The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1902-07-25
ROADS OF NEW YORK
HOW THE EMPIRE STATE IS INA
PROVING ITS HIGHWAYS.

what Has Been Accomplished Under
the HiEbie-ArmstronE Lav-sIaay
New Roads to BE Built In 1oO2-Ad-
VantnEes of Good Highways.
In no state in the country Is the
farming population more conservative
and at the same time more intelligent
than in New York When 1t was first
suggested that good roads would be
boon, the farmers did not doubt It.
but they had to be convinced that IL
would be worth the cost.
By persistent campaign Of educa-
ton, says the Philadelphia Press. the
advocates of good roads finally made
out such case In favor of the i'm
provement that majority of the rep
resentatives in the legislature finally
decided to begin the work.
About five years ago the state passed
a law called the Higbie-Armstrong
law, which provided that the state
would aid the counties and towns in
building and improving highways un-
der the supervision of the state en-
gineer and surveyor, The state agreed
to pay 80 per cent of the total cost. the
county 80 per cent and the town or in
dividuals owning property abutting on
the improved road 10 per cent.
Only thirtyeight petitions for 15I
miles of roads were received from thir-
teen counties in 1899, and In 1900 only
thirty-six petitions for 155 miles of
road were received from sixteen coun-
ties. During this time, however. the
roads built in the summer OF 1898
began to serve as an object lesson to
farmers. The advantages of the i'm
provement were so palpable that in
1900 and 1901 there was marked in
crease in the number of petitions.
This year a large amount has been
set apart for good roads, and when
work under way is completed New
York will have many miles Of splendid
highways.
For carrying on this work the state
has been divided into three sections
the eastern, extending about one-third
of the distance from Albany to Buffalo;
the middle, extending from the eastern
section to a line drawn north and south
through Seneca lake, and the western
section, extending from the middle sec
ton to Buffalo.
Suitable bitches along the side Of the
road and suitable drains are built un-
der the road wherever necessary. When
large streams are encountered, they are
dug out, if need be, to carry off the wa
ter more rapidly. If they are not too
large, the state engineer builds bridge
with iron girders and carries the road
over them. If more costly structure
is required, the supervisors have to pro-
vide for that. The next thing to be
looked after is the grade of the road.
When the grade is too heavy, the road
is sometimes diverted. The standard
grade is five feet to the hundred.
The earth is then thoroughly rolled
with a steam roller. Upon this is put
six inch layer of crushed stone,
which is rolled down to four inches
On this basis Is placed a layer Of
screenings, rolled until all the voids are
filled. At the same time it is wet down
and made as compact as possible under
the roller. Upon this is placed another
layer of broken stone three inches
thick and rolled down to thickness Of
two inches. Screenings are again
thrown over this surface from the sides
and rolled in until the voids disappear
The road is then thoroughly wet down,
screenings again thrown over it and
rolled in until the bed will receive no
more. This stage is indicated by the
appearance of lather in front of the
roller. The road is left to dry out thor
oughly. Usually this develops other
voids, which are filed up with screen
ings rolled in. When no more voids ap-
pear after drying, the road is regarded
as finished and is turned over to the
county.
In a county on the southern frontier
considerable opposition developed in
the board of supervisors to the con-
structiOn of a road leading from Penn
sylvania to Elmira. Despite the OppO-
sition the road was built, and the
trade from the adjacent state has In
creased 100 per cent. Another advan-
tage from good roads grows out of the
preference shown by the pOstoffice de-
partment for localities with good roads
or the establishment of rural delivery
routes. If the roads are poor, such
routes are not established at all or are
established with great reluctance.