The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-16
The MONEY VAL lie
OF GOOD ROADS
Makes Property Worth From
30 to 100 P. C. More(
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
AS to Constructing and Repairing
Macadam Roads.
HOW VIDE TIRES SAVE THE ROAD BED
The Cost Of Repairs TO Streets and Roads in a
FW Years Guild be Cut Down so
to IS Per Cent by Use
Of Wide Tires.
(special 10 News and obseryer.l

Especial to News and Observer)
Washington D. c., June 15.-Hon. d. p
Hutchinson, of Charlotte, was a witness
today before the Industrial Commission.
He discussed fully and in detail the sub
iect of good roads and told what had been
accomplished in North Carolina. He
spoke IS follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen OF the
Committee: Allow me to thank you for
the compliment paid North Carolina,
Mecklenburg county and myself, by the
invitation given me to testify before you
in behalf of one of the greatest educa-
tional and commercial movements of the
closing years of the nineteenth century.
This movement for road improvement
started not in the country, as would seem
natural but in the towns, where it's
strongest advocates and supporters were
to be found. 1t was the citizens of Char
lotte who submitted to a road tax in adj
dition to their town taxes that made
possible the building of the first macadam
road in Mecklenburg county. The first
crushing plant in this county was bought
by the Trustees of Charlotte Township,
and placed in the hands Of the County
Commissioners, who had been construct
ing stone road with convicts, using
stone hammers, a slow and expensive
method.
1t has been the policy of Mecklenburg
county to build out from Charlotte OH the
main roads in rotation, a mile or more
at a time, this was thought best as
everyone coming to town would have the
use of mile or so of good road, and this
plan has been pursued, until we have
some 80 miles divided among Is roads, or
an average of about miles to the road,
with the work of building going on at the
rate of s to 10 miles per annum.
An election is to be held this fall at
which the people will be asked to vote
100000 TO complete the macadam to the
county lines. The value of suburban has
increased much more than city property,
farming lands on macadam roads within
2 to 10 miles of town have increased from
80 to 100 per cent in value in the last
ten years. People living to ) miles in
the country frequently attend church ser
vices at night, and send their children
to the City High schools.
Rural mail delivery has been made
thus bringing the farmer into direct daily
contract with the movements of the bust
ness world, and giving him knowledge
of the prices ruling in the different
markets.
A few years since 4horse teams were
the rule, now they are exceptions.
know of only one within six miles OF
Charlotte, and l think that it is used
more as an advertisement, than from
necessity.
The supply of wood was formerly
drawn from territory not extending
more than five miles out. today it is
brought as CIR as ten miles and sold for
less, so both the farmer and the dweler
in the city are benefited by the reduction
in the cost of transportation, which has
been reduced at least one-haf by good
roads.
Mecklenburg county has two camps OF
convicts, averaging about rs men, each
with teams, rollers and crushers, &c
The men are kept in portable quarters
tilated in summer.
The quarters 60x17 feet, cost $500;
stables q teams) $50; commissary. $50;
guard quarters, $57; convicts cost to
work, Csc. per day; stone, &c. per yard
placed on road as per report of G.. A.
Sprat, County Engineer
Charlotte township has an outfit which
is chiefly used in repairing and over
hauling, though we have done some con-
struction. The first and most important
question once it is decided to build a
road, is the location the first considera-
tion Is the grade. second, the cost OF
maintenance, and third the cost Of con-
structon.
Theoretically a level road is the one
to be sought after, but experience has
taught me that a Y to 1 per cent grade
is preferable as better drainage is to be
had. upon which the life and usefulness
of the road depends. l speak feelingly as
to the level road. as in the summer OF
1899 hid to take up a mile Of macadam,
nut back the earth that had been re-
moved, then replace the macadam, and
then did not have fall enough to get rid
of the rain fall as rapidly as l would
have liked to.
"The people who had for years been
travelling this section of road and found
ering through the holes that had de-
vclcped by reason of the fact that there
was no drainage were loud in their praise
at the change, and asked why it had not
been so constructed in the first instance,
as it would have cost less by one-half
"A road like a crop, to do we'll should
have the benefit of the sun, it does not
prosper in the shade, so always locate it
if possible, on the sunny side of the hill
or forest on account of rains and frosts
Distance should always be sacrificed in
favor of grade The grade should never
break on fill, but at either end, SO as
to keep as much water off the fill as pos
slble bitches should be made on all en-
bankments to prevent washes. The
grades establish fills and cuts made, the
preparation of the road bed for the first
layer of stone, demands the attention OF
the supervisor. with a little practice most
of the earth required to be removed, can
be displaced with road machine, leav-
ing the bed with the same crown that
you wish for the macadam. The bed
should now be thoroughly rolled, all de-
pressions filled in, spongy places should