Evening journal., 1913-04-02
CARE OF The
COUNTY ROADS
Wilson Tells Levy
Court How Highways May
be Kept Up

the Levy Court yesterday afternoon
paper treating of the upkecp oil
county roads which showed consider /,
able thought on the subject The /
court Will consider the suggestions. (
Mr. Wilson said 80 much pub
lie discussion has of late been brought
forward in regard to the ma n,onance
OF our new improved roads. and very
rightfully so that ] feel like giving
your honorable body some idea or what
] think should be done in the line of
keeping our stone roads in repair
We are now confronted with two
questions. the first of which disap
pears with the effective administra-
ton of the second, viz. repair and
maintenance OF our roads Repair
means to bring back to its original
condition. the road as we receive II
from the contractor. Maintenance
means to so keep in good condition
the road, that the question of repair
will not occur only at long intervals,
or not at all. After a road has been
turned over by the contractor to the
county authorities. IL should be the
duty of the Levy Court 10 so take care
OF such road that II will be kept as
nearly as possible in its original form
and condition, and i'm the most
economical manner. In many parts
OF the country It has been the Gus
tom to allow the roads to so deterior
ate that they needed repairs instead
of maintenance, under the mistaken
idea that II was more economical to
look after them In this way, ana
many tons of stone have been wasted
which might have been saved by
system Of maintenance Experience
has proven that the first idea is
fallacy. and that the old rule OF "a
stitch in time saves nine IS very APP
plicable to our public roads as well
as to other things.
MANY systems have been trieo.
not only in the older countries but
In this In the upkeep OF our roads;
the contract system Of letting out so
many miles of road 10 certain con
tractors, the calling In of the ada
cent land owners or renters, and the
employment of men directly under the
supervision of the contractors. The
first system, or contract system,
never has been and / doubt If IL ever
will be satisfactory; the second has
the objection that at the time our
rural population is needed on tho
roads Il is of a necessity needed on
the farms. There then remains the
system of employing men directly
and continuously on our roads The
proper maintenance of our roads
needs the Supervisor Of men perfect
~ familiar with this class Of work,
and this knowledge can only be gain
ed by constant and permanent en-
ployment Men who have certain
number OF miles of road in their
charge soon take a pride and inter-
est In It and strive to have their sec
ton the best Prizes could be Of
tered as a further inducement in this
respect Il would seem best there
fore, that this system, or the patrol
system, be adopted and that the men
so employed be encouraged to look
forward to a permanency in their
jobs, as making for the best efficiency
and economy for the general pub
lie.
Some Of the points in the care Of
road are as follows
keeping the surface Of the road
free from all foreign deposits, mud,
manure and other rubbish.
"Flling all ruts, holes and other
depressions.
"Cleaning the bitches. keeping the
shoulders and banks in proper shape,
and taking care that all pipes, cul-
verts. and water courses are kept
clear. especially in the Fall and early
Spring.
LAS soon as a road has been hand
ed over to the care of the Court
there should be ordered a sufficient
quantity Of material to be used in
filling all ruts and depressions. This
material should be deposited in small
storage piles along the road so that
Il would be Immediately available foi
the carekeeper. Our best material
would likely be trappe rock with
| limestone screenings for a binder;
we could also try some OF the vari-
Gus binders with them, say some dry
concrete TO temporarily harden 1t
and give the patches time TO become
bound in the road; also glutin, light
oils, and other modern binders,
which are now being tried out in the
various States. The quality OF ma
terial needed to keep certain stretches
in constant repair, varies very much,
especially as many of our roads need
| TO be brought back to their original
/ shape. and il also depends largely
/ ON the AnAtilibthNt vi lht IdtAhi man
and the traffic on the road Probably
about so tons per mile distributed in
piles about 200 feet apart, or say
some 20 piles to the mile. or course,
the patrol man. or supervisor will
need the proper tools to do his work
| He should have a wheel-barrow OF
/ light cart. a pick or two. shovels, a
heavy broom, a brush scythe, and a
road rammer about S inches in d.
ameter. and Weighing about ten or
twelve pounds Also a small guam
tity Of modern binder. Each district
should have its own roller, for while
you can use them proftably only in
certain seasons OF the year, every dis
trict needs them at the same time.
The wet season Is undoubtedly the
best time of all TO fill ruts and de-
pressions. And. while I recognize
that your body is short Of maintcn.
ance funds. I would most earnestly
advise that YOU do all that Is pos
sihle i'm the coming month TO repair
our stone roads. II will take some
time to get the proper men to carry
this system into effect; in fact in
several OF the Hundreds we are apt
to be handicapped i'm this respect. for
the supply of laboring men is very
limited. hardly enough men to work
the farms. For the present. al
p least, since this season is so far ad-
! vanced and we are so short of funds
I would suggest that our Hundred
, / road sunprvfSOre IN he annOinfpd tho