Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-15
AMERICAN COUNTRY ROADS.
Some Faults in their construction poln,ed

1t Is ordinarily true that measure of
the progress of a modern country is
found in the condition of its roads. That
tells the story of trade as well as of
lneighborly communication. Yet judged
by that standard America is not very
high among the civilized countries. In
her case, however, there are exceptional
conditions, including especially the
rapidity with which settlement has
spread, the search for new homes going
ON before the occupied regions had been
developed.
| 1t CHANGED that the introduction of
railways came, half century ago, Just
about the time that the importance of
making good wagon roads had been
fully appreciated, and public interest
and attention were diverted to the new
means of transportation. Steam rail
ways have since been supplemented by
horse cars, and they in turn by electric
cars; but now there is a return of public
interest TO the common roads. The
church, the town meeting, the social
festivities of neighbors and families are
all interested in this new movement, for.
as Professor Shaler rather quantity puts
it, where the roads are bad all the
duties of the citizen and the social being
are most imperfectly DONE
Perhaps the best way to reconcile COM
munities to the great cost involved at
the outset in establishing perfect sys-
tenn of roads is to get into their minds
the conception that every bad road ex-
acts a tax on the WAGNER in time, in
labor or in wear or injury to the team.
This imposition may be slight, but it is
constant, day in and day out and if
properly reckoned it viii be found to
amount to far more annually as a road
way tax than the interest on the money
needed for building a proper road and
keeping it in repair. Another point in
sisted on by Professor Shaler is the need
of abandoning the old tendency of road
masters TO take the straightest course
from one point to another, up hill and
down, rather than choose a level but
circuitous route.
Here also a simple calculation of the
extra strain on the horses. the extra
wear on the vehicle and the increased
cost of keeping hilly roads in repair
will show that, except under special cir
cumstances, such roads should be
avoided. Still another important mat
ter is the character of the roadbed, the
materials for which ought to be selected
with view to the underlying soil and
the effect Of frosts and rains upon it.
Then a common fault in American roads
is that of making them too wide, with
the result Of having a fringe of arabic
land going to waste in weeds, and too
broad a road to maintain properly. But
in this matter the length of axles com
mon in any region must be considered.
Professor Shaler thinks that farm vehi-
Giles in most parts of this country are
now tending toward shorter aXles.
Much of the trouble with American
roads is ascIibed to the absurd narrow
ness Of the tire on wagon wheels, relic
of the days Of high priced iron. The mar
row rim is very hard on the average
road when heavy loads are carried. But
accepting this popularity Of the tires,
fundamental rule in road construction
should be to keep the substances which
form the bed firmly in place This need
is shown by the shearing train on a road
fioored with gravel. In cities blocks Of
stone or asphalt can be laid, but not in
the country districts, ON account Of the
cost, and the best ordinary substitute for
the country is angular bits of stone, so
driven together on the macadam prihci-
pie that they will not be moved by the
pressure of the wheels.
1t is interesting to learn that the Law
renee scientific school of Harvard uni |
versity considers this subject of so much |
importance that it has engaged an in |
structor for teaching exclusively the art |
of road construction. 1t is thought that |
good results would follow from similar |
attention to the subject in the leading |
schools of the country. In
deed everywhere the subject appears to
be attracting attention. The interior |
department concludes that one method |
of developing the Indian reservations will |
be to open good roads on them, SO as to
neip lnt Ieu men WIZ are Il lh5 " NC
farmers. If half the study and energy |
that have been devoted to the develop
lnent of American railroads are applied |
to the Improvement of the country high
ways, there will be a wonderful trans
formation in the latter before the end of
this centuly.-New York Sun.
Tfa Countrv Eaad