Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-10-11

dumped from The rear OF cart directly
ON the road, no matter how we'll It II
lsvslsd, viii produce humps - well a. de-
prsssions; still the average man in charge
OF road rspairs win persist in doing It.
Miles and miles Of what otherwise would
have been good gravel or dirt roads, are
destroyed BY this method. A road COM
missioner will expend from $500 to 800 or
even moro on mile Of dirt or gravel road.
Ordinarily when dirt or gravel packs
there will be depressions. The reasonable
and sensible thing to do would be to &c
over the road again and fill the depres-
sions and smooth OF the humps. Inva-
riably this Is never none. The holes are
allowed to act as catch basins for the
water after every shower. The dirt il
thereby softened and every vehicle pass
ing over it makes the hole deeper and
deeper until in very short time the road
'is as bad or even worse than it was before
the repairs were made, when the expendi-
ture Of from Us to $50 at the proper time,
would have saved the road and the town
its money.
The writer not long since, travelling at q
speed Of not over fifteen miles an hour,
came to newiy-made gravel road on
which considerable amount OF money
had been expended, but it was SO rough
that before the car could be stopped-a
distance Of perhaps twenty-five feet-a
spring was broken. Naturally one would
think that the person who built that road
would have pride enough to 20 and fill
the holes. Not so, for the writer was over
the same road few weeks later, and it
was in worse condition than ever. In
this instance, the money expended was
worse than lost.
In many instances, II the municipal Of
dcers would give those who desired to
work out their taxes on the road, Q fishing
rod, and tell them to 60 fishing and charge
their time to the town, both the town and
men would be benefited. Many Of the
city governments or street commissioners
are equally negligent. Permanent streets
are built, costing thousands Of dollars .
mile, and nothing thereafter is done to
them except to tear them up to lay sewers,
conduits, water or gas pipes.
1t is almost criminal negligence to allow
good macadam road, after once built, to
become so full OF holes that in compare
lively short time it is ruined, when by
years. The expense is trifling each year
when compared with the original cost.
All it needs is attention. II these same
men should get a small rent in a new coat
they will Immediately have it repaired,
knowing there was danger OF the ragged
edges catching on something and making
the rent much larger. The same theory
holds good on newly made street.
Fill the holes, for the streets will not be
needed for settling basins until the lakes
dry up.
TO THE ROAD COMMISSIONER.
Finally, Mr.. Scates says to the road
commissioner:
Why do you neglect to fill the holes in
your roads-the expense is small-when
you know they will, in a comparatively
short time, destroy the whole road?
Why do you dump your road material
directly on the road, when you know
every load will make hump as well as
depression in the road, which makes q
catch basin to hold the water after every
rain9
Why will you use the road machine on
sandy and clayey road, when you know
by 80 doing the road is made infinitely
worse than it was beforef
When you fill hole, why do you build
the spot so much higher than the rest OF
the road, when you know by 20 doing you
will make two depressions, one on each
side Of the hole to fill, when only one ex-
listed beforef
The amount your town appropriates for
roads is OF no greater importance than is
the way you expend it.
Why do you waste your towns money!
Your greatest sin is negligence, rather
than ignorance.