The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-12-02

When we stop and consider how
much of towns welfare depends up
on the trade and cooperation of the
rural communities, we cannot help but
see the vital Importance of properly
constructing and efficiently maintain
ing up to the highest degree of per-
lection the thoroughfares leading into
that town.
There is one reason and only one,
why we do not enjoy better roads. 1t
is not because the men in charge are
incompetent or careless, for they are
selected to fill these offices by virtue
of their good judgment and previous
experience in bodybuilding, but be-
cause our road overseers, etc., are ham
dicapped by lack of funds.
People complaining loudest and most
about the bad roads are also the ones
who almost have fit every time a
dollar is spent, not only for road
building and maintenance but for any
class of public improvement. Our
road overseers can only 60 so far and
quit, and they are to be complimented
on the work they are doing, consider
ing the small amount of money they
are authorized to spend.
l know of nothing that will give
the taxpayer more genuine satisfac-
ton and pleasure than smooth we'll
drained highway because it is some
thing that must be used almost every
day in the year and consequently
should be kept in a high state of eff
ficiency.
Although the men who have charge
of our highways may be competent
to perform their duties, and although
l am not offering this as complaint,
yet few suggestions might be of
some help.
In order that road be satisfactory
for public travel it should be dry, SOL
id, of easy grade and smooth. There
are other features desirable but these
four are essential and are named in
the order of their Importance.
A road that is watersoaked can
never be good and a road that holds
water on it's surface will eventually
become watersoaked. This difficulty,
with every other feature perfect, can
be best corrected in this locality by
the use of gravel and lots of it.
A road must, in order to be at it's
best, offer the minimum amount of
resistance. The materials that enter
int Oh bo nL
that it can be thoroughly compacted
so as to sustain the traffic on firm,
unyielding surface, and, above all,
without the formation of ruts
With almost all material used in
road construction solid surface may
be maintained if the drainage is sys-
tematic and thorough. All matters
relating to the location and construc-
ton of highways should conform very
closely to a condition of complete
drainage, for drainage is a feature
most essential to a good and easily
maintained road. A large amount of
water falls upon a mile of roadway
in the course of year. I'm Minnesota
4,878,720 gallons.) and if the road
is to be kept in proper condition some
means of rapid escape for this water
must be provided so that as little as
possible will be allowed to soak into
the surface. By the way, properly
constructed crown will help material
'ly in correcting this difficulty. The
water should be promptly removed by
-
the edge of the roadway. Some of the
water will, however, soak through the
surface and can be taken care of quite
as well by a system of subsoil drains.
There is one known as the double sub
soil system and is about the best, all
things considered. 1t consists of a
tile drain or two laid cross-wise be-
meath the roadway and emptying into
the bitches provided for the purpose