, and to repair such
slight damages as would if neglected neces-
state a much greater outlay.
All taxes assessed upon any town should
be paid lin money, leaving the farmer or
tradesman to do his own business aud to
furnish competent men to accomplish what
he has in vain attempted. The principles of
road construction which are most popular
and have been best tested, are those Of Nc.
Adam and Thomas Telford-styled by his
poet friend Southey, "The Colossus Of
Rhodes" The essential features Of each.
however, arc very much the same, viz, good
drainage, light grades, aud small broken
stone, the main difference being that Tel.
ford Insists on having a stone subpavement
under his roads to assist in drainage, give
more sOlidIty and furnish good clean place
upon which to put the broken stone, instead
of placing them in the dirt as McAdam
proposes. Either Of them, however might
we'll be taken as models for any community
to build after. The results which must fol
low the introduction Of good roads may bC
foretold with considerable accuracy from the
examples Of England aud Scotland, as vel
as from a few places in this country. The
early adoption Of a thorough road system
and the construction Of good roads are o
vital Importance to this country not simply
to any section, but to the whole. The Yves
is clamoring for canals, and must have them
but good roads are the necessity of the Who'll,
nation. This necessity has been long iel
and is growing one, and it is to be sincere
y hoped that at the earliest possible perioC
we may see in our land all "the crooke,
ways made straight and the rough way
made smooth" Then may We see our pat
ron goddess-the Goddess of Liberty-sway
ing her scepter of freedom over land inter
woven with these threads of prosperity an'
freed, not only from the personal bondage o
its people, but also from all restrictions t
its social aud commercial communications.