The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-08
The Roads.


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| did not expect ever again to ask the priv
lege Of lntllcting upon your readers another
article on the subject of roads, now, that the
road so much talked of mean the Ottawa
and Deer Park or Vermillion roads under
the control of an efficient board OF commits.
sioners am Informed that the commission.
ers have perfected all their plans, and that the
work on the road Is ready to be pu; under
contract. 1t is to be hoped tina. 1t Will be
pushed through rs expeditiously as possible,
in order that the road may become settled be.
fore freezing weather.
SO far as have learned all their plans are
satisfactory to those who are interested, but /
would like, in very respectful manner, to
take exception 70 one OF them. And do this
not in a faultfnding and csp.,ous spirit, but
tor the sake Of elici.ing. information on a
question that may have two sides. As sub.
scribcr to the fund and as one who has taken
an interest In the work from the beginning,
think that my opinion, as we'll as that of any
other subscriber, should be entitled to re-
spectful consideration. l have observed in
conversation with men generally, that very
few have any practical idea of how road
should be made, but that all have an opinion
of their own, that they think is Infallible. My
idea may be only an opinion after all-:t is
this:
have been told by some that the commits.
sioners intend to do one good thing, that IS
they intend to put tile in the middle Of the
road, &c" have frequently heard men ex.
press themselves IN regard to the practicabiity
Of this mode of road making, but have failed
in every instance to see the utility or necessity
of so doing. ltseems to be contrary to all the
principles of road making, as laid down in the
books-entirely unnecessary, though It may
not be injurious-and that If the same amount
of money spent IN tile should be expended in
gravel, the road would be much better and
more substantial.
Allow me to express my idea In the Ian
guage of McAdam himself, the great macada-
mizer, on this point. AS authority refer to
Chambers Information for the People, vol. 1,
page 1876. Phlladel pha, Zeber & Co., 1S47
He says:
"Roads can never be rendered perfectly Sc
cure, until the following principles be fully
understood, admitted and acted upon, namely
that is the natural soil which really supports
the weight of travel; that while it is preserved
in dry state, 1t will carry any weight with
out sinking, and It does in fact carry the
road, and carriages ALSO that this native soil
must be previously made quite dry and a
covering as much lmpenetrable TO ram rs
possible must then be placed over it, to pre-.
serve it IN that dry state; that the thickness
OF road should only be regulated by the
quantity OF material necessary to torn such
lmpervious covering, and never by any refer
ence to It's own power of carrying weight
The sides of the roads must possess wet bitches
or cutters, into which all water may be readily
conveyed and run of. For this purpose
culverts, drains and gratlngs may be ne
Cessary"
If such then are the principles OF road max.
ing as "laid down and consistently acted upon
by the greatest authority" if, ia order to
have a road perfectly safe" the great prere-
Quisite IS, that 1t should be preserved IN a
dry state" "impenetrable to rain" with a
covering either Of broken stones or gravel,
that will be impervious to wafer, where then
Is the necessity for tile drain under the bed
of the roads 1t is not expected that the
rain that tails shall percolate perpendiculsrly
through depth of feet Of gravel and dirt to
be run off by an underground tile. Nor ought
it to be expected that the water will run hori.
zontslly from the sides into the middle. when
wet bitches or cutters" either tiled or open
are properly constructed tor that purpose
Buff is expected thst water will percolate to
the depth of the tile, and that the covering
will not be sufficient to resist the power OF
the ram, where Is the necessity of putting on
any stones or gravel at all? Why NOT leave
the road In its natural state subject to this
mode of artificial drainage, that is, by placing
tile on either side and IN the middles
II the road is not solid and impervious to
water, If the gravel becomes wet and loose
wheels will cut through and deep ruts will be
formed whether there Ia tile underneath or