The record-union., 1895-08-12
INTERESTING TALK ABOUT ROADS.
Highway Commissioners Consult With
the Supervisors.
Some Valuable Suggestions Made to
the County Fathers-What a
Few Years May Do.

sued.
Commissioner J. L. Maude said that
his board desired to get all the informa-
ton possible concerning the roads
throughout the State, and for that pur-
pose meetings were held with the various
Boards of Supervisors. The Commits
sioners want to know how many miles of
road there are in the State, especially in
each county: how they are graveled, and
how much gravel is used also, how
much of the roads are macadamized, and
the proportion graded.
They also desired to know how much
the roads have cost, and how much it
costs to keep them in repair every year.
The title aud right of way were other
things, he said, the board desired to
know about Endless litigation, and
costly at that, had been in vogue in the
southern cart of the State on account of
many of the roads being build on private
ground. Examinations should be made
of the titles to land for road pusposes,
and abstracts of them should be made to
preclude the possibility OF trouble IN the
future.
Mr.. Maude said the railroads in the
State have done this. and still do it, and
IN a few moments can show the title to
their rights of way. They number their
culverts, trestles and bridges, and cal
show the amount of lumber required In
their construction, what 1t costs, and the
amount OF money expended for repairs.
Supervisor Jenkins, of the Fifth Dis
trict, said the right OF way for property
for road purposes during the last year
had been acquired by deed.
Commissioner Manson asked if the road
between this city and Folsom had the re-
Quired width, and was IL constructed on
its original lines for the whole distance
Supervisor Curtis replied that the width
of the road ia some places had decreased
from sixty to thirty eight feet, on account
of encroachments upon il by farmers. He
said that about a mile and half OF 1t IS
not near where the original line was es-
teblished. The county holds the right of |
way from HangtOwn Crossing TO Sauls- |
bury.
He asked Mr. Maude if the Super !
visors should not segregate the amounts |
expended for the construction OF bridges
and trestles, in case the board should |
furnish the Highway Commissioners
with the amount expended on roads.
Mr.. Maude said if the board can do that
1t can do more than any other county IN
the State. There are rumors everywhere,
he said, that the road fund has been mis-
appropriated or stolen; but that Is not so,
because the system of building roads and
repairing them was improperly begun,
and has been kept up III that way ever
since. The counties should follow the
example of the railroads IN looking out
for their roads.
Supervisor Jenkins said that would
necessitate the County CLERK hiring extra
help and the members of the board
might be indicted by the Grand Jury
and sent to jail if they were TO employ
anyone TO do the work.
Mr. Manson said in that case the Su-
peryisors would be between the devil and
I,o hax fn 70
jail if they did. and should GO there if
they did not.
Mr.. Maude suggested that all culverts
and bridges be mum bered, so that al any !
time it could be asoertained what 1t cost !
10 build aud repair them, how they were |
constructed, and what their condition is. |
Whatever book they are numbered IN
should De indexed. He also suggested
that the Supervisors have map book
made containing illustrations OF all the
roads in the county, and showing their
length and character.
Supervisor Curtis said the roads of this
county, II in g straight line, would reach
from here to St. Louis, Mo. In his dis
trlcI there are more than 500 miles of |
road, and in Supervisor Jenkins district
there are about L 900 miles OF road.
Mr.. Manson said he had looked up the
road records OF this county as far back as
the seventies and found that they had not
been segregated. He said that III a few
years horses viii have To give way to
motor vehicles. and the people will de-
mand that the roads be made as good as
the streets. In this county, h9 said,
there have been large expenditures on
bridges aud trestles. Some OF the bridges, |
no doubt, had cost too much. The grad
ing had been done without the use OF the
Surveyor and he had discovered radical
errors in that respect
on this subject he said the contour of
/.
attention being paid to 4 hollow spot in
the ground or to knobs or hillocks. The
hollow in a road would be preserved and
the knolls and hillocks likewise. La this
county more systematic way of building
and caring for roads is needed.
Continuing, Mr. Manson said that Cali
fornia presents such wide range OF con-
ditions that it is hard to find group of
counties that viii compare with one an
other. He demonstrated by an illustra-
ton on 4 blackboa that roads in this
county are not we'll drained. In many
counties, be said, they have hardly given
any OF the roads proper drainage.
Speaking of good road building, he
said that at Folsom there is 10 be found
the best material for road purposes. In
q few years we could have the best class
Of roads ia the world. The palm should
go to the county which has best utilized
its road material, rather than to the county
trouble in getting the material.
In TehRms County, he said. they have
their own rock-crusher, but they lack a
good road-roller, which they will get in
time. This county should have a good
road roller The DarrOWest a macadam
road should be IS eight or ten feet.
Supervisor Todd asked how, in that
event, teams could pass each other.
Mr. Manson replied that it rarely oc-
ours that TWO heavy teams meet. The
lighter of the two could turn out. He
recommends that turn-outs be con-
structed at different intervals along the
road. Culverts should be made of iron
stone. The great difficulty in this
county, he said, is TO maintain things by
patching them up. No one year should
be allowed to pass without few miles Of
good roads being constructed. Tho FOL
som road was in use long before the State
was admitted into the Union, and no.
body can locate its legal lines. BY build
ing mile OF good road 8 year the Fol-
som ROAD would eventually become one
OF the best in the State
Commissioners Irvine, assisted by
map, explained how the cross-secLions of
country roads should be constructed
He said the Board of Superyisors had
partly overlooked the sprinkling of
roads. Santa Clara County sprinkied its
roads whenever 1t was deemed necessary
The roads should be sprinkled earlier in
the season, and not wait until they are
ali cut 10 pieces. Santa Clara County has
go miles OF sprlnkled roads
Supervisor Jenkins said that when he
was there they told him they had 450
miles of sprinkled roads. They exnend
between 100000 and $4,000 a wear on
their roads. 1t costs them four times as
asg "Pme an