Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-08-06
\ ROAD N ILLINOIS
From Gu--i Reals

grade cost the users: Or hat effect has
grade OH the traffic? What would it -
worth 10 the users % road to have 4
lighter grade How far would you ~
JUSTIFIED in spending money to 20 around
hill To avoid going over II:
Al ether tAin-s hela- ,4U..l. the farm
line is the place Tor the road. In the
middle west, especially in the prairie
states. the section line Was generally u
good as any other. hat in the hill com
tries the locator ought NOT to be re-
qulred TO locate en- division line sim
ply because Il : some one : farm line.
In the study of grades, the direction
Of the heaviest traffic should he consid-
cred Most Of oar market towns are IN
the lewlands, while producing districts
are higher up Obviously, a hill town
which ~ load must pass = not So obj~s-
tlonable as one which load must a.
cend- You would not spend - much
money nor Use SO much distance to re-
ducc grade which i down for most Of
the traffic rs you would for one which
must be assembled by the loaded teams
Enough undulatlon in road FOR good
drainage j. desirable, but heavy uudula-
ton causes NOR loss of horsepower and
waste q time than any other one mis-
take of the road locator. To coup a hill
just - 20 down again ought u be avoid
ed, vet that - what We are dong on
most q our hl!l roads,
Tho lc.Atur. when laying out roads
connecting places II different attitudes,
should eudcavvr not 70 lose grad, that
is, when the grad has hoou brought
down t. the des!rvd level, keep II there;
or. ii II 49, reached the desired attitude,
do not 60 down AGAIN.
We ought 70 r. willing u make CON
siderable distance 10 avoid making Al
upgrade in the direction II heaviest
traffic sleeper than pr ceut Grades
up T. 10 and - feet u 100 ..t l.t IN
common N mountain districts, bot they
are had for any bat light traffic keep
your long grad line blow 3 Ter cent,
If possible, or II they must - s-e-.per,
break thc line occasionally with snort
distance q easier grade
II sometimes occurs that valley -1ad
miles long has one or Two bad hills in
its way This i the place 10 spend YOUR
money - rcJae. grade etyh, ~ digging
down or go.ns around. for this one hill
determines the hauling capacity Of your
teams, which might haul two tons over
the miles Il nearly level valley rad and
but half "a ton over the hill y road
leading from one town t. another, or
from densely populated district 10
market or through manufacturing dis
trlcJs. ought TO have lower grades tn III
simple nelghborho-oi roads
The traffic determines neither il Will
pay 70 80 arosnd "a hill or over Il Ii it
Is "a poor road, those who use It must
suffer for II, either by hauling mora
loads or increasing horsepower. Avoid
dead level roads unless they can b. well
drained Avoid Swanlps II possible Il
is very expensive 70 build good road
through marsh and expensive to main
tain.
Do not lose sigh, Of the drainage
question II is easy enough TO drain
where grades are, but dead level valley
roads are too often . little earth thrown
up between two long frog ponds Drain
these of if possible, for, depend upon
IT. drainage is the soul Of a good road.
Avoid crossing streams whenever
possible, Bridges add much to the cost
If q road
In general, keep your grades as low
IS you can consistently with the purposes
for which the road is built, and the
ability Of the people 10 pay for work.
not forgetting that the better the loca-
Son the less il viii cost to build and
maintain the road
Some persons think that the day Of
the road horse Is about ended, and the
roads should be located and built 10 suit
sone sort Of motor. l do not share the
belief The horse viii be with as a good
long time yet. but road thai is good
fr- Ic-ass = ~,sl1.l F0r a. ~ him. 5lra