Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-11-08

large extent taxes the place OF a roll
err If Keller can be had this also
should be used. and used Immediately
after a rain. But a good road can
be had without a roller, If It Is taken
care of and looked after during the
first year, and the best implement to
do this is with split log drag, using
it the same as on an earth road. Ruts
will form along the wagon track and
why're the horses 60, but a dragging
of the surface will fill these and in
a short time a compact, smooth road
way will result. A better road can b.
built IN one year if this plan is fol
lowed than can be built In three years
by the old plan, and The road will be
smoother and will serve better pur-
pose.
Do not forget that the most imror-
tant part of road building is drs cage,
and that five or six inches of gravel
on Wen drained road will give bet
ter results than twice this material
uron road that is imperfectly drain
ed.
When the writer was attending the
great International Meeting of Road
Engineers in Paris, 1908, one of the
delegates asked an eminent French
engineer how soon after the road was
built he commenced to make repairs
His answer was: "The next day.
If any place "a stitch in time save:
nine,' 1t certainly will do so on the
highway. The splendid roads o.
Europe are looked after by an attend
ant who goes over them every week
and as soon as break appears, thu
necessary repair is made. In thil
country the practice has been to builC
an expensive road or pave a street a
a high cost, and do nothing with it I'd
til it becomes impossible.
When any township. has well grad
ed and thoroughly drained its high
ways the question Of good roads i
\ half solved, but only half. A smootl
hard wearing surface must be put W
on the same, especially upon the mai
highways. Where the state aid pla
is followed the expense is not a bul
den to anyone and the benefits ar
many and shared in by all.
We sometimes hear the statemeI
made by those who are trying to fin
objections to the building of har
roads, that an earth road is muc
pleasanter to drive upon and easie
for the horses, and therefore the a,
vantages Of good road are in SON
degree offset by the fact that q
earth road at certain seasons Is II
better of the two.
The writer has always advocate
that where it is practical, it would |
we'll to leave a smooth earth roe
alongside of the stone or gravel roa
so that the drivers might choose
tween the two. When the weather
fine and the earth road is smooth, Il
drivers will usually take that In prt
erence to the hard road. This saw
wearing the hard road, and thus
serves double purpose. Let a hea'
rain descend and everybody takes L
hard road. The difference is the Il
proved highway Ia good 365 days
the year, and the other road is go,
S and bad by turns. Having them ST.
by side, which can easily be do
without additional expense, the reor
7 have the choice.
There is another feature of the pt
1 manent road that should not be lC
sight of. In the busy season viii
S the crops are being planted, son
g times heavy rain will fall, so tn
e the fields are too wet to work. Wi
t good roads the farmer can make
trip to town, do the necessary
e rands, maui off load of grain or no
d and keep his farm ha s employt
o If the roads are unimproysd, he C
neither work the farm nor travel t
e highways.
d Every road overseer, and in fact ,
cry farmer, should send to the sta
s engineer of his state and to the off
o Of Public Roads at Washington, a
n have his name put upon the mali
d list, so that the bulletins and cir,
v lars, of which scores are published
# cry year, upon road building and ma
II tenance, road drainage, and sugg
tons that grow oat Of the experier
n Of road building can be followed
and adopted by them. II this W.
done 1t would stop an enormC
amount Of money that every year
wasted upon the highways by
tiineG and misdirected effort.
Ill Old WorId Haakla an tha Hudeon