The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-11-11
ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
Good Drainage the First Requisite to suc-
cessful Work.

WOVU DrHIuHRe tne F1rSU ftBuuISlto To BUG
cessful Work.
Much has been said of late upon the
subject of permanent road making, the
cost OF same and the most economical
methods to be used. The ques-
ton also arises of the necessary
means to meet the cost of an
undertaking by which to prevent
the submergence of all country traffic,
during certain periods of the year, be-
Meath the prairie mud of large areas of
the most productive ana fertile regions
of the great west. Various methods for
raj ising funds have been suggested by
city writers, but from the practical
standpoint of the farmer but little ha;
been said, for in the end he must foot
the bills. We believe, however, that
scientific methods will bring solutior
to the whole question without involving
the farmers in heavy taxation or bonded
Indebtedness as u future burden Cor
funds necessary for elaborate and OK
pensive construction. There is no doubt
that well constructed dirt roads on our
western prairies eight months in the
year on an average are the best roads
in the world the question of grades be-
ing equal so that only the remaining
four are to be provided for by ex-
traordinary expense.
The question now arises as to now
this may be accomplished at the least
expense of labor and money to tho tax
payers. All must admit that good
drainage is the first requisite to pre-.
| vent the surplus water from floating
subsoil and material used into thin
| mortar. To accomplish this one tile
under the center of the road bed will be
only onc-half as expensive as to implant
tile on each side and be much more
| effective than the two lines of tiling
To make sure that the water finds its
way into it quickly let there be q thin
space of sand, gravel or broken material
of any sort filling it, lead up toward the
surface of the road bed widening out
beneath it conforming to proper
width and thickness of the material
used for the permanent covering of tht
roadway.
Now the farmer in the prairie regior
asks where the material is to be OBJ
tanned for macadamiZing or paving
which is necessary for the permanen
road construction or surface covering
When scientifically considered the sub
| ject is easy of solution where clay and
sand are to be found and these articles
are pretty well distributed throughout
the country in river beds, banks ant
other places of deposit. All farmer.
have had the experience of wheeling
over sand roads and over those com
posed wholly of clay during periods o.
drought and of excessive rainfall anC
know how the wheels cut through the
dry sand to resist the draft of the
team. On the other hand he has th,
same experience when the clay is wet
Then is it not reasonable that if tn,
two materials are mixed in proper pro
portions each performs it's part in help
ing the other to resist the conditions
which affect it and by this means
substantial road bed is maintainet
through all conditions of weather, ant
the expense of producing such road
will be within the reach of most neigh
borhoods where thick settlements ar
made of town and country communi
ties. To test the above methods it wll
be well for the farmers to make expert
ments in this direction. We have see
such roads where nature had combine
these agencies in. right proportion. LIE
us initiate nature by conforming to he
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