The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-09-21
The Egis and Intelligencer.
BEL AIR, Md, SEPTEMBER 81, 1888.
Deer Creek Farmer5' Club.

house. Mr. Rogers, of the committee said tina
they had seen nothing 10 find fault with. Nh
Moores' cattle were not of fancy kind but no
many cattle in the county had improved NOR
rapidly in growth and flesh. His Essex hogs ar
equal to anybody's. He also has some very mic,
sheep. His fences compare in cleanliness will
those oil anyfarmer in the county. Mr.Archer crit
icized Mr.. Moores' plan of building straw stacks
saying they were too broad. Mr.. Moores differed
in opinion, saying that they were made broad an(
high so that in winter when the cattle eat away
the sides they make for themselves, at the samt
time, shelter from storms. Mr.. Archer said Mr.
Moores' farm had improved as much as any one
elses and he now raised as much on one-hal
his farm as he formerly raised on the whole
tract. Mr.. Munnikhuysen also spoke OF the eX
cellent manner in which Mr.. Moores' farm il
Mr.. Moores' sheep. They have been taught not tC
run at the approach of dogs, which afforded somt
ly to attuck flock that does not flee from them
PUBLIC ROADS.
Mr.. MoOreS said he had been over good many
of our county roads and found them in most cX-
cellent condition. The present road system is a
good one, but little more public spirit and en-
terprise are needed. lie recollcctcd when some
of the roads abounded in quicksands, and much
money was spent in filling them with stone. The
quicksands have disappeared, the earth has wash
ed away from the stone piles and they are left to
mark the spots where quieksands stood. This
plan has been kept up for 30 years. He thought
vented the necessity for the stone piles which
mar the roads: The next step in road mending was
throwing up the middle of the road and making
bitches at the sides About as much of this has
been done as is necessary. Most of the roads now
only need smoothing up and Keeping the drains
open from time to time. Men should be kept
constantly on the roads for this purpose. He was
glad to see that the roads had been taken out of
politics. He remembered that when the Wings
got into power all the Democratic road supcrvi-
sors were turned out, and when the Democrats
came in the Wings had to go. Now Republicans
well as Democrats are appointed to mend the
roads This is a good thing. The roads should
be in the hands of persons most interested in
them. lie approved of appointing General Road
Supervisors, as the Commissioners have not time
to attend TO roads. 1t might be advisable to let
each district spend its own road money, but he
feared the change might be attended with in
creased expense, since it would increase the num-
Der Of offices.
Judge Waters said that the public roads are
public property and any improvement to them
is an Improvement to all the property in the
than ever before 1t is possible, however, to
make them much better. He was opposed to
changing the system, and il is an admirable thing
that the roads have been taken out of politics.
Some money is, of course, inJudiciously spent,
for want of care and Judgment, but the general
result is good. He advocated the use of patent
road Scrapes, worked with horses like the one
Mr.. Thomas A. Hays has. Such a machine can
be used with good advantage on many roads,.
He opposed the of dump scrapcrs. He
thought no one should criticize the condition of
the roads unless he had himself done something
to improve them. Instead of fault finding, If
each person would do something to benefit the
roads near him the good results would be great
Road warrants should not be regarded as merely
an easy way to pay taxes, but public spirit should
induce man to do the best he could with his al
lowance. The Deer Creek Farmers Club, he
roads. Every step in the way of Improvement
makes the next step easier.
John b. Wysong said it was important to keep
the roads clear of loose stones and bitches open
The supervisors, in mending their roads in the
spring, should keep back part OF heir allowance,
to be used for this purpose later in tina season.
lie also thought the steep hills should be graded
down. As general thing the roads are mended
too late in the season.
Thos. Lochary thought that to have good roads
we must haveg good supervisors men who will take
an interest in them. IL makes no difference
nI IIIlI iG
spent iudiciously. good supervisor should be
given as many roads as he will work
Robert W. Holland said the loose stones should
be picked up at least twice during the year.
Farmers along the roads Should assist in having
them mended, by giving little hauling to the
county 1t will help them and help the county
The present road system is as good as any The
roads are mended early enough, but the supervi-
sors should keep back part OF the money to mend
the roads later in the season.
