Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-16
THE MAKING OF ROADS.
France Leads in ExeeIleuee-EngIish Bad
and American Worse.

J.. Z
wrote an article entitled, What | Know
About Roads" He says some Of the
vilest roads he has ever ridden on are in
England. This will be news to many
people who have looked on English
roads, especially in comparison with the
highways of America, as being well
nigh perfect. He says there is not 100
mile stretch of roadway in England that
is in good condition, and not foot of it
anywhere that is as well kept as it
ought to be.
Whether this is true or not there is no
question that America can double dis
count England or any other country in
vile roads. The American method Of
roadmaling is singularly well adapted
to the production of the poorest possible
kind of road In most counties Of the
United States road tax is levied, but
the farmer or other person taxed has the
option of working out his road tax, so
much being allowed for a man and so
much for team of horses each day. As
general thing in the rural districts
labor is more plentiful than money, and
so the making of roads is left entirely in
| the hands of the farmers along the road,
and even when money is collected that
money is expended by hiring more of
the same kind of labor, and none of this
labor is ever under the direction Of any
body who knows the least thing about
road making.
InCanada the state of things is as bad.
The tax is reversed there-that is, a GER
tain amount of statute days of labor is
put against each person, and the person
has the option of paying in cash 81 for
each days work if the person does not
desire to do the work himself or hire
it done. The roads are under the charge
of pathmaster who is appointed annu-
ally, and who has charge Of a certain
district The pathmaster knows moth
ing whatever of the practice or theory
of making roads, and never has an in
stance been known where he endeavored
to learn anything about it.
The working out Of statute labor is
looked upon both in Canada and the
United States as a grand holiday, when
neighbors unite and work just as little
as they possibly can, loafng great deal
of the time under shade trees and swap
ping yarns and gossip What work is
done is the digging of useless bitches
that lead nowhere and the piling of dirt
in the center of the road, where it makes
when the fall rains come, one great heap
of unfathomable mud. This goes on
year after year, and the consequence is
that the roads in the rural districts of
Canada and the United States are the
worst that could possibly be made.
AS the adage says "They do these
things better in France" And Mr. PEN
nell tells us how it is done in France.
Every mile or two along the French
roads you will find man breaking stone
into pieces about two and half inches |
square. These piles of broken stones are
arranged symmetrically with a roof on
each pile. These men work at stone /
breaking in spring, summer and autumn, |
and all the while other men are sweep |
ing the road with great long brooms and
piling up the dust for future use or sale.
A loose stone or lump Of dirt on a
French road is absolutely unknown. In |
October these broken stones are laid |
evenly on the road, and the interstices
are filed up with smaller debris from the
pile, and then clay or chalky earth is
spread over it. The whole is thoroughly
saturated with water thrown from the
hose of an engine which runs the steam
roller, and up and down over this mass
the heavy steam roller passes, pressing it
into the most perfect roadbed that is
known.
The roadway in France is wide enough
for two or three teams to pass. There
are rarely any fences by the French
farms, but on each side of the road is a
small dixie built up to prevent the water
from running from the farms on to the
roads. Near the dixie is deep ditch,
and between that and the road grass
plot is kept in perfect order. Every
hundred feet or so a trench is cut in the
grass plot that allows the water to run
off the road into the deep trench. and so
the roads are kept perfectly drained All
the distances are marked off by stones
about two and half feet high. On one
side of the stone you see the name of the
next important town, with its distance
in kilometers, and on the other side the
name of the important town you have
left. On its face you see grand route
number so and 50, and below the name
Of the great city from which it starts
and great city to which it goes, and the
distance to each by road Every hun
1red meters you will see a white stone.
with the number inscribed on tx
change
The Importance of Good Roads.
Attention cannot be too frequently