The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-12-29
ENGLISH HIGHWAYS.
vow THEY ARE BUILT AND MAIN.
1AiNED.

ltonc Drokcn by rgnnd Is Superior 60 the
Product of Tock Crushcr - Constant
Caro- Needed TO Keep the Surface IN
Good Condition. Cost of Maintenance.
/ have been for IL years one of the
way wpldcns Of this parish, and conse-
quently anu thoroughly conversant with
the maintenance OF roads, though their
construction was before my time, says
John II. Fox, Devices, England, in
Mexico independent. We have two
classes Of road, main and parish, Tho
main roads aro "a feet wide, and were
constructed under tho old turnpike sys-
tenn form 150 years ago. They are "a
feet wide, as rule, OF solid stone, 12
inches thick in center and z to at
tables, with footpath at each side
from TO feet i'll addition.
In the parish road the total width If
20 feet. Of which about 12 to IA is stone
and tie sides greensward. In all cases
the al thorities have power to drain the
roads into adjacent private property and
the landowner rust gct rid Of ihe sur
face water az hos5 he can. Oar drainage
runs through suitable trenches cut in
the greensward into the bitches Of tho
private owners parallel With the road
on each side, and one Of the duties, and
net the least important, Of the surveyor
is to see that these bitches and trenches
are kept in good order, so TINT the road
may be always kept dry
TO build good road the surveyor
will first have to shape it ard provide
for water tables and thorough drainage
and then put over the whole road stones
broken uniformly 10 rational" size,
and these should then be rolled in with
a steam roller, if possible, beginning at
sides of the road aud working toward
the center, so us to keep perfectly uni
form curve throughout. The curve must
be as slight as possible to carry of the
water effecSually; il the road is too
round, all the traffic will seek the mid
die of tho road, and il three or four
months the road would be what the
road men call "dished" Here the water
would stand in pools and soon rot the
road cut.
] may mention that we employ none
but hand broken stones Of rational
size. They cost Gbout one-half more
chan we give for machine brokon stones,
and last twice as long; in fact, we
would give double, il necessary, rather
than use machine broken stope, because
tko rC suit is so much moro satisfactory,
The latter do net bind or consolidate
half rs we'll
1t is important that the stone, what
ever its nature, he small enough and as
uniform in Giao as possible.
The best road that can lie made will
soon so to pieces unless 1t is constantly
looked after by some competent man,
On the main roads we pay by the day
regular rond men 9s. Gil. u day, and the
parish roads are let III lengths of from
three TO five miles to laboiing men, who
do all tho work under supervision Of tho
surveyor, but are separately paid for
breaking the stcne, which is laid down
at the side Cf the road On the sward, III
suitable lots, during TIE spring and
summer, and broken at their conven-
ienco before November, when they COM
mencc putting it cn.. :.
ways) were mado ty Separate groups Of
turnpikcs. under separate acts of par
liament, and the money was collected
by toll to repay the borrowed capital
With interest and TO mcintain the
reads, but tho toll system was too ex-
pensive.--it cost as much to collect the |
tolls as TO maintain tho roads and pay |
of the annual installment Of debt and |
interest. So now, the debts having beer
all paid off, they tire entirely maintained |
by late-.the main roads oGt Of the
country rate, and tho parish roads by
direct highway rate. The rates run to
about | shilling III the pound, That is
10 say the uct latGble yalac of the house
! occupy is ESQ; consequently ray so
shillings year toward maintaining tho
roads. IL towns it of coursc costs more,
because they have paved footpaths and
moro traffic on the roads.