Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-22


Mr.. G. Freeman Smith, civil engineer,
writes as follows to the Sun on the SUBJ
Z Iect of improved roads:
There is nothing which conduces
Ioward the prosperity of a country more
han good roads. There is no district
in the State that would not be greatly
benefited by improved means of inter
communication. From countrymen and
iownsmen the cry is continually, bad
roads, bad roads" Stone, gravel, oyster
shells and sand can be found throughout
the State in abundance, all of which
material make good roads. Inexperence
and the want of knowledge of road-
making has been the cause of failure
70 apply to the best advantage the funds
that have been appropriated by each
county for highway purposes.
Many roads are built by merely level
Ing off the rough places, scattering mot
even spreading uniformity layer of
broken stone, spawls or gravel, and
allowing this unrolled layer to form
The road, to be scattered by the ordinary
travel, washed by the rainsinto the side
bitches, (most of them an excuse for
such) filling and choking them up. This
way of building from the beginning
gives "hard road to traver and ends
rs an impossible one in a short time,
funds appropriated all gone, those In
charge blamed and general discomfort.
This has occurred for want of skilled
persons in charge, want of proper
prosecution of the work and the lack of
the proper tools to work with. Out of
large amount appropriated few hun
dred dollars are spent for picks, shovels,
scrapers, &C., and the balance for the
services of the farmers and their teams.
The appropriation is wasted by a false
pconomy, and an example is set of the
TART how not to do it." In one of the
consular reports it is stated that il is not
unusual to see one horse drawing load
of three OF four tons ON the highways
of France, and that a couple of dogs are
often seen drawing the load usually
allotted to one horse in this country
The modern way of making and main.
tanning roads is so simple, the cost com.
paratively SO small, that the most APP
proved system should be adopted. Tie
excellence of the road will depend en-.
tirely on the material used and having
a competent engineer in charge, with
skilful persons to carry out his instruc.
tions.
Bad roads are "power- MASTERS" Of
the worst kind. The amount of no1ve,
10 move a stated load mon a certair
kind III road can he ascertained 40 ex.
antlv as anv other fact Every nfFor,
costs something. the smallest EFFORT cost,
the least: therefore, the smootbest roaG
saves tbe most money 10 those nsing IL
The total agricultural nroduct 81
MARYLAND in 1899 as rivep NV the sto
tistical hurean was as follows,
Tons
to bnsbeI D'' " poui'u' ess m
Wheat, e,992OOO bushels, so pounds
e,,.ts 100 1oo bnsbeis ~ nonnds to A0V' ~
busheI 40 II
Tobacco, 22,43s hogsheads. average
800 pounds. NORTHUMBERLAND. s.9T
butter, lU.0O0,0OO pounds. :......... 800
Mik, ao,oul' 10 gallons 2of gallons
woo in "a t9 o.; ,cnd. o.
'-'-O rON-'''' y
Total 7s5 70
lnclnd;no cher nrodrcts 49, $780, 49, :
ated as m ! stat;Stiaal h, raa,, ~ s,.a.tl,
M estimato az 10 trncL nro Su mo- asI
NJ, ,oi,imn ~ ons;Sanori uuSeu, an an
ing dona otharr,isa NC oar .a snJ .ia t.I
l fnna n rat n.,l 4
If tbis No Sonh, ~, pe ~ 0ue I "a
farm consnn,nt;on I'M - 10 rsg9 10
n he banIed difforar+ d;storon, N"it na
AGING the Jistanca ~ fna ,,,;Ios As W.;
mating that two loads daU or au I, oss,
~ ttot So iu .. " uay orc maui
Syor,h 90 so ~ daS, Ve ~ a diSa WAGON
cost of moving this nmonnt If nroJnc .
on CLAW and macedan o,aed -.
Grades e ascortoinad as fo,ie.' ~ H'sAos
nl.y Rosa M.,.s.,
Load for two horses lbs An Is
No. of loads for 100000
tons. ................... ST., 42S 366, 81
Cost at $l.25p ton Short
Ton OF 2,VOO IDS taken)"SIl4,2So $780, 6
rms would represent difference G
$204,52O.
lhis is the excess of cost put upon tn
producer by common clay roads, and
would be enough to keep 10000 mile
tine number OF miles in the State, as pc
statistical report) in repair, allowin
& $23.55 per mile. These figures ar
SIMPLY gwen by way OF illustration, br
they inulcate the large annual savin
farmers that would result from goo
roads. But lar larger advantage woul
accrue 70 the owners OF land from IL
convenience afforded. The value of
road improvement is directly reflected
the increase TO land value that is obser'
able everywhere, and ranges from 10 I
~ per cent, according to the uses of tn
land
Ihree hundred and sixty-five thor
sand six hundred and sixty-nine dolla
and twenty-eight cents was the tot,
spent on roads In the State during 1889
accoraing 10 the same report. Farme
complain that they are already take