The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-03-05
Good Combination Roads.

At a dinner given to General Stone,
in st. Louis, at the time Of the recent
Good Roads Convention, the general
spoke, as follows, concerning what is
good road for general purposes: |
'The science Of bodybuilding is
steadily developing ond, so far, expert:
ence has shown that the very best road
in the world, in good weather, is the
dirt road. When it is either dry or
frozen it makes the best road known.
For this reason it is the rule on the
most modern roadways to have dirt
road running alongside of the paved
roadway, and in some instances the
paved roadway has dirt road on each
side of it. to be used in good weather.
It is remarkable, on roads built in this
fashion, how many days in the year
the dirt roads do the best possible ser
vice, and the wear and tear on the
paved portion of the road is thus
saved. Besides this, wet weather IS
the time when travel over the paved
road does it the least harm, for the
vehicles then press down the rock and
stone into place, instead Of scattering
them, and by being used only in bad
weather, it lasts much longer.
"There is another argumentin favor
of building roads in this way, and that
is that instead Of paved or graveled
roadway, sixteen or more feet in width
it is only necessary to build it eigh,
feet wide. This reduces the Original
cost Of building the roads just one
half, and it has been found to answer
the purpose just as we'll, if not bettel
than a road twice it's width. How
about wagons passing each other
That is a natural question and simply
answered. One wagon turns out OF
the dirt road where two wagons meet
but. as two wagons seldom or neve
meet in exactly the same place, ther
is no danger of wearing deep hole o
rut in the dirt road.
Q .'The cost of building frst-clas
9 road of this kind recently, in Phlla
delphia, with inexperienced hands
+ and other unfavorable conditions, wa
J. $1,000 a mile. The same kind of roa
=, has been built for 5000, and even a
1 low as $500 mile. The railroad
'e everywhere appreciate the direct bel
Of Of eft that good roads are to the freigii
+ traffic on their lines, and have,
nearly every instance, when calle
.: upon, given the movement the me
~ hearty aid and cooperation. IF
Southern Railroad Company assure
me that it would be glad to haul Il
rock needed for constructing the roa
wavs. to stations along its lines,
the bare cost of hauling the cars.
"In collecting data on the $500
600, 600 annually, which bad roa
cost this country, I sent out ten tho
sand letters, both in this country a
abroad, and the figures are Civ
only after very careful estimate.
the State of Iowa the farmer hal
thirty bushels in load when, ii
roads we're good, he ought to haul
:, in one load. That single instar
tells the story in greater or less
gree of the bad roads throug bout
:. country. That 5000, 900, 900 loss ev'
6 year, through bad roads, is tax
only on the farmer, but on everybo'
Ifnd, in my experience, that one
the most difficult things which
promoters of good roads have to
and especially those who live in
cities, is to prove to the farmers t
their interest in good roads in
inc 70 country is a real and personal
. IN The farmer has paid the tax OF
roads, and has suffered from it so
'uo' that he finds it difficult to believe
alan he is to receive aid from people wi
'unt he has formerly believed had very