Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-03-13
VIRGINIA, MARCH 13, 1891.
THE SECRET OF GOOD ROADS.
European Highways Show That It Lies
in the Dyaiutenance,

III the DaaIntenance.
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 road, which is one thing, and
they know how to care for it after it 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 OF Germany, that have been in
use for 100 or $50 years or more, we
must not understand that they We're sc
well constructed and of such good ma
terlal that they have passed through this
period without attention OF 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 a road that will
maintain itself. This is where q great
mistake is made in American roadways.
Whatever may be said for our organiza-
ton for building roads, little or nothing
can be said with respect to our organiza-
ton for caring for them. This is some
thing we do not understand We have
been reaching for the impossible-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.
l bear in mind beautiful carriage
drive through a part of Scotland. The
roadbed was as solid and smooth as
concrete floor. There was not sugges-
tom Of rut or depression for miles. It
followed the natural contour of the
country, which was somewhat irregular.
with it's trim, neatly formed bitches and
its spacious, substantial culverts where
they were required. The smoothness /
could hardly understand. 1t was GER
tainly the perfect roadway. looked for
ruts or depressions, but there were none.
Finally came upon an old Scotchman
with wheelbarrow, a pick, a hammer,
a 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 a very slight depression.
l asked the old 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 q 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. Then
he went on to tell me chat if 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. 1t
was good deal like striking the sides of
a little gulley: it would soon make wide
breach, and thus large bad spot would
be developed. It was like rotten place
in an apple, which would soon spread if
it were not cut out This he proceeded
to do. The opening was not more than
eighteen inches wide and two feet and a
half long. He hammered the broken stone
back into place, left it little high, and
said that he would come back to it again
in few days. This old man was caring
for about ten miles of road, and by being
exceedingly careful and prompt in de-
tecting the slightest imperfection he was
at very slight expense, maintaining a
most beautiful and satisfactory surface.
There is no great expense in maintain
ing this perfect condition. The class of
labor employed is cheap and the amount
of surface inspected great
Neglecting good road like this would
be like running expensive machinery
without oil, which implies rapid de-
struction. Because of the well known
result, tho owner of the machinery can
not say oil costs too much money; we
must get along without it. It is econom-
ical to do whatever is necessary to main
tain reasonably perfect condition. 1t
is gross wastefulness and extravaganza
to do anything or to fail to do that which
will cause general deterioration and in
time large expenses. The cost Of caring
for road is one of its fixed charges. If
the road is allowed to decay it must be
rebuilt. Hence the fixed charge repre-
sents the cost of a new road, OR so much
thereof as belongs to the replacing and
renewal of material. On the other
hand the constant attention which main
tains a good condition at all times is also
fixed charge, and it will be found that
within ten years the difference in the
two costs will be largely in favor of the
latter method, with the advantage of
always having a good roadway rather
than a decaying one.
Under the proper system of instruc-
ton and repair there is no reason why d
road should not be better at the end of
ten years than at the beginning It's
weak points have been renewed and its
strong ones proven. Any little defects
in drainage or otherwise will have been
corrected.
People who ride about the country on
bicycles know quite as much about road
ways as any other class. They see the
little things which go to make the per-
feet travel, and they say that the very
old highways which have the hundreds
of years Of history back of them are uni
formly the best that they pass over.
They account for this in the way have
named: The repairs which have been
going on have added to the depth Of the
foundation and have made the entire
passage uniform.
Roadways should be considered in the
nature Of business investment, and all
calculations which are made with re-
spect to them should be on o basis of a
long term of years. 1t will be found
that the cost of constant repairs under
the system which have suggested vii
be much less than the interest Or added
taxes, because Of rebuilding OF expensive
repairs. 1t is simple business matter
and resolves itself into tho question as
to which is the cheapest way to main
tain good road. LOUIS Il. GIBSON.
Paris, Feb. 16.
Postage stamps IN 1870.
In letter addressed by lively young
brother to his sister, which bears the date
Monday, May IS, 1910, have found the
| following record of opinion