The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-04-26
LIVE ISSUES.
MacadamiZed Roads.
BY A. l.. DUYCKINCK.

at the Social held at West Noting
ham April 10Th, in the debate,
Resolved "That the County Roads
should be Macadamized. Mr..
VIM. Z. Gillespie's argument in
the negative will appear next
week
We depend mostly upon the
farmers to do the road mending and
repairing, but they cannot afford to
do it at the proper time because
their farm operations are paramount
with them, and from the natural
press of home duties they are
obliged to look after their crops in
the proper season, when the condi
tions of atmosphere and soil best
suit the end to be accomplished,
and that is generally the time when
attention to the roads would be
most beneficial. Generally the only
time the farmer can repair roads is
when the ground is too wet to 60
upon for farming purposes, or else
so late in the season that the dirt
they put on serves only to become
mud when it rain, or dust when ii
clears, making the general condi-
ton of the roads, nine times out of
ten, worse than they were before
the mending.
But the question comes up how
are We to remedy the evil! | will
give you my views as briefly as
possible.
We should have competent
general supervisor for each district,
whose first duty should be the gen
eral care of all roads in the district,
and under him should be foreman
with a corps of good men, who
should be at their posts all the
time ready to carry out instruc-
tions, founded upon scientific prin-
ciples, furnished by the supervisor,
and paid monthly in the same
manner as the railroads pay their
men.
In the spring as soon as the roads
begin to dry all holes and ruts
should be filled and all loose stones
removed, and this work should be
repeated as often as is necessary to
fill all depressions that would hold
water, and to keep all loose stones
removed from surface of the road.
And all the time not so expended
should be employed in macadamiz-
ing the most important thorough
fares, which can be much more
cheaply accomplished than is gen
orally supposed.
The well constructed macadamiz
ed road, having no inequalities of
surface, offering no resistance to the
wheels of vehicles when passing
over it, which is literally speaking
impervious to water; and will not be
cut into rnts by wagon tires during
the winter months of rain and frost;
which, in short, is a good road in
winter and in summer, in wet and
dry weather, is the model road. 1t
requires infinitely less exertion
for a horse to draw a load over it
than over a road which is cut into
ruts and holes. Horse, wagon and
harness will give better service
and an incalculable amount of
time, wear and tear can be saved
by those who are fortunate enough
to use it.
1t appears strange TO one who
has never given the matter any
thought that roads of this kind are
not in use in this beautiful, pros
porous portion of the country.
Good permanent highways are
doubtless the most economical in
the end, and, with the advent of
improved appliances and more
knowledge in the methods of road
construction, l believe that every
district will see the necessity of
having its main highways con-
structed i'll permanent manner of
some hard material.
There is no material so we'll
adapted to the construction of per-
manent town and country roads as
good stone.
The earliest roads about which
anything definite is known, are
those of ancient Rome; one of the
oldest of which and the most cele-
brated for the grandeur of it's works