The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-01-06

s,us rsuits In Their Construction PoisssA
Out Road Eaginsering.
II IL ordinarily true that measure Of
the progress Of modern country is
found in the condition OF its roads. That
tells the story Of trade as well as Of
ueighborly communication. Yet judged
l,y 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.
Il 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 return OF public
interest to the common roads. The
church. the town meeting, the social
festivities of neighbors and families are
ali interested in this new movement, for,
A Professor Shaler rather quantity pu&
IL. .swhere the roads are bad all the
duties of the citizen and the social being
are most imperfectly done"
Perhaps the best way to reconcile CON-
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 u
properly reckoned it will be found to
amount to far more annually as road
way tax than the interest on the money
needed for building 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, mp hill and
down. rather than choose level but
circuitous route.
Here also simple calculation Of tn
extra strain on the horses, the extr'
wear ON the vehicle and the increased
cost Of keeping hilly roads in repai
will show that, except under special CIR
cumstances, such roads should
avoided. Still another important mat
ter is the character OF the roadbed tn
materials for which ought to be selects
with . view to the underlying soil an
the effect of frosts and rains upon i
Then a common fault in American road
i. hat of making them too wide, Wit
the result of having fringe OF arab
land going to waste in weeds. and Z
broad road TO maintain properly. 81
in this matter the length Of axles cor
mon in any region must be considere
Professor Shaler thinks that farm vet
cles in most parts of this country
now tending toward shorter axles.
, Much OF the trouble with Amerc'
roads is ascribed to the absurd narro
! ness OF the tire on wagon wheels, re-
! Of the DAYS OF high priced iron. The M
! row rim IL very hard on the avera
, road when heavy loads are carried. q
! accepting this peculiarly OF the tires
q Fundamental rule in road construcu
, should he to keep the substances wn'
form the bed firmly in place. This ne
! ia shown by the shearing train on 70
I. Aoored with gravel. In cities blocks
: stone or asphalt can be laid. but not
the country districts, on account 81
cost. and the best ordinary substitute
l. the country is angular bits Of stone
p driven together on the macadam prir
ple that they will not be moved by
% pressure Of the wheels.
It is interesting 70 learn that the IL
10 renee scientific school Of Harvard
10 versity considers this subject OF 50 mi
4 importance that it has engaged an
n structor for teaching exclusively the
a NJ road construction. 1t Is thought
= GOOD results would follow from sim
- Attention to the subject in the lead
4 engineering schools Of the country.
y deed everywhere the subject appear
. be attracting attention. The int
70 department concludes that one met
Ell Of developing the Indian reservations
IS be to open good roads on them, 50
If help the red men who are trying ''
IN farmers. II half the study and enc
ID that have been devoted to the deve
st ment Of American railroads are app
to the Improvement Of the country n
re ways, there will be wonderful y
h. formation in the latter before the Ell
- this century.-New York Sun.
" The Country Road.
ma ~. arrow and Z