The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-08-03
Deer Creek Farmers, CIub.

The club met at the residence of Mr.. VIM.
Munnikhuysen, on Saturday, July 2lsl lS77.-
All the active members were present, also
Mcssrs. 8. M. Lee, X. b. Mccoy, Win. &. Mccoy,
Clarence Galbreath, Thomas 'IIeudon, William
| Hays, JAS. G. Lee, VIM. Ramsay and +. w.
| Baker, honorary members and visitors.
The committee of inspection, Messrs. Gorrcll,
Janney and Silver, reported that they found
things on the farm in st-raie condition. They
were particularly pleased with the appearance
of very fine colt, two months old, sir, / by the
Jenifer Arabian.
CAN OUR SYSTEM OF REPAIRING ROADS BE I'M
PROVED?
| was the subjcc for discussion. Mr.. Munnikhuy
| Sen said he knew of no better system than the
one we now have in Hartford. A rood denl of
money is wasted, but that is not the fault of the
system, but because the general supervisors do
not attend properly tn their duties. IL they did
that and would reject imperfcctly mcndcd roads,
| the system, he thought, would work WE'LL
Farmers are often MS mach to blame for bad
| roads ms any one else. lie had seen farmers cut
down bushes and allow them to fall into and
obst.uct water courses.
Mr.. W. G. Mccoy thought the system was
open 10 Improvement. The plan of selling out
roads seems to work well in some places.
Mr.. Jas. q. Lee said VIC had become so accus-
toned to the present system and the bad roads
that we could scarcely adapt ourselves to other
circumstances.
Judge Waters said the subject was MI i'm
portont one and attended with great deal of
difficulty. The system is not so important as
the manner of carrying it out. If had the max
ing OF road law, said he, no one should object
to the system or to the roads unless he had done
something himself to better the roads. Judge
Walters mentioned the encroachments upon the
tn road by persons who to save few feet of land
move their fence stakes into the road, or place
stones, &C., along the road side. Nearly all the
main roads could be made level, by following
water courses Instead Of that, In order to
alyn Hnl1 W. naIl cd tn
and down hill. Yet if in changing road il
took q few feet of land from a man it would
cause legal contest More good can be done
to the roads by example than by talking. Every
roads and make them good. Persons ought not
to take roads as an easy way to pay taxes. If
we had such men as Cheyney Hoskns in every
neighborhood to repair the roads, we would have
good roads throughout the county in five years.
Mr.. Hoskins, when he lived in this neighborhood,
mend the roads, and then epent the county al
lowance upon them afterwards. As a general
rule 80 feet is wide enough for road.
Mr.. Willis was in favor of trying the contract
system. If you make 1t to o mans interest to
keep the roads in good order he will do it,
Make him give bonn, and let the contracts run
for from 8 to years. When the roads are once
put in repair it would not cost much to keep
them SO. By the present system we get little
work for agreat deal of money. Under the con-
tract system we can get good deal of work for
little money.
Mr.. R. B. Mccoy said: We have in Hartford
county about 800 miles of roads, which cost an
nually, about 1000 to $25, 900 to keep in repair
or $25 per mile per annum. This amount is
spent for the object of mending roads, and with
few exceptions we have to use them after the
winter is over, with all the old ruts and stones
that have been worked in them through the
winter, (for at least three months before they
are pretended to be mended, and in some cases
they are not touched until late in the summer or
fall. Thus six months of the year we lose the
use of good roads. l think it is time to have q
change from our present system, which is not
only waste of money. but the result is bad
roads the year round,
Now In Fulton township. Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, which has IS miles of road, 81
large bridges, ID small ones and 105 culverts, II
costs per year, with the system of selling the
roads for three years to the lowest bidder, 81 200
or $26 per mile, each year; and any one who has
Travelled over our roads and then taken drive In
Fulton township cannot help but exclaim, why
should we be obliged to suffer from bad roads,
when about the same amount of money expend-
cd will give us good highways through our
county? There each man who buys n section of
road feels pride in keeping 1t in good order,
and If he should not keep his section in proper
order, he is notified by the supervisors, who
have charge of all The roads, and If be does not
put il In good condition within six days, the
Supervisor works the roads and charges the
same to him. l was told there are but few cases
of this kind, The plan seems to work to the en-.