The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1906-01-25

tinually except when turning out for
| other trucks or wagons coming from
the opposite direction.
| Efforts have been made by the agri-
| cultural department to ascertain the
relative amount of loss suffered by
farmers through the use of poor coun-
try roads. In the statistics gathered
Of the cost of hauling on country roads,
with estimates of distances and Quanti-
ties moved, the total expenditure for
this work has been found to approx
mate 5000, 100000, of which two-thirds
Is chargeable to bad roads. Accord
ing to the estimates furnished, it was
| found that the average cost was %
cents per ton per mile. In Europe,
where good country roads have long
| been in existence. the average cost per
ton per mile is as low as cents. But
even this rate is eXorbitant compared
with the cost of hauling on steel roads.
The question of steel roads is conse-
quently one that applies to the country
districts fully as much as to the cities.
Where only the center of the road is
macadamiZed the cost runs from $4,000
| to $500.
With our country roads costing from
| $1,000 to $1,000 mile, the steel road
| would prove more serviceable for many
reasons. The force required to haul
the load over the steel plates would he
| much less, and it would prove equally
easy in summer, spring and winter. On
| tho host nannIn nniInfyxy r.naA haul
age IN the winter and spring becomes
almost impossible. The soft mud will
work up to the surface, requiring con-
stant and expensive repairing, and
when the spring thaw begins heavy
loads cannot be hauled. Farmers are
thus handicapped in the delivery of
their goods at some of the most impor-
tant seasons Of the year. The ques-
tion Of repairs will always show
heavy balance In favor of the steel
roads. There should be no repairs re-
quired of steel roads oftener than once
year, and these should be of little
account. The steel rails should last
for upward of quarter of century
in the ordinary country districts where
traffic is light.
A good deal depends upon the thor
Oughness of putting down the steel
tracks. There must be perfect foun-
datlon of stones, gravel or burned clay
for the steel plates. The foundation
must be built down far enough to IN
sure perfect solidity anG the surface
finished off with cobblestones large
enough to give the rails stability in
freezing and thawing weather. The
weight of the rails and their continu-
Gus length will ordinarily make them
firm and steady on almost any'~kind OF
foundation, but where the soil says
and Is washed out in places the con-
stant pounding of the rails will in time
weaken the channel pieces and ties.
The weak parts of the steel roads are
at these joints, but IL provided with
proper stone foundations at each joint
there should be little danger of any in
furious strain or friction
Farmer Bangs.
John Kendrick Bangs, the author,
who for some years has been divid-
ing his time between Yonkers and
New York, is soon to become coun-
tryman again. 81 have blue pen
ciled city life" he said recently.
my eye is on a farm in New Eng
land, where hope before long to be
able to provide an appreciative pub
lie with limited editions of squad
chickens, large paper turkeys and
deekle edged eggs. And,p he added
slyly, "no item in either class will
30 out without my signature"