Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-05
WIDE awake MADISON
A Tennessee County Building
Many Miles of Good Roads.
HOW THE START WAS MADE.
Ut Took an Old Farmer to Make the
Authorities Realize What Bad Roads
Were Costing Them - Novaculte
Used In Constructing the Highways.

Used In Constructing the Highways.
How Madison county, Tenn, secured
good roads is an interesting story told
by writer in Breeders Gazette, Chi
cago and may offer a suggestion to
other communities burdened with i'm
passahle 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
planking 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 ar-
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 1908
the roads IL winter became impnssai ia.
Men came in for groceries afoot. \
great meeting was called to discuss
roads and ways and means, sam Ian
caster back of it all. He had Il bill
AIu W IL clllI)ONc IliS tile lSSuIHS VI
bonds for road building to the amount
of S150,O00 and put in care of Il friend
shrewd in such matters The meeting
was Il warm one, and the discussion
took varied sides. Most of the con
servatives" We're 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 it. In a
feeble voice and with dcprecating
manner this old man said:
''AIr Chairman, live out few miles
from town. have little farm and
little sawnill. l can't come to town
now in any other way than afoot.
came to this merchants store Cunning
to one Of the strongest opponents of
the bond issue) and bought about So
worth of groceries today. l will carry
them home on my back 1t is the only
way / can take them home Now,
need more than $50 worth of things
from his store, and if l could get to
town with my team | could bring
enough stuff that l have for sale in
one load to pay for the store things.
would like to see good road before
die. Mr. Chairman, I 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 lie him
self arose and offered a resolution call
ing for the drafting of bill to bond
the county. And the committee re-
tired for five minutes, when they came
back, and the spokesman, to Lancas-
ter's establishment, read the draft of
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 tie leg
iSlature, the bonds We're issued, and the
good roads movement was on.
Next came the matter of materials.
Madison county is without stone. Lam
caster hunted for the best and found it
Ill ItlHt'iS. / ttISlil lttltS NtlC illlPc''i
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 geperally
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 I'LL. They
are like the memorable roads of the
Romans and have the same signlii-
canoe.
Not that there Is money wasted; no.
not a 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 60 to receive and
hold the stone. Next comes the stone
we'll wetted. And as it 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 ofteI
built of re-enforced concrete, Will
wings of the same material. 1t Is al
good, thorough work.
They have now finished sixty miles
of road. The aim was at first to bulIc
all the main roads out from town fol
q distance Of five miles. There were
nine principal roads, which with the1
branches made seventeen miles. Latei
they will extend these roads to nine
miles. DO not imagine that this has
no. u'll