The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1907-03-07

ClSHS teams 10 accept the posi-
tons of road overscer, and if he
happens TO live in one end OF the
district he is SO handicapped that
1t IS impossible to give good ser
vice, as he must drive twenty
miles to and from his work, which
IN itself constitutes 4 days work
for the team (they only being
called upon to walk seventeen
miles, while plOughing two acres
of land is considered a good days
work.. In my opinion no one
man who has TO look TO other
business for livelihood can prop
erly take care of more than four
miles OF road, and ~ or 3 is
better, and the reason is obvious.
After every hard rain in the
spring. after the frost is all out,
every road should have a light
spllt-lOg drag, float. or hone
hauled over it from end to end,
the choice of tool depending upon
the crown and the condition OF
the surface. The ''stlit log" will
raise the centre, if that is neCes-
sary; the float fills holes only,
and the hone merely obliterates
the ruts. All three of these
tools can be made by any saw
and Ratchet " man, and alto
gether will not exceed $40 in Cos:.
The Overseer can leave home and
work the two edges of his respec-
tive road, making the barn in
time to feed. if he has only three
or four miles to go and return.
and IN the afternoon can make
another trip, completing his
work; whereas had he ten miles
to go he must have an extra
team and man to carry feed 10,
his noon meal, proceeding
which Will almost double the Cost
OF his days work. The best plan
L know OF is that adopted by TIE
large railroads III maintaining
their road bed. They give to
each division superintendent only
50 much road as he can person
ally attend to, and each year d
committee (our Board of Super
vlSOrS, tor lnStanCe) goes over the
entire road and gives substantial
cash prizes for the four best kept
divisions. This system pits one
man against the other, and gives
them pride In their work, which
they naturally want to be the
best, and would work we'll on our
highways, for a man will natur-
ally do more work to get good
road from his own door to his
school, Post Office and church.
and he will make a good piece
ten miles from home which he
would not in all probability use
more than once a month.
The present levy would prob
ably be ample to keep the roads
Tree from ruts and holes were the
drainage good, but with zoe
yards of ditch on either side OF
every mile. which costs on all
average ~ cents d yard to cut;
making a total cost per mile OF
S8S for ditching, l do not see
much hope for good roads under
the present system, which only
apprOpriates SIP. 80 Il mile for ali
other purposes. About the only
solution is to bond the count,
for sufficient to drain It, and take
from the present county levy
small annual sum sufficient tc
pay the interest on the bonde
and establish a sinking fund.
which would redeem the debt al
the expiration of twenty years.
In this way the great expense
necessary TO make a proper start
would be distributed over Nun
Der Of years and would not be :
noticeable burden. Such bond.
would if exempt from taxation
being par, paying 5 per cent. in.
terest, and, if my figures are cor
rect, $G3, zoo would be sufficient
In this way, without much ad
dltlCnal expense. we would have
very passable dirt roads, free from
holes and ruts, and affOrding {
good firm surface at all times ex-
cept during the freezing weather.
when nothing but McAdam or
she'll ~Oads will be good, neither
Of which Mathews county car
afford to build with her present
resources. In conclusion | would
say that all my figures arc ar-
PRESENTATIONS, as | have no off.
cial knowledge, and I would sug.
gest that the present Overseer
or the Board of Supervisors, fur
nish the public, through the me.
dunn of the press with a state
ment showing the mileage Of the