The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-12-16
THE ROADS OF ENGLAND.
Smooth and Solid Highways That Are
Well Built and Carefully Repaired.

Smooth and Solid Highways That Are
Well Built and Carefully Repaired.
The solidity, the smoothnesS, the con
tinuous excellence of the highways OF
England may we'll be the wonder and
despair of the American who reflects
on the two streaks of country mud or
costly expanse of nobby, very nobby,
city pavement he had left at home.
There roads are made. At home they
grow, that is, they are made bad and
generally grow worse. II Thomas
Jefferson was right in saying that the
civilization of a country might easily
be Judged from the state of its roads,
then America is about two centuries
behind anywhere else in spite of her
boasted progress. We tickle the sides
of large streak OF mud with scraper
and dump more mud in the center and
complacentlY 60 home with the idea
that cur road tax is worked Tor the
year, while it is left to the long suffer-
ing driving public and the chief engl
| neer of the weather to repair the mis-
chief we have wrought.
In England the roads are well made
in the beginning and are carefully
looked after every dav instead Of once
a year, and not with what Carlyle calls
a drlbbIlng futility of intention, but
with a steady determination of means
to an end. English roads are started
out in existence we'll equipped, as all
else is there from which they expect
good work and service. Careful
excavation to a good substratum, q
liberal filling in with sand or cinders,
a layer of evenly broken stone anc
above that a bed of macadam ano
cinders mingled make a road ovel
which the heaviest hauling can be anc
is done, that invites speed in everl
horse taveling over it, even down Il
the behemoths hitched to the bee
trucks, and is the bicvcler's fondes
dream.
There is not much crown 10 thei
! roadway, but where the surface is hare
and smoothly rounded, as it is, higl
crowned roadway would be not onl
unnecessary, but injurious. For ther
is drainage and real drainage. Not
D little depression at the sides, where tn
water may stand IN reproachful puddle
until it pleases ProvidsnrrT-to dry it u
sasaaaaasssSssszgsassk but drain carried alon
.-...-----,~-~ and having openings q
: proper intervals, whence the water
carried to the systems OF drainage l
the adjacent field and made to sub
serve the purposes of agriculture wher
desired. The foot passenger, too, hs
been remembered by good path
r one side or the other made from cir
c ders or Stag pounded fine, and irs
ouently some land owner who love
e his fellow man has planted long roV
v of oak or Scotch fir or elm that arc
t, and shade the way and are things
e beauty and JOY forever.
d Presently it rams, as it has iashle
Of of doing IN that country, and Whe
Of there is weak place in the surta'
/. the road is guttered. 1t is left to tt
IS forgetful attention of whom it may co
L. Germ or neglected until all the rest
ID the way is like unto it7 Ga, no! I
to every roadside are neat little piles
in irregular intervals of broken stone
a furnace refuse or smelling Stag,
whatever may be the best material
he the district, and when rut is disco
cred the workmen IN charge OF II
he division fills it up neatly, and IN
al couple of days it IS worked DO
ds smoothly, lndistinguishable from
he rest. The drains, too, are kept Gle
is, and flowing.
I'D So the roads are kept clean a
w. hard and smooth and solid, and
m they wind, white and perfect ira
m amid the greenery and light and shi
ing of that park like country, and the p
ca estrian and equestrian and the cycI
are trian get their fill of beauty that Is
lch satisfying 10 gaze on and impossible
,lg. describe.
The care of roads throughout (
F. land is vested in county councils,
members of which are gentleme
weight and standing in their respec
,ate districts, and who serve, like mem
,me of parliament, without other conn
ned sation than the honor of the post
,ost Yet their work is none the less
by done that it is gratuitous.
,g A chief engineer in their adviser
tree executive, assisted by one, two
hen three assistant surveyors, aecordir
ONE the extent of the country covered
ver the county limits. New roads are
and constructed without their necessit'
ssed ing well defined bv commission o.
ton, of inquiry for that purpose, and
cold damaoes are held TO be iuflicted.