American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-03-23
GOOD ROADS SUGGESTIONS.
American Highway Association Makes
Suggestions Regarding Building and
Care Of Roads.

Come, gentle Spring! ethereal Mild
ness!" That is how old James Thorn
son felt about 1t something like two
hundred years ago, and a little later
Reginald Heber, following his cue,
or v~enturing among the MUSES. OH his
own account, sang of the time when
Spring unlocks the Flowers to paint
the laughing soil" Which leads the
American Highway Association to
point out that the spring thaws and
spring rains will soon be here to re-
mind the people who L about from
place to place, and particularly the
farmers who live out in the country
among the birds and flowers, how
grave has been the neglect of the
public roads In the largest part of this
so-called highly favored land" This
neglect has been almost criminal be-
cause the people have sinned against
the light, in that they have not OBJ
tanned the advice and counsel, neces-
sary to the improvement of impossible
conditions, readily available for the
asking from state IN national road
officials. Either they have failed to
ask for such advice and counsel or
they have disregarded it when they
have received 1t, and with the result
that at the happy spring season., when
the heavens are bright overhead, the
roads are sloppy under foot, and the
farmer and his family find themselves
iQnlafnd from thnfr natnhhAra euxx~
the schools, from the churches, from
the market towns, from everything
that makes life worth living. Yet men
wonder why it is that there has beer
a steady drift from country to town,
and why the young folks, wher their
wings have grown a bit, take flight
from the delights Of rural life to the
crowded confusion of narrow streets
and artificial horizons.
The farmers income is small and
his taxes always seem large. He does
not see In the spring thaws any 9th
er lesson than that OF inevitable drear-
mess. He and his n%eighbors often
cannot pay for hard roads yet. He
tio " a &c part u Ild
year a w~ell-dragged earth road af-
fords satisfactory means of communi-
cation. and 50 he waits patiently until
the water soaks away somewhat and
otherwise let's things drift. He could
not makea greater mistake. He ought
to know that the preliminary essen
tails for good road building for light
country travel are not expensive, and
when the spring brings its troubles
In a few weeks he can utilize the con-
ditions of discomfort, II he will. for
learning some very important things
about rational rural road building.
In the first place. he should consid-
er the very important feature of road
location. In some parts Of the coun-
try, roads were located years ago
without much respect to grades. AS
a result horses strain at their traces
through muddy bottoms, where no.
body lives, to the tops Of windy hifls
with their journey only half begun.
The relocation of parts of roads so
that there will be only easy grades
and so that places may be avoided
where the maintenance Of a good sur
face Is troublesome is not beyond the
achievement OF ordinary common
sense.
In a few weeks there will be no
lack OF evidence that the drainage of
roads is OF vital Importance In most
parts of the land. 1t will not be neces-
sary to employ the highest talent In
engineering to determine where bet
ter drainage must be provided. When
the frost leaves the ground and the
spring rains soak the earth, the soy
gy places will be clearly indicated to
the dullest observation, and will show
whether or not the road can be best
improved by relocation, or by the dig
ging OF deeper bitches, or by the
drainage Of the contiguous land. There
Is nothing mysterious about It, which
the farmer cannot understand: the
drainage Of roads is not different In
principle from the drainage Of land.
The only reason the farmer Is puzzled
when road drainage is suggested is that
In the engineering discussions of the
subject which come to his attention
unusual terms are used to describe
things and conditions he knows by !
different names. He is bewildered by
technical jargon. just as the most OF
us are puzzled at times by the jargon
OF the doctors. The terms employed
by the engineers and the doctors are
useful to the specialists because they
convey exact shades of meaning to
the specialists who need them, but they
ought to be confined to the circle OF
specialists.
Some method OF leading the water
from n side of the road to the 9TH
er is necessary. One great cause OF
had nlaces In roads 10 tha uca 90 0oo-I