St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-09
TAKING A DIRT ROAD.


the first thing to consider in construct
ing a road is to build it so that the wa
ter will run off. This is accomplished
by building it high in the middle or
"crowning" it and giving the entire
road surface hard, smooth finish.
Water always runs down hill, and 1t
will readily run off of any road If 1t
be but given an opportunity to do SO.
The fault with too many OF our ROADS
is that the water cannot run off. Pass
ing wagons and horses hoofs are per-
mitted to wear them down until ruts
are formed. These hold the water and
allow it to sink into the ground, which
becomes softened, so that continued
travel makes matters worse and
worse.
The problem of building roads which
will shed water has been solved by
the road grader or road machine. The
American farmer is quick to realize
the value Of machinery and the rapid
growth in the use Of the reaper, the
binder and the separator is an elo-
quent tribute to the practical genius
of American agriculture. The growth
of the use of road graders has been
wonderful during the last few years
and indicates that the farmer has dis
covered practical solution Of the
problem how to build his local dirt
roads.
But something more is needed to
make a thoroughly good road besides
a road machine. TO properly finish
dirt road made with the use OF
grader it should be thoroughly rolled
and hardened. 1t is not sufficient that
ii be crowned, but it should be made
hard and smooth. The same thing is
true of gravel roads. This can be best
accomplished with the use Of rollers.
Horse rollers weighing from five to
eight tons are most frequently used
for the purpose All loose stones
should be removed from the road sur
face before rolling, as well as sods,
turf, leaves, sticks or any other mat
ter that will tend to soften the road
bed. A road that is thoroughly and
repeatedly rolled is well fitted to stand
the wear of travel and can be made
into a perfect watershed.
The use Of machinery in building
roads has been seriously handicapped
by its cost 1t is frequently thought
wrong that farmers should be obliged
to tax themselves for the purchase of
road graders and road rollers in addi-
ton to having to stand the regular
road tax. There is much justice in
this position, for the average farmer
pays his full share of taxes, and these
should not be added to or increased
without some very excellent reason.
But the farmers of the United States
are badly in want of good roads, and
the clamor for their construction Is
growing from year to year. Quite
number Of towns have solved the road
machinery problem by voting to pay
their taxes in cash instead of working
them out and using part of this fund
for the purchase of machines, which
avoids the necessity Of levying an ex-
ira tax for the purpose. This plan has
been adopted in New York and Wis
consin and probably elsewhere. The
town clerk of West Chester Westches-
ter county, n. Y, says it has always
been followed there. In the town of
Walton. Delaware county, n. Y, the
cash road tax was adopted in 1889.
Some years later the taxpayers voted
by large majority against returning
to the old system of working out the
tax. James Hill, chairman town Of
Baraboo, in Wisconsin, reports that in
1895 the town adopted the plan Of pay
ing its road taxes in cash. He de-
clares that "our people think we have
accomplished more the past year under
the cash system than we did in four
years under the old labor system"
Similar results are reported from
many other towns in Wisconsin and
New York.
Road taxes may be collected in cash
without hardship to the poorer farm
ers, who may desire to continue work.
ing out their share of the taxes as
heretofore. Only part of the tax would
ever be required during any one year
to pay for machinery, and the re-
mainder would be employed to hire
men and teams for operating the ma
chimes. Thus the poorer taxpayers are
given employment at good wages, and
the town officers are in position to Sc
cure dollars worth of work for ev-
cry dollar of tax, which has been i'm
possible in many towns under the old
system of working out taxes. This
explains the growing popularity Of the
cash road tax and the fact that few
towns have ever abandoned it after
giving it a fair trial. Experience has
shown that more can be accomplished
with 81 of road tax paid in cash than
with 50 or even So of tax worked out
on the highway. This has made II
| possible to make large reduction In
, the amount of the tax.
g This matter of paying road taxes In
] cash Is something that should be left
| to the vote of the people in each town
1t is essentially subject for loca
home rule. The plan Is being more
2 generally adopted, however, as its ad
vantages continue to become bette
known. 1t will probably result in tn,
vprv pppcrol ucp IF road pvo doris roll