The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-09-18


This caption might with equal pro-
priety be q bad roads," as it would
have attracted just as much attention,
and this is the purpose of it. But what
we are going to say on this trite subject
though at the same time ever fresh on
account of its Importance, is to refer
again to the constant discussion which
it leads to all over the country. We
scarcely open rural paper, however
far or near, in which complaint is not
made about the bad condition in which
the roads are kept, and the absolute
necessity of improving them. Like
ourselves, our contemporaries are very
nearly, if not quite, unanimous in de-
nouncing the present system-if system
it can be called--and recommending
something Understanding that will
insure to every one who uses them
safety and expedition. The merely
throwing out of dirt dug or plowed at
the sides and thrown into the middle,
including everything coming in the way
brush, sods, stones, roots and rubbish
in general, without any regard to where
it is put, and left there to be worn down
into some order by the travel itself-is
not repairing at all; it is simply making
bad worse.
Our contemporaries refer bitterly in
some instances to the utter recklessness
with which the work is done. They
say truly that there is no system OBJ
served. There ara no cutters made
that the water will naturally find. They
are not straight and from the extreme
lines inclined thence to the middle, but
zigzagging to suit the stones, stumps.
roots, etc., and are only "deep
scratches," as one of them remarks. A
gutter should be as straight as the line
of the road and should be made deep
enough to carry off all the water in the
heaviest rains. In declivities the road
bed should sharply incline from the
center to the cutters, draining of the
water directly into them, and not fore
ing it down the road-bed, washing
gulches and carrying away all the soil
upon it.
1t should be the special duty of super
visors to go upon the roads with force
of men immediately after heavy showers
and repair them. They know all the
points where the roads are likely to
wash and repairing is needed; and they
know or ought to know what kind OF
repairing win stand the best. There
are parts which are nearly always soft
and where it is useless to throw upon it
more soft dirt. These points should be
stoned sufficiently heavily to bear any
weight, and should keep in good order
for years without additional expense.
At sharp hills surface drainage should
be made at short intervals and at an an
gle, in order that the draught may not
be too severely increased upon the
beasts. Thus, once and always well
done such points would but seldom re-
quire repairing and could be always
kept in good condition at very moder-
ate expense-not one-half that which il
would otherwise cost, in the wretched
state in which they are allowed to re-
main from year to year.
1t is not probable, however, that much
of a change will take place in the gen.
eral condition of country roads until
there shall be a change in the force put
upon them to do the work. These. en-
ployes should not be composed of Tom,
Dick and Harry--young and old, big
and little-but hands who should be re.
garded as road-makers, and be always
ready at the call of the supervisor. They
may cost more wages per day, but they
will donearly twice the amount of work,
and do it as it ought to be done. When
started on the improved system a pillow
would be seldom needed, road-scrapers
or machines being sufficient-there be-
ing no distractions in the way-to keeT
the road in perfect order.
As we have often said already, though
we hope that we shall not often b.
impelled to repeat it in the future,
there is no money in the shape of tar
that people should be so willing and
literally to pay than that which shall
go to provide good roads at all seasons
of the year. It will save four times the
amount in wear and tear, loss OF time,
escapes from accidents and the strain.
ing of horses, wagons, harness,~etc. :
Gey-yn1ntOzDn TeleOraDh