Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1913-03-01
For Better Roads in st. John.
tCon7a, unicated.)

Mr.. Editor:
The Police Jury has, decided to
do awav with convict labor on
the public reads and to continue
the work with free labor.
The question arises, whether
or not it is advisable to continue
building the roads on the same
plan.
1t seems to the writer that the
model road .cn the left bank has
several defects. Ithas not enough
slope.
The square bitches are deep
and dangerous. The edges will
cave in ard obstruct the ditch.
The square, abrupt edges OF the
bitches will make the road harder
to repair because the road worker
cannot get down into the bitches
with his mules and machine to
clean them out, and consequently
the bitches will have to be clean
ed with spades. Spade work is
always more costly than work
with the plows and road machine.
In places where the bitches
have been made deep to get dirt
enough to raise the road bed, the
outlets must be dug very deep
all the way back through the
fields, and will be hard to keep
open. The six-faot ditch near
the fence is unsightly and 1ncon-
venient. Where is one going to
tie his horse when he stops before
a house /?
The expense of bridging the
ditch at every gate IS great and
will be ever recurring.
It would have. been better, if
this wide ditch had been neces-
sary at all, to put it on the levee
side of the road. Deep bitches
on the road are useless and only
add to the expense Of drainage
by making necessary deeper out
lets.
The undersigned believes that
a better, more convenient and
cheaper, road can be built in the
following way:
First, make a small dam along
the fence to keep water from flow
ing into the road from yards,
gardens and fields. Fill up the
ditch near the fence. Have but
one slope and one side drain
that at the base Of the 'levee.
Make the. road highest near the
fence, higher il possible than the
ground inside the fence.
Then let there be a single slope
from the fence to the levee, so
that the lowest part of the road
at the foot Of the levee viii con-
stitute the drain or ditch. At
suitable places locate the outlets
as in the two=slope road.
The advantages of this form of
road are several every part OF
the road from fence to leyee can
be used.
There is no ditch. to fall into.
No ditch to be stopped up No
bridges in front of gates. A high
and dry path for pedestrians near
the fence.
The dirt that is washed from
the road will settle in the drain
near the levee instead of going
back into the field, and can be
brought back into the road by the
road machine.
Such a road win be easier to
work, and the proper slope can
be maintained by an occasional
use of the road machine or drag
A road of this shape need not be
so wide, since vehicles can pass
over any part of it, even the low
est. I think it should not be more
than Is or 30 #. from fence te
.levee. The slope should be 2 #.
in 25 ft. A road of this shape
could and should be surfaced
with gravel or shells Il expedienf;
otherwise with sand, Of which
there is great abundance easily
available.
That the one slope-road will
prove successful in our river
parishes ! feel no doubt. There
are many short stretches of road
on the right bank where by de-
sign or accident there is only one
slope, and they drain better and
keep better than other places.
Finally, 7 believe that no mat
ter what shape is given to the
road, all hcles should be filled
with sand, and all places where
the soil is of the bue ek-shot variety
should be given d liberal coating
of sand. Enough sand will en-
sure good road even IN the
4zyos.et a1aanC and tviII eor4 nnvaa.