The Republican journal., 1902-06-12
THE COUNTRY ROADS.
Something of Their Present Condition and
One Mans Remedy.

lkelN Ilal the SAME i-tetllouo ''lS III ,t'N
i'll various parts Of New England Inc
way the work is done Is cautloI W
rubber tires. but still it is rather difficult
to fix the blame. The road commits
sloner is backed by time honored Gus
tom. originating in the COW path OF the
pioneer public sentiment and small
approximation. With miles OF road to
cover in some fashion, only couple OF
thousand Of dollars or so to pay the
bills at best. his position is no slnecure
and he cannot be wholly blamed But
When one drives over the roads that
have been liked it really seems as II
there ought to be radical change
made Somewhere.
Within a radius of 20 miles OF the
city there are miles and miles OF road
that have been treated as follows: The
last spling WAS especially severe on the
hlclWavs. washing out culVerts, gully
Inc the hills and making holes and hol-
lows everywhere. An unusually large
amount Of work has been necessary
and it has apparently been done with
unusual haste. Tie bitches at this sea-
son are usually filled With more or less
water. All the WasAings of the spring
rains have found an abiding place there
and have mingled With the grass OF last
years growth leaves ullderbrush, etc'
All this makes a mixture OF ABOUT lhe
consistency of a beet stew. the chllnhS
U1 sod taking the place OF the cliuhhS
OF meat in the stew. The road ma
chimes are put on and tins conglomera-
tiou is all scraped up into the mludie OF
tile road. The result is ridge OF clay,
loan. leaves. sticks, grass, sods and q
good many other things.
l,is TOnUf pn0l1Uh
to churn butter out of sour milk. and IN
wet weather it would be an abomlna-
tion in the sight of a government mule.
Gu the main roads where the travel Is
brisk it is all worn down and forced
back into the cutters IN time and falr-
" decent road Is secured in a drought.
On the less used roads II remains most
" through the summer TO oe cursed
and ridiculed by every passeT
After the process has Just been com
p!pted a light carriage Is a steady drag
for a horse and trotting is out OF the
Question most of the time. lhe horse
must labor and sweat III the hot sun,
pulling the carriage where he ought TO
he holding it back Those who have
been out over the roads of late have
been astonished to see the sweat pour
lug off their horses after only few
miles OF moderate driving. But the
wheels are carrying pounds and pounds
Of mud. the horses hoots are plugged
solid full of il until they must feel as II
they weighed a ton The traces are
taut almost every minute, III IS a
steady. constant, wearing STRAIN on Ile
animal and the onl y rest ne can get IS
wien the driver prlngs MN 10 oeau
stop.
Then the cUlverts, \ few weeks ago
II was dangerous to trot over thtse; ouV
now the most OF these nave oeeh
liked and Viii oe dangerous again
shortly. some OF the larger ones are
fairly well done with planhS, bIt the
smaller ones are constant menace
The usual method Is to throw doWl!
couple of sklds dhd iaA some pores
across the road. liou9hs are thHoWn
over these H. prevent the looNt dlIt that
follows trom falling through the ctaek Ks
Tins arrangement WILL ldHt Il Jew NtthS
urrnapS Then the houghS BEGIN to
Gry and rot. Jhe dirt falls through ana
soon the bare poles are exposed, IL
.e~e a horse Is walked carefully over
tut-e he is liable to Catth a shoe III the
poles OF poke a foot down through i
hole
some slough holes are SIMPLY tllItd
with rocks. IeaYnt- Il place SO rough
HAT uue is tempted to get out aud Walk
rather than lisk a llde oYel them,
Huge rocks are also lett close to the
Wheel tracks and the roads are never
much WIDER tlau these. In places over
hanging trees lie in wait to scratch the
tops of carriages and IN some places
therr is actual danger OF losing the top
eutirelv
The result of all this is that a driver
of the roads has to be constantly vigl-
lalr to save his horses neck and his
own. He has 10 time to look at the
scenery, but must keep his eyes steadily
fixed on the road ahead and have the
examples of modern road building con
stantlv before him. 1t is trot a few
rods and walk mile; bounce from the
side Of a boulder into a rut and from
1u+s to rocks: rattle over loose plank
cnlyerts and feel pole culverts give be
meath the carriage.
When YOU mention the roads to the
commissioner he Will answer with the
indisputahle argument of the number
of miles under his care and the appro-
prlati0n he has to spread over them
These allow him onlv slick and a rub,
hovpyer GOOD his intention NAV be.
ASH the people on the roads how it is
ohaa1 and tLav will tell Won if is first