Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-21
STATE HOUSE,
Com. Sargent Talks Of
State Road Work,
The Town Of St. George Has
Some Of Best.
Trustees Of the Normal Schools
vii! Meet at Augusta, Oct. 80.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Coun.
Gil TUESDAY, Nov. IL, at 10 A. M.

! OF the state road work which has
Leon done in Maine curing the wear
nov. drawing To close and also in
! t-rcviouS years ii is probable that some
uf the best is to he found in tn,. town
Il st. george, down in the southern
,:rt nf Knox county. state Highway
; Commissioner Sargent. who spent the
l.,r week in looking over %ulnc o. the
Wurk which had been done during tho
, past season. was at s.. George -!
Tuesday, and in company with Select
man l.. w. s'c;,NeN. Road Fnlnmi<Sione.
FIsa,Jert Mckenzie and James Smith.
stiperint endent Of the Booth bros and
HrrIicane Island quarricS. went over
sthe State road which had been con-
structed by the town during the past
five years, and also examined III" l"ra-
ton Of the next piece to bc constructed.
During the past five years the town
las built practically thrrefnurths OF
Il mile of 1ir$t-class macadam road with
Il 'TtifDrG base, at a, cost Of S-iGo, the
road Icing from q to y feet III width
on th. surface and from 10 inc hes To II
inches deep. In several places the line
IF the road has been changed 50 as Ia
materially improve it and in two places
fills Of six feet have been made in or
der to reduce the grades. All culvertS
have been built Of split stone and every
thing in connection with the work has
been done in first class shap although
,r.tct ica liv the whole work has been
GonC by hand ial."r and WITHOUT the aid
g.: y r'iier "tncr Than a small stone
.ilrr which was made at the Cuarries
at Long Cove.
Commissioner Sargent expressed the
belief that no better section Of the
state road had been built in Maine, and
that in no other town in the state has
an equal amount Of work performed
for the same amount of money. One
reason for llli.; is the fact thar the ma
torial r.acticallv costs the town nOth-
ing as the road has been built from
erout and waste from the paving quar-
RES which are located within ono
fourth of Il mile of the road, the lcng-
est haul of any material being ONLY
about .hree-fourths Of q mile.
The secret Of the successful COnStruc-
ton Of the road. however. said the COM
missioner, lies in the fact that the work
has been done under the supervision
Of Ny Smith and has been directly il
charge of Mr.. Mckenzie. both NJ
whom have had experience in roa1
building in Scotland, whore all work Of
this kind is done under government
supervision Every stone foundatinn
is laid properly and fitted roughly I'M"
place, and hen weGaed and bound int"
place Over the Telford foundation Of
the road there are from six t" eight
inches of paving chips, and on top Of
all there is light spreading Of stone
dust from the cruSher in tn" quarry.
The section of the road which was
built five years ago is i'll perfect shape
today. tie only repairs which EaV"
been necessary being light Srrinkling
Of stone dust in the toe path mad" h>-
horses to replace that Worn away by
travel
One other feature that is apparent *
the correctness with which the GEttina&"
problem has been worked out. ~ GU
tiers AMI cu.verts having been c"nstruc-
ted on true grades and With prope~
outlets. II might be added thHt a Ia
eral Interpretation of the proso't stat"
road law had been made in this town.
the entire appropriation for III" work.
together with the State reimbursement,
having been expended on the work carh
year. 1t is apparent that III" pe"ri"
of the town have been conNin;Ht on tHt
value of good road construction as they
have never failed to make an Hppropr'-
alton for work since tn" lax was
passed.
Commissioner Sargent was at Thomas
ton Wednesday. and on Thursday and
Friday i'm company with tn county
| commissioners of Kcnnehrc county ill.,
spected some of the state road Wor',
done this year in Manchester. Eradtield.
Fayette. Mt Vernon. Vienna. belgrade.
Windsor. China. Albion. clint ~. Wins
How AMI VaSsGlbOrO. While on the trip
the new member of the board was fire.
lauentiy heard to remark: IF he Leg
Aislature would only make 4 trim lil<" this
aud see the real Improvement that IS
being madesin the roads in the small
|, towns through the influence OF tn" sta"
aid they Would not hcsita," 30 make
| larger appropriations for the work"
! Another member of the board who this
! wear made the third tour for Inspecting
/ STATE roads. declared that he has been
! able 20 see Il marked improvement III
leach wears work over that of the pre-
ccdinc year and in these opinions tn"
! communication heartily CDncurS.