The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-05-11
FOR GOOD ROADS.


al New Orleans last week, is already
doing much good, Monroe, Lara
yette and Jennings in ours State
and several counties in Mississippi
have strongly endorsed the move
ment. which will be continued until
the object is accomplished. The
rnral districts are the sections of
country mostly affected by bad
roads. which received most of the
attention at the convention. A
great many papers were read on the
manner In which roads should be
built, the kind of machinery to be
used, how local taxation for road
!. banding should be raised &c.
Hon. A. w. Campbell, deputy
.minlster of public works for the
provincial government of Ontario
and instructor in good roads at
Toronto, delivered one of the most
practical addresses of the conven-
ton. He suggested remedies, and
among other things said:
"Our roads are bad because they
have been neglected. We bare never
taken that amount of intelligent,inter
est 10 the work which we should. We
have never organized for the purpose
OF considering efficient methods for do
ing the work. We know about how
roads should be prepared, and we do
This In careless aud Indifferent man.
ner. only trying to keep them in a
fairly passable condition. This is pos
sibly the first time Ia century that
the people of these states have assem-
bled for thepurpose OF discussing In a
business manner ways and means
for procuring better roads. Many
things must be considered. That is
the system under which we are now
working. How is the cost leviedP
What results are being producedp Are
these results consistent with the out
layP Is the Improvement OF our roads
consistent with ourrequirements? Are
we employing the best plans for doing
the workp Are we using implements
and tools most suitable for the making
OF those roads in the easiest, cheapest
and quickest time?
prom what can learn Of your
work, as Il general thing. you should
make some radical changes in your
present system or good roads cannot
be expected. Every parish should have
prepared plan OF the parish. showing
all the roads. These roads should be
classified according to their import
ance.
Main roads should be graded to a
width Of "a feet; roads of secondary
Importance should be made 20 feet
vide In grade. and the least travelled
should be Is feet. These widths should
be marked on plan and should be
followed in all future work. Specif-
cations should be prepared, showing
how the road should be shaped. AL
roads should be rounded or crowned.
This crown should be 3-4 of an inch in
sand aud inch in clay; land from the
side-of the grade TO the center, and
this crownng should be done BY grad
ing machines drawn BY mule, or steam
power traction engine OF seventeen
horse power is the cheapest.
"Evcry grade should contain dry
and unyielding foundation. This is Sc
cured BY placing 5-inch porous tile
drain down the center of the grade, or
q 3-inch tile on each side of the grade. !
In retentive soil such as exists through |
out this section, absolute drainage is all
important. 1t should be remembered
that the three ruling principle to be
observed in road making are. first,
drainage; second, drainage, and third.
drainage---that is first dram the foun-
datlon BY using tile; second. drain the
surface by browning, to shed the water
from the center. and make side cutters
to carry this water away to natural
outlets, aud third, make the surface
hard and compact, so as to be as near
rs possible impermeabe to water.
AFTER the road has been graded. 1t
should be thoroughly rolled with a
heavy roller, so as to compact and
harden the surface to prevent creation
OF ruts and depressions that will hold |
water. After long seasons of rain the
grading machine should be run over
earth roads, once properly graded, so
as TO level the surface and fill all the
ruts made by wheels. Timber for
culverts should bediscontinued. and in
small sluices on cnlverts concrete pipes
should be used; those can be used mp to |
5 feet in diameter. Those pipes can
be made by the person in charge on
the ground. They are simply mix
ture of Portland cement aud clear,
coarse sand, mived carefully. The |
molds are made of spring steel. and
are very SIMPLE and inexpensive. Gull
verts made OF concrete are practically
indistructible for wide sluices, or cul-
verts made of the same material for
concrete arches. The labor tax should
be abandoned and rate on the dollar
levied for road purposes This should
be expended by competent supervis-
ors.
The worst and most Destructive