Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-06-12

CounTnv RoADs.-ROad-makl -
IN art, Says The Rural New Yorker. Is
but poorly understood BIZ the majority
Of our hsEhway surveyors and road mas
ters. end wksa they do know j. not a.
ways esrrBed cut. There II, no doubt,
xrzdual Improvement ID Our highways.
The ioss and injury occasioned By gully
ing and ws~h-outs are 80 greatahat those
means by which stability ofthe travelled
wav i secured are getting 10 be tolera-
bly, well understood. But the other
points. such IS securing easy grades.
conducting q road over swamp. the
management OF clsyey or mucky soils,
and the removal Of stones, both Fixed and
loose, ere all matters in which our rural
road-buiIders may easily improve their
methods. In every farmers club,
grange, and agricultural gathering for
the discussion Of rural affairs. road ma
king should 5e made . matter Of IRE
qnent consideration.
The losses by reason OF bad roads are
very Isrge-fsr greater than the cost Of
maintaining good ones. But they are 50
uncertain as regards particular instan-
ces, and so divided among all hands.
that the sum Of them is not reslixed ~
il ought to be. The load that can Be
drawn over road is limited BY the load
that can be drawn over The worst places.
lust as the strength Of chain Is only
he strength Of its weakest link. The
strains thrown upon The .diaeFent parts
Of wagon CT carriage, upon the bolts.
braces, the wheels, axles, poles, shafts,
and on the harness 10 say nothing Ofthe
horse, BY STEEP grades and the uneven
ness or the rcad-bed, by deep mud, aud
by stones, are also matters that are large
enough in detail, but form monstrous
aggregate fss beyond the conception Of
those who do not figure in regard TO
them. We believe there are few ira
veled roads in the country on which the
unnecessary injury 10 vehicles alone
would not pay. and more than pay, Tor
the cost and maintenance Of q frst-class
turnpike. Ri
There is one thing in particular,
which would cost but little 10 remedy
that is very destructive TO wheels, the
most costly part Of every vehicle, aud
which is also the cause of very great in
Jury TO horses. We refer 10 those loose
stones len upon The surface oil the road
way-thrown upon II In fact, when the
roads are repaired, and left the whole
season afterwards. These stones could
all be thrown of in short time and at
very little expense, but they are very
rarely attended 10. How many loosen
ed and brokened tires they cause, and
how many horses feet are injured by
these provoking loose stones in the road!
Other bad things easily remedied are
holes and hoIlows worn IN the road by
wheels, and rapidly increasing in depth
nv the seftening caused by the collec-
ton of water in them after rains, these
holes break more axles, bolts, braces,
and spokes, ten times over, than the cost
Of filing them up would amount to. A
"stitch in time" is here mOstimportant,
but few road masters will attend to The
matter rs they should.
We repeat that these are things wor-
thy of frequent discussion among farm
ers, 30 that knowledge regarding proper
remedies may be disseminated, aad.
above all, public opinion be created in
favor of good roads. The civilization
of community is almost as well gagged
by the condition Of its roads as by the
quality Of soap its uses.