The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-05-18
Good Roads.

BELOW we publish a letter on the
.,,o,,d roads auession, addressed to the
Franklln Sun BY Mr.. Hicks. who rep
resented that parish at the Good Roads
Convention held in New Orleans at
the close. of last month. MIR. Hicks
shows in his letter that good roads can
he built and maintained at very little
cost with the improved machinery now
in use. The matter of public roads is
OF paramount interest, and now that
we have seen what can be done, the
good roads question ought to be solved.
We should take advantage of the OPP
nortunity, and make the start imme-
diately, without further delay, in the
direction of improving our road ways.
MIR. Hicks in his letter to the Sun in
what he saw at New Orleans and
Natchez, says:
With pleasure represented our par
ish at The Good Roads Convention held
in New Orleans on the 29th and 30th
ult. 1t was we'll attended by repre-
sentative delegates from nearly every
parish in the State, and firmly believe
this move will prove beneficial in Sc
curing better roads in our country.
aud especially in our own parish.
where. if properly constructed, we can
have as good dirt roads as can be made
in any part of the south.
saw in New Orleans a very tough
proposition in the way of building a
mile of road in the heaviest ''buck
shot" soil or deep black land. all done
by machinery drawn by mule power
which, when completed. was up to
date in every particular. ] was much
interested in this great work.
| spent two days with the Good
Roads people in Natchez, consisting Of
the President and Secretary of the Ma
tional Good Road Association, Senator
Dodge, representing the u. 5. Govern
| ment with headquarters in Washing
ton City, engineers, and agents repre-
senting machinery and reporters fol
the press. The train consisted of sew
cral cars containing all kinds of dir
moving machinery for both horse anc
steam power-ditching and rock crush
ing machinery. WITNESSED while there
the construction of piece OF road il
the high hills surrounding Natche;
] which was tiled where needed fol
drainage, and will be coated will
gravel later on. The trouble in the hill
country il to prevent washes, which
| makes these roads hard to maintain
With us it is quite different, as the al
important part of road building Il
! drainage.
An old road way in level country
| tsuch as we have) can be constructed
at an actual cost, not exceeding $50
per mile with the requisite Implement
as follows: / Brinley road pillow. al
Austin grader and roller, the cost O
which would not exceed 500. 1t i:
thus seen that we can construct an up
to-date road at very reasonable cost
4 Once built, the minimum cost OF main
taining would be small. The small
bridges, not to exceed 10 or II feet IL
! length, could be made on the grount
of concrete. consisting of two parts o
gravel and / part of Portland cement
on the same order as an arch of an un
foreground cistern is built. All these
Improvements are now in the reach o.
the people.
The question is: Have we th'
progress to join in this great onward
movement and have thoroughfares thai
we will be proud of in the near fu
turepn Methinks hear silent toned
voice from our grand little parish
.We have" Then let MS at once fall
| in line and march in the procession o.
progress.