Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-30
STATE HOUSE.
Highway Comm Sargent
Talks About Roads.
Has Just Returned from Trip
to Eastern Maine.
Tells Of Work Of Road Building and
Methods Employed.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next meeting Of Governor and Council
Thursday, Sept. z, at 4 p. M.

Weeks' tour OF inspection or the nigh
WAYS of the State, during when ne
concnlted the selectmen and road COM
nissioners of the different places
which he visited, as to what they were
doing in the way of road building, ana
The methods employed by them, has
returned to Augusta, and was at MS
desk in the department, yesterday.
The commissioned. put some good work
into the days of his absence, and in
half hours chat, yesterday, concern
jne the trip, spoke most interestingly.
The first place visited was falrheld'
where he met the municipal officers
and discussed with them the question:
of good roads, and also accompanied
them over the line Of the state ROAD
which they propose to build, TINS year.
He also met the municipal officers oil
the town of Wales, and went over
their piece of state road, when IL was
decided as TO what method OF con-
structi0n used is that OF macadaInis-
ing. and on going over the road MT.
Sargent noticed q chance for improve
Inent in tie method followed, the prln-
cipal difficulty being that the builders,
have, in many places, overlooked the
VERY important feature of n proper
foundation. Sections of the road show
settlement year after year, which inhi-
Gates that the foundation is yielding,
and should be thoroughly drained.
From Ellsworth, Mr.. Sargent went
! to the town of Surry. where he met
the board of selectmen, and the ROAD
commissioner and where he also
found many indications that the peo-
ME of the town know how 10 build
good roads. There is in the town
very good piece of State road, built
Hast wear. and the town will. this year.
expend twice as much money for the
purpose as was expended during the
II nravious YEAR The commissioner
went over the general form of con-
4 etrl,ction used in road building in Sur
rev. and anticipates good results, as
i mo town has an excellent surfacing
| material in the gravel which comes
from 4 nit which was discovered. last
wear. after considerable prospecting.
lNr. Sargent is of the opinion that
Ieverv town should own gravel pit
| or have access to one, and is confident
Il that one can be found in each place,
lif a search is made for it.
II By invitation of the board Of select
men of Bluehill. the commissioner
Il went 10 that town for the purpose OF
II looking over n piece of road which
they propose to improve. The piece
II in question is about a mile in length,
l and leads to Parker's Point, where
the majority of the towns summer
visitors make their home. That the
| latter are Interested in the matter is
shown by the fact that they recently
|, gave musicale ut which some OF the
best Of New York talent vas repre-
i scented, and nettcd the snug sum of
$500 for tn" purpose mentioned above
II While the amount on hand will per-
haps not carry the improvements TO
the extent that might be desired. it
Twin do something towards it, and it
lis probable that the road will be gone
lover with surface drainage, and also
located with gravel. Mr. Sargent also
Hooked over the work on the proposed
lStnt. road, which will include the
lMuilding of three granite box culverts
land surfacing 4 section OF the road.
| From Eluchill Mr. Sargent drove to
West Rrooksvlle. covering II miles
of clay road. with no gravel to be seem
land then on to Belfast. where he went
lover the road with Road Commission
Ter Bennett. Several sections of State
road are being constructed. and the
work Is giving satisfaction. The same
Imethod of construction is being used
in several of the worst places in the
lroadS of the city.
| At RuckSport. in company with the
lscIrrtman and the road commissioner
lof the first district Mr.. Sargent drove
lover q great deal of road and looked
ESPECIALLY at the state road in pro-
IceSS of construction. The work this
year is being done on very bad clay
hill. The method employed on the
hin is that Of eXcavating, and putting
in center drain of stone. COnsid-
cradle work is also being done along
the highways in the rural districts Of
tn town. in the way of cutting the
bushes back.
From Bucksport Commissioner Sar-
gent went to Brewer. passing through
South Orrington, Orrington Center
East Orrington. Orrington is especial
lly fortunate in having plenty of good
gravel, which is being used literally
on the roads. with the result that the
roads in some parts of the town have
cvcry appearance of having been ma
cadamized. A great deal has been
done in the town in the past few years,
in the way of drainage. and the roads
ishow it. Mr.. Sargent found Commits
soner Woodbury. O. Smith just COM
Iplcting n section 40 rods long on one
Of the town roads. where a Telford
foundation feet wide and from | to
II feet deep has been put in, and n sur
face coat of gravel inches deep had
been spread The work had been done
al a remarkably low figure, the ap-
lproximate cost being 81 per rod.
Commissioner Sargent said that in
lall of the towns in general. which he
visited during his trip. where State
roads had been built. he found n good
ldmount of interest manifested in the
work. with the general result that
better class of work was being done
On most of the town roads. The prin-
cipal handicap in each town is the
lack Of funds. and in some towns. the