The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1907-07-19
WIDE AWAKE MADISON
A Tennessee County Building
Many Miles of Good Roads.
HOW THE START WAS MADE.

Were Costing Them - NoVaculite
Used In Constructing the Highways.
How Madison county, Tenn, secured
good roads is an interesting story told
by a writer in Breeders Gazette, Chi
cago. and may offer 4 suggestion to
other communities burdened with I'M
passabIe highways. Several years ago
Sam Lancaster, city engineer OF Jack
son. Tenn, turned his attention to the
condition of the streets Of Jackson and
the roads of the surrounding country.
He found the county commissioners
pIanking some of the roads and began
by showing them that the wood cost
as much as good stone would cost.
1t took lot of effort to move the au-
thorities, but at last little beginning
was made and some stone laid down.
There was much opposition, yet the
people liked the road, and the seed
sprouted, the yeast worked. In 1903
the roads In winter became impossible.
Men came in for groceries afoot
great meeting was called to discuss
roads and ways and means, Sam Lam
caster back of it all. He had @ bill
drawn empowering the issuing OF
bonds for road building to the amount
Of $150,000 and put in care Of friend
shrewd in such matters. The meeting
was q warm one, and the discussion
took varied sides. Most of the con
servatives" were opposed to bonds.
''Tax and pay as we go' was their ar
gument. That meant nothing doing"
After weary arguments and no appar-
ent progress an old man arose. tired
old man, splattered with red mud from
head to foot, his boots caked with mud,
his trousers painted with 1t. In
feeble voice and with a dcprecating
manner this old man said:
"Ir Chairman, live out few miles
from town. l have a little farm and a
little sawmill. j can't come to town
now in any other way than afOot. l
came to this merchants store turning
to one Of the strongest opponents of
the bond issue) and bought about S.
worth of groceries today. | will carry
them home on my back. 1t is the only
way | can take them home. Now,
from his store, and if l could get to
town with my team | could bring
enough stuff that l have for sale i'll
one load to pay for the store things.
would like to see 4 good road before l
die. Mr.. Chairman, | must be going
soon, for it is long walk through the
mud to my place"
A silence fell upon the assembly. The
merchant was abashed. Then he him
self arose and offered a resolution call
ing for the drafting of a bill to bond
the county And the committee re
tired for five minutes, WHOM they came
back. and the spokesman, to Lancas-
ters establishment, read the draft of a
bill issuing bonds to the amount Of
100000
The psychological moment had arriv-
ed; he was shrewd enough to know it
and had doubled the agreed upon fig
ures. With no dissenting voice the res
olution carried, the bill went to the leg
islature, the bonds were issued, and the
good roads movement was on.
Next came the matter of materials.
caster hunted for the best and found 1t
in Illinois. Freight rates were impOssi-
BILE. He saw" the men who manage
the Illinois Central railway and show
ed them that it would pay them to haul
the stone cheaply and help him to de
velop the country there. They made a
low rate, and work began. This stone
they use Is called nOvaculite. 1t is as
hard as flint and as sharp. 1t bonds
easily and wears exceedingly well.
When the work of road building be-
gan Lancaster determined to relocate
much of the old way, that grades
should be made light, that direct
ness could be considered. Naturally
he encountered much opposition in
this, but being patient and persistent
and conciliatory as we'll he generally
accomplished that point. Many ram
bling old hill roads were abandoned
and direct lines built in their stead.
The aim was that as one hill deter
mines what load may be drawn to
Jackson there should be no hill any
where. Seldom can one see as good
grades as he has given these roads.
They balk at neither cut nor fill. They
are like the memorable roads of the
Romans and have the same signifi-
canoe
Not that there is money wasted; no,
not penny is wasted, and the utmost
efficiency is sought from labOrers, from
Transfers, from materials They first
make the grade, then they follow and
make what they call subgrade, or
bed for the stone. This IS rolled down
hard with the steam roller 1t has a
sharp shoulder Of "6'' to receive and
hold the stone. Next comes the stone
we'll wetted. And as 1t is laid down
and spread it is we'll rolled down; then
the road is complete Where there
are culverts to be put in they are often
built of REINFORCED concrete. with
wings Of the same material. 1t is all
good, thorough work.
They have now finished sixty miles
of road. The aim was at first to build
all the main roads out from town for
distance of five miles There were
nine principal roads, which with their
branches made seventeen miles. Later