Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1913-05-29

ApNN ia Nhc gSdt bt put tlc TI4[S
in splendid shape. But did be
turn them loose for the winter
when the weather and condition
of the roads were such that he
could not use the machine? BY
no means. Like a sensible man
he SAW that this was the time %
preserve the work he had done.
Hence he put split log drags on
the road. After every rain oil
any size, about the tine the sol
reached the doe state or before
he would hasten over the road.
with the spit log drag, running
twice 10 each side of the road
As a result the roads have beer
good all the while. You see nc
ruts. The roads are never rous /
and bunny and WEAKNESS Il
the flesh vi those who drive over
them.
Another thing | noticed in The
same county was this: There
WAS n sand hill about 800 feet long
with a gradual slope and the peo-
pie were anxious to get rid OF it.
A man who knew how 20 make q
road was placed in charge Of the
convicts Of the county and autho-
lied to do something with thai
piece OF road. AL he did was 70
take clay from nesr by and pu.
about two feet or possibly 80
inches OF IL on the sand, giving
the proper slope for drainage.
That piece OF road has been ever
since the best part Of that road
and yet all OF that particular road
has been in splendid repsir for a
year. To al intents and purposes
so Tar as | could tell the sand ana
clay there wa. about Ike the ordi
nary clay and sand OF the country
not different from that in LaFay-
cite County, 80 far a. I know.
Il has occurred that il some of
tho clay that Was dumped into IN.
woods II the grading Of our roads
lad been put On the esjlcea;
sand beds, that il would have pre-
yeated the sad from digging IN
+ y holes ey rsAiciss aud " hing
ssto acies 81 every heavy rain.
This . just al idea Of mine, no;
knowing The rszi character OF
either the clzy o. sand OF the
county. ! know TIA, has been
done in other counties with splen
did results. Ny ideas o. road
building have not been obtained
from a scientific study Of road
building. not sexual road build
ing, but purely from obss-ga-
ton and comparison.
We are building roads in Dis
trict No. at an enormous ex-
pense 10 the district. The pso-
pls are wanting TO know whether
the roads are to be permanent or
only temporary. Il the latter the
cost is entirely too great. Ii the
roads are TO be permanent, then
the ee-eeRld hardly be to great
II they are - be permanent, then
when IS the work Of preservation
To begin2 When the roads were
gone over by the road machine.
everybody was saying "haven' I
We got beautiful roads" Had il
never rained on them, or only
Just enough occasionally to lay
the dust and not make them soft
We would continue to have beau
tiful roads. But the rains come
ever and anon, in sufficient quail
ties TO soften the road bed. Then
what? They are torn to pieces
by travel and when they dry they
are as rough as the "Giant's
Causeway." So tho question is
repeated, what method il any has
been devised for overcoming this
rough condition of the roads after
every rain and to prevent them
being cut into mud holes? Ny
observation has thoroughly con-
WINGED me that there is no method
so effective as the split log drag.
1t not only keeps the road smooth
and prevents mud holes forming,
but there is nothing like it to give
a smooth, hard surface to tho
road, provided it is used at the
right stage after a rain. 1t also
prevents the water eating out lit
tie washes on the edge OF the road.
| suppose all OF this is known to
the commissioners, but | know
that some method should be ready
to Immediately follow the build
OF the roads.
1t is going to be a difficult. mat
ter to obtain good roads in the
county unless the psople who
most need good roads will feel
enough interest in the matter to
help keep'the roads good by not
travelling the roads when il can
possibly be avoided just after a
rain. The custom however seems
TO be with most everyone who has
a wagon, buggy or horse or mule
to go to Oxford as soon as il rains
and when the roads are in no
condition to be used and when
teams should not be pulled on the
roads. This is especially-true OF
the colored part of our popula- |
ton and true also OF a great many |
white people. If the roads were |
graveled or macadamized it would |
be different matter. But jnstI
90 long as the people deliberately :