The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-02-13
MODERN HIGHWAYS
Essay by Vermont Editor mn"
Knows a Good Road when he sees
Itn.

!
In nm auto trip through southwest
I'm Georgia and northwestern Florida
,rating from Triton, Ga, crossing 10
1 ellington. and from thence south
through Tallahassee to the Gull oi
Tampa. and on to Sarasota, . distance
II 400 or more miles, We had occasion
o pass over about all kinds OF inc
Attest invented roads, and some tha'
never were invented, but simply grew
md were called trails" and believe
me, in some instances the 'traais
s,erc better than the roads. Indeed
they had to be used in preference 70
the roads upon which much money mao
been expended. We passed over old.
fashioned roads, roads with crushed
stone or cement foundations and gray
elod tops, roads as mentioned with as
phalt or cemented tops, brick roads,
mud roads, and frequently had 70 uake
to the woods to navigate at all.
Roads varied according TO the
counties passed through. That 49,
some counties showed more interest IN
their roads than others, and where
this happened, it showed the enter
prize of the people indeed, a county
that keeps up its highways is pretty
good county to live in. You know the
people are all right We studied these
different roads quite carefully, ana
possibly can advance a few ideas that
may prove interesting. First, IN wha'
is considered "good roads," it is not so
much in the expense that makes them
SO. as in the eternal vigilance that Is
needed to keep them up after they are
made Some of our really worst ROADS
were those that cost the most money
and once finished, had been left TO care
for themselves. Second, roads mus'
he SO constructed and rounded up as V
drain off the rains so that mudhoies
cannot be formed. A road hole once
started grows mighty fast and IN the
end takes something beside filling to
hiring back its former smooth surface
Third. and lastly, that the hard sur
faced or asphalt covered roads arc
worse than the dirt-covered ones wher
allowed to ill with holes, and are the
hardest to repair, This is one OF oul
greatest criticisms of the so-caiie'
chest" roads. After being construete'
at an immense expense, and prohounc
cd perfect--which they undouDtedl!
were---they were allowed to sink mt
premature decay through pure neglec
1alone. That is, not even q repair maj
was retained to keep them o. HQ'e
atarted and grew. These holes fille
and held water like q cistern. In flo
ing over miles of these modern ROAD
4 was slosh! slosh! and bumpit!
bump until you sighed for chang
even to the old dirt roads. And a
this because the highway was neglec'
ed after being finished. How would
railroad track last but for the sectio
mon after the road was built!
of course the present season I'd
been one Of rain. Ordinary good roa'
have become almost impossible. bs
roads are everywhere, yet in Georgl
after passing through one or w
counties of bad roads-made
= through the late rains-we crossed
county line from which, across 70 u
- adjoining county, distance OF sever
n miles the roads were in excellent co
1t dition. Why? Because in thus pa
t;cular county a section or road mi
: with a little scraper propelled
motive power, and the use OF grav
continually patrolled the roads, ke
! them rounded up, would not allow
:, hole to form, and confined all
a. water to the ditch. We could :
discover that the road had even
crushed stone foundation--don't I'M
ckIit did have. The whole secret was
IS. the upkecp. After the road was on
It was a man, a scraper, and q daD
- gravel, and nothing more. y
"a could not remain on that road, beca'
nd il rolled of its sides; holes couid
grow because they were not ailov
to form; and there were no ro =
places because they were snooo
: down Well bet the men with
'oc scrapers were the best investment
NC the upkeep Of roads that county e
made. And the cheapest. Once aci
gu this county we were back into
Sill again. Soil the same-conditlons
&c. same. Simply the roads OF one Gov
patrolled and looked after, the OIL
neglected. That was the einere ',s
Inc Here is the case Of road with
Zoe asphalt covered top. 1t was sew
- miles in length. The road was
tile 8 double width, we'll ditched, weii-ro'
: ed-up, but neglected in many W
The fault was in the asphalt
!, They had scrimped to save.
y ~, width Of Il was hardly enough fol