The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-05-02
FOR GOOD ROADS
Report Made 90 Business Mems As
socistion-M Warden and
Rowe Tell OF the GoSI 9~sds in
Meckle nburq County. ~ c

Rowe Tell OF the GoSl o~adx in
MecklenbUrs County. N. c.
The following il the report made to
/ the business Mems Association bv MIR
/ Henry Warden and capt VI g. Rowe
who were sent 10 North Carolina TO in
spect the good roads there. and 10 on
I quire into the method and cost OF max
ing improvements.
To the President and Members Of the
business Mems As~ocl alton of Fredericks.
burg:
Gentemen;-l ourcommittee appointed
At the last regular meeting to invpSfi-
gate the methods employed in construct
ing roads in Mecklenburg County. North
! Carolina visited Charlotte on Monday
was met 10y two members OF the Board
OF fuhlic Works OF Charlotte Township
the chairman Mr. y. L. Hutchinson. and
=. + W ole These gentlemen very kindly
ana generously devoted the whole dny
10 the instruction and enlightenment Of
your committee, driving for miles over
tneir improved roads, pointing out their
improvements AMI proposed improve
ments and m giving figures of cost and
other Information of :s.eat value and inn
porteure 10 any community contemplat
ing similar work
one thing winch most strongly inn
pressed the members Of your committee
was the statement that n strong move.
went was being made 20 bond. the conn
" IN order 70 secure the funds necessary
- carry on the road improvement on y
much larger scale. The REASONS given fsr
such action were the desire of the present
generation to enjoy The ADVANTAGES Of a
more perfect system of roads and to
Justly transfer 10 the COMING generation
- portion a the burden II these men
WIN system Of rOG0s that the farmers
OF Spotsy lvRuia would regard ~ being
perfect, We're advocating the issuing II
bonds 10 still further extend IT, with
now much greater and stronger rcasons
should the tax payers nf Spoteylvania
work for the issuing az bonds for the ere
alton OF system Of roads that wonlS
embOdy all Of good that vour committee
saw in Mecklenburg county.
The expression. all OF the good -" is
used instead 81 all that was seen in
Mecklenburg county, because yourcom-
mittae does not think that such lavish
expenditures as they are making in Ger
tam lines are justiii Able under any con.
ditions. This refers to the heA.v cuts
and ills that they have made and are
making. ours aud fills that give porti ms
OF their roais the appearance of having
been made Tor a railroad. Your com
mittee regards snch expenditures ga in
az visabie and believes that better re-
suits can be obtained with much less
money 10y following the natural pradp-
that not only would this be much chean.
pr. but the scenic effect would he very
much finer IL might Toe added that the
gentlemen plotting your committee ex.
pressed similar views 10 the above aud
stated they had constantly objected to
such work
The data collected 81 TO methods and
costs shows that the system advocated
10y the Spotsylvauia County Committee
Tor food Roads can be executed AZ the
cost stated by the committee viz SlGpO
or less per mile The Mecklenburg method
- 20 build n ruacadamized track from
ten To twelve feet wide. with dirt tracks
alongside some places where the ronds
have sufficient width on both sides Of
ia" stone track. where narrower on but
one side They use whatever material il
Mandy, and have some excellent pieces of
road built with quartz. though their
prln-ipa stone IL one resembling tran
heir ROAD making equipment consists
nt road machines. plows. harrowe. dis
trinuting wagons. rock cru=her- and
steam rollers
The limited time available for the prap-
nration OF this report must be the ex-
cnse Tor the failure to include much that
your committee saw that was of inter
est; but one thing that excited great
int rest was thing the like Of which has
not been seen in Spotsylvania for many
" day; IL WAS good sized load Of cord
wood drawn by two horses. Your com.
mittee was told by the driver that lie
had not all on his wagon that his team
could pull; that since they had good
roads 1t was not a question as to what
n team could pull, but what the wagon
would stand.
Henry Warden,