Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-08-11
1ancaster. fntelGqer,rer.
WEDNESDAY EvENpga. AUG. H.. l1aao.
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This caption might 1ithequal propriety
he s'tbad roads, y as itW0AM have at*ractea
just as much attention. and this j. tAe s PIE
pose Of it. But what We are going to say
on this trite subject, though at the same
time ever fresh On! adeount Of its iMporIi
tancc, is to refer again to the couseant dis
cussien which il heads to all over the eos'n-
try. We scarcely open d 4asal paper, how.
ever far or near, in which complaint Is NOT
made about Observation-Disclosures IN which the
roads are kept, and the absolute necessity
of repairing them. Like ourselves, our con-
temporaries are very nearly, II not quite
unanimous in dcNOuncing the system
if system it can be called-and recon-
mending something better-something
them safety and expedition. The merely
throwing out of dirt dug or plowed at the
sides and thrown into the middle, includ-
ing 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 arc no cutters made that
the water will naturally find. They arc
not straight, and from tho extreme lines
inclined thence to the middle, but zigzag
ging to suit the stones, stumps, roots, &c.,
and are only "dccp scratches" as one OF
them remarks. A gutter should be as
straight rs 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-bcd should sharply
incline from the centre to the cutters,
draining off the water directly into them,
and not forcing it down the rOad-bed,
washing gulchcs and carrying away all the
soil upon it.
1t should bc the special duty of supervi
sOrs To go upon the roads with force OF
men Immediately after heavy showers and
repair them. They know all the points
where the roads arc likely to wash and re-
pairing is needed and they know or ought
to know what kind of repairing will 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 bc stoned sufficiently heavily to
bear any weight, and should keep
in good order for years without
additional expense. At sharp hills
surfacc-drainagc should bc made at
short intervals and at an angle, in order
that the draught may not bc too severely
increased upon the beasts. Thus, once
and always well done such points would
but seldom require repairing and could be
always kept in good condition at 4 very
moderate cxpcnse-nOt One-half that
which it would otherwise cost, in the
wrctchcd state in which they are allowed
to remain from year to year.
1t is not probable however, that much of
Il change will take place in tho general con-
ditiOn of country roads until there shall bc
achange i'm the force put upon them to do
the work. These employees should not he
composed of Tom. Dick and Harry-young
and old, big and little-but hands who
should be regarded as road-makers, and
be always ready ut the call of the super
visor. They may cost more wages per
day, but they will do nearly twice the
amount of work, and do it as it ought to
he done. When started on the imprOv ed
system plow would he seldom needed,
road-scrapcrs or machines being sufficient
there being no instructions in tho way
to keep the road in perfect order.
AS we have often said already, though
we hope We shall not often he impelled to
repeat it in the future, there is no money
in the shape of tax that people should be
so willing and liberal to pay than that
which shall 90 to provide good roads at
all seasons of the year. 1t will save four
times the amount in wear and tear, loss ct
time, escapes from accidents and the strain
ing of horses, wagons, harness, &c.