St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-16
ENGLISH GOOD ROADS.
How They Are Made and Re-
n.liHnI

HOW They Are Maue anu he-
paired.
The London correspondent of the
New York Tribune has been investigat-
ing English country roads, whose ex-
cellence- EFFORTS general comment.
After referring to the roads built by the
Romans he says:
The majority of the English roads
are old, but the new roads are equally
good, and whatever the date Of the
construction may be, all are systemat-
ically cared for. A road does not nee
essarily Improve with age, like good
wine. 1t needs constant, unremitting
attention, and that is what it receives
in England, whether it be ancient or
modern.
That is the main secret of the per-
feet condition of such roads as that
from Salisbury to Stonehenge. Well
made and old it is. The foundations
are very deep. 1t is highest in the
center, with a lateral grade that car
ries the water into the turf at the
side without adventitious aid of trench
or ditch 1t is evenly bordered with
grass and does not vary materially in
width mile after. mile. Accommodations
of powdered flint have impaired con-
sistency to the surface without i'm
pairing it's capacity for rapidly abb
sorbing water. There could be no bet
ter example of the art of road making;
but if it were suffered to fall out of
repair, neither antiquity nor scientific
construction would protect it.
The public highways in rural Eng
land are under the supervision of the
county councils. There are committees
in general. charge of them and the eX
pense of maintenance is borne from the
rates. There is an inspector for every
division of the country, and the road
men are responsible to him for keeping
their sections in order. They are en-
| ployed all the year round in this work
| and indeed do nothing else. One road
| man will have a section of two or
three miles upon which he works sum-
mer and winter; or sometimes two or
three. of them will have a longer strip
of roadway to keep up together. It
| is the duty of the roadman to go over
his section several times a week, and
to remove manure, newspapers, large
stones, and anything else that is un-
slightly. The road is tidy because the
roadman is an Industrious scavenger
with shovel and barrow. The road is
also in good repair because he is a
road-mender who is not allowed to
neglect his business. After a heavy
rain he goes over his section, and if
he sees signs anywhere of the collec-
tion of water in ruts or depressions
he takes warning and mends the
breaks.
The material which he needs is close
at hand. Here and there are collected
supplies of flint and gravel from the
fields for his use, and his barrow ordi-
narily sufices for the purpose of re-
newing the roadway and restoring the
level. He is held accountable for his
section, and neglect on his part does
not escape observation. I passed sew
eral of these road-menders on the way
to Stonehenge, and wondered what
| they could find to do when the highway
was apparently in faultless condition;
| but their keen eyes had detected some
blemishes, and they were remedying
| them without delay
| In some English counties-I think
| Wiltshire is one of them-prizes are
offered for the section of the road
which is kept in the best order through
| out the year. There is an honora BILE
! rivalry among the roadmasters for OBJ
| tanning these rewards, and the winners
are proud Of their distinction as cham
| pion road-menders. When all the
roads are pre-eminent for their excel
lence it cannot be any easy matter
| for the most critical committee to make
the awards; but the effect of the com
petition is to put every man on his
mettle, and so increase the efficiency
| Of the road service.