The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-03-24
COUNTRY ROADS,

AS this is the season OF the year. when the
inconvenience Of bad roads is most severy
felt we commend to our readers the follow
ing timely article taken from a recent issue
of the Baltimore Sun.-Says writer in Il
New York paper: at is doubtful if there is
another instance in this country of the ex-
penditure of money toward 2 specific end
which illustrates the way How not to do it,
as does the method adopted by New York
State for making and improving its country
roads. The New York way is, unfortunate
~, our way. The officer there is called 1.-The
pathmaSter,' aud answers to our supervisor
Instead of dividing . county into districts,
as with us, it is divided into townships
Controlling the pathmaSter, as Go our coun-
~ commissioners The supervisor, there are
in New York commissioners of roads and
bridges, but these seldom Interfere with
their subordinate officer. They are as deaf
to appeals, as commissioners of counties
elsewhere usually are. They lay ont new
roads and contract for bridges, but they do
not care whether the roads leading to them
are corduroy, or dirt, or gravel. Now,
matchmaking is not the simple thing most
people suppose. Two men 10 shovel dirt
out of the side cutters and one cart for mis-
cellaneous .iobbing do not make such roads
either in New York or Maryland DIS the
local travel is entitled 10 and taxpayers
have Il r. ht to expect, and especially in
counties where there is exceptional taxation
for the purpose. In certain parts of Mary
land it is common remark that it would
often pay better To vote tue commissioners
Il sum of money TO let the roads severely
alone. Perhaps this is eNaggerating matters
There is, nevertheless, in frequent instances,
Il great deal of truth in The sarcasm. In the
first place the road is packed hard, beatea
down by six or eight months of summer
and autumn travel. 1t is thus reasonably
solid bed. \ few inches of gravel or broken
stone of the egg size placed on this found
alton at the proper season would improve
II. But its condition Is such, except in
naturally moist places, that unless work
upon 1t is we'll done il had better he left I'M
done. \ Snal! SuEl used i'll the ordinary
way upon it is simply money wasted. 4
large sum used upon II, as common sense
and engineering skill would direct, would
he felt Immediately, and the "mctalin9'',
(stoning or graveling,) lis far as il Went.
would lay u good foundation for the future.
The custom Is, however, is all our country
readers know to mend the TO nj by throwing
dirt upon it from the sides To the middle.
This work is often done Just before heavy
rains set in, or it nlay he late in the auruu II
when the frost has i fair chance at In
the one case tie ti't Is res ovcd into lis I;l-
tive mud in the other the road is broken
up into runs and ridges. The condition #
A road SO treated, or rather we might say
malireate,i, is worse i'll most Gases than il
WAS before. Unless a ru I'll IS made nt goo
material, patching will moi mend il. II
would he far better TO spend the money
set apart annually for the roads of Il Civ. II
district in stoning or graveling them, By de
greeS from year IL Wear, or Ivy sections, ii il
can not be done oth-rwiSr instead of fling
ing dirt upUu them, to tnl II perpetuallv
washing away-cloGging the wheels of veh-
irlcs " hen freSh and when wctted with
rains Sutteuing the soldier rua,i-h hrueath
it, Roads are not for day, hut for all time
and il the proc s at making them with Tin.
sums annually distributed for this purlo,e
mus; necessarily lie SLOW, vet wear by year
they would be getting n.tter, and when
once we'll n.etalrti The. cast OF Keeping them
iu repair woulI he comparatively small
There is nothing that would advance the
prosperity oil country districts, outside of
the lines OF rail like IN tttiri ny system ct
good ru IDS. To spend money freely on such
a system would b" putting il Ia Z 'ud use Tur
saving in the wear and tear y! vehicles
would ol itself I've u:lirr con- iicrahle. Ii
wunld add greatly Ia the com fort and cOnvt.-
rience of travel. The extra horses now
employed in dragging heavy loads over
what at times are almost lmpraciicIblc
highways could b'. dispensed witlI.-Above
all, cool r"ad> would effect III tterial say
ing in distances, measured by time; give
easier access to markets ana from place ~
place and would add to the salabie value OF
all farm property. Where country roads
are established, their grades, under good
management. may often he improved, and
their terrible water breaks either gotten rid
of entirely or reduced in number. 1T is in
these things the skill of the engineer may
/ properly be called into requisition or ~
least, The experience of Il man who knows
something about laying off, surveying,
rounding, draining and metaling, besides Il
multitude of smaller things which come
/ within the scope OF technical knowledge
| We apprehend that there are not many OF
the ordinary road supervisors, and fewer
! still county commissioners, either in New
York or Maryland, or many other States.
! who know mnch more of the science OF
road making than to ill up rutS aud dump
i'll stone where the ground is s"ggr, and lin.
1 ally TO throw dirt from the sides to the
middle of the road. Ii we are ever to have
good country roads W. must revoutloniZt
the present waStetul system of spending
money on them. We must begin 10 make
roads that will last. irrannot be done well
1T once, but it may be done gradually yrar
| by year SO that ultimately the roads Iao>t
subj, jet IL travel ami traffic may become
permanent highways. For such work Their.
must lie a responsible head As il is ~
preSt.lI, the responsibility for bad roads is
lodged ROW here-Bdiim0re SIN.