The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1903-03-05

e1psrisnc>. and laber. sails sp1 cl.ys
>es> ard ores. kv&vsls esd voeks. >rs
transfesn<d mite b<astifaI rcsds. streets. |
and >oalevArds. by methods ~Aica con-
form ~ith their great varieties Of char
ecssrs sad with natures laws. The art
Of road building depends largely for its !
success apon lie being carried on in ron-
fcrmits ~ish certain general principals
II IL necessary that roads skoeid
hard. smooth. comparatively level. and n
FOR use a. an seasons Of the year; that
they should be properly located, or laid
ont on the sroand. 90 that their grades |
may &c such thai animate or insnimsse
power may be applied upon them TO the
hest advantage aud without great loss OF
energy that they should be properly con-
sirncfed. the ground well drained, the
roadbed graded. shaped, and rolled, snd
that they should be surfaced With the best
material proeurable; that they should be
properly maintained or kept constantly in
good repair.
All the Important roads in the United
States can be aud doubtless ~ill he mac
adamixed or otherwise improved in the
not distant future. The expectation should
govern their present location and treat
ment everywhere. Unless changes are
made In the location Of the roads ia many
pats Of this cocntry il would he worse
than folly TO macadamize them. ANY
costly resurfacing Of the existing roads
will fasten them where they are for gen
era.ions. SAYS General Stone. The chief
difficulty In this coautry is not with the
surface. but with the steep grades. many
Of which are too long 10 be reduced by
cutting and filing on the present lines.
and Il this could be done IL would cost
more in many cases than relocating them.
MANY Of our roads were originally laid
out Without any attention 20 general
/ topography, aud ia most cases followed
the settlers path from cabin TO cabin. the
pig trail. OF ran along the boundary lines
Of the farms regardless Of grades or di-
rection Most Of them remain today
where they we're located years age, and
where untold labor, expense. and energy
have been wasted in irving TO haul over
them aud ia cndesvors to improve their
deplorahle condition.
The great error Is made Of continuing
these primitive paths with our public
Highways The right course Is TO call in
an engineer and throw the road around
instead Of continuing TO 20 over them, or
pull the road up on dry solid ground In
stead Of sriashing through the mud and
water OF The creek or swamp. Far more
time and money have been wasted in try
ing 20 keep np a single mile OF one Of
these "pig track" surveys than IL would
take 90 build aud keep IN repair two miles
81 good road.
Another and perhaps greater error is
made by some persons On the West Who
continue 20 lay out their roads on section
lines" These sections are all square.
with sides ranniug north, south, east.
west. A person wishing 60 cross the
country ia any other than these directions
must necessarily do 20 in rectangular
1icgags. II also nccessitatss very often
thC crossing and rcctcssinr Of hills and
valleys. which might be avoided 81 the
roads had been constructed on scicntih,
principles.
In the prairie state of Iowa, for exam
pic. where roads are no worse than Ia
many other States. there Is a greater
nuuber Of roads having much sleeper
grades than are found IN the mountainuul
Bopahiic Of Switzerland. In Marylans
the stagecoach road or turnpike running
from Washington TO Baltimore make
almost "hce line, regardless Of hills Of
valleys, and the grades at places are a.
steep as 10 or - per cent, where bl
making little dctours the road might hay.
been made perfectly level. or hy running
IL up the hills lees abruptly the grad,
might have been reduced 20 3 OF Z pc
cent as Is done in the hilly regions o
s. many parts Of this and other countries
Straight roads are the proper kind q
B. have, boat 10 billy countries their straight
ness should always be sacrificed 90 ohtaii
date the people Who use them.
Graceful and natural curves couiormiu,
, 10 The Law OF The Land add beauty 10 thl
4. landscape, besides enhancing the value @
!. property. Not only do level, carved road
2 add beauty 90 the landscape and max
: lands along them more valuable. but fhl
horse IS able % ntiiiEe his full strengti
over them. Furthermore. horse can pul
only ioar-hiths ~ much on a grade OF tw,
feet in 100 feet, auS this gradusli
: lessons until the grade OF 10 feet In lu
feet he can draw but one fourth as inucl
Z as be can % level road
an roads should therefore wind arouu,
- bills or be cut through instead OF ruuninl
over them, and la many cases the forfue
: can be done without greatly inereasiu,
the distance. To illustrate, ID an apple o
}. pear he cut Ia half aud one OF the haiee
placed on aat surface. a. will be seei
that the horizontal distance around from
stem 10 blossom IL no grcster than th
distance over between the same points
The wi'liuiuess Of one or two priVat
!. individuals sometimes becomes a barrie
10 trafic aud commerce. The great draw
back 20 ths laying cat Of roads on th
2 principle referred 20 is that OF the ne
cessits, ia some cases. of building thea
through the best lands, the choices; pas
taFes and orchards, instead. a. they d.
ue~, Of cutting around the farm line o
passing through old worn-out fields o
over rocky knolis. But il farmers ~isl
, people TO know that they have good farms
good cattle, sheep, or horses, good grain
, frat. OF Vegetables theY should let IN
: roaes 90 through The best parts Of th
farm.
The Vice OF Nagging.