The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-05-15
COMMON ROADS.

NOunON nOAOos
At no period in the worlds history
have good common roads been more
needed than now. The grand network
of railroads only makes the necessity Of
good common roads more apparent and
more imperative. How shall we have
them? There are few important prin-
ciples upon which good roads so much
depends as to claim our attention; and
we specially call the attention of town
authorities and practical road-makers to
these points.
In all towns there may be two or three
grades of roads: First, thOroughfares or
roads leading from manufacturing points
to railroad stations, and from one town
centre to some other business centre or
shipping point, and from which the
amount of traffic and travel are justly
ranked as first-class; second, those
roads leading from some outlaying dis
trict to the church, postoffice, store and
depot, taking local travel only; third,
roads travelled by only one or two farm
ers in the extreme outskirts of the town,
or by friends having intercourse with
them; fourth, backwOods roads only Oc-
casionally travelled.
1t is apparent that the different grades
of roads should receive attention in just
|
ceive. For instance, road over which
ten teams pass on an average each hour
during the day should be made very
perfect road, while ON the other hand,
road over which track is seldom made
would not warrant very heavy outlay.
We claim that the thorOughfares or first
class roads need far more attention than
they usually receive; and this leads to
the question of the perfect road.
| Roads were once laid out without
much regard to engineering skill; in
former years a straight line and short
distances were often more thought of
than easy grades and well-adapted curves.
So now enterprising towns often need
to change their road layout so as to 60
around a hill instead of going over it, or
to ascend by an easy, uniform grade in
stead of by soma almost insurmountable
pitch. In case of this kind done not
| long since, one very conservative farmer,
who had rather slowly given assent to
the radical change in layout and grade,
after passing over the road few times
said: "Why wasn't this done fifty years
ago?" Yes, why not? There are places
not few where the road could be i'm
lproved without changing the layout,
simply by taking off few sharp points
in the ascent of hill and filling in cor
responding hOllows below. Such labor
always pays. There are few first class
roads where systematic grading is not
greatly needed, and we believe the time
is near when force of circumstances will
Oblige it to be done.
Now, word upon road construction:
First-class roads need to be sufficiently
wide for two teams to pass comfortably;
but roads unnecessarily wide are more
difficult of drainage and therefore not as
good. This leads to most important
condition for good roads, namely, good
drainage. A slough upon road is an
impeachment upon the town where it is
found. Sloughs at any season are avoid
able, and therefore inexcusable. There
are many places where water bubbles up
| in winter on town roads, making glade
! of ice often dangerous, and in spring an
almost impossible slough. A small ex-
pense in draining would save this and
make dry road. In one of our New
England towns few years since, long
hill in springy land was thoroughly
drained The proposition as usual met
with severe opposition in town meeting,
but a leading citizen offered to refund all
the cost if it did not prove good invest
ment. The result was so satisfactory
: that it ELECTED universal praise. In many
instances surplus water accounts for bad
roads. Let the selectmen or proper mu-
nicipal authorities in the present spring
when the roads are at their worst, take
with them some good consulting engi-
neer and make tour of all their roads,
) making a note of all the places that need
| drainage, afterwards giving thorough
, drainage to the worst places, and | war
rant that the outlay will be commended
4 | tl,., 10 I1lt
mately to complete drainage in all places
needed. The economy of such step will
| be at once apparent. For instance, ex-
= cept for one or two bad places, a team
can haul ton and half to market but
! as it is, takes only three-fourths of ton;
hence two trips are made instead of one.
{ On all first and secOnd-class roads we
Y think water bars should not be tolerated.
| A road properly rounded up does not
e need them, and in wheeling or sleighing
p they are a nuisance. They occasion more
: breakages and accidents than any other
e cause, and are as unnecessary as horns
t on horse. Over and over again it has
e been shown that they are utterly unnec-
n essary. They may be allowed on roads
). that grass grows over, but not on roads
S that are kept bare by travel. Next to
o good lay-outs and good grades we would
S lput good drainage as an important
9 requisite.
We have now improved road machines
c which greatly facilitate road repairs.
e These rank as labor-saving machines
II with the improved mower and reaper
:. and leave no excuse for bad roads; but
e it is too often the case that a selectman
# boasts of how many miles of road he has
, been over in day, rather than how good
c a road he has made. We think very
g thorough work, which will need repeat
, ing less frequently, should be the rule.
l. A road with proper curvature does moi
d need water bars. A case comes to mind
e now where town suffered a judgment
d of 81 800 and costs, resulting from one
}; accident at a water bar, which was proved
T. to be not an unusual one. They are al
lie the best a nuisance only to be abated
W Every town should adopt the rule tC
Of make certain expenditure fol
S. permanent betterments each year in it,
e. reads. The town of Sweden, Monroe
Sc county, n. Y, has in that way nov
he twenty miles of macadamized roads, and
It, it has resulted that farms on those road'
he are at prevent on an average worth S4.5
rs per acre more than equally good farm
Of on back roads in the same town, show
I'd conclusively that good roads have de
sy cided money value. A good steam ston
sy crusher would be an excellent invest
It. ment in many towns, and if twenty t.
lg hundred rods of Tefford or McAdan
lie road could be constructed each year il
ed places now the very worst, the Who'll
he aspect of road-making would begi
a speedily to change for the better.-P. N
ng Augur in Mirror and Farmer.
at
t WHY DON'T FARMING PAY.
se 1t is a Frightening sign OF the times tina
ho the nress is apitatinp the question q