Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-09-19
AMONG THE NEV JERSEY ROADS
SOME FORTHE ROAD
COMMITTEE.

-" '"N N''h'iN i've hh'" tht
Worth of Hard Highways and Arc
Not satisfied With Few Miles of
Them-EXpcnsivc, but Thorough.
New YORK. Sept. 15.-Right into
Jersey without mosquito gun or a
lightning rod the Buncombe road i'll.
spection committee moved this morning.
The trip from Washington to Philadel-
phia was made Friday night. The party
was one less after reaching Baltimore,
tor here Mayor Patton left the crowd in
order to see Alderman Redwood, who
was in that city. From Philadelphia we
ferried to Camden and took cars for
Merchantvillc, where State Commits
sioner of Public Roads Edward Bur
rough was waiting, having heen notified
OF the visit by Gen. Stone. Here we also
met Z. G. Harrison, of the firm of Z. G.
Harrison & Co., road engineers, who
also has authority to write post
master" after his signature, he holding
this position at Asbury Park. Together
with these gentlemen the visitors went
first to Haiuesport, receiving as the
journey proceeded an illustrated lecture,
as it were, on the advantage of good
roads. If every farmer in Buucombe
could have seen the roads as this delega.
ton saw them, there would be such a
clamor for the commencement of work
as has never been dreamed Of From
llainesport ride By carriage was taken
over some samples of roads into the little
city Of Mt. Holly, which is distinguished
bccarse George Washington passed righ
down the main street, which is now
finely paved with macadam.
Mr.. Burrough is believer in narrow
roads.
In the section visited the roads are
10 to 10 wide, that is, there is that
much of macadam put down in the mid
die. The foundation stone is placed in
by hand, smaller stone goes on this, and
the road is finished with course of fine
stone. The depth ranges from six to II
inches and every road is well sprinkled
as the rolling goes on. In Chester town
ship. Burlington county, the first good
road work was done by filling mudholes,
and when this was done it was found
that the mudholes were the only respect
abe parts OF the road so they decided to
have something b' tier, and the splendid
results can be seen by anyone who will
take the trouble to look. That section
is composed Of farms and the pro.
ducts OF the land must be taken to Phil.
adclphia to market. Astonishing as it
may seem it is fact just the samc, that
a pair OF horses will draw from four to
six tons over roads like we visitors have
been looking at today. A man who has
seen four horses tugging at few pounds
of tobacco on the muddy roads
out of Ashevillc will be inclined
to take these statements with pinch Of
salt, but they are facts. The roads are
costly. it is true, but one-third of the cost
represents the freight because almost
every bit OF stone must be brought in
from quite distance. The roads in this
section cost an average about $4,000 a
mile. There is no such thing as convict
labor here, and nothing done by them
comes into competition with free labor.
There are three laws. either of which
may be used in constructing roads, called
respectively the township, county and
state laws. Under the State law the
State pays onc-third of the cost of a
road, abuttirg property owuers 10 per
cent. and the remainder is borne by the
county. All of the road construction is
done by contract,
Leaving Mt. Holly the delegation
went to Moorestown, where carriages
were brought by Chas. T. Harrison,
son Of Postmaster Harrison, a former
newspaper man, but now engineer in
charge of several Of the roads III Burling.
ton county. The drive was through
Bridgeboro to Riverside. Fine roads
and beautiful residence lots take ones
attention everywhere. 1t seems as it
everybody, every section, is hound to
have an improved road system. Between
Moores own an6 Riverton, FIVE miles,
there is a fine bicycle path owned and
kept up by The whcelmen-probably the
only one of the kind in the country.
The party left Commissioner Burrough
and the younger Mr.. Harrison at River
side and went to Trenton, where they
parted company with Mr.. Harrison the
elder and started towards the mctropo-
lis to look over the upper New Jersey
roads. The days trip was an exceed
ingly pleasant one and extremely instruc-
tive. The gentlemen in whose hands the
committee we're took care of them in
good style, and Buncombc people have
never been said to be unappreciative.
Aiken.