Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-07-11

ROAD MAKING IN CALCUTTA.
(Though Their Methods Are Free and
Easy and Their Tools Mostly Old
Fashioned, the Natives Do Their Work
Well, and the Main Roads Of Calcutta
Will Compare Favorably with Those
of Any Eastern TOWN.
few portions of public highways in ex-
istence that could not be made consid-
erably better.
1t does not seem that argument is
required to convince land owners, who
bear the main load of carrying on the
work of road building, that good roads
are to be desired. That is admitted
and they also accept the responsible
ty of furnishing the most of the i'm
mense sums required tor building
roads in the future. All that has been
effected and it may be said that the
greatest difficulty has been removed
in the education of the public to accept
the claim that good roads are neces-
sity.
It is fact that land owners and
farmers generally the country over are
we'll convinced that the agitation of re-
cent months over the question of road
Improvement has not come from them
selves but from manufacturers and
owners Of automobiles and bicycles.
Their name is legion and their claims
are founded in reason.
Nevertheless attention should be
given to the fact that already immense
sums are expended each year on the
roads of the country and that possibly
there is not enough to show for the
millions that are so freely furnished
by the taxpayers.
The experience of our home district
may be Of some interest to other road
workers, writes a Wayne county
Qnd.) correspondent of the Prairie
Farmer. This road district is in the
western part of Wayne county, Ind. It
is populous county and a great deal
Of heavy hauling is done on the roads
at all times of the year, except in the
winter thaws when heavy loads are
forbidden by law.
From the very beginning the care
and supervision of the roads of this
district had been under men who lived
in the country neighborhoods. That
is to say, no one except a farmer had
ever had control of the road work.
The roads were not in good condi-
ton, Notwithstanding there was gravel
in abundance to be had at a small
price per load. It was not an unusual
thing for loads to stall at times when
there was no real occasion for the
roads to be in an impossible condi-
ton.
Mud holes and ruts were the rule,
and where gravel was placed on the
roads it was in lunches, unevenly
spread. Stones were lying in the road
way and after rain there was ditch
in the middle Of the road worn by the
feet of horses hitched to single rigs.
There was no complaint made es-
pecially. Everybody seemed to think
the roads were as good as the money
would pay for, and so the condition
went OH from year to year with but
little improvement and no plans for a
change.
Three years ago, however, the work
of experimenting the roads in this dis
trict was voted to DR.. N. F. Canaday, a
practicing physician. DR.. Canaday had
been driving over these roads for 80
years, day and night and in all seasons
of the year. He was frequently stuck
in the mud and not always was able
to return without broken harness and
damaged vehicles. DIR. Canaday had
purchased an automobile few months
before his appointment as superin-
tendent and with it travelled over the
roads for many miles in every direc-
ton. He had his ideas about road
building and started to put them in
| force at once.
Under his supervision the roads soon
assumed another appearance. He
eliminated the middle ditch, he caused
drains or open bitches to be kept open
| at both sides of the road, he graded
every foot of the roads over again, he
had gravel placed on every mile Of
road under his charge, every load Of
I gravel was screened at the pits an6
stones already on the roads were col
1ected into heaps and hauled off.
Grass seed was sown on the sides O,
entertainments and the grass prevented
washing. Where a bad place = was
known to exist in a road Dr. Canaday
caused that particular spot of road tt
be entirely rebuilt. He took out tn,
Eold material and built up a SOUND
foundation and on top Of that the sol
and gravel at hand.
AT frequent intervals a man wa
sent over5the road with a wagon loaded
with gravel. Depressions that. nigh
wear into holes were looked for ant
4filled up and tamped down. Whereve
q spot appeared @to be wearing it wa
given instant. attention. All thi,
1 work was done with the usual amour
sofs money devoted to the roadsz Of tt,
Idistrict