The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-11-25
HIGHWAYS OF BELGIUM.
ruormons Loads Drawn on Ih"m-iow
r,..x Are Mad. and Maintained.


Americans who find themselves in
Europe are struck with astohiShi1'en' ~
the enormous loads drawn py HORSES ana
dogs there, says Hon. George - tanner
consul to Brussels. One glance OF the
eve from the bulk just mentioned 70 me
roads and half the wonder wouiu pe
accounted for, because the roads nave
almost everything 70 do with ~ We
are too apt TO ignore mat wnlch we
t,,mrla under foot. The ancients knew
and appreciated more the importance Of
Good hubble roads than we 90 TO-DAY,
thonah NJ the present time III Europe
This i n subject of first Importance
peloiu,n is divided into nine provinces,
and each prov inco Is the sea. OF q wen
orcanized state government, presided
over by a governor. Each OF the hine
..a,.;ncss M each seat Of government,
~ !, hureau for roads and bridges,
r,nosa chief gives his undivided atten-
ton TO these things.
The roads are most caretully ehgl
neered in the first place. heavy graues'
even in mountainous iocal'es' pe'uS
carefully avoided. The roads are puiit
in nm oval form, and III most cases are
paved with stones; IN others RiaNei
forms the roadbod, and sun III others
crave, covers the stone, when sooh' Pc
oomino hard and smooth, makes lhe
last roadbed Of all others, because lhe
;olts ana noise OF paved road, which
80 10th tiresone and dlsagretable, are
a,o;1.l and then the wear and tear are
Nj en- treat on the running gear, ana
,,;s lind of road is decidedly more
, agreeable 70 pedestrians and possesses
, e aa3ition To- other advantages ennmer-
! 81 tba advantage that ii the gravel
q washes away the stones remain anu .
! rood road * always assured.
The stones composing the roads are Z.
n blunt. wedge shape. -four or fve ihcl,s
souarc. ana are quickly laid ana qui'"ls
taken Nd ii necessary. ihese s'cn'a ~"
y uoiforn ana regular in size, ana Wien
q minced dirt is put over the new paw
* ,nent. ana then d large roller ora"
10 ~ four horses, is passed ana iepasseI
20 over !, until the stones are wen ses.iy-
n their places and the -ev'oes Ky.
ld vii, earth. Ia constructing ROADS 1lV''
or regard IA always paid TO iocaii'y an'
Mt liability 10 wesh. Where there iS ~
- aoo~fr os washes stones are dispense
~ win altogether. and an oval snap
4 gravel road Is substituted at less cost ~
=, 2, ~, cases tie sides of the road reeel'
-" H.. ia a~a;n2ye. and where IT Is apt
40 show first symptoms Of yielding 10 "a
v-e~,her. arc carefully paved 20 IN
"a y,ashes ard gullies cannot commence
that quarter. o,,,
70 into successful competition WIN 7
,oilroaas 80 much SO That man NJ
ne 80 his team does not by any mea
an ,',,s,3nr himself forced TO send ms Pre-
49, h,, rail Ii j. one Of the comment
sights IN Liege TO see wagons ~.
,,-;,b merchandise from Brussels, VIII
al Il sixty, or from Antwerp N'iol
INT seventy-two, miles from TINS place. :.
ion fact does not possess anything as'o.,
TO inr until the enormous loads puiAes :
tic DISTANCE bv one horse il consdcreu'
there "a nothing that SO astonishes
American ms this. Sometimes the wa
ilC. i,self looks like q sufficient charSv
otlic, $50 h,r.es. while wagon, load ana
ess al - dr,v.f hv one with tho greatest q
~ o., ,r,,asa horses nrc of q larger and siro
80 AMI =, h,,;,d than our horses. aud from =
town. -,-oa,a strength are called IN Eng.
IN, ..prglieb ara fts." Place The SAME
7. W ~ nlmos. my al ouT roads in the On
lstee's states. and ut least two ihofe, =
ca car three more. Inglish drafts WoU'u y
ouirea to pull ii the same distance
T r.rts come 70 this market laden
tn heef and other products cf the iar
aie,anre Of twelve and fifteen ~
iu>- dawn by one dog. Two grown per
return ia the wagon.