San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-04-03
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ROADS.

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ROADS.
What Experiment Has Proved - Some
Opinions from Rhode Island.
Experiments on the amount Of tractive
force required to move load show that
it will take eight horses to draw truck
and load weighing 5000 pounds on firm
soil covered with gravel four to six
inches deep. On earth embankment in
good condition the work can be done by
force equaling two and one-half horses.
On broken stone road in good condition
the same load can be hauled by a force
of one and one quarter horses, and on the
same road in bad condition, with ruts
four to four and one-half inches deep
and thick mud, five horses will be re-
qlired. But on a good, dry pavement
one good horse can move the same load
all day.
On the subject of good and bad roads
the following from the pen of the late
DR.. j. G.. Holland draws a comparison
unfavorable to the existing road system
in America:
''The point which wish to impress
upon my American reader is SIMPLY this:
that the English horse, employed in the
streets of a city or on the roads OF the
country, does twice as much work as the
American horse similarly employed in
America. This is the patent, undeniable
fact. No man can fail to see it who has
his eyes about him. How does he do it?
Why does he do it? These are most inn
portant questions to an American. Is
the English horse better than the Ameri-
can horse? Not at all. Is he overworked?
I have seen no evidence that he is. l
have seen but one lame horse in London.
The simple explanation is that the Eng
lshman has invested in perfect and per-
manent roads what the American ex-
pends in perishable horses that require
to be fed.
"We are using today in the little town
of Spring field just twice as many horses
as would be necessary to do its business
if the roads all over the town were as
good as Main street is from Ferry to Cen
tral. We are supporting hundreds OF
horses to drag loads through holes that
ought to be filed, over sand that should
be hardened, through mud that ought
not to be permitted to exist. We have
the misery of bad roads and are actually
or practically called upon to pay pre-
MUM for them. 1t would be demon
strably cheaper to have good roads than
poor ones. 1t is SO here. A road well
built is easily kept in repair. A mile of
good macadamized road is more easily
supported than poor horse"
The expense of building good roads is
an important item, and the macadam is
too expensive for country byways and
and, in fact, is only feasible
where travel is extensive. Macadam 80
feet wide and 0 inches thick in the cen
ter requires $500 tons Of broken stone 10
the mile. The cost of stone varies from
20 cents to s? ton, and this would bring
the cost of surface material up to S3, 800
to StI 900 a mile. A macadam road has
recently been made near Philadelphia
at an average of about $4,000 a mile for
six miles, but there was a good founda-
ton TO work on. At Bridgeport, Conn,
forty miles of good macadam, Is to 20
feet wide, including grading, cost a trifle
under $1,000 mile.
The committee on improvement OF
Rhode Island division OF the |
League of American Wheelmen, recently |
received two important letters upon the |
subject OF good and bad roads which are |
Of general interest. Ex-Governor Henry |
Howard, of Rhode Island, says:
"I am very glad 10 learn that there is |
some prospect Of legislation in regard to |
Dur faulty highway system. WheE / re-
turned from my first and prolonged visit /
10 Europe could scarcely believe that
had all my life been familiar with such
roads as met my eve on my return. In
no part Of my travels had seen roads 20
poor as Is the rule in our country towns;
and l had bean in some out Of the way 4
places, too. We are more ws1steful in /
his respect thaa in all other things put .
together. Comparing the rural sections j
u Europe with those q our country.
here l. no doubt. I think. but that hOrse
here perforIns double the duty he does
Bere. and therefore IL worth twice a.
much II would b the highest economy
n put all or roads IN a permanently
rood condition. WIZ IL Is once done
he annual eEpenss i a. nothing % the
money which - expended nosT without
ny terefciI resuita Thero is 70 cktss
% which hizh~ays are - adrartageOss
q o. farmers % they cO1ld te irdDced
10 ocivetie s1bje-t E1fBcieut coasidesziiou
by uouH ss1r TY1f = sop n flis eyre
5o--s foliv q -vrorking cot Ire tax"
TIE r. sent n tss EhDls iEia-i d.
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