The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1903-03-18
Experimental Roads Should be
First Built.


written and spoken about the road
question in this county, especially
during rainy seasons the necessity
of good roads is urged, but the prob
lem is yet unsolved. / don't believe
there is an individual in the county
who does not desire good roads.
Yet there are many who do not think
it best to go wild and squander
money without receiving value
therefor. The people have been,
and are now, ready and willing to
stand a reasonable tax, If there
was some certain, feasible plan by
which good roads could be assured.
1t is simply a question of ways
and means" Our commissioners
court, not knowing a better way,
pushed the grading of roads, which,
in ordinary weather, does well, but
it now appears that much labor and
money has thus been lost. Greater
would have been theloss had an extra
tax been imposed and said grading
done by contract; therefore caution
should be used to know we are right
before an additional tax is incurred.
For years L have thought good roads
so important to Waxahachie that |
have contended that all bonus mon
ey should be expended in this direc-
ton, thus making it easy to procure
railroads and other enterprises fer
the city.
This talk about the state taking
control of roads under state tax
may do for a hurrah and "soft Job"
hunter, but actual results would be
a failure. The state can do much
good by furnishing convict labor,
but the only democratic and safe
way is to leave the matter as near
home as possible, which Is for each
county, by its commissioners court,
to control and build it's own roads.
1t occurs to me that tAe proper way
is for our commissioners court to
experiment by building test roads of
few miles with the different mate
rials at hand. The means can be
provided by part of the regular 15c
road tax.
Issuing forty-year bonds, as ex-
planned by Citizen" When such
experiments prove reasonably
good road plan, then an extra tax
may be required to complete the
system throughout the county. We
must not expect a perfect road, for
roads made of whatever material
will wear, waste away in places, be-
come dusty, and in black land will
necessarily get sloppy. l believe
this county can build roads the
cheapest, most lasting and the least
expense TO keep up Of any county.
White rock can be found accessible
10 nearly all roads in the county.
i is easy 10 blast out, break up and
handle. Gravel is likewise not hard
to get. Lay down white rock from
10 to 20 inches deep, broken in parts
of not larger size than a football,
gravel so as to fill all cracks and
about four inches on top; keep the
travel off the road in wet weather
until il is we'll settled, so that the
wheels laden with black mud will
not take up the fresh gravel and
leave holes. Arrangements must
be made with adjoining land owners
for travel inside their fields during
wet weather while the road is set
thing. When fairly settled the mud
which drops from the wheels will
form a paste, mixed with the ground
up gravel, which soaks down and
forms a complete cemented road
bed, and the paste remaining on top
forms a secure cover which prevents
wearing away of the road.
In wet weather il will be sloppy
just like the Court House square,
but not so deep, because the eleva
ton and width OF the road will ause
much of the mud to drain off with
the rainfall. The road should be "a
bout 20 feet wide on top, on a high
dirt dump properly graded and drain
ed. For year or so there will
doubtless be some repair, but time
will prove it the most lasting of all
roads. The mud when once mixed
we'll with the gravel as described
will protect and hold the road near
its original form. Only in long
rainy spells will the slop ever be
noticed; then not deep enough to
prevent heavy freighting. THE cost
can only be known by experiment.
Neither white rock nor gravel alone
will make a successful road IN this
black land. 1 do not undertake 10
give particulars, but simply an out
line.
OBSERVER