Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-03-29
Good Roads Department
Conducted Especially for the Banner by Hon. p
T. Colgrove President of the Michigan
Good Roads Association.

cussions 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, jusk
as the most of us are puzzled at times
by the jargon of 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 one side of the road TO the other
| is necessary. One great cause of bad
vices for such purpose. The culvert
under the road ought to be so made
that water passing drought it will
not keep the road bed soft; it ought
to be large enough to carry the wat
ed easily, and il ought to be located
so that it will not become clogged.
That is what an experienced engineer
who can talk in logarithms when nee
essary, says about it, and it is simple
enough for the least scientific to un-
derstand. "All these requirements
can be met by simple and inexpen-
sive means that any intelligent farm
er can use in fighting the mud men
ace to his success and happiness"
If the road must be carried over a
stream, a bridge will be needed, and
there is nothing mysterious about a
short bridge. The great trouble with
most of the defective bridges has not
been in the girders and beams but in
the abutments. A bridge built on
sand is even less secure than the
Il
down to us as typical of useless struc-
lures. In the construction of the
abutments of little road bridges pro-
vision must be made for secure foun-
dations down below any danger Of un-
dermining by floods, and the freshets
Of the coming spring will show wheth-
er or not this rule has been observed
in their construction.
All these things are noted here be-
cause the spring conditions will show
before long to the intelligent farmer
where road conditions can be bettered
at little expense. He can read the
lesson easily, if he has a little help at
the start. Fortunately, he can obtain
that help by the use to two postal
cards. In most states, the State De-
partment of Highways has prepared
bulletins explaining the essentials of
earth road construction and mainten-
ance and these bulletins will be sent
to any farmer upon application. One
postal card will secure them. The
office of Public Roads and Rural En-
gineering at Washington also has
pamphlets on these subjects for free
distribution. Another postal card adj
dressed to Logan Waller Page, dir
ector of that Office. at Washington,
xx,,1l Txxyo FOL Nd
a couple of evenings of reading, in
telligent observation of the lanes of
mud which will soon be seen in most
parts of the country, and then intel
ligent. cooperative action will ac-
complish wonders. All that is need
ed To start the reform is a realiza-
ton that the annual mud-bound condi-
tons are largely avoidable by mex
pensive, intelligently directed work.
"Of course" said the surgeon who
had operated for appendicitis, "there
will be a scar"
That's all right" replied the pat
lent. leave any kind of mark you
like that will prevent some strange
doctor from coming along and operat-
ing on me again"
when lady patient living FAR
from town had to telephone for her
physician she apologized for asking
him to come such a distance
Don't speak of it," said the doctor
cheerfully; 81 happen to have another
patient in that vicinity and so can kill
two birds with one stone"
But it's impossible for the average
man to account for his neighbours
success.