Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-08-26

tuueSClOnS, wisely duu Wch.
Il Mr.. Littlefield spoke for two hours
and though his subject was not particr
larly adapted for oratorical pyrotechnics
and he did not indulge in any, he wa
heard throughout by the large audienc
with the greatest interest, and many dc
clared that they would have liked to hea
him speak much longer.
ROADS, GOOD AND BAD.
Editor Democrat:
1t seems to me that the time has com
when an agitation of the subject OF hav
ing better roads might be of benefit t
the town, as our roads are a subject o
prime Importance to every citizen.
have thought that discussion of tn
best methods of building and repairing
our highways if once begun might b.
continued by others better qualified thar
myself to write up this matter.
To the candid observer of the condi
ton of our highways for the past fifteer
or twenty years, the fact must be paten
that our roads have been steadily grow
ing poorer, in fact ever since the advent
of the road machine which took the
place of the pillow and scraper. Now
this does not prove the inefficiency OF
the road machine necessarily, but the
ease with which long stretches of high.
way could be plowed up, leveled off and
made to look nice, and the hard but
necessary labor of getting out rocks,
LAYING over and charging water ways OF
building new ones could be done away
with. to the detriment of the highway
is the real cause to which the advent OF
the road machine being OF doubtful
value may be assigned.
1t used to be thought by many that by
getting out the rocks and running the
machine out little farther each year
the road would be widened and thereby
improved, bnt instead of that being done
the reverse has been true, and our roads
have been growing narrower each year.
and now on long stretches OF highway
teams in passing must each get their
outside wheels in the ditch.
Another great fault in running the
road machine has been to pillow where
there is much of a grade unless abso-
lutely necessary, as removing the grass
sward from the side of the road causes
il to wash much worse and should be
avoided if possible; also using them on
flat, wet pieces of swampy or clayey
ground, which merely serves to bring up
into the road material which makes the
road much worse, especially in the spring
of the wear. This holds the water more
than gravel, and frequently there is
nothing but sods brought into the road,
and no dirt to cover them unless carted
on. which think should be done and the
blowing by the road machine omitted,
as it is the gravel that is needed. So it
seems to me that the only place where
the road machine is valuable is in build
ing new roads and repairing level pieces
of sandy or gravelly road.
There has been a tendency in running
road machines, when once started to
plow up piece of road, to keep the
pillow in the ground continuously for the
whole length of road gone over, even
when good pieces of greater or less
length are gone over, so we have had
long stretches of highway plowed up
where only short pieces perhaps were
needed. and when rain comes it makes
bed of mud to travel through.
Now we do not think this state OF
affairs is confined to any one town, but
most of the towns around here seem to
be afflicted the same way; nor 40 | lay
it upon any particular road commissioner
or selectman, only this, that if the pres
ent system of repairing our highways is
causing them to grow poorer each year
as it undoubtedly is-then l say better
abandon this system and try some other.
The best road yet tried is the macad-
amized road, the top layer being OF
crushed rock, but that is quite expen-
siye. perhaps more so than the towns of
this state could afford even on small
scale, but such road when once Quilt
costs very little to keep in repair.
The New York Tribune has been Tor
some time printing some very Instructive
papers upon the good roads movement,
and I notice in the 1901 year book issued
by the United States agricultural de-
partment quite lengthy illustrated ar
ticle upon different methods of building
highways generally with convict labor
in the southern states, which may be
read with profit.
The old system of repairing roads by
highway taxes worked out under the
old-time surveyors, was subject to some
abuses, no doubt, those resulting from
all persons, industrious or otherwise, be-
ing allowed to work out their taxes, or
perhaps we might say idle them out If OF
the latter class, but do not think this
auy worse than employing road ma
chine crew who put in only seven or
eight hours day or even less for them
selves and horses. =,
| think that the best system yet tried
in this town has been to appoint agents
to expend their proportional part OF the
money raised by the town in each of the
old road districts, who are right on the
spot to look after the roads and keep
them in repair, and if good men are Sc
lected for the purpose it is no doubt the
best plan yet tried. -,
In closing this rather rambling article
| wish to find little fault locally with
the present administration of affairs on
our highways. There have been on our
main highway here, that leading from
West Sumner to West Paris, on which
there is probably the largest amount OF
traffic of any road in town with one ex-
ception. places which are positively
dangerous and for which the town would
be liable for damages for resulting acct,
dents which might easily occur, and on
the cross roads there are other such
places which have been in existence all
the season so far and no attention paid
to them. There are also two bridges
which need new planking, and think il
we are to have road commissioner he
better look after the roads in this sec
ton. Perhaps we ought to have three
if road commissioners are what we are tt
have. For me, give me good reliable
agent in each old road district.
1t was remarked to me recently tina
there was no stretch of road one-fourtl
mile long, in this part of the town
where horse could be speeded withou
his driver risking his neck, but as TIT
farmers generally do not keep trotters
that is of little moment, but we all hav'
more or less freight to draw over ou
highways, so we have good reason TO
wishing for better roads.
Z. Z. FIELD.
North Paris, Maine.