Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-15
FARM and HOUSEHOLD.
MAKING OF NEW ROADS AND
REPAIRING OF OLD ONES.

MAKING Ut NkW hUAuo h"U
REPAIRING OF OLD ONES.
The making of new roads and
the repairing of roads under the
system generally in vogue through
out most of the states, says che
New York World, devOlyes almost
wholly upon the agricultural p0r'
ton of the community, and 1T may
be safely said that in nothing IN
which they are so deeply interested
has there been so little improve
ment. Roads are quite often found
running directly up steep places at
the points Of hills, making both
the ascent and descent difficult, If
not dangerous, when by a more
circnitOus and but little longer
route and easier grade could have
been obtained, over which far
heyier loads could have been moved
with comparative ease.
Boys and mlry places are bridged
over or filed up in such manner
as to be benefited only temporarily,
if at all, and to again become
virtually impossible in the worst
seasons of the year. Where labor
is expended on the roads it is quite
frequently so timed as to interfere
as little as possible with the farm
work and at a season when the
ground cannot properly settle and
become hard before it IS cut up by
travel, and the road becomes as
bad as before.
Very much of the blame for TINS
state OF things may be laid to the
road laws, which in so many of the
states leave the roads wholly IN the
bands OF the people Of small dis
trlcts, to be worked only IN such a
manner as the supervisor OF the
district shall direct, and chiefly by
the labor of men working under
the compulsIon of the law for the
payment of a road tax at a stated
per diem for their services
Usually the workers bring the
tools that suit them best, and come
and 60 at will, and there is no
uniformity observed in the different
districts, by which an important
road passing through them shall
be kept in good order in all.
1t is not surprising under such a
state of things that the people in
many of the states are not only
becoming dissatisfied with their
roads, but are demanding of their
legislatures such a change in the
laws on the subject as shall substl-
tute more efficient service and re-
snlt in better roads. To bring
about better roads it is absolutely
necessary that the system named
shall be changed to one of con-
tract for specified work to be done,
or for direct pay under the direc-
ton of persons who shall be held
TO strict responsibility for the
disbursement Of the funds at their
disposal, and tor the best form OF
road construction and repair that
the means will allow, and in order
TO secure uniformity the whole
should be under the supervision OF
a county superintendent.
The first thing to be done in i'm
proving the condition of a long
line of bad road should be a re-
view and survey that should make
such changes in the route as are
practicable to afford easier grades,
and, wherever it can be done with
out manifest Injustice to residents,
avoid going over grounds I'M
commonly bad in themselves.
How shall a country road be con-
structed, and what shall it be made
of when the route is finally set
tied 2 An answer to this question,
to be of any value in special cases,
would require an accurate knowl-
edge of the locality to be passed
over, its soil, geological formation
and the means at disposal. In
general terms a competent en-
giDeer should be employed to locate
and determine as easy a grade as
the natural conditions of the coun-
try will allow; locate bridges,
culverts and bitches, and so order
the construction of the road in all
it's particulars that the rainfall on
the road itself shall be drained OF
as quickly as possible, and that the
water that falls adjacent 20 the
road shall in no case be led into it
or allowed TO flow on il.