The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-17
BUILDING GOOD ROADS
Reign of the Automobiles Adds In
terest 10 the Work.
The Owners of Horseless Vehicles to
forts to secure n Good surface and
Grades ON the Country Thorough
fares-vIews Of Director EIdridge.

SuSH BIedt pIOiufneuCe III washington as
vehicle Of pleasure. interest has again
been aroused in the better condition Of the
roads leading out Of the city and. together
with the large number OF bicyclisss. the
owners Of the horseless vehicles have be-
come very much interested in the good
ROADS movemen. -,-..si by the wheelmen.
arrangement ar. being made TO again
sur up the suburban and rural property
owners to the great Importance and the
vast amount OF benefit to be derived from
improved and up-to-date roads. Bad roads
constitute the greatest drawback to rural
lie, and as a matter Of fact for the lack
OF good roads the farmer suffers more than
any other class. 1t Is obviously unneces-
sary therefore to attempt to discuss the
benefits to be derived by them from i'm
proved roads.
Suffice it to say. that those localities
where good roads have been built are be-
coming richer. more prosperous. and more
thickly settled. while those which do rot
possess these advantages in transportation
are sispsr at standstill or are becoming
poorer and more sparseIy settled II these
conditions continue, fruitful farms may be
abandoned and rich lands go to waste Life
on farm often becomes, as a result OF
"bottomless roads," isolated and barren
Of social enjoyments and pleasures, and
country people In some communities suf-
fer such great disadvantage that ambition
is checked. energy weakened, and industry
paralyzed.
Good roads, like good streets. maks
habitation along them most desirable. they
economic time and force in transportation
Of products. reduce wear and tear on
horses. harness. and vehicles. and enhance
the market value Of real estate. They
raise the value OF farm lands and farm
products and tend to beautify the country
through which they pass: they facilitate
rural mai! delivery, and are potent aid
to education. religion, and sociability.
Charles Sumner once said, THE read and
the schooImaster are the two most i'm
portant agents in advancing civilization"
The difference between good and bad
roads Is often equivalent to the difference
between profit and loss. Good roads have
money value to farmers as well as a
political and social value. aad leaving QUO
convenience. comfort. social and refined in
fiuences which good roads always enhance.
and looking at them only from the ar
mighty dollar" side. they are found to pay
handsome dividends each year.
People generally are beginning to realizs
that road building is public matter. and
that the best interests of American agrf-
culture and the American people as 4
whole demand the construction Of good
roads, and that money wisely expended for
this purpose is sure to return.
ut, OF course, requires practice. expe-.
rience, and a great amount of labor to
become perfect in the art Of road making"
said Maurice o. Eldridge, of the Agricul-
tural Department, to a reporter for The
Times. Soils of various kinds are trans
formed into beautiful roads and streets by
methods which conform to natures laws.
The art Of road building depends largely
for its success upon its being carried on
in conformity with certain general prin-
ciples.
1T is necessary that roads should be
hard, smooth, comparatively level, and mt
for use at all seasons Of the year; that
they should be properly located or laid
tut on the ground SO that their grade may
1e such that animate or inanimate power
nay be applied upon them to the best
advantage and without great loss Of
Energy; that they should be properly con-
tructed, the ground well drained, the
-oadbed graded. shaped and rolled and
hat they should be surfaced with the best
procurable: that they should be
maintained or kept constantly
n good repair.
"All Of the roads in the neighborhood
If Washington can be and doubtless will
De macadamized or otherwise improved
n the not distant future. Unless changes
are made. however. in the location OF
some of the roads it would be useless
Jolly to macadamize them. The chief Diff
fculty is not with the surface but with
the steep grades found in many places.
many of which are too long to reduce by
cutting and filing on the present lines
H.
cost more in many cases than relocating
them.
Many Of our roads were originally laid
,ut without any attention to general to-
geography. and in most cases followed the
settlers path from cabin to cabin, the
pig trail. or ran along the boundary lines
IF the farms regardless of grades or di-
-ection. Most Of them remain today where
hey were located years ago. and where
untold labor. expense. and energy have
been wasted in trying to haul over Them
and in endeavors to improve their de-
oiorable condition.
THE great error Is made OF continuing
70 follow these primitive paths with our
,ubiic highways. The right course is to
all in an engineer and throw the road
round the end or along the side OF steep
ILLS instead Of continuing to go over
hem or to pull the read up on dry.
old ground instead Of spiashing through
he mud and water Of the creek or swamp.
FOR more time and money have been
rasted In trying to keep up single mile
# one Of these pis-track' surveys than
I would take to build and keep In repair
wo miles OF good road.
Another and perhaps greater error Is
made by some persons in the West who
outinue to lay out their roads on section
Those al
18th sides running north. south. east. and
'est. A person wishing to cross the
ourtry in any other than these directions
lust necessarily do so in rectangular zig
lgs. II also necessitates very often the
rossing and recrossing of hills and val
'ys. which might be avoided IL the roads
ad been constructed on scientific prin-
piles.
I'm the prairie State Of Iowa, for ex-
nple. where reads are no worse than in
ANY other States. there is a greater num-
,r OF roads having much sleeper grades
ian are found in the mountainous Re-
ublic Of Switzerland. In Maryland the
Id stagecoaeh road or turnpike running
ON Washington to Baltimore makes
bee line" regardless of hills or valleys.
nd the grades at places are as steep as
or IL per cent. where by making little
etours the road might have been made
arfectly level, or by running 1t up the
Ills less abruptly the grade might have
cen reduced to or per cent, as is done
the hilly regions of many parts of this
nd other countries. Straight roads ars
lie proper kind to have. but in billy coun-
les their straightness should always be
lcrificed to obtain a level surface so as
, better accommodate the people who
Sc them.
Graceful and natural curves conforming
, the lay of the land add beauty to tho
Indscape, besides enhancing the value OF
roperty.
mot only do level curved roads add
eauty to the landscape and make lands