The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-06-05
GOOD ROADS NOTES.

According to Conway W. Sans, the
Chief Consul Of the Maryland Division
Of the League of American Wheelmen,
between $30O,0 and 100000 is be-
ing spent annually on Maryland roads
to no purpose.
The Good Roads Committee of the
Board Of Trade Of Saginaw, Mich, has
asked the State Legislature to amend
the County road law so as to provide
for special assessments, whereby the
course of road Improvements could be
charged against the property directly
benefited, instead of the entire cost
being general tax.
P. V. Collins, prime mover for
good highways in Minnesota, figures
out that the average cost Of hauling on
the average road in America is 81 per
ton for four miles, while in Europe it
is sixteen cents for the some load the
same distance, and anywhere it is less
than four cents q ton for four miles
hauled on steel rails.
An authority suggests that bill be
drawn requiring all new wagons and
new wheels to be made of certain
width tire, according to the load they
are built to bear, but permitting old
wheels to be used for period of, say,
five, and possibly ten years.
G. A. Clonser, OF Orlando, has in
vented bicycle path machine, which
is now being given practical test. It
resembles q cotton drag, only it has
convex lower surface, and has three
ribs arranged in V shape with the
apex pointing forward. The sharp
edges Of the ribs drag over the grass
and weeds and soon wear O smooth
path.
It is understood that the National
League of Good Roads will soon open
branch offices in New York, Chicago,
San Francisco, Omaha, Milwaukee and
Atlanta, which will cooperate with the
headquarters in Washington, and
which will have full supply of good
roads literature published by the Gov
crament
The county commissioners Of Jeffer-
son county, Ohio, have adopted and
put into execution the following regu-
Iations for the protection Of improved
roads from heavy burdens: Wagons
with 1-2-inch tires not more than 1900
pounds; l S-4-inch tires, 100 pounds;
pinch tires, 1000 pounds; 3-inch tires,
$500 pounds; 3 1-2-inch tires, $500
pounds; 4-inch tires, $500 pounds; 4
1-2-inch tires, $500 pounds; 5-inch
tires, $500 pounds; 6-inch tires, 1900
pounds.
The Secretary Of the National Far
mers' Congress has figured out that
the agriculturists of this country need
lessly expend S6OO,0O0,0 1000 year in
moving farm products over the bad
roads of the United States.
In the whole territory Of Alaska
there ore only sixteen miles Of roads,
according to a recently published
statement.
1t is not an uncommon thing in
France to see a farmer forty or fifty
miles from home in wet weather with
a heavy load. The rain has no effect
on the highways of the French repub.
lie, and the farmers choose just such
weather for long hauling, protecting
the load with tarpaulin.
The plan pursued by the New Jer-
aey people is pronounced the best
method that has as yet been developed:
The people in the neighborhood who
want their highways improved agree
to pay an assessment Of ten per cent.
if the county does the work, and the
State bears one-third of the expense.
According to an authority permanent
good highways can be built at an ex-
pense Of $4,000 per mile. There have
been so many highways built at an ex'
pense as great as this which failed to
be permanent improvement that the
farmers are rather chary Of expanding
SO much money.
Chief Consul Sans, Of Maryland,
who intends to deliver. addresses on
the subject Of good roads throughout
that State, has received. an interesting
letter from H. B. Messenger, of Fed.
eralsburg, on the subject Of good
roads in Caroline County. Mr.. Mes.
senger says that the great need in the
country is broader tires on vehicles.
The narrow tires now in use cut roads
to pieces as soon as they are made.
He favors law giving q bonus fol
wide tires, and when the wide tire is
adopted he thinks that there should
be law prohibiting the use Of others
y Giant Sewing Machine. s''N
I A giant sewing machine has been
finished lat Leeds, England. The
machine, which is to be used for at
taching cotton betting, weighs five
and quarter tons. :
Raising onions in Kansas is better
than growing corn to burn. A farmer
r. T. -