Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-06-27
County Roads.

EDITOR EETERPRIsE-E nclose d
please find letter received from Or
ris A. Browne few days ago. and as
there are many good suggestions in
reference to the manner of working
the roads contained therein, think
probably some of our overseers would
be benefited in reading it, 80 you
will please find space in your paper
to publish the same, and oblige
Yours very truly.
CHAs. P. FINNEY.
Finney's wharf, June 10Th, 1891.
NV Dear Sir:-In reply to your re.
Quest, received through the letter. OF
Mr.. Spencer +. Rogers, that l give
Won nv experience in working county
roads, I do so with pleasure, and be-
lieve, if you adopt it, you will see
good results. Make n road bed II
feet wide down the centre of the road
and no more; if wider, the work IS IN
creased to no advantage. Roads want
looking after often; you should there
fore divide Your men into lots OF five,
and call on five and no more at one
time. The most important work is to
cut the water off the road, as soon as
it stops raining. Water on the road
does all the harm; no hole can be
made i'm our roads without wafer to
help make it.; no wheel. no matter
how much weight is on it. can make
q hole in the road without water to
soften the spot. After the water is
run ont of the hole and while the bet
tom is quite moist or wet. fill it with
CLAW or other suitable soil: and twill
unite with the sides nf tie hole'form-
ing one mass. AMI if very sticky on
ton little sand, say one inch deep,
will repair that hole for all time to
come, if brought to the Drorer level.
IF you attempt to fiji dry holes. the
wells Of which are hard, by rcnstant
rubbing of wheels. the dirt yon
mt in will not unite with
tho sides of the holes, and it
will soon he thrown out again, leay-
inc +hc hole inst ns it was before YOU
worked on it. Go on yonr road as
often rs. Won cnn. especially in wet
weather, and farmers can best spare
this time The work on ourroads
noed not be labor'ous. hut they need
attention often; the OLD ndage of "a
stitch in time. saves ninea; yon will
find fully verified in road work. If
Won should attemntto fiji holes whom
drv, the walls of them will hove to he
dug nnapd the whole mass throngh.v
mixed. o. it will be thrown ont by
the whce's. The modes ] pursne are.
for repairing, ard k ening in.order
any kind of roaGs; rs Won improve
yonr roads. the less work will hive
to bn 1orc. hnt thc Frequency of re-
pairs will not DIMINISH. You willnn-
derStand that 7 have trHnted this
road question only from tho stand
point of road surveyor or cvers"er,
under the law rs it now stands. he
cause nothing batter is pro"idcd fer
You tn work with. The most e"O-
nomical means of making roads by
machinery, have said nothing Of,
because it is not practical in. vonr
case. make nv rnads now, with n
road machine Il have two of thom)
and can repair five miles Of road in
one day. with one man and four mnlcs
on road machine; yon 600 the cost
is very little to do it this way. about
one dollar per mile. and if doH" four
times year. they will be in excellent
condition. The cost therefore would
he four dollars per mile, per year; or
twelve hundred dollars wear to keep
all the roads in Accomack county, in
order. This refers to keeping in re-
pairs: the making of road would cost
more; but am sure the roads can be
put in fine condition with machinery.
if the system was once introduced
and resolutely pushed forward.
Good roads on the Eastern Shore
will be of more value to the people
than all other material benefits of
National, State or County COVER
ments for the past ten years. To
have them is easy, if properly sought,
and the expense will be light; less
tllan the present plan ofsDending the
money-which seldom gets down on
the ground. Well equipped team and
machinery with q working man. Of
good practical snnse at the head Of it,
who shall be well paid, and devote
all of his time to the work will ac-
complish the desired results. Road
making should be second to no other
work. but of the first Importance
with those in charge of the work. If
these views are worth anything to
you, it will be pleasure to me to
have written this letter.
Yours very truly.
ORRIs A. BROWNE.