The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-10-03
FARM AND GARDEN.
ENGLISH ROAD MAKING.
The System Described by John X. Fox, of
Devices, England.

The System Described by John X. Fox, of
Devices, England.
L have been for u years one of the
way wardens of this parish, and conse-
quently am thoroughly conversantwith
the maintenance of roads, though their
construction was before my time. We
have two classes of road, main and
parish. The main roads are 81 feet
wide, and were constructed under the
old turnpike system from $50 years ago.
They are "a feet wide as a rule, OF
solid stone. II inches thick in center
and seven to eight at tables, with either
a footpath at each side from three to
six feet in addition.
In the parish road the total width is
20 feet. of which about u to II is stone
and the sides gr~eensward. In all cases
the authority has power to drain the
roads into adjacent private property
and the land owner must get rid of the
surface water as best he can Our
drainage runs through suitable
trenches cut in the greensward into the
bitches of the private corners parallel
with the road on each side; and n of
the duties, and not the least important,
of the surveyor is to see that these
bitches and trenches are kept in good
order. so that the road may be always
kept dry.
To build a good rOad the surveyor
VIII first have to shape it and provide
for water tables and thorough drain
age, and hen put over the whole road
stones broken uniformly to a ration
al" size. and these should then he rolled
in with a steam roller, if possible. be
ginning at sides of the road and work
ing toward the center, 50 as to keep a
perfectly uniform curve throughout.
The curve must be as slight as posi-
BILE to carry off the water eIfectuailT-
if the road is too round all the traffic
will seek the middle of the road. II in
three or -four months the road would
be what the roadmen call "dishcd."
Here the watcrwould stand in pools and
soon rot the road out.
may mention that W. employ none
hut ~hand-broken stones of Il rational
size. They cost about one-half more
thanwc give for machine broken stones,
and last twice as long. in fact. we would
give double, if necessary. rather than
use machine broken stone, because the
result is so much more satisfactory.
The latter do not bind or consolidate
half as well.
1t is important that the stone, what
ever its nature, he small enough, and
as uniform in size as possible.
The best road that can be made viii
sOon 20 to pieces unless it is constantly
looked after by some competent man.
On the main roads we pay by the day
regular road men two shillings and six
pence a day. and the parish roads are
let in lengths of from three to five
miles to laboring men, who do all the
work under supervision of the surveyor,
but are separately paid for breaking
the stone, which is laid down at the
side of the road on the sward, in suit
able lots, during the spring and sum-
mer, and broken at their convenience
before November, when they COM
meme putting it on.
All our main roads Queens high
waysl were made by separate groups
of turnpikes. under separate acts of
parliament, and the money was collect
ed by toll to repay the borrowed capital
with interest, and to maintain the
roads. but the toll system was too eX-
pensive-it cost as much to collect the
tolls as to maintain the roads. and pay
off the annual installment of debt and
interest. So now. the debts having
been all paid off, they are entirely main
tanned by rate, the main roads out of
the country rate, and the parish roads
by direct highway rate. The rates run
to about one shilling in the pound.
That is to say. the net rateable value of
the house I occupy is $50, consequent
ly l pay 80 shillings a year toward main
tanning the roads. In towns it, of
course. costs more. because they have
paved foot-paths and more traffic Oh
the roads.-MeXico Independent.