The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-10-29
How TO Make Good Roads.


from o. II. Gillespie OF Madison:
| have been accused of being radi
cal in my views regardig good roads,
and, II that be so, | must say am
proud of 1t, for | believe 1t is
necessary to use extreme measures
in agitatng this good roads problem.
The eyes of the whole civilized
world were turned our way because
of the radical views of two Nebraska
and. although a dyed in
the wool" republican. | am frank to
say that believe their radical ideas
have resulted in much good, not only
to the state of Nebraska, but to the
whole nation.
But I am not only radical, | am
an optimist as well. | see good roads
ahead. | see roads in Madison county
without sand, without ruts, without
side "jiggles," over which the farmer
can haul twice the load he does now.
| see roads that will allow the wagons,
buggies, and automobiles to last twice
as long as they do now. see n
road from Norfolk to Madison over
which team can easily go in ninety
minutes or an auto in thirty minutes.
I
am talking about, but Madison county,
the best place on earth to live.
1t Is a fact that the man most in
terested in the public highway, the
farmer, is the slowest to take hold
and help. Last spring farmer liv-
ing four miles from a town where
the Commercial club were making an
effort to put the roads in better con.
dition. refused to help run the drag,
unless he was paid 60 cents per hour.
instead Of so cents, the amount the
others received; although he admitted
that 1t was worth $50 per year to him
to have this road kept in good con.
dition, or about $40 per day for the
time required to keep 1t so. Patriotic
citizen? Nit! This Is why It Is time
that more of us should become radi-
cal. The farmer Is the backbone of
the country, and once you get him
thoroughly awake to the advantages to
himself of good roads, then the thing
Is done. However, not all farmers
are so slow to take hold of the work.
I know of one instance where the
farmers are maintaining an excellent
road, extending three miles from town,
and they refuse all compensation for
their work. The Commercial club
furnishes them the flexible drag.
do not claim that the farmer
should be asked to do this work for
nothing. Let the taxpayer stand the
expense. But l do claim that the
farmer should be willing to do public
work at reasonable price, when 1t
is he who Is receiving the greatest
benefit.
If farmer instead of hitching four
horses to a heavily loaded wagon and
hauling 1t to town after every rain.
would hitch to a road machine and
drag up the road, he would earn more
money than by hauling the load, and
also be a public, benefactor. Our
natural soil. when combined in the
right proportions and kept in condi-
ton. will make wonderfully good
road, and we of Nebraska should be
thankful that we have not the OBJ.
stacles to overcome that are presented
in so many of the other states. The
greatest trouble with our present sys-
tenn Is that the roads receive no care
after being graded. From SO to SIS
per mile will keep almost any dirt
road in excellent condition and make
1t grow better year by year, If dragged
up at the proper time. II the farmers
could be induced to use the wide tire
wagon, and stay off the road with
heavy loads when the ground Is very
wet. it would be a comparatively sim.
pie matter to maintain good dirt roads.
But am getting off on my hobby
when am supposed to be telling
how to make sand.clay roads.
The first requirement for a good
road, whether it be sand-clay or clay
sand. black-loam or macadam, is pro-
per drainage. On clay hills, where
there are springs, or tendency to-
ward seepage, soft tile should be put
in below the frost level, to carry the
water out. And this same water can
be used very handily for drinking pur
poses by tapping the tile, bringing the
water up, and letting it flow through
a trough, then down again, and out
under the culvert or bridge. Where
the soil is very sandy, even across the
low, wet bottom land, the bitches
should not be cut out too deep, but
should be amply wide to carry al
food water without compelling it tc
rise up to the top or run over the
grade.
In bottom land, where the road bed
is clay or black loan, cut the bitches
deerer, and as far out as possible
rounding the grade in a gentle slope
from the bottom of the ditch, up tC
the center, and see that the highest
point is directly in the center of the
roadway. Notice this, say "Cut the
bitches out" instead of hauling dirt
to build up the grade, cut out the
ditch and drain the land. The sides
of all public roads should be seeded
to some kind of tame grass, preferably
blue grass, and the weeds should be
kept moved until complete stand
is secured, when it will take care o.
itself. Where the. soil is sandy, ant
the grade has to be carried high ovel
railroad track, wagon bridge, or the
like, the sides of the grade should be
covered with fine manure, and seeded
to blue grass.
For the good OF the country at large
all sand blow-outs should be corrected
at once, for it can be done. II SHOULD
be the duty of the road supervisor
to see that all such blow-outs which
are near enough to the road to de
damage are taken care OF. A sane
blowout Is like fire, II taken in time
1t can easily be controlled, but II lef