The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-30
Roads and Road Commissioners.

1t Is to be hoped the general determination
to have as good country roads as the nature o
the soil Will admit will not be forgotten Thi.
feeling was brought about by the continued
autumn aud winter rains, converting cause
ways and prairie tracks alike into slOughs Of
mire, and which the soft weather of the spring
so far, has kept in bad condition. 1t is to be
hoped, we repeat, that the determination will
not be allowed to die out
We have heard it objected that this year all
roads have been bad alike Granted; although
the proposition is not correct. 1t is true that
earth roads have been bad under the continued
rains; hali-made mctaled roads have been in a
dcplOrabe state; but 1t must be remembered
that well .gradcd roads, especially when provis
ion has been made for easy and perfect drain
age,-and this is one of the important points
in all road making-haye dried quickly, and
have become passable, and sometimes dusty
while the lily made roads, and the tracks be.
tween fences often called roads, have remained
for weeks and months nearly impossible
The Prdirte fdrmer has steadtlstly advocat.
ed earth roads well graded and drained, rs the
only feasible plan of road-making where gray
cl or other metaling was MOTTO be had. 1t has
advocated, for years, solid earth grades as the
foundation for this metaling. But especially
it has constantly and clearly kept before lis
readers the absolute necessity of the most
Thorough drainage for the road beds and the
advantages accruing thcretrom to the lands
adjacent
Among the cheap and feasible means to as.
sist in the drainage of the road bed itself, we
have advocated placing a line OF tile directly
under the middle Of the track, with outlets to
the bitches and beyond, at the low places
These tile should be laid about foot under
the natural surface of the soil and before the
grading is done. Then, when from sixteen to
twenty inches Of earth is raised over them, the
tile will be sufficiently below the surface to be
out OF the way OF ordinary frosts. When these
lines of tile of u calibrc of three or four inches
can Ice laid deeper, it should he done; for it Is
a well fixed rule in cutting drains that the
deeper the tiles the more successful the dram
age SO that now tile drains are seldom laid
less than three feet in depth when possible.
Having thus prepared the road bed it will
be in the best possible condition 10 receive
gravel or any other material available for met
aling the whole. and even six inches of gravel
over the earth will make a good and pleasant
road to travel, except at such times As during
the last winter, when the best constructed roads
were comparatively bad
The first step toward having good roads, is
to select the very best man in the town 10 the
responsible Office of road commissioner. 1t is
true the office is not one OF profit. For this
reason none but men public-Spiritcd enough TO
see their towns progressing in all that pertains
To the welfare of the inhabitants will accept
the office. 1t j. the most honorable Office in
The town. and while there is no profit accruing
from the office there need be no absolute loss.
The annual town meetings will now soon
occur. These should he more generally at
tended than they are DO not let a really good
man for the office of road commissioner de.
cline if possible Ii would be better if the
town grant him handsome pre>cn. at the end
of the term OF office. f1r the faithful perform
ancc OF his duty rather than have a really
good officer decline because his pccuniary
circumstances may uotpcrmith his acceptance
Ppgiri, FJrHt.