The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-14
IMPROVED ROADWAYS
SUCCESSFUL RESULT OF ExPERI-
MENTs IL MASSACHUSETTS.
Rapid Progress Being Made in Macad-
amixinG Highways-Great BENEFIT
to Farmers and C~ycIers.

BOSTON. Oct. 13.-The last Legislature
appropriated 500. 600 for the construction of
highways on the lev State system. The
Republican and Democratic State conven-
tons this month both declared in their
platforms in favor of good roads. The
highway commission viii recommend to the
next Legislature that there be appropriated
$1,000, 900 in one sum for the continuance of
the work. 1t is wonderful how this high
way Improvement has jumped into popular
ity all over the State. Doubtless the gen.
erai use of bicycles has had much to do
with the appreciation of smooth and hard
surfaces on which TO wheel, and. if the
workings of wires under the surface could
be traced very likely it would be found
! that the planks which appeared in the
two State platforms originated in the
brains of wheelmen. But there is no ques-
ton that the large expenditure already
incurred is warmly approved by the people.
At present petitions for construction by
the State commission have been received
from thirty of the towns OF the State, or
just two-thlrds of the whole. Construction
is actually going On in seventy different
localities. About seven hundred miles have
been petitioned for already and localities
which have been hostile apparently from
fear of the County Commissioner that
their prestige was to be interfered with
have come around to favor the commits
sion. 1t is expected that out of the 20, 700
miles of road in the State, outside Of the
cities, about two thousand viii ultimately
be taken under the care. OF the State, for
1t is a part of the system that after these
State roads have been built the State is
ever afterwards responsible for their main
tenance. That is. about 10 per cent. Of all
the roads Will be parts of the State sys-
tenn.
This is the proportion in France, says
commission. where 5000 of the $4,000 of ma
t;onal and department roads are under the
care of the national government The
that a little over one-third of all the roads
that the State will ultimately build is pc
titioned for already. But the construction
sents all the good which has been accom-
plished already by the new system, to say
nothing of the abundant promise ior the
better roads has had the effect within this
short time, which was. anticipated, of slim
account Mr.. Mccormick, of the commits
sion, says that at least 30 per cent. OF the
towns which have petitioned. for new roads
pect to improve their systems generally.
The effect of the short pieces OF i'm,
parts of the State has been to demand
that all other roads be made as good. OF
course, the reform will be very long IN
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ditu ntoy Ot holis
realized, but it has actually begun, and the
more 1t is tried the better It Is appreciates.
An, Another shee peIent ~ 70 tb see .Siass IS Commission coma
there has been developed a grade of road
building ability which Will be of permanent
use TO the towns, even after the men ave
by all the members 'of the commission
Messrs. Perkins, McC1fntock and Shaler-
trasto the in ro sse w seNerat Is to mase is 0s as ' good so as
is made by such experts as Boston has had
for building it's roads in Franklin PARK;
be willing to go into competition with the
French road builders for any number OF
selected miles Of , road- IN 1t Which II the t hsseri feei
abundantly justified after reading the re-
ports of the foreign road builders, which
roads are as good as are made abroad.
and that there Is a not a State In the coun-
try which has a system as good as Massa-
chusetts. .stt 49,.
One object which the commission has set
resolutely before it from the beginning mas
been to do its worknthoroughiy; II mas re-
entire movement. as regards Its popular as
pect, depended upon Conscientious WORK
from the foundation. The commission Keeps
accurate records of everything which has
been done. It's laboratory, says Professor
Shaler, is the best in the State for such
work. Careful tests are made OF all the
rock and stone which are used for sur
facing. An analysis is made in the labor
atory 10 determine the toushness and hard-
ness OF the rocks. IhiS work OF ROAD Dullu-
ing is of no mean Importance in the devel-
opment of the State. Professor Shaler says
that he has computed. in terms of freight
TRANSFORMATION. the distance of a manufac-
turer in Cummington. IN the west part OF
HAMPSHIRE county, from Boston. The re-
suit showed that the manufactures was
further away than if. he had lived beyond
Omaha. The same man testified before the
commission that It cost three lines as
much TO get his goods from Cummington
to Williamsburg, the nearest railroad sta
ton. as it did TO transport them from Will
iamsburg to Chicago. AS Professor Shaler
puts il. by building these roads Massachu-
setts is all the time annexing new terri
tory TO her domain There is no doubt
that THIS system of improved highways
alone will be the means of saving some To-
cal manufacturers who have not been able
to stand the cost of transporting their
freight from the mills to the station. !
The expense of the State roads varies
greatly. The most expensive which the
commissioners have yet built is in Goshen.
in HAMPSHIRE county. where the outlay has
been about $3.50 a mile This has been up
a hill. where the grade in parts was as
high as eleven feet in 100. Probably the
least expensive road which has been built
nv the State has been that in North Attle-
boro. The cost has been 1881 per mile, and
som of Ii has been twenty-four feet wide.
some eighteen and some fifteen. A road of
fifteen feet uniform width has been built in
Mattapoisett for s., 500 a mile besides grad
ing. The matchmaking alone averages from
g, OO m g.. 200 a mile over the State.