Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-29

No country suffers more from having
roads all cut up In ruts than Texas.
Especially Is this so IN the black prni-
rle countries. This Is done by heavy
loaded wagons, az rule, and they are
kept "a by these Wagons FOR n long
time after the rainy season is over
How would wide tires act?
live about six miles from Rochester,
N. Y. writes s. NJ, Harris In the New
York Tribune. and am constantly driv-
ing between my home and the city,
and SO ] am not only very much In
terested In the question OF road i'm
provement. but have also had album
dant opportunity to observe the effects
OF weather and traf1lc upon our pres
ent gravel and earth roads, and ! have
recently been very much impressed
with the great Improvement effected
In the condition Of the roads simply by
the use OF wide tires ON loaded wag-
ons.
The city Of Rochester abs adopted on
ordinance compelling the use OF tires
four inches wide On all wagons &C.
signed to carry one ton or more. II.
therefore, often happens that some OF
the wagons with wide tires that are
used in the city, come out few miles
into the country. The consequence Is
n marked improvement IN the roads
near the city. which. on account Of the
heavy traffic on them, have always
been In much worse condition than
those further out In the country. These
wagons with wide tires. lnstead of cut
I ting into the road. leaving ruts and
I holes 10 catch and hold the water until
/ It soaks In and softens the whole road
! bed actually improves the road by
/ rolling II down hard and leaving II
smooth, 20 that any water that falls
4 on ,1sIg In lflTN
/ II such Is the effect OF few wagons
| with wide tires, what would be the re-
| suit of all wagons carrying heavy loads
were constructed In the same way l
| am fully convinced that nothing that
/ can be done would work so much i'm
! movement to our roads with go little
| expense as the use OF wide tires, Where
/ once tried, | think the wayfnrlng man,
! though he be q member OF our state
legislature, could not help but see the
great advantage to be derived from
! their use.
The idea of state aid In making road
Improvement is very popular among
! farmers who seem TO think that they
will get good roads In this way with
| mn amy trouble or expense to them
selves. But even ~ expensive rondbed'
were constructed they would soon b'
ruined unless the use OF narrow tires
was prohibited.
N seems TO me. therefore. that tbs
Nrst thing that should be done Is u
on ali wagons designed TO cary tor
enact state or county laws compelling
me use OF tires at least four inches wild
or more that are used on our publ
highways. After this Is dcne we cal
90 ahead and make all the improve
ments we can afford to, with the assur
nnre that the work we do viii not b.
rendered useless within few years.
obiectlon Ia often made 20 the us
NJ wide tires that they will not run u
the ruts, and therefore make the wag
ON run hard. But " al wagons Hh
n,ida tires there would not be any rut'
A wagon built with tires wide en9ap
40 keen the wheels from cutting mp
The road will obviously draw more en-
ily than one that ploughs through te
mud instead ~ runnlnR over ~
In England this use Of wide tires ~
been general for great many yegs
"a ~ his fact Is largely due the mg-
,inceni condition OF the roads tire
why are we so slow to adopt this ahy
and cheap method II inproyinslou'
roads?' >. and lore.
of,er roll over smooth roads with"iut
, tires.