The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-04-14
now 70 OBTAIN GOOD aoAps.

40 much has been said about tho din
culty Of making good country roads
without involving great outlay OF
money that It seems rather presuming
70 take q contrary view of tho subject,
but think the matter has been much
exaggerated, and that in any part Of the
country whore clay. haadpan, gravel or
disintegra&sd rock can be found It u
quite easy to get excellent roads ct COM
parativsly little expense. I speak from
some practical experience acquired tn
roadmaking In very Wild and hilly 10
zion Of northern New Jersey, where We
are accustomed to work out our taxes
On IL or more miles Of public highway,
and BY adopting the following system
~ have found It easy to keep the roads
n such good condition that they can be
driven over at all times with speed. COM
tort and pleasure.
The proper time TO begin work or ~
pairs q n tho early spring, just after
She frost comes out Of the ground-as
soon q the roads have thoroughly settled
and dried out Where the road b old,
With . good, solid bed, the first thing 70
b done u 10 cover II al over with .
light dressing Of gravelly material, and
when possible finish II OF With top
coating Of hardpan, but avoid putting It
On too thickly, lest the going become
heavy. q II u allow to dry out. Loan y
worus than useless, because It never
packs properly and makes mud
Care must b taken TO raise the road
up toward the center and give 1t .
diight elevation ct the crown, but only
Just enough TO shed the water on dther
dds into the CUTTERS. On . level
straight road the crown should only be
slightly convex, for rounding up . mar
row road In the middle Il Questionable,
insomuch . It has the immediate effect
Of forcing wheels Of vehicles to run al
ways In the same line md wear away
ths new material into deep rute, that
quickly become water courses tor the
Wash Of the next rain and assist the
sapiA destruction Of the road by pre-
venting ths water from reaching the
CUTTERS.
A. fast = the new material can b.
laid ON II should be very carefully raked
ovse to remove al the largo stones and
q many Of the smaller ones ~ possible,
for where this precsution IL neglected
until the stun packs down hard, which
happens In . few days, the stones be-
come % firmly embedded that they are
not only difacult 70 remove, but soon
esuse the road 10 wear In humps and
bumps, and later In the season, during
he dry weather, they work up continu-
ally and become . source Of annoyance
"a danger.
Ths CUTTERS should then bs carefully
c)eansd BY removing from them Ill de-
pesits Of mud. decayed leaves OF branches
which havs collected there during the
winter months. Never allow this stun
% b hsedlsssly thrown along the edges
4 the gutter or on tho banks above
them, for TIE hrst rains will surely wash
~ haek = it, 10 place, and the work
~ - - doos over again.
Another practical reason IN favor Of
hesping TIE cutters free Just after the
roads ars Arst repaired 10 that when the
hssvy spring and summer showers have
Washsd sway tho greater portion Of the
rood, NV coating Il Is 1t once caught
0nl retained In tho cutters. ready to Be
used The Arst time the road needs patch
ing, whsn . man or two can quickly put
B In Art claso order BY simply shovel
ing back the material into it, old place
again and then ralking II over.
h ths early spring, while the gravel
q haxdpsn u still sticky or heavy. the
process Of drying out and packing down
en- b greatly accelerated by keeping
some one rsking over the road 70 level
q and smooth down the ruts a. fast a.
ny aze made BY the cutting In Of the
whesls. instead Of allowing them to wear
dswn deeper and deeper, and to furnish
ssrs channels for the wash Of water.
which adds 70 Tie dimculty and expense
q Sspairing.
This method y quicker, easier and far
moro economical than rolling, which 70
Quirss . pair Of horses, and Il h surpris-
- how great . distance . smart worker
- ~ svse end put In perfect order
duzing day. BY repeating tbs raking
ooce q twice, according 70 The condition
g the rod end The amount Of travel
0poa Il, ~ surface Win pack down
Quite = hasd end wen = that Of . park
nd.
Whsnsvss's mud puddle appears, ow-
~ 20 some slight depression, In place
- Shsded By trees o. shadows Of hills
Mt ~ sun loses it, power. it should
nsvsg - LETT 70 dry out slowly, day after
~ giving ~ wheels chance 70 cut
no Il more deeply, but = soon - discov.
ed . CARLOAD Of good, dry grsvel should
q once b dumped into II, them raked
q. tampsd down and perhaps rsraked
nth Il packs hard and smooth. -6asah
Cooper hewitt IN Harper's.
n Hsvss q Better Highwsys.
The anthoritiss Of Vermont and New
9ampshirs. who ars hooking after ths
abandonsd farms IN those states, report
Ga4 tAey have . NJ u 100 wealthy
m n ~ eastern cities who express Z
willingness - purchase farms for sum.
~ S1Gldsncss - soon - ~ road ~
- = narrowed.