Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-10-15
MORE ABOUT
GOOD ROADS
J. II. Livingston Whites About
Village Needs.
HOW 1T MAY BE DONE.
Chairman Of Street Committee Thinks Per.
mansn4 Road Making Should
Be Pushed.

| W Nilb NlAuA nkbCA 0Alh aA1AAtAAAAE VI q WY
or village as good streets and good
sidewalks. They are oteven greater
consequence than attractive business
buildings and ornate private resi-
dences. They tend ~ tbe prosperity
of community as we'll because they
attract trade from the country, board
ers from the city and permanent resi-
dents who are forever seeking a home
that is a dwelling, and not stopping,
place They are sanitary and add to
the health and longeyitysof a people.
This is an important core,nercial asset.
1t goes without saying, however,
that good streets and good sidewalks
will not remain good nor attractive,
nor sanitary, if they are not kept
clean To clean them once a year, as
is our habit, or once a month, or once
a week, is not sufficient If we except
the common graveled thoroughfare
which cannot be haudlea as paved, or
asphalted, or maeadanized streets
are handled,
These are truths that ere generally
recognized, and do not need an afii-
davit or sworn testimony to support
them, but there are other consider
ations that have preached upon with
out gaining converts till actual exper-
ience taught the lessons 7 sought to
impress upon the people
For instance, take It that the
people generally recognize the practi-
cal utility of the curb and gutter on
She business streets -4d along the
thoroughfares os considerable grade-
Yet when some years ago / preached
them and carried a resolution into a
village meeting calling for them on
Main street as a starter, the idea and
the resolution we're rejected almost
unanimously. A number OF sermons
upon the same subject and another
resolution at a subsequent meeting
finally met approval. Prior TO this,
however, it took years to convince the
people OF the desirability Of a grade
survey, but after it came who regret
ted it?
For several years ! fought strenu-
ously against the use of the quartzite
hardhead, holding that il was entirelysI
unsuited for road building, but so per-
sistant were the advocates of this |
material that its use finally ended in |
the absolute destruction of nearly all |
the streets Indeed, at the opening OF |
the current year It was generally ad-
mitted that the streets we're in poorer |
condition than for twenty years prior,
Notwithstanding the fact that more
than slOO, 900 had been expended upon |
them during that time.
There is today hardly a rod of street |
macadamized with quartzite that is in
good condition, while the only street
laid down properly with blue lime
stone is in good condition after eight
years use.
II matters less, however, what sort
of material is used If it is properly |
used Road building is science re-
quiring study and observation and ex-
perience. have always been stick
Ter for good roads, and so interested
in the subject did become that took
up the study, laid in technical and
practical books, went about and OBJ
served, and the past year put to
partial test the fruits of these studies.
With the exception OF little patch of
street l2l feet long on North street,
which personally took in hand, my
duties have been, as chairman of the
street committee, largely advisory.
But it is not denied that a better
showing was made this year in the
street department than in any previous
year, since there were laid down PATS
feet of stone street, requiring over
thousand loads of metal, and 525S feet
of graveled street, requiring nearly
5000 loads of material. These streets
were put down to stay for consider
able time. The stone streets especi-
ally, with intelligent care, are good
for ten years.
may add, however, that if given a
good blue stone quarry, steam drill
tcosting less than 5000 and doing the
work of SO menl and the tools we al
ready own, nearly or quite double the
stone work Of the past year could have
been done in better and more lasting
way.