The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-04-24
ROAD BUILDING

Hon. j. o. Sanford OF Stamford met the
road commissioners of Washington county
in the small dining room III the Pavilion
at eleven O'Clock to discuss permanent road
building and kindred subjects of interest to
makers OF highways.
Those present ut the forenoon session
were g.. W. Pratt, Berlin J. M. South
wick, Cabot; l.. q. Parker, Calais; y. II.
Dudley, East Montpelier; Charles Buxton,
Marshfield; d. M. Derby, Northheld j. G.
Plsinfieldi V. d. Griffith, Warren; l.. E,
Hanks, Warren; L. A. Childs, Moretown
A. j. Patterson, Duxbury; q. A. Mansfield,
Waterbury; K. e. Chandler, Worcester.
j. M. Southwick of Cabot, and l.. A.
Childs OF Moretown gave their experience
In expanding the State tax in building per-
manent roads, and the Construction OF Gull
verts.
Stone culverts were considered best when
we'll built, but these commissioners had
had fair success with tile. TIE tile is liza
BILE to burst by freezing unless a constant
current OF water passes through it. The
| tile makes cheap and profitable culvert
when carefully and properly laid.
g. w. Pratt oil Berlin and j. @. Rice OF
| Northheld also gave their experience along
| similar lines All the speakers were inter-
rogated by MI. Sanford in a manner to bring
out the most interesting and important
points Of the subject under consideration.
Mr.. Rice was opposed to tile culverts and
| sideways. Freezing breaks and spoils
| the tile. A stone culvert, in his opinion, Is
| the only proper calvert to build. Joseph
Bartlett OF Plsinfield described the method
| OF building permanent roads In Plainheld
which had proved very successful The ex.
pense OF building was about SO per rod
Mr.. Bartlett had no use for tile for culverts
| preferred stone.
L. E. Hanks of Warren thought gravel
best for permanet roads in his town. He
/ int a ct ~
| DDS OF work in town with rocky and billy
highway.
| The forenoon session closed with an in
| formal discussion of winter work on high
ways.
| At the afternoon session State commits
sioner Sanford spoke of The improved roads
Of the State since the work Of road building
was taken from the hands Of the selectmen
| and placing 1t in the hands Of one commits
sioner. He referred to the value of per-
manent roads for which the five per cen,
State tax is expended. A greater pressure
| is brought this year than ever before to see
that this money if properly expended. Mr.
Sanford expressed his pleasure at meeting
| 30 many OF the commissioners OF the county
| and urged their cooperation with him in
| this work. Without such cooperation and
without these county meetings for consult.
alton the work would largely be failure.
Commissioner Sanford then Introduced
Prof. j. W. Votey of Burlington who spoke
on road drainage. Travel on the country
| roads, as rule, does not wear them out, il
Is the imperfect drainage that does the dam
| age.
| Drainage work is OF two classes, tina,
which takes care OF surface drainage, and
| that which has to do with the water in the
| subsoil. Prof. Votey spoke in detail of the
| construction of water bars in hill towns
and gave interesting examples Of such bars
| properly and improperly constructed.
Considerable attention was given by Prof
| Votey, to shaping roads, side ditch drain
| ing, and under drainage. II under drain
| age is properly done 1t will last for all time
This is not 80 with surface drainage, it mus
| be attended to each year. A certain amount
| OF maintenance mus be done every spring
that the road may improve year by year
We make better mscadsm roads in this
| country than they do abroad, notwithstand
ing the reputation Of foreign roads. The
| trouble in this country Is we build piece
Of permanent road and call 1t done, while In
France, for instance, when the road is com
pleted the work Is just begun, they 60 on
improving them year by year.
Prof. Votey closed his interesting remarks
with reference to the proper and improper
use Of the road machine.
| Commissioner Sanford followed Prof
| Votey with an informal talk reviewing the
| ideas advanced by the different speakers
| and urging the commissioners pre- sent to dc
all in their power to improve the highways
Of Vermont,
Commissioner Q. B. Roberts OF Montpe-
lier was called upon, and gave clear, sue
| clint description OF the manner in which he
has built and cared for the streets OF this
| city, that are acknowledged to be among
the best kept in the State.