The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-03-13
Country Roads.

ROAD-MAKING as an art is but poorly
understood by the majority of our high
way surveyors and road-masters, and
what they do know is not always well
carried out. There is, no doubt, a
gradual Improvement in our highways.
The loss and injury occasioned by gull
lying and wash-outs are so great that
those means by which stability of the
travelled way is secured, are getting to
be tolerably we'll understood. But the
other points, such as securing easy
grades, conducting road over q
swamp, the management of clayey or
mucky soils, and the removal of stones.
both fixed and loose, are all matters in
which our rural road-builders may
easily improve their methods. In every
farmers club, grange and agricultural
gathering for the discussion of rural
affairs. road-making should be made a
matter of frequent consideration.
The losses by reason of bad roads
are very large-far greater than the
cost of maintaining good ones. But
they are so uncertain as regards partic-
ular instances, and so divided among
all hands, that the sum of them is not
realized as it ought to be. The load
that can be drawn over road is limited
by the load that can be drawn over the
worst places, just as the strength of q
chain is only the strength of its weak
est link. The strains thrown upon the
different parts of a wagon or carriage,
upon the bolts and braces, the wheels,
axles, pole, shafts and on the harness
Ito say nothing of the horses), by steep
grades and the unevenness of the road
bed, by deep mud, and by stones, are
also matters that are large enough in
detail, but form monstrOus aggregate
far beyond the conception of those who
do not figure in regard to them. We
believe that there are few travelled
roads in the country on which the un-
necessary injury to vehicles alone
would not pay, and more thalf'pay, for
the cost and maintenance of q first
class turnpike.
There is one thing, in particular,
which would cost but little toremedy,
that is very destructive to wheels, the
most costly parts of every vehicle, and
which is also the cause of very great
injury to horses. We refer to the loose
stones left upon the surface of the road
way-thrown upon it, in fact, when the
roads are repaired, and left there the
whole season afterward. These stones
could be all thrown off in a very short
time and at worry little expense, but
they are very rarely attended to. How
many loosened and broken tires they
cause, and how many horses feet are
injured by these provokingly loose
stones in the road!
Other bad things, easily remedied,
are the holes and hollows worn in the
road by wheels, and rapidly increased
in depth by the softeniDg caused by the
collection 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
most important, but few road-masters
will attend to the matter as they should.
We repeat that these are things
worthy Of frequent discussion among
farmers, SO that knowledge regarding
the proper remedies may be dissent
mated, and, above all, public opinion
be created in favor OF good roads. The
civilization of a community is almost
as we'll gagged by the condition OF its
roads as by the quantity of soap it uses.
Rural New Yorker.
Ar a recent Meeting of the Citv Com