Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-08-28

4 Deputy Secretaryof Agriculture Johh
/ Hamilton of Pennsylvania has submit
ted to Secretary Edge paper on the
Improvement of public roads in this
state, the first of the kind to be officially
lanranared. in which he makes sugges-
s 1tcna which he believes will bring a
Cham &c Tor the better in the state high
ways.
On the question of "How much road
= does Pennsylvania have? Mr.. Hamll-
y ION says:
"A There are over so, 900 miles of roads
in Pennsylvania outside of the wards
4 and borougs and cities of the common
wealth, and not including the turnpike
roads under corporate control. For the
year ending May 81, 1895, these SO'ooo
miles of road cost the farmers OF Penn
sylvania just $3,S9S, 573.96, or at the
rate of $48.73 per mile. This expense
has been continued for many years,
and yet a comparatively small amount
Of the roads throughout the state can
be truly designated good. Who are re-
sponsible for this enormous waste? The
farmers have complete control of the
entire SYStem from end to end. Each
& townsHB elects it's own officials year by
year. All responsibility, therefore, for
this important trust rests upon the peo-
pie whom these officials represent. Is
it unfair to say that there must be
something radically wrong with a sys-
TEN, that, after trial for over one hun
dred years, and involving an expendi-
ture of money counted by the hundred
millions, has produced only that which
we have today?
10 f14v, o1lye to- n
and after telling of the crude attempts
at road making in the state says:
"A good road is a dry road, and no
wet road ever was or ever can be good.
Get rid of the water and get it clear
of the right of way. Turn it out into
the adjoining fields, and do not let it run
long distances in the bitches. Provide
for it's discharge at every suitable
point, and SO keep the road clear and
prevent the washes that otherwise are
sure to follow. Construct these bitches
well out at the edges of the right Of
way, giving all the space possible for
public travel. The best method for
raising the roadbed is by the use of the
road machine. Where the rocks are not
too numerous the worst roads can be
raised and put in good condition at a
cost of from SIS to $50 per mile. Never
leave piece of road until you are sure
that the water will run freely from it's
surface.
mo stone should be put on public
road that will not go through an inch
and a-half ring. Small stone, ranging
from an inch and half down to pow
der, placed upon a prepared foundation,
will compact into mass almost as solid
as concrete, and rain falling upon such
a road is shed as effectually as from
cemented floor. Here is the great secret
of building roads, and in violation of
this principle, no permanent and solid
road can be constructed.
THE practical question then arises,
can such a road be built anywhere in
Pennsylvania, and at moderate eX-
pense? The answer is, that wherever
suitable stones are at all easily accessi-
BILE undoubtedly it can. A stone crush
er can be had, mounted upon wheels, so
as to be easily portable, and having an
elevator from II to Is feet in length,
for about $500 to $3.50. Where the dis
lance to haul does not exceed a mile
each way, these stones can be prepared
and put upon the road ready for the
public to travel, at cost not exceeding
65 cents per cubic yard.
Before the material is placed upon
the surface, the grading should be done,
so as to raise the road bed high enough
for proper drainage. In placing this
ballast, put it in the center of the road,
and have the grades fall off each way,
at a slope not exceeding one and a half
to two inches TO the yard, and upon
all ordinary country roads do not
spread the stones wider than seven feet.
The roads Of Pennsylvania can be piked
six inches thick, with finely broken
stones, in all districts where stones are
easily obtainable, for $441.60 per mile.
In other words, the $4,000 miles of road
in this state can be piked with the taxes
of 1896 in just nine years with no bond
ing of townships or increase of debt.
Professor Hamilton, who was for sew
eral years road supervisor gives some
practical advice on how to maintain a
good road. He says:
The greatest enemy to a good road
is neglect. Drains become clogged,
washes begin in the wagon tracks,
freezing and thawing loosens the SUI
race overloaded wagons tear up the bal
last ana start channels for water, and
every succeeding flood sweeps down
the roadway, instead of through the
slulces, often requiring the labor and
taxes or an entire year to repair the
loss, whereas, a little attention at the
proper time would have preserved the
whole intact and have kept it in good
condition for public use. Lack of at
tention at the proper time is the great
defect in our present system of public
roads, entailing loss to the taxpayers
OF the state aggregating millions of dol
lars, and which, if continued, will eff
fectually prevent the possibility of good
roads for all time to come. Any road
law that does not provide for the con-
slant and Intelligent care of our high
ways AFTER they have been constructed,
is defective in its most vital part"
THE BLIND Birdie EDUCATION