Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-06-24
How to Improve Roads.


Henry County, o.. has been well nigh
ruined by mud. With lethargy born of
3 sense Of despairing helplessness, the
people have submitted to their heavy
burdens. Year after year the mud
blockade has almost stopped the wheels
of business for periods of weeks at a
time. amounting in all to nearly one
fourth of the year. Everybody prays for
good roads, but nobody puts his shoul-
der to the wheel. Our roads can be very
materially improved ut an expense en-
tirely within the means of even this tax
burdened people. BY all means let us
have stone roads as soon as possiblei
but first let us prepare place to put the
stone, to insure us against the chance
of losing it in mud unfathomable. For
the sake of illustrating, let us suppose
that we are going to make an entirely
new road. After the road is losated we
will stake out the track, which should
not be more than 20 feet wide. After
this is done, let competent ami trust
worthy civil engineer stake out two iinos
for tile drain, each a few feet from the
center line of the roadbed. Then tiles
should be laid to a perfect grade, 1ot
less than an average depth of three feet.
and carried to the nearest outlet, no
matter what the distance nor what the
expense. This is an absolute necessity,
as without efficient tile drainage there
can be no good road built in Henry
County, either of stone, gravel, or any
other material that is access BILE. After
the tiles are laid as above directed, pro-
ceed to raise the roadbed about 15
inches in the center and 8 or 8 at the
outside, by scraping upon it the surface
soil. No clay should be allowed on the
road. It should then be made perfectly
even and smooth. No hillocks or hol-
lows should be allowed under any cir
cumstances. 1t will then be good plan
to 90 over it several times with the
heaviest rollers and make it as compact
as possible. Then dig your side bitches
with the same care as to grade and out
let as was done with the tiles These
open bitches need not be deep, but
should be so graded that no water will
stand in them to soak and soften the bed
Of the road. They will carry off the
water that falls upon the road, while the
tiles will carry that which comes up
from below.
In order to keep this road in good
condition, appoint a man to go over it
every day in the wet season, and draw
off the water from puddles that may
form on the bed of the road and fill
them up, and also to keep the side
bitches in good working order. The
road should be completed as early as the
middle of August, SO that it may be well
settled before the fall rains set in. Lei
the above principles apply to old roads.
The roadbed need not be raised more
than two feet above the general level,
unless in crossing a low place.
After you have constructed your road
in the above manner, you have foun'
dation upon which you may build youl
stone or gravel road, which you may de
lay doing until you feel able to bear the
expense. When you wish to put stone
on the road, mako it twelve inches thicE
at the center and six or eight at the side
the width should be from twelve to fif
teen feet This done, you have roaC
that will be pleasure to travel on a
any time of the year. Farmers can ther
sell their produce when the price is mos
satisfactory. .......
There are three prime essentials t.
road building in this locality. They are
first, drainage; second, better drainage
and third, the best drainage possible. =
T. c. f., in Napoleon, Ohio, Signal