Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-03-08
much property as at present That is'
1 would like 10 hear from some OF our
politicians on the subject [.
Roads.

mistakes and follies of the older sei-
tied countries. AL must go through
the same old grind, squander enough
money and labor to build tirst-class
macadam road all over, while they are
houndering in mud and learning
how not to do it. Enough money
was worse than wasted in this county
last year, to have built forty miles Of
first-class gravel road, and we have az
a result, few streaks of more or less
bottomless mud to wade through but
nary road yet.
The supervisors used up all the
money right enough. Would it not be
good plan for the county to buy q
copy of some standard work, on road
building, for each of the road super
visors, and require them to get little
information of the brain, before III D.
ing them loose on our roads, to dig and
in preparation for some new scheme of
their own? The practical effect of the
present style is, that when farmer is
put IN for supervisor, the first thing be
thinks of, is to plow up the road as deep
as possible, for he knows that is the
way to raise wheat and don't know it
will raise HI on the road. Then,
after he gets 1t narrowed down tolerably
Sun Doth, he proceeds to put in the cu-
verts at the water crossings. about
eighteen inches TO two feet above the
level of the loose dirt, probably with
the idea that before it is worn out, the
teams climbing over it will wear it or
settle il down somewhat near the level
of the rest of the road. II never does,
but that don't make any difference to
the next supervisor. He plOws up the
road again and builds the culverts a
little higher and the tortured teams
and drivers have to stand il,
Now 1t seems to me that there is eX
amples enough. of good roads in this
vicinity, and certainly of poor ones, to
profit by without further waste of la
Dor or material, yet our supervisors
seemed determined to go ahead in the
same old rut.
In my school days we studied road
building a little in connection with
engineering, and although have net
seen text book for twenty years on
the subject, yet believe can give an
outline of the principles of road maxi
ing.
First, disturb the soil as little as pos
sible. Use the most available material,
cit her gravel or broken stone for the
driveway and provide thorough drain
age for the foundation. The roadbed
should he crowned or raised in the
center to inches, not feet as some
suppose. Now as to details. In this
country gravel is the cheapest material.
The r. r.. Co. will deliver gravel along
It's line at 20 cts. or less per yard. Mex,
as it is impossible, or nearly so, to grs-
vel the whole surface, the gravel road
should be made on one side 80 as to
leave the material surface for summer
travel. This would save more than
half of the wear on the gravel and thus
lengthen the available life of the road.
This could be accomplished in the fol-
lowing manner: Plow few furrows
next the fence the side the gravel is 10
go, to get some loose dirt for filling low
places and fOTma small ridge on each
side Of the S or 10 feet track Of gravel
aud the gravel itself will hll up enough
to make the required rise In the surface.
Allow 5 feet for getting the dirt from,
and 10 feet for the gravel, using just
half of our ordinary 80 feet county
roads and il could and should be wider
on the main roads hut not use mele
than half of any road. Then for suit
drainage, instead of the costly and
laborous piling up of loose dirt to get
above the water use tile to lower the
water below the surface. | am every
day astonished at the amount of dense
Ignorance displayed on this subject,
Some say "Oh yes tile Ia all right, but
1t would bankrupt the state To tile the
roads" Now | will undertake the Job
of tiling the roads Of this county, two
lines, 4 feet down, or 3 feet at least
depth, furnish my own tile. Dig ditch,
place and fill up for half the amount
pr mile that it cost To grade the Kings
r ad. What is the object of this piling
up of loose dirt only to get above the
wster? And then after all to leave
plIces where water stands for months
up to the top of the grade, is certainly
ridiculous II not worse. But we have
the promise of lecture on scientific
al building at the road convention
next Saturday, and that may open
some Of their eyes
CHEMAwA, Or, March 5.
All H. A