The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-06-30
ROAD IMPROVEMENT.
How Dirt Roads Can BE Kept In u Re
sonably Good Condition..


sonabIy Good Condition.
The matter of country roads and their
Improvement is to manv like the roof
of the mans house when could not be
made watcr-tight when it rancd, and
when it was dry weather it did not re.
quire repair. 1t often happens that
poor roads, especially what are com,
monty called dirt roads. are found to be
tremendous inconviences when they are
miry or impossible, and then when it is
dry and pleasant wheeling and riding it
is unnecessary to rebuild them or abol.
ish their defects.
Prof. G.. E. Morrow, of the University
of Illinois at Champaign, has given this
subject much careful attention, and re-
Gently read q paper on dirt roads at the
convention of Highway Commissioners
at Springfield. The broad view is taken
that good roads in every ne;ghborhood
are essential not only to the economical
transportation of produce, but also to
the best development of the people, so.
cially, Intellectually and religiously.
The perfect road is straight, level,
smooth and hard. The main difficulty
lies in keeping the roads in good con-
dition during wet weather. In a level
country it is necessary to make adequate
provision for promptly removing or
carrying off the surplus water. As Prof
Morrow forcibly remarks, to most ef-
fectively do this is the great object of
work in making or repairing dirt roads
on the prairies. Chiefly to secure this
the road-bed is raised above the general
level, its surface is "crowned," and
bitches are made at the sides, and tiles
are sometimes laid, frequently the most
important point of all, because they most
effectively prevent trouble from stag.
nant water. Doing these things in the
best way, and then frequently smooth
ing the surface and preserving its
slopes, is about all the wisest can do in
securing good earth roads, aside from
building and caring for bridges and
culverts and reducing the grade where
it is exceptionally great.
1t is suggestion worth considering
that it is sometimes economy to vary
the rule requiring roads to follow Sec
tion lines. The departure from this rule
is to run the roads along ridges or high
and dry land rather than to blindly and
vigorously 60 through thick and thin,
ponds, slough or Says, which can not be
easily drained. The road-bed should be
graded, also, so that the surface is made
higher than that of the land on either
side, but this should not be done to the
exclusion or neglect of good bitches,
kept well opened and with free outlets.
In recent tests at the University at
Champaign it has been found that dry
soil will take up from thirty-eight to
capillary attraction. Where there is
standing water at the road-sides, or
where the soil is saturated, it will draw
much water even to the height of three
feet. The engineering on railroads
has this always in view, and the engi-
neer prevents, as far as possible,
water standing within three feet of the
surface. even though the cars move on
the rails held in place by heavy ties,
often ballasted with stone or gravel. A
narrow, raised roadway is recommend
ed in preference to one of greater
width, as the surface drainage will be
better, but a very narrow bed with
heavy slope to the sides is almost al
ways Objectionable, as not giving
enough choice in travel, thus causing
deeper ruts.
In wet land, lines of tile laid at the
sides of the road, inside the open bitches.
are recommended as a great help in car.
rying off water, which would otherwise
have to beremoved by evaporation. This
tile work should be we'll done and the
drain outlets kept free. Highway OF
road commissioners have consider
able authority, let it be remem-
bered, over the land beyond the narrow
limits of the road itself, and diches and
their outlets come within their iurisdic.
ton, and can be made to contribute
materially to the success of road-mak.
ing and repairing will be done by men
whose special business this is, and not
men working out their tax. The throw.
ing OF lot Of unpacked earth on the
surface at certain seasons is alluded to
as an abomination, and particularly, il
may be added, when That loose earth is
too often dragged up from the still
damp bitches and put into the middle Of
the road, only to make vile pitch-holes
during moist months of the year, and
an indifferent road at anv time. Chico.
go Inter- Oceaas.