Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-08-02
Work of the Road Conference at
Chapel Hill.
Wilmington Messenger.
CHAPEL HILL. July 81.

Cor. Wilmington Messenger.
CHAPEL HILL. July 81.
The public road conference
which assembled in Chapel Hill
on Tuesday morning was COM
posed of about 100 representa-
tives, mostly road o%verseers,
magistrates and county commits
sioners from the midland coun-
ties of North Carolina. It was
apparent as soon as the meeting
assembled that the delegates
were serious men, who had come
to learn something of the better
plans and methods of maintain
ing and improving our public
roads, and to put these plans in
to successful operation. It was
literally a conference in which
everybody felt free to ask ques-
tons as to road Improvement,
and to discuss the difficulties in
the way Of progress in that di-
rection and how to meet them.
Among those present who had
been already connected with
practical work in modern road
building We're Mr.. McMakin, who
has charge of the excellent road
work in Raleigh township; Gen.
CASTOR Lewis, who is an engi-
neer of large experience and who
built those excellent shell-rock
pavements in the city of Colds
boro at very small cost; Profess
sor Cain and Mr.. Foust, of the
University, both of whom have
rendered valuable service in
practical road work, and Profes-
fessor Holmes, the State Geolo-
gist, who was a delegate to the
national road conference. held
recently at Asbury, N. j., and
who travelled over many miles of
the macadamized public roads in
New Jersey and other States,
studying the methods of build
ing and keeping up these roads,
and their effects on the farming
interests of those regions.
The conference was opened by
an eloquent address Of welcome
by President Winston, Of the Uni
versity, who stated that the two
greatest needs Of North Carolina
at the present time were educa-
ton facilities and better public
roads, and he was glad to see in
progress at the same, two meet
ings laboring to bring about these
two great reforms-better schools
and better roads.
Gen. Lewis described the shell
rock pavement in Goldsboro, put
down three years ago, at the low
cost of 81 cents per square yard.
This has proved to be a remark
ably successful experiment and
shows what can be done in build
ing county roads alta cost of from
81, 900 to 1900 per mile in many
Eastern counties where she'll
rock and limestone can be found.
This pavement at Goldsboro has
stood the constant S in the city
for three years and shows no
signs of needing repairs. The
broken shell-rock was spread
over the surface a depth of three
or four inches. Gen. Lewis also
described the plan Of working
the Wayne county roads and said
that under the new system the
roads we're being greatly i'm
proved and the system was grow
ing in favor. The county raised
by taxation money enough to
purchase machinery and work
the county convicts. With this
force and machinery the roads
are being graded and drained and
greatly improved.
Mr.. McMakin, of Raleigh, read
a valuable paper in which he
showed the necessity of adopting
better methods in our road work,
and how we'll it paid to do this,
He described how his Raleigh
township roads were made, and
how much they had done fol
Raleigh and the surrounding
country. He explained the grea'
economy in using convict labor
which he claimed was cheaper
and more satisfactory than either
hired or volunteer labor. An(
when it is remembered that these
convicts have to be fed ant
clothed, whether they work o.
not; that they have been in thei
trial and conviction a heavy ex
(; pense to the county, and hav'
injured society in committin!
crime, no can fail to SCI
!; that justice and econom,
i, both demand the use of thes
convicts on the public roads.
:. Every person at the conference
concurred in this opinion.
X X X
i The conference adopted a reso
;; luton urging the use of convict
and improved machinery on tn
public roads, and the raisin
}: money by taxation for carryin
l.; on this work,
:. The road machinery which wa
being operated on the Universit
J: grounds for this occasion worke
satisfactorily and a number {
the delegates gained some expel
!; ence in handling the big roa
l. pillow, the wheel scrapers, graz
ing machine and roller.
On every hand the meetin
$ was pronounced a success, an
the opinion was generally e.
pressed that similar meeting
s. should be held in many parts
g the State. h.