Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-12

The development Of the magnificent
system Of railroads In this country not
only diverted private capital and public
moneys. but the attention and interest Of
the nation, away from these important
avenues Of local communication. This
neglect wrought its evils 20 gradually
that generations Of farmers have grown
up accustomed 10 making the best OF
the difficulty without realizing the
detIiment to their interests oeeashoned
| by the rough and iii-made roads.
and the long, steep hills over which
| they have always been compelled TO
haul their crops 10 market II has been
carefully figured out by experts that If
practically level road can be made
around hill where formerly the grade
had been one foot In fifteen, by increas
ing the length OF the road one mile,
which would cost about $4,000, one
hundred farmers obliged to use this road,
and doing an ordinary amount Of haul
ing, would, in saving of time and
cost Of maintenance of their
teams alone, be benefited $3.50
a year, or $3.50 for each farmer.
as direct consequence Of this improve
ment. This statement will be sur
prise TO thousands Of readers, and 1t will
also set many minds thinking to be told
that 1t only requires tractive force Of
% pounds to draw long ton on level
relford road, whereas on level road
made Of gravel Il pounds would be re-
quired, and on common earth road the
force needed increases to 200 pounds.
It Ia estimated that the actual loss to
the farmers in a great state like Penn
sylvania, from the deplorable condition
Of their roads over what it wonld cost
them to do their haulage on tirst-class
macadam roads, is 81 900, 900 per annum.
The total loss from this cause In the
whole United States, which any one can
thus easily compute, would form a
startling figure.
A book on our public roads and their
improvement has been published in
Philadelphia by Henry Carey Baird &
Co., entitled "a Move for Better
Roads" 1t consists of number Of
prize essays from the pens Of road
building experts and engineers, edited
by Prof. William II. Known Of the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania, and it Is evid-
ent from the valuable nature OF its con-
tents that there is large need for Just
such book as this. Incidentally it
discusses the economic aspects Of the
problem, but the essayists waste little
space in apologies. They proceed to the
practical details of construction and
maintenance, and it is doubtful whether
such thorough. exhaustive description
of the proper methods for every kind Of
road building has ever before been pub
lished. 1t is clearly, simply written,
avoiding abstruse teehnlcalities, so that
whoever takes any interest in this move
for better roads can without difficulty
find instruction in its pages. What win,
however, appeal to the intelligent gen
eral reader is the fact that road-making
is not the simple affair it Is usually
thought to be; that it is on the contrary,
a problem of engineering, requiring wide
knowledge and good Judgment. This
explains why so little good has resulted
from the appropriations made by munich
palities for the building and repairs Of
highways, often under the direction Of
those not thoroughly acquainted with
the work Of highway engineering. The
cost OF the book would be well expended
IL every town in Maine could put copy
into the hands Of every city and town
street commissioner in the State.