Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-01-06
GOOD ROADS.
Great Showing made by Com
missioner ". B. Wall.
.112 MILES WAS BUILT
During the past year in Ver>
mont. Interest saved.

Vergennes, Jan. 6.-The farmers
meetings which closed here Friday
have been one of the most successful
series ever held in Addison county.
The board of agriculture now employs
only practical men to speak upon the
various subjects and what they say
has direct application to the farm
er's business. Anew, and what prov
ed to be very popular feature intro
duced at these meetings, was an adj
dress on Good Roads by State High
way Commissioner Wall of Randolph.
Mr.. Wall is new man before the
farmers, and he confined himself large
ly to what had been done, rather than
any theoretical treaties on road build
ing says the Free Press.
Special emphasis was laid on the fact
that the effort was not to institute a
given system of extensive roads
throughout the State, but the State
had appointed commissioner for the
purpose of seeing that the discarded
stone wall, granite and marble chips,
the sand bank or clay soil in the diff
ferent locations of the State were put
into permanent work on Vermont
highways so far as the State tax raised
for that purpose, was able to do it.
He told how by proper drainage and
the use of clay in one Vermont town.
strip of sandy road that had been
known as a horse killer for decades,
had been made into a piece of road as
solid and permanent as any macadam
road in existence.
One surprising fact brought out was
the amount that has been accomplish
ed by State supervision during the
past year. Mr.. Wall stated that if
all the permanent roadway built dur
ing the past season could be placed to-
gether we would have a permanent
roadway 112 miles in length, or solid
road reaching from Burlington to Bel
lows Falls. This is greater showing
than for the whole period from 1892 to
1898, the time requiring per cent.
State highway tax has been on the
statute books.
This, too has been accomplished at
practically no expense to the State for
the present commissioner is not au-
thorized to issue voucher which
will allow the State tax to be drawn
until the permanent road work has
been completed and inspected and the
saving in interest has been consider.
ably more than enough to pay the
g commissioner salary. That great
interest was shown in the subject was
= evidenced by the questions which
were asked at the close and the ready
q answers given showed that Mr.. Via
(: was fully conversant with his subject
i After a few Introductory remarks
Mr.3Viall showed that in productive
!: soil, beautiful scenery, pure water
good schools and able men and womer
Vermont is leading state and the
only thing lacking is good highways
Good roads are profitable, both fol
J the health and temper of citizen
increase the value of his real estate
and are of distinct financial advan
tage in enabling him at the same ex
pense to accomplish four times al
much work on the same highway
where for a century hundreds upor
hundreds of dollars had been expend
ed in only temporary repairs ant
without increasing one whit the util
ity of the road for hauling purposes.
The first thing to be sought for il
making good roads is, in my Judge
ment good drainage; then you mus
build taking into account the soil AM
the material you can obtain. Th
best material for permanent roa
making is, undoubtedly stone, mex
to that gravel I think; if the soil
sandy, which makes it as hard 70
I teams as mud, use clay and gravel
which generally makes very goo
roads.
No road should be less than 13 fee
wide, SO that two teams can pas
without breaking off, the cente
should be higEenough to let the waite
drain Off the road. Should the Ian
be SO low as to make drainage impra'
ticable, i would advise raising the roa
until sufficient drainage can be ol
Q tained by ditching in the center
the road, four feet wide and two fes
deep, making every few rods, tt