Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-02-02
GOOD DRAINAGE IS
REAL ROAD SECRET
No Such Thing as Permanent Road, ;
Declares One Speaker at Meeting
Held in Eugene.
ALL MUST BE MAINTAINED
Is CONTENTION ADVANCED
Dirt Basis of Vast Majority of High,
ways and There is Way to Sc
cure Good Results.

The Engene Register, of Saturday
had the following:
Good roads do not require concrete
or asphalt. But they must have drain.
age-drainage on top, drainage at the
side and drainage below; they must be
graded just as an engineer builds up
railroad grade-deep side bitches and a
high, smooth crown They may be GOV.
cred with gravel or crushed rock-the
latter is better but not essential. Too
much of either is wasteful. As for per.
manent roads, these do not exist, and
what S more, they are snare and a
delusion. Ninety per cent Of all roads
in Oregon must, for years to come, be
earth roads. Learn to build these as
foundations, and let the so-called "per-
manent roads" be placed on top aft.
erward when needed.
Such was the doctrine preached to 60
Lane county road supervisors who sat
in the county court room all day yester.
day at the most remarkable good roads
injecting, perhaps, ever held in Eugene
There was no oratory. The manifest en-,
thusiasm was a strained attention; an
eager interest, and an occasional, but
sincere outbursts Of applause. 1t was
not "high brow" meeting; men
were there in working clothes. Theii
faces were rough; but their eyes were
Keen. 1t was not meeting of wild
enthusiasm, with each carried away by
a vision of beautiful futures or of mud
holes disappearing while you sleep al
the approach of bond issues.
1t was a joining Of fact and theory
Men who have built roads for 40 years
were frankly told they do not know
the last word in road construction. And
every man present acquiesed. They were
told that other men, theorists if you
please, knew facts about road building
that none of them Knew, They were
told to read books.
Principles Are Universal.
Gentlemen, " said Helmus Thomp
son, county judge, addressing his road
supervisors for the last time in that
capacity, "the basic principles of road
building are the same in Florida as they
are in Oregon. 1t is law Of nature
that water runs down hill, and the law
Of capillary attraction is another. You
might just as well know them, for you
can Z build roads unless you do,
"You have a tendency to belittlC
book knowledge, especially on practical
subjects, but the best men in the world
get the experience of others; they get
the basic principles, and they apply to
these their own experience. "
Such was the attitude Of this unusual
road meeting. And drainage was the
theme. A puddle Of water in the side
of the road looked as big to the aver
age Of those supervisors on his way
home last evening as does row of sa
looms to temperance worker in a dry
town.
Before the meeting had closed, the
ideal road changed from concrete
bitulithic covered model Of engineering
to simple oarthen grade, rounded VI
from two.foot ditch at the sides
crowned with eight inches of rock OF
gravel, undorlaid with tile, and sur,
faced with waterproof overcoat, a
rain coat, if you please.
Cheaper to Remove Water.
"Dirt work is cheap; hauling gravel
or crushing rock costs money" said
Judge Thompson. "'lf you can do q
dollars worth Of earthwork and save
four dollars worth Of rock work--it :.
worth while, It's cheaper to carry the
water away than to place expensive
construction, and it's absolute waste Ia
put rock ON whore Che grade has not
bceu built Wherever there is pud
die at the side of the road, you will
find a chuck hole in the center, don Z
want any supervisor to tell me he laid
rock "a inches deep, II he does, ii
inches have been wasted,
The talk Of II. V, Sketon, professor
of civil engineering at Corvallis, sent
10y the o, A. c, extension department
was masterfuL All he did was to tel
how to build up, drain and surface O
road, 1t took him an hour and hall
to do it, but 1t seemed a fiye.minut,
talk.
"For years and years, " he said, "oC
per cent of Oregon $ roads will be eartl
roads, This talk Of permanent roads
is not only useless, but It is harmful
California bids fair to lose all It's har,
surface roads because IL has though
that the construction of these is all tha