ROAD MAKING. 249