H. John Rogers also regarded the present sys-
TEN good enough if properly enforced. He
knew an important piece of road that has not
been touched this season, and being washed it
will be bad all next winter lie had been in
favor of the contract system but had never seen
il tried Mendng most of the roads with shovel
lisa slow business, from the difficulty of throwing
cent. could be saved by using patent road-scra-
per (Pcnnock's) like MIR. Hays. If a man has one
of these scrapers and is willing to ii he should
have all the roads he will take. They cannot be
used on all roads. He thought the dump scraper
the next best thing. He was opposed to deposit
in TOO much earth in the roads, but they should
he raised sufficiently 10 carry or the WATER
When that is done and the water courses kept
open the roads will seldom wash Breaks are
generally dispensed with. Slight breaches in
the roads should be mended as soon as they occur
when II can b" lone at less expense than after
wards
H. II. Barnes said it is most important to keep
the drains open and loose stones removed. The
stony knobs placed in quicksands years ago should
be broken up and removed and not covered with
earth. There are too many breaks and not
enough culVcrts on the roads
James Ice admitted that the roads had greatly
improved in the last 10 years. but they are not us
perfect ms they might he. He thought road mend
ing is II business and they should not be mcndcd
only to pay taxes. bett cr plan would be to sell
the roads out in short pieces TO the lowest bidder
person Is more likely to keep the roads near his
own place in good order and can do ii at less cost
than one from distance. considerable amount
of money is wasted on our roads
X. Harris Archer said that no one would object
to paying higher taxes to put the roads in better
condition. More money ought to be appropriated
for the roads f it is properly spent. lie could
suggest no Improvement on the system. If the
county would employ a good rOad-mender, with
five or six men, a yoke of oxen, cart and scraper,
he could be advantagcously employed on the
roads every day in the year. The patent Scraper
would be advisable whore it could he used. The
loose stones should be removed. In the Deer
Creek region many large stones are left sticking
up which the supervisors annually cover up with
earth. This is OF no use, they should be removed.
IL is impossible to keep roads in good order all
the year where heavy teams travel them constant
Iy Supervisors in such localities are subjected
To much undeservcd blame. He was opposed to
creating county debt to turnpike the roads, n
project that has heretofore been entertained by
some.
VIM. Munnikhuysen thought the public roads
are improving nearly in the same proportion with
everything else in the county. They are much bet
ter than they were 25 years ago. while there is
vastly more heavy hauling on them now than
then. He did not think any improvement could
be made on the present system. 1t is Il good
plan to give as many roads to competent supervi-
sOr as they will work. He objected to horse power
scrapers believing that they pulled toomuch earth
into the roads. The roads need not be rounded
up much, because when cut into rGts the water
lays in the ruts, and they grow deeper. lie did
not object To hills washing down. 1t is folly to
keep working a hill to keep it in its original shape.
All that should be done to it is to keep it in ira
yelling condition and let the water wash it down
if it will. Loose stones should be picked up, haul
cd to the bottom of the hills and broken ZIP. They
will soon catch the sand and earth that washes
down and be covered up. He thought quick
sands could be removed by culverts across the
roads better than by deep side drains. A few
days ago he heard a man growing about the roads
and waste of money and at the same time he
was cutting down bushes and throwing them into
the water course
inspector of bridge timber and bridges He knew
of bridge that contains two three bad pieces of
wood, which will make 1t necessary to take the
bridge down many years before the rest of the
wood is dccayed.
Thcs. a. Hays said the three most important
points in securing good roads are-the man. the
time of mending and the mode Different roads
need different treatment. He advocated the use
of the horse scraper. AT first it may be necessary
to pile the earth on the road but in few years a
permanent Improvement is seen. Level roads
require good drains but hy roads make drains
for themselves Roads must be well drained and
level roads require cuyerts to do this. Our road
system is good enough but not carried out as
it should be. The roads should be mended at
certain seasons and then let alone so that the
earth may settle and become hard. If mended too
late we are certain to have bad roads in winter
Roads must be kept high in the middle and have
drains on each side. He spoke of the condition of
the road from Mr.. Rogers gate to Bel Air, which
he says has drain on each side and one also in
the middle. Where stones are plentiful turnpk-
ing makes the most permanent road.
Geo. Il. Silver said the roads are improving but
the demand for better roads has also increased
II is more difficult to mend the roads to stand the
travel of to-day than il was years ago. Ii is i'm
possible to put clay roads in condition to remain
good all winter The most necessary point in