Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-09
THE SECRET or GOOD ROADS.
Esropean Highways show That 1t Lies
IN the Maintenance.

IN the Maintenance.
In the old world they know two things
about roads and roadways with which
the people of the United States are not
generally familiar. They know how to
build a road, which is one thing, and
they know how to care for it after 1t IS
built. which is another We of America
know more about building roads than
we do about taking care of them. More
attention has been devoted TO the former
process than to the latter. When we
read about the roadways of England,
France or Germany, that have been in
use for 100 or $50 years or more, we
must not understand that they were so
well constructed and of such good ma
terial that they have passed through TINS
period without attention or expense.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
All good roads are subject to constant
attention. otherwise they are bad roads.
Money will not build road that Will
maintain itself. This is where great
mistake is made in American roadways.
Whatever may be said for our organlza-
ton for building roads, little or nothing
can be said with respect to our organlza-
ton for caring for them. This IS some
thing we do not understand. We have
been reaching for the inpossible-the
self sustaining, the self repairing cheap
roadway. 1t does not exist.
have paid some little attention to the
roads of Great Britain and France dur
ing the last few months, and what has
impressed me more is the care exercised
in their maintenance We have built
many good roads, but have few or none
to compare with the best to be seen in
the countries referred to, and this solely
on account of our neglect.
bear in mind beautiful carriage
drive through part of Scotland. The
roadbed was as solid and smooth as a
concrete floor. There was not sugges-
ton of rut or depression for miles. 1t
followed the natural contour Of the
country. which was somewhat irregular,
with its trim, neatly formed bitches and
its spacious, substantial culyerts where
they were required. The smoothness
could hardly understand. 1t was GER
tainly the perfect roadway. l looked for
ruts or depressions, but there were none.
Finally l came upon an old Scotchman
with wheelbarrow, a pick, hammer,
pointed bar, other tools and some
broken stone. He was getting ready to
do some work. stopped our horse, got
out and examined the surface, but could
see only very slight depression.
asked theold man what he was going
to do. and he told me, in a Scotch dialect
SO broad that could hardly understand
it, that he was going to cut out a bad
place in the road and renew it. To see
what he would say remarked that the
place was not very bad, and he reminded
me that stitch in time saves nine. Their
he went on to tell Inc that if a place was
neglected it rapidly becomes very bad
that the wheel running into a slight de
preston would, because of the extra jar
make it speedily deeper and wider. L
was a good deal like striking the sides O
a littls gulley: it would soon make awid'
breach. and thus a large bad spot would
be developed. 1t was like rotten place
in an apple, which would soon spread i
il were not cut out. This he proceeded
to do. The opening vas not more THAI
eighteen inches wide and two feet and
half long. He hammered the broken ston
back into place, left it a little high, an'
said that he would come back to it agaii
in a few DAYS. This old man was carinI
for about ten miles of road, and by beini
exceedingly careful and prompt in de
tecting the slightest imperfection he was
at a very slight expense, maintaining
most beautiful and satisfactory surface
There is no great expense in maintain
ing this perfect condition. The class o
labor employed is cheap and the amour
of surface inspected great.
Neglecting good road like this woul
be like running expensive machiner
without oil, which implies rapid dc
struction. Because of the well know
result, the owner of the machinery car
not saw oil costs too much money; W
must ret along without it. 1t is econon
ical to do whatever is necessary to mair
tain a reasonably perfect condition.
is gross wastefulness and extravagauc
, to do anything or to fail to do that whic
will cause general deterioration and l
. time large expenses. The cost of carin
for n road is one of its fixed charges.
) the road is allowed to decay it must
rebuilt. Hence the fixed charge repr'
sents the cost of new road. or so muc
thereof as belongs to the replacing an
renewal of material. On the othe
hand the constant attention which mail
tains a good condition at all times is ais
. a fixed charge, and it will be found thu
within ten years the difference in Il
two costs will be largely in favor OF II
a latter method, with the advantage
always having a good roadway rattle
than decaying one.
!, : Under the proper system of instru
ton and repair there is no reason why
road should not be better at the end
!. ten years than at the beginning. l
weak points have been renewed and l
strong ones proven. Any little defec
in drainage or otherwise will have be'
corrected.