The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-03-18

| Au PkONAbS Jul NuDllO ulSuWdJ bs
that within only a few years our
country would be cross-sectioned
with improved roads and this
enormous loss saved to the
farmers. He showed that any
sum of money expended on the
Improvement of road, unless ex-
pended under the direct supervl-
sion of competent engineer, was
so much money thrown away, and
no permanent results would be
gained therefrom. He demon
strated- beyond any reasonable
doubt that mud hole in or near
road would destroy the usefulness
of the road, it mattered not of
what material it. was built. He
further said that no man could be
a successful road builder that had
only theoretical education; that it
required practical training cou-
pied with scientific education.
He told of the interest the Post
Office Department had taken in
the work; that they were anxious
to carry the mails to the door Of
every citizen of the country, and
the only thing that prevented
them from doing so was, there are
no roads over which to carry
them. He said that this Depart
ment had joined hands with the
Agricultural Department in car
rying on this work, and was con-
tributing large sums of money to
help further the cause. He told
US how to build an ordinary dirt
road and how to maintain them at
a nominal cost, so that they would
be fairly good the year round.
To me this was the most interest
ing part of the lecture. 1t dem
onstrated our condition most
clearly, and [ wish that every
man in Lincoln county could have
heard it.
He said that the great secret IN
building a dirt road was to so
build it that the water would get
off quickly and by the shortest
possible route, and then stay off.
He showed that a road once built
on scientific prime piles was more
easily maintained, and could be
kept in a fairly good condition
for much less money than the one
where the work was done in
slipshod way could be kept in
even a passable condition. He
intimated in strong language that
the collection of large sums of
money by taxation or otherwise
to spend on temporary repairs
only where the people received no
permanent benefit for their money,
was eEiminally wrong and would
not long be tolerated by a pro-
gressive and wide-awake people.
He told how to build what is
known as Sand Clay roads and
what might be expected of them.
He said that this kind of road
could be built in the South Allan
tic and Gulf States at an average
cost of five hundred dollars per
mile; and exhibited Photographs
of roads that have been built for
years and subjected to heavy traffic
that are now IN prime condition.
He said that for the money ex-
pended this was possibly the best
road for the South. He told of
roads he had seen in Europe built
of this material that had been
maintained for many years at
nominal cost, and subject to the
heavy traffic of that country and
are now answering every purpose
of a Macadamized road. He then
explained the process of building
what is known as "burnt" road,
and said that in some parts of the
South this kind of road had been
adopted with success.
lie next explained the process
of building Macadamised or &C.
ment gravel roads; that the prIn-
ciple was the same as in building
any other and the only difference
was in the material Of WHICH the
road was built; and the cost of |
material and preparing it for the
road was what added so greatly to
the cost of building. In telling
of the work his Department is
doing, he said they would 60 into
any county of the United States
where invited and make an in
spection of their roads and mater
isl and give them a scientific re-
port on same without any cost
whatever. He also said that if
any county in the country would
furnish the material and labor, his
department would send man to |
superintend the construction of a
mile of road without any cost to
the county. Or if any material
was sent to their laboratory at
Washington they would analyze
same and give report on it's road
building qualities without any
cost except transportation charges.
The rain having ceased in che
afternoon the delegates we're in
vited to take a ride over the roads
of Madison county, carriages and
automobiles being furnished free
of charge. These roads need not
the praise of any man. but will
stand as a monument to the wis.
dom of those who built them, for
generations to come.
In conclusion, ! will say that
we were treated with uniform
courtesy and kindness while in
jackson, and one could not but
roo lizo that thncn unrn pn0pIn