The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-02-07
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md. February. 1880
The Farmers Convention.
the vExED ROAD QUESTION.
Several Plans Proposed, but None Quite
Acceptable.
A Committee to be Appointed to Draft
Road Law.

meeting was called to order by the President, Mr..
Geo. Z. Silver, Messrs. Wm l.. Amoss ana JOS l.
Hopes being the Secretaries.
The President apologiZed for the absence on ac-
count of sickness of the road engineer from Penn
sylvania, who had been expected to deliver an ad-
dress but said an address delivered elsewhere
by the same gentleman would be read;
The Secretaries, by turns, then read an address
by Mr.. Samuel +. Downing, of Chester county, Pa,
delivered before the State Board OF Agriculture,
at Harrisburg. While applicable especially TO the
road system of Pennsylvania, it contained many
suggestions with regard to making stone roads,
MIR. DoWNINGS ADDRESS.
Mr. Downing explained the difference between
posed of loose coarse hammered stone as super
structure whereas a macadmlzed ROAD CONSISTS OF
small broken stones throughout, made as soma by
a heavy roller as the bottom of rut A macadan-
lied road costs nothing for repairs for ten years and
Is rut and water proof. Stone can be broken Oy
crusher at 10 cents perch against 81 perch by
hand. A crusher, truck, betting anu roller VIII
cost 81 200 traction engine can DC nirea anu
coaled for 81 day. while the wages oil three men
will not cost over S. thus making Sl2 per day Tor
machine that will crush so perches per day. He
estimates the cost of macadam road 10 feet WIDE
and inches thick at 1888 per mile. A 10 foot road
is recommended. because that would leave a sum-
thick and II feet wide it would 1920 per mile.
The stone are laid on convey dry surface, oeng
road will equal 10 inch pike of loose, large stone
REPAIRING EARTH ROADS.
The chairman read extracts from papers IN the
report of the Missouri State Board OIL Agriculture
In one of these it was urged that in earth roads
rs and hollows should be filled up as last as MADE
fragments of rocks Should never be placed in ruts
The pillow and scraper should never be used IN re,
pairing road; the piow breaks up the 1! solla
foundation that heavy traffic has formed. when
a road has become firm and thoroughly compact
it should never be disturbed when repaired: The
wheel scraper does a large quantity OF work but
of poor quality the material being taken from the
road side and consisting largely of vegetable mould,
sod or turf and washings from the road, VII Oh
soon form the softest mud. If roads are looked
after often and carefully slight repairs might De
made with very little cost: Working on roads mas
rdah nc n bal holiday
told and much time is spent in idleness.
President Silver said it would be good idea for
the County Commissioners TO have made map OF
Hartford county. giving the location and length OF
every road in the county. No one, he said; knows
the number of miles of public roads i'll Hartford
county or the amount expended per mile in repairs
If the Commissioners had an accurate map they
would be enabled to manage the roads muchmore
economically than they now do
THE WO0LSEY REQUEST.
In compliance with request from the chairman
Mr. W. Beatty Harlan read the will OF the late
VIM. Woolsey, in which he bequeaths s5s.0O0 to
Hartford county for public roads. The VIII does
equal to that devised by Mr. Woosey before the
bequest becomes available, but only that certain
roads shall be macadamiZed by the county, in
manner satisfactory to trustees named i'll the Will.
and that when this is done certain specified
amounts shall be paid to the County Commission
County Commissioners have macadamized the road
from Bel Air TO Churchville, the executor named
under the Will, Mr. 3 A. Williams VIII pay T oyer
WOolsey to approve the work done by the county
are S. A. Williams, John Moores and Alex; 5. Bell.
In round numbers, said Mr.. Harlan, Mr. Woolsey
left S5s 600 to be paid to the County Commission
ers when they macadam1ze 20 miles OF road or
is about sufficient to do all the work he specifies,
only it is coupled with condition that the county
shall maeadamize an equal amount Of r4admtne
any specified sum to do the work. In other words.
if the county will macadanize the roads named by
Mr.. Woolsey the executor will pay to the County |
Commissioners S5s 600, to spend where they please
The convention, by vote, thanked Mr. Harlan Tor
reading and explaining the Will.
A ROAD COMMISSION OF THREE TAXPAYERS.
j. p Silver said something must be done to i'm |
prove our roads. which have been worn OUT Dy
there were not ten two-horse carriages in Hartford
county. and no buggies. There were few gigs
and chaises. FOur-horSe wagons were great |
curiosity, the only man who had one being Joshua
Husband. Ok carts were generally used. Now
every farmer has four-hOrSe wagon and the heavy |
teams cut up the roads He offered the following |
Resided That it is the sense of this meeting that
the system of General Supervisors for the district
be abolished and that in lieu thereof Road Com
mission of three taxpayers be appointed, who shall
have charge of the roads and who shall be response
BILE to the County Commissioners for the proper |
expenditure of the road fund and to the people Tor
John Moores advocated three instead of five Coun-
ty Commissioners and the election OF the Road
Commissioners mentioned in Mr.. Silyers resolution
VIM NJ Edelin, was in favor of permitting each |
precinct to levy its own road taxes and spend It's
own money in its own way for roads,
j. p Silver said the road supervisors are of no
use under heaven and they get $500 or 800 apiece
which ought to go on the roads A3olsh tnel' ne
said. and put the roads i'll the hands OF some re-
sponSible board.
The chairman said some change is needed. The
resolution was merely placing the roads in the |
hands of board similar to the School Commission
ers. They should hold office for six years, new |
road commissioner being elected every two years. |
VIM. L. Easter did not think such board would |
lessen the expense of mending the roads, but would
probably give us better roads.
W. II. H. Whiteford thought the idea good one, |
but opposed a six years tenure. With regard to
Road Leagues, he said that the roads around OAR
lngton, from being the worst had become the best
roads in the county, through the eXertlons OF the
Road League. The trouble with our road system
is that people are appointed to repair roads who
don't know the first rudimentS OF road-mendlng,
don't do a fair amount of work for the money they
get and don't work the roads in the proper season.
Dirt put on roads in the spring becomes compact
and hard but if put on in the summer 1t makes bad
roads all the time. He thought no farmer ought
to have road to mend, because road-mending in |
terferes with his work. Road-mending ought to be
a separate and distinct business from farming
The Darlington League puts on force OF men III the
spring. at 81 a day, under superintendent at S1.25
a day. When the work is once done a man is EN-
order by filling up holes, opening drains, &c. One
man can attend to 25 or 80 miles OF road. The |
League has Is miles under its control.
David Harry said any supervisor who would
throw great body of clay on road in November |
ought TO be prosecuted: The roads should be
other dollar now spent on the roads is wasted.
Thos. Hollingsworth said he was in favor OF the
John S. Dallam. an ex-County Commissioner,
said that the money spent on our roads the past |
useless because Of the great amount Of rain. 1t
is hard he said. to get supervisors to understand
that they ought not to throw too much dirt on the
roads. He advised the division OF the county into
road districts, allowing each to levy and spend its
own road money. When the Commissioners make
special leves they should have as much stone work
done Herewith as possible.
John G. Tucker favored Mr.. Dallam's plan.
e Hopkins sad 1hfee K9aa bom1
VIM. l.. Amoss thought if these Road Commission |
elected to spend the road money the system
would be in politics much as now. In PennSyl- |
yania each township evies and spends its own tax,
and there are complaints that the supervisors
elected do not understand road mending. We |
want system which will place the mending OF
our roads in the hands of those most interested:
VIM. p Trimble agreed with Mr.. Dallam, but |
favored the division OF the precincts into small
portions and so make the men appointed to spend |
the money responsible to smaller number OF PEG
pie who could remove him If he proved inefficient.
The man so appointed should also give bond.
Arch. Wilson said the roads are as good as can be
expected under our system and to make them bet |
ter we only need better supervisors.
Jos. E. Bateman. former County Commission |
er. said it is impossible to depend upon farmers to
should be selected in each district to take charge
OF the roads, paying him good wages and allowing
him as many hands as would be necessary and i'm |
elements for rpad-mending.
Mr. Whitetord said that the Darlington Road
League gets three times much work done with the
money appropriated by the county as can be
gotten under the present system He had no OBJ
lection however, to MI; sl Ne rs resolution.
Mr.. w, Beatty Harlan offered resolution, which
declared first, that better results could be secured
by an improvement on our present system of road
intending, I'd, that the road tax collected in each
precinct should be expended in the precinct by a
road commission elected by the voters of the pre-
cinct that said Commissioners shall choose a
Secretary, who shall receive small salary and
nlal return to the board of County Commissioners.
A discussion ensued. in which Messrs Daam,
Trimble. Whiteford, Easter and others took part.
Sheriff Charles A. McGaw thought that if the
County Commissioners were elected for two, four
and six years and not be eligible for reelection,
the present system would be all that is required.
Geo X. Cairnes said that whatever system is
adopted it ought not to be barnesSed up with too
many paid officials. Mr.. Harlan's resolution calls
for either II or AZ paid officers.
THE ROAD LEAGUE PLAN.
Jos. I. Hopes offered a resolution a subSti-
tute, in which the County Commissioners are ask
that when the county is asked to give amount
equal to that subscribed by road league or by
other citizens, the petitioners shall make them
selves responsible for the amount subscribed,
whether in money or work, before the county APP
preparation is granted. That such special appro
priations shall be for permanent road improve
inent with stone other hard material That in
the expenditure of such special appropriations the
work shall begin at the postoice where the league
is formed or AT place to be designated by the
Bounty Commissioners.
That the character of such permanent improve
ment shall be in accordance with specifications
furnished in writing by the County commissioners,
the General Supervisor of each district being charg
ed with the duty Of seeing that the specifications
are carried out by the road league citizens receiY
ing such special appropriations.