Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-01
GOOD ROADS
Some Suggestions 'bnut Grading and Grad.
ing Mschns--Eosd Pond Question.
CoRsTcAEA, Tex, Feb. &c, 1890.


CoasIcAEA. TEX, Feb. &c. 1890.
Editor Gazette.
Your articles on road making are
doing vast amount OF good. The prin-
cipal reason why we do not have good
roads in Texas is the want OF knowledge
Of how to build them. One thing
it Is necessary for the people to know
is that good roads cannot De made
without money-next that no reasonable
amount Of money will make good roads
without knowledge OF how to expPnd
it. AS all knowledge is the result of ex-
periencs, and as very few roads have
been built Ia the state, 1t follows
that the knowledge of how to build good
roads cheaply is not very generally
disseminated. This, Navarro, county
had no graded roads until about three
years ago, when beginning was made
of grading with plows aud scrapsrs.
The amount OF abuse received by the
county commissioners, OF whom l was
one, is almost past belief. Men
regarded as among our best citizens, ac-
cused Us OF squandering the money TO
spoil roads, of piling mp mud to make it
deeper for teams 70 waiiow through,
etc. but we persisted in our course, and
can now point with pride to
were formerly impossible in wet
times, and the doubling Thomases have
been convinced Having demonstrated
the value of grading. we next began to
look around TO see how we could do it at
the least cost. We heard that Travis
county had purchased a machine that
was doing this work at cost
OF from forty to sixty dollars
per mile as well or better than II was
formerly done at cost of from
four 10 six hundred dollars per mile. So
in May of last season, we started for
Austin to investigate. We saw the ma
chine at work. 1t is called the '"New
Era, and we became convinced of its
merits, aud at the next meeting of
the board one was ordered for the
county. The machine was received and
has been doing good work ever since
whenever required. We have graded
about fifteen miles with it, and count on
doing large amount with 1t the present
season.
see that many of your road CORES
pondents advocate changing the law so
that counties can raise money either by
bonds or taxes, to build roads with.
That may or may not be wise
thing to do. 1t Is according to
the manner In which the money
is expended after being raised. 1t GER
taiuly would be very unjudicious to raise
money and expend it trying to grade
goods without tools, or even
with scrapers when improved ma
chinery will do 1t at fraction
of the cost. Travis county graded last
season fifty miles os road with the two
machines, which II owns. and now pro-
poses to keep them smooth and ruts filled
with the reversible steel machines, made
for that purpose. This county has also
decided to purchase one OF the steel side
pushing scrapers for Hlling ruts and
smoothing roads. By the use OF this
labor-saving machinery, we expect with
the funds the present law provides 10
make far better roads than
any county can which persists in
old fogy methods, regardless
of the money they may raise. The idea
| wish to convey is that small amount
of money. intelligently used, will make
more good road than large
amount as usually expended. 1
have said nothing about gravel
or macadamizing US the cost is zoo great
for us to consider at present as measure
of general relief; and because We
have demonstrated that even our
sticky soil, il put in proper
shape to shed water and carefully |
kept so by filling the ruts with scraprrs
mads for that purpose, makes Il road |
paSsable at all times, one that dries of |
quickly and Is really one of the best |
rOai la DOssihla tn makg for the money
e X. DURLN.