Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-05-17
DIRT ROADS ON THE PRAIn.t
Chief Assistant In information De-
partment at Washington Says
First Cut Down the Hiils.

We have had a great deal to say in
the last twenty years on the read ques-
ton. We have believed that. speak
ing generally, In the prairie country
we shall have TO be satisfied with dirt
roads, having macadam or other hard
roads wherever the material is avail
able, which Is only here and there. We
have maintained that very good road
for most of the year could be made
from dirt, provided the road bed had
lost its vegetable matter In the course
of travel, provided 1t was properly
drained, graded and maintained by the
use of the road drag. and provided the
culverts and bridges are Of concrete
or iron and the grades reduced to the
minimum.
1t affords us some qualification to
know that Mr. M. o. Eldridge, the
chief assistant In the information de-
partment of the roads division of the
department of agriculture, at Wash
ington, who is now investigating the
roads In Iowa, full endorses all these
propositions. says Wallace's Far
mer. He is apparently as firm a be-
hever In the dirt road properly man
aged as he would be IL he had been
brought UP on drag.
In an interview Mr.. Eldridge says
that he regards the first thing to do In
to cut down the hills, and remarks
that Iowa has more steep hills than
Switzerland. This is no doubt due to
our habit of laying out roads on sec
tion lines This reminds US of our ex.
perience In New York and Pennsyl
YkH. a. II -l.,Vt-a xxy.
were never outside of the mountain
section, and yet on that whole trip We
did not cross as many steep hills az
will be found In going from Des
Moines to Winterset. or across any of
the counties in the southwestern part
of Iowa. The roads there are not laid
out on section lines. but take the best
grades. In Pennsylvania, where the
same custom prevails. we used to
think they were determined by the
springs. The cows who roamed the
woods made paths to the spring. and.
being excellent engineers. they chose
the best grades. The houses were
built at the springs. The roads fol.
lowed the COW paths to the houses;
and hence good grades. no matter how
far around they had to go. Mr.. El-
bridge believes that no road should
have more than five per cent. grade.
One great difficulty in the hilly parts
of Illinois. Iowa. Missouri and adjoin.
ing states Is that the roads have been
laid out on section lines, and s-the
houses built with reference to the
roads. We very much fear that they
will remain there for all time. as the
expense in cutting down the hills
would be terrific.
Mr. Eldridge further says: When
once a road Is made. 1t Is essential
that 1t should be dragged after every
rain of consequence. The only way to
do this satisfactorily is to have a SUI
pervisor for each township or county,
whose duty It is to get out men with
drags No man should have more
than three miles of road to take care
Of After each storm, then. the super
visor can call upon the men to get to
work at the right time The man in
charge must know when the time
comes to do the dragging" On this
we remark that the county Is too large
district. There is frequently two
inch rain In one part or the county.
which would necessitate immediate
dragging, and a mere sprinkle over
the rest OF 1t, and there is never any
good done by dragging dry road
Mr. Eldridge next answers the ques-
tion as to what kind OF road could
be made under this system. as fol-
lows: with the right kind OF work.
a solid roadbed can be made from the
soil in this state. It should be round
ed, and traffic should be in the center
and not one road on each side OF a
ride. that will soak up the water"
He then adds: Good roads will
come when the farmer realizes the
benefits that will accrue to his land
from having them. With good roads
the farmer can raise products that will
pay better profits than those he now
raises. It costs more now to transport
grain from farm nine miles from a
railroad than Il does to transport the
same grain from New York to Liver
pool" All Of which is undoubtedly
true.