The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-04-26
AGRICULTURAL.
Good Roads.

one of the most annoying as we'll as
the most necessary subjects the State
and the people have to deal with. Inn
mense sums in the aggregate are ex-
pended upon them, aud in many cases
the expense is seemingly thrown away.
If the money only showed good results,
there would be some satisfaction in its
use for the roads, but road repairs are
often but makeshifts.
The new departure taken by the
Legislature at its late session will be
watched with much interest. "Perma-
nent highway improvement has an
encouraging sound. If every year
few miles of main road in each town
could be put into really permanent
shape and kept good, it would be
great blessing. One of the great needs
of the country roads is to take daily
care of them; that is, to watch them as
railroad bed is watched, and just as
quick as they begin to wear or show
need of repair to do the work. Moth
ing could be more wasteful than to
spend few days once year on road
and then let it go all the rest of the
time. The water may begin to run and
wear, and twenty or fifty men see the
need of little work, but it is none of
their business, and so they let it alone.
Every rain washes it more and more,
, but still it is let alone until there comes
very hard rain, which tears up and
gullies out the road so that it takes
many hours and many dollars to repair
the destruction. A few minutes work,
few cents of expense, at the begin
ming would have stopped the washing
and have prevented all this.
Now why is it that shrewd CLOSE, cal
culating men, who sort of grudge every
cent paid for taxes, will consent to SUBJ
NIT to such conditions? If the farmers
of Vermont managed their farming as
the towns manage the roads, they
would all land in the poor house inside
of ten years. 1t is most amazing
thing that such communities as we find
in most Vermont towns can tolerate
the utterly unbusinesslike ways of road
repairing in vogue. A farmer, close
observer, recently remarked: ~ have
been cutting wood this winter by the
side of great railroad, and have had
an opportunity to see the way the road
is cared for One lesson TO be learned
from the railways is, and it would be a
good motto for road commissioner,
prompt repairs. A stitch in time saves
nine on road as surely as on gar
ment. In some way every mile of road
in every town ought to be watched by
men who are to make repairs in all
cases as soon as needed"
j. O. Sanford, whom everybody in
Vermont knows, has done some work
in this line and tells about it in brief
paper printed by the office of road in
9uiry of the United States department
of agriculture. Ask for circular No.
"a. 1t ought to be read by every tax
payer in the State, as it embodies some
of the most practical methods of keep
ing roads in repair which are within
reach of every town. Mr. Sanford was
appointed road commissioner one spring
and this was what he did: He divided
mp the town something after the fash.
ion of the old highway districts, ap-
pointing a competent man to take
charge of each section of the road.
Each man was directed to go over his
section of the road daily when the
snow was melting or when it was rain-
ing, and he was to carefully note any
beginnings of trouble and remedy them
at once. One stretch of six miles of
main road was placed in charge of a
man who was told to begin at one end
and work mile each day, the man
having horse and cart. 1t took good
deal to surmount the prejudice against
such a method of procedure, but in
the end this was accomplished. Mr..
cahtOlu SdJb' uoTo WAS muCl flQl-
Guile and prejudice against this system
of management for a time. The man
employed was instructed not to parti-
cipate in any discussion of the subject,
not to answer any questions relative to
the road or his work upon it, and to re-
frain from talking about the matter
generally on penalty of being dis
charged. Other people talked and rid
iculed, but the work went on, and af-
ter few weeks the condition of the
road improved, and people noticed the
fact. They also discovered that the
expense was not large; that all the
work done was remedying defects and
at the same time preventing greater
ones. And 80 the work went on and
prejudice died out. At the next an
nual town meeting the people without
opposition cor tinued the system, and
at hn 1an 10.