Evening journal., 1914-05-26

we can save should be devoted 70.
drainage, culverts and bridges. 4
dry road is said to be almost always
a good road this does not apply to
sand roads, although they, in places,
need side bitches.
In using the scraper OF road ma
chine, be careful to leave a shoulder
to the gutter, which can be done by
dipping the blade when making the
first or gutter cut; then round the
road surface more or less to suit the
material of the road; as a general
thing, a clay road needs a greater
crown than others, say at least one
(1) inch per foot, so that on a twenty
four (2D foot road there will be a
fall Of twelve (12) inches from the
centre to the side ditch. Do not
scrape too much road at one stretch.
but endeayor to finish up as far as
you go, for fear that part of the work
VIII have to be done over again
should it lain meantime. Do not
leave gutter inside of the old gut
ter, or, IL necessary to do so, nick
small outlets into the old, otherwise
the water will be retained alongside
Of the road and damage it as hereto
fore stated. Do not scrape a stone
road, as the benefit derived is offset
by the damage done
The road drag has been found 10
be one Of the most useful and
economical OF all road implements.
while It will not shape a roadbed
1t will keep one in shape after one
has been rounded by the steel road
scraper. By using these drags just
after rain the water Is squeezed out
of the ruts, the road has a chance
to dry, and the surface becomes har-
dened. 1t may seem, at times, that
the road is too wet, yet experience
teaches that you can hardly begin
too soon. Earth roads, even though
properly made in the first place, soon
get out of order and require con-
stant care and attention all the year
round
The following rules for dragging
road have been formulated and
adopted in several states:
Haul the drag over the road at any
angle so that a little earth is pushed
to the centre Of The road.
Drive the team slowly along one
side of the road returning on the
other side, and let the driver ride on
the drag.
Drag the road as soon after rain
as possible, but not when the mud
sticks TO the drag
Do not drag a dry road. Drag at
all seasons of the year.
If the ground freezes just after
! dragging the road bed will be in
smooth condition.
The best results are obtained by
repeated dragging.
REMARKS.
! wish to impress on our dirt road
| supervisors the Importance Of the
work under their charge. When you
consider that according to the United
States Road Department Report.
there are about 100000 miles Of
road in the United States and only
100000 miles Of Ibis improved; and
that in our own County there are
over 1000 miles of road. of which
only 175 miles are improved; which,
by the way, is a greater per cent. OF
roads improved than any State or
County, except in rural districts OF
large cities, you can readily see that
we have yet many miles of dirt roads
and will have for many years TO
come, so that the Supervisors job Of
taking care of these roads Is locally
of probably more Importance than
that of the Supervisors Of the stone
/ roads. The improved roads are al
ways built TO form and grade, and
the bitches made, and can be kept
In condition with the proper amount
of money and good system of main
tenance, but the dirt roads with their
relative values to the community. and
their many ramifications leading to
all parts of the country over hills and
hollows, some with many farms on
them. others with only three or four
and some with only one house on
them, often at the extreme end, Is a
very different problem, for the one
house road is of as much importance
to its owner as the other roads are
to theirs. but naturally will not need
so much attention, as the wear and
tear is not so great, and, besides, the
old rule of the greatest good for the
greatest number must be born in
mind. These roads require not only
maintenance, but, with their bad
drainage. steep hills, land washes
from the adjacent fields, etc, con-
stant repair. The dirt road Super
N1SOT 6NOuiu lutiblOlb uhuti oAdhu
that his position is e very important
and vital one to the community and
should give his best thought and
energy to solving the different prob
lens presented in his work.
HOUSE DRAINAGE ALONG PUBLIC
ROADS.
In many OF our small villages and
adjacent urban towns it is the custom
to empty the house slops into the
road cutters by pipes or otherwise.
This practice is very deleterious 10
the road, ugly to the sight and smell,
and. / believe, unsanitary. l sin
cerely hope those who are now doing
this will find a way 10 eliminate it.
MACHINERY.
At the end of the road season, all
Supervisors should thoroughly oil and
paint their road machinery and get
IL under cover until the following
spring. even if it oe necessary TO pay
} rent for them.
WIDE TIRES.
Narrow tires, as everyone knows,
are destroyers of good roads, while
wide tires are makers Of good roads.
We now have a law, passed by the
7, last General Assembly, giving us a
l bonus for tires not less than four ca
inches wide a rebate of one (l) dol
lar per wheel yearly from the road
tax of anyone, provided the amount
: is not greater than three-fourths
(3-4ths) of their road tax. ] sim