St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-23
POOR ROAD SYSTEMS.
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A . GENERAL thing. the eoutry roads
On this continent have been 20 badly
located that to build costly pavements
upon the present lines, and pFeviously
provide elaborate systems Of drainage.
would b . dreadful waste Of money.
As it is ordinarily beyond the means Of
country people TO do more than improve
the present condition of their roads.
this is the task that they should under
take rs soon as soon ~ possible. In be-
ginning such task, the 1rst step to bo
taken, in my opinion. i to stop doing
that which has generally been the GUS
tom in this country-that Is. working
the roads. Working the roads. ~ It il
generally practiced in this country. con-
sists in calling out in each road district
. gang of men who ''worl out their
road tax under an overseer elected BY
the people. The labor done is worse
than thrown away. for it is rare indeed
for either the overseer or the men un-
der him to have any clear comprehen-
sion of whas is needed. Fortunately
for the well-being of the roads, these
men do not work very hard. but rather
choose to regard the few days ON the
road as kind If holiday outing, pic
mic frulic. and . means of getting rid Of
. certain amount of tax. IL they really
would make the roads almost n Inn
passable in the summer Is they now
are in the late winter and early spring.
With some Kind of q glimmering idea
that bitches on each side Of . road aro
good to have. they plow mp these ditches,
together with the sod that grows down
into them. and pile all of this muck in
the middle of the road. This material.
il may be said. has . most excellent fer
tilixing value, and il it were ppt upon
the fields instead Of in the roads il
would amply repay the farmers who
carted il away. But in the road it Is
sad and an immediate hindrance 70
travel. Luckily, the friendly spring rains
usually wash il back into the dltches.
where it stays until some more tax IS
to he worked out" When these rains
are not sufficient to wash away these
impediments that have been deliberate
IL placed in the roads, the consequences
are very dusty roads during all the dry
season.
In some neighborhoods . little moro
ambitious than those generally to be
found, they mend the roads by placing
gravel and broken stone upon them.
Then the overseers say that they are
macadamixing the roads. Without thor
Oughly draining the road-bed. 70 put
broken stone or gravel upon II II mere
ly . waste OF money and labor, and tho
ambitious neighborhoods SO doing provo
in the end no wiser than thode who
cover their roads with muck. But il is
within the means Of every neighbor-
hood in the United States to materially
improve their roads 1t once-improve
them 50 much that where the traffic 10
not extremely heavy and continuous,
the roads will Be in tolerable order nine
months in the year. and very much bet
ter than at present. even when tho
frost is coming out of the ground at tho
beginning Of spring. And this can be
done in three Or four or i've years with
out spending one penny more. than 10
now spent in the hurtful methods mem
toned. Weekly. ftf