The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-06-05

A comparatively narrow raised roadway
is better than one OF greater width, as the
surface drainage will be better; but a very
narrow bed with much crown or slope
to the sides is almost always Objectionable,
not giving any choice in travel, thus caus-
Ing deeper ruts. When used while the
surface is wet, the wheels and horses feet
will certainly make ruts and holes, and Ia
most soils, these are so puddled as TO be
imp ,rvious to water, 50 that extra slope o
the sides is of little irpOrtance. IL itwere
practable to prevent the roads being used
during or soon after rains, the surface OF
we'll drained roads would become dry and
hard AS this cannot be done, we must
rely on securing as good drainage as Is pos
sible, and on promptly filling the ruts and
holes made during the vet weather. When
the land is wet, lines of tile laid at the sides
of the road inside the open bitches, Will
be great helpin carrying off water, which
would otherwise have to be removed much
more slowly, and "a gely by evaporation
always provided the work Is we'll done, and
there be good outlet to these drains. Tile
drainage will not give us ideal roads In wet
weather, but it may do more to improve
the roads in many sections of the state
than any small thing of equally small cost.
1t should be remembered that the rights
and duties of road commissioners may eX-
tend outside the fifty or sixty feet set apart
for the road. The good results of grading,
dit hing and tiling, are often largely de
pendent upon outlet bitches or drains eX-
tending, perhaps, for long distance
through adjacent lands. Ii the land owners
will cooperate, well; if not, the Commiss-
toner's should exercise their legal rights.
Often the public funds can be more wisely
used in making bitches in adjoining lands,
than by making larger ponds at the road
side in attempts to secure good roads In
wet land by further raising the surface.
1t is not the province Of this paper 10
give details on road construction ordesCribe
the machinery to be used. tmay be said,
however, that It is to be hoped that the
time will soon Gene when rOad-making
and repairing viii be done exclusively by
men whose special business this is, and not
by men working out their tax; that The
work of construction and important repairs
seOuld be done, whenever possible, IN the
spring or early summer, as throwing lot
of unpacked earth on the surface in the
fall is an abOminatiOn; that il seems the
day of general use of dumping scrapers has
gone by, bur, that if used, common human
ity and economy demand that the surface
be uniform instead of a series of little hills;
that il is desirable TO have, perhaps, three
feet of level surface at each side before
commencing the browning of the road
bed, as helping 10 prevent the filling OF the
bitches; that making side-ditches and rails
ing the center is important even on billy
ground, else there may be great trouble
from washing; that careful attention 10 the
small culverts is Clly less important than
providing large bridges where needed.
Most OF all does II need 10 be impressed
on many in AUTHORITY that it is a great waste
to keep up the system of letting the roads
alone except once year, or when they be.
come impossible. Within week | nave
been one of hundreds who have been boun-
ced and jolted in farm wagon and light
buggy over leading road, the ruts 10
which were being slowly filled at cost OF
time, comfort, horse flesh and injury 10
vehicles; yet where days work by one
man and a pair of horses, with any one of
several road machines, would have made