The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-07
How to Have Good Roads.


of constructing better roads, her exam
other states. The system which the
commissioners in this state have adopt
ed of building one-mile sections in diff
ferent parts of the state is that they
are all parts of one general plan, sim
ply links in the chain and when COM
pleted and joined will make continuous
good roads through the state each way,
east, west, north and souLh-a work
that will contribute greatly to the pros
perity of this state. l believe every
branch of industry, agricultural, manu-
featuring and commercial, will be slim
ulated and made more productive by it.
Good roads are special benefit to the
country districts, where the demand is
for better roads than the town can af-
ford to build and maintain. Prices of
farm products are fixed at the great
cities, centers of consumption and dis
tribution, and are largely beyond the
farmers control, and the cost of trans
portation is principal factor in deter
mining whether there is any profit for
him or not. The difference between
good and bad roads is often the differ
ence between profit and loss, to farm
ers situated far from market.
1t has been my privilege for the past
year to be in position to see and
know, in practical way, the manner
and methods of construction of these
state roads, in different parts of this
state, as now being built. 1 am con-
WINGED that to construct roads intelli-
gently requires good degree of pro-
fessional skill, but not that alone.
Technical engineering must yield to
practical common sense methods in
dealing with the problems constantly
being met with in the varied conditions
in road building, such as variety of
soil-hilly, wet, clay land that is neces-
sary to thoroughly drain, and in some
sections loose sand and in others good
gravel, and everywhere is to be met the
destructive effect of the elements and
the deep frost, which work great in
jury to an improperly built road. Eco
nomic conditions must also be consid-
cred. Nearly all of these state roads
are the main thoroughfares radiating
from the business centers, where there
is large amount of travel, making it
necessary to build substantial and ex-
pensive roads, with view to constant
increase of travel. But good engi-
neering does not consist in expanding
large sums but in building the best pos.
sible roads with the least amount of
money, although the opposite some
times appears to be the case.
The preparation of the subgrade or
roadbed, making it suitable for the
broken stone, is first in order. 1t is to
be bought to the grade line and with
the same crown as the finished road
way, then rolled with a roller of not
less than ten tons weight, until hard
and compact as possible, all depressions
being filed 30 that the stone will be of
uniform thickness. Then it is ready
for the first course of broken stone of
four inches in thickness, which is as
thick as will roll to the best advantage.
This course is then rolled until compact
enough not to be disturbed by the
empty teams passing over it. Then it
is ready for the second course of the
same thickness, to be treated in the
same manner as the first, care always
being taken to roll from the outside
towards the center. With this course
the shoulders OF gravel are to be rolled
and it is then ready for the last course
OF screenings or dust. Care must be
taken in putting this on; it should be
spread just thick enough to cover the
broken stone and fill the spaces between
them, then watered and rolled until the
mud shall flush to the surface. This
works the dust down between the stone,
making a solid compact waterproof
roadbed.
The above description applies to
roads built entirely of macadam, but
where there are soft places or wet clay
or springy land, it is first drained by
putting in tile drain pipe, then Telford
paving is used. This consists of stones
four to ten inches in width and six to
twenty inches in length and not less
than eight inches in depth, placed YER
tically and lengthwise across the road
way, making a firm pavement when
driven down and rolled. Upon this the
broken stone is placed and treated as
before stated. During all of the work
from the beginning, teams should not
be allowed to pass over it unless abso-
lutely necessary, as any disturbing of