The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-02-24
To reign lie worth ambition, though in' hell !:
Better to reign In hell than serve In heaven
How to Make Good Roads Cheap.

To the business men and citizens gen.
orally this question has been discussed
almost daily, and the discussions end, as
they began, without one practical sug.
gestion. It has been stated in the papers
that the county has fund that has accu-
| mulated to about five thousand dollars
and the county commissioners have not
been able TO decide just what is the best
thing to invest that amount of money in
1t has been said the county judge is
thinking strongly, If the commissioners
do not make some sort OF an investment,
to retire that amount of county bonds.
The retirement of five thousand dollars
of the county's outstanding debt would
be good and wise course for the Judge
to pursue, II nothing more profitable
conld result from the use of the money in
another direction. Now, as the citizens
have not responded to the numerous
calls, to raise an amount equal TO the
sum In The county treasury for the i'm
prevement of the county roads. the county
officers have not placed that money In the
hands of any one to be so used.
II is said labor is capital, and that 10
more than true if the labor is properly
directed. Now, ifthe county will invest
a sufficient amount to purchase scraper
for ieveling and driving all loose material
into the low places and filling up the ruts
and having tendency TO elevate the CEN
be taken to improve the roads, and the
surer Investment should be to purchase
large and heavy cast roller. of weight
about eight or ten tons, to follow this
long scraper, and as the loose rocks and
soil are thrown to the center of the road
thisroller presses everything solid, COM
pletely bedding every blt,of rock in such
firm manner as to almost prevent an Inn
preston of the loaded wheel to leave lite
mark, and by simply, II the general sur
face of the road Is quite uneven, to use
first large plow, completely breaking
the road up, then follow with the scrsper,
reducing the uneven surface to an even
one, then follow with this large iron
roller, and after n few. times this i'm
mense roller you will find uni
form aud q fine road bed sufficient
for all purposes. The scraper should be
about eighteen feet long aud immensely
heavy iron rail, and SO dragged as TO ele-
vate the centre of the road so as to give
1t the proper water shed, aand If you still
desire for permanent Improvement when
the road is in constant use. If the i'm
mense amount of shells burned
In and about our rock quarries was only
broken up In small fragments the size Of
an egg. and scattered over the road be-
fore the rolling was done, the roller
would completely level these stones, aud
form uniform and firm surface that
|
wheels for months without repairing.
The present law, II this general system
OF work was carried out, in less than one
year, all our principal thoroughfares
leading into the city, would be a regular
turnpike road. q This can be done at no
outlay of money on the part Of business
men or citizens, only requiring the
ing the present labor systematized.
How are we TO get these rock broken
up and prepared for road purposeA with
out moneys. The county. nearly always
has an Amy of offenders TO be housed,
guarded and fed, and they should be
made seK-sustaining, and can be made SO
by simply looking afterthem. Now sup
pose, that every offender is made to work
out the penalty, provided he IL not able
to pay fines in money, by breaking rock
ten hours.per day till he liquidated the
fine; by this simple means we will get the
rock broken properly for the road.
Thenext question naturally would sug-
gest Itself, bow can these broken stones
find their way TO the road for distribu-
tion. Now suppose . farmer that brings
/ aioad OF corn, oats or any species of grain
20 market, would be asked to, on bis re-
turn home, iii his bed " tth Q load oftlsse
broken stones and drop them at certain
place on the line Of the road In the direcS
ton of his home, and would any farmer
or wood bauler be so stupid as
not to be willing to do that much for the
Improvement of road he uses SO much
SelEpreservatiou Is said to be ono Of
humanity's laws, and to improve our
roads leading TO our towns is home work
and worth more than It costs US to be
DONE. The road scraper worked by six
or eight yoke of oxen, followed by this
iron roller will make In one day more good
road beds than could be done by the
labor Of omen thousand men. These are
not imaginary facts and the wild fancies
OF an excited brain, but have been demon
straSed IN other lands. L..
For very attls monty You can hur any