The record-union., 1893-08-17
GOOD ROADS.
Some Suggestions for a Good Road
Law.
How to Make a Good Road - What
Materials to Use and
How.

G. N. Eager, County Surveyor of So
lano County, is the author of the follow
ing paper on "Good Roads" Mr.. Eager
is one of the delegates to the coming State
Road Convention. He sets forth his
ideas about roads and road laws as fol-
lows:
The subject of good county roads hav-
ing come into prominent importance, and
being now about to be taken up by a
State convention, few suggestions in re-
gard to desirable legislation and methods
| OF working the roads may throw light on
the matter and help to solve some of the
problems connected with the proper i'm
| provement of the roads.
FIrst-Al work on the roads and
| bridges OF each county should be under
the Immediate supervision and direction
of County Engineer. He should draw
the plans and specifications for all county
bridges, instead of allowing contractors
| who bid on their own plans to do so.
He should also draw all the plans and
specifications for road work, where it is
| done by contract, and for all other engi-
neerlng work required by the county.
The Engineer should be paid a liberal
yearly salary.
In counties where there is but little
| AOAO WOI A Ou0 6lIE ElIl66C COuIu attend 10
/ the roads OF two or more counties. In
large counties, or where there is much
road work, the County Engineer should
have such assistants as may be required.
No work, either by contract or by the
day, should be done except under his di-
rectlon.
The engineer should make yearly esti-
mates OF the road and bridge work re-
qulred and present the same to the Board
OF Supervisors as a basis for fixing the
road tax, the Board of Supervisors to ap-
prove of all estimates before approDriat-
ing any money for work. If estimates
are too large they can be revised by the
engineer.
Second-AI new roads or changes in
existing roads should be laid out only
npon the recommendation of the County
! Engineer, instead of upon the petition of
| interested parties, as AT present; citizens
to have the opportunity to discuss the
matter with the Board of Supervisors be-
fore any road is finally adopted.
| Thlrd-The money raised by the gem
| eral road tax should be expended only on
the main thoroughtares leading from the
various cities and towns in the county to
the county seaG-eXcept that portion of
the county road fund may be used TO
assist in the construction of expensive
| bridges or other extraordinary work not
| on main thoroughtares.
| EOul Iu-I@dCL IOdu ulSLTltL SHOULD nave
the privilege OF electing Board OF Trus-
| tees, who may determine the amount Of
money, outside of the general road tax
| that Is to be expended on the roads in
\ their respective districts in each wear
and may, with the advice and consent of
| the County Engineer, determine the To-
cality and kind of work TO be done. and
may act as assistants to the County Engi-
neer, or attend to minor repairs on GER
tain specified roads. Their compensation
| to be liked by law at reasonable sum
per diem for work actually performed.
| tltth-Each county may issue bonds to
obtain money for the general road fund,
! whenever the people, by vote, may so
| determine. Each road district NAV also
| vote tor the issue OF county bonds for the
! benefit OF its own district. The money
for the payment of the bonds to be col
lected from the district voting for the
same.
! The details of the proposed changes in
the laws must, OF course, be left with the
| Legislature, which, it is hoped, will have
| light enough on the subject by the next
meeting to enable it to accomplish the
| best results.
a few items of information for the
| beneht OF the people in regard to the con-
| Structlon and maintenance of good roads
| may here be pertinent. Drainage is the
first thing to De attended to, both length
/ W1SS VI IhO AOdNl hllO lEOul Iu6 center TO
| the side. The side bitches should be two
or three feet deep, and arranged to carry
all the surface water into the natural water
courses.
! 1t is good plan to have the road fences
| between the road and the ditch thus al
lowing the bitches to be made OF proper
depth, and obviate danger TO vehicles.
The water should be conveyed from the
sides of the road to the bitches by culYerts
| at suitable intervals
The ground between the cutters and
the ditch should be left slightly raised
above the sides of the road. and be OF a
width of about six feet. This could be
used as sidewalks when desired. and
would warn vehicles that they were at
the edge of the road, and thus prevent
their falling into the ditch in the night,
in places where there were no fences.
All roads should have a proper grade
in the direction OF their length both for
their utility in hauling and for mini
mum amount of washing from rain. The
top OF all culverts which cross the road
| should be at the grade of the road and
not above it, as is too often the case. All
| culverts should be thoroughly cleaned
| out before the winter rains.
The best material for road covering is
broken stone. Before being put on the
roadbed should be perfectly graded and
| hard rolled. The rock nearest the ION
! SLOQlI U0 NGIy lldIU anu bTOk6n IN small
pieces, from one to two and half inches
in size, with top coating of screenings.
| At the bottom larger pieces can be used
and it need not be so hard as at the top.
After the road covering is put on,
which should be from five to ten inches
deep, according to the traffic on the
! roads, it should be sprinkled and thor
oughly rolled. Some OF the best authori-
ties say that the road covering should be
/ put on in layers about three inches deem
at time. The road should be very care
! fully constructed in order to get good
! permanent results. The work should not
| be done in muddy weather, nor in the
| dry season either, without ample facii-
! ties for sprinkling.
| With broken stone the slope from the
| center to the sides should be at the rate
| of one-half inch to the foot, and a little
more on gravel or earth roads. The
width of the road covering will depend
upon the amount of travel to which it
will be subjected.
Gravel comes next to broken stone for
road covering, but will have to be re-
newed oftener. 1t should be put on in
the same manner as broken stone and
then sprinkled and rolled. It should be
put on in layers of three inches in thick
ness and allowed to pack nearly but not
quite solid between each layer.
A few inches of sand helps adobe roads
very much, but it is not recommended
except in cases where gravel cannot be
obtained. Adobe makes very good.sum-
mer roads when worked smooth. but
very bad for winter. These make good
foundations, however, for artificial cover
ing.
Sprinkling is great benefit to all roads
during the dry season, and saves them
more than its cost. Means should be pro-
vided for sprinkling all the roads where
ever practicable, by digging wells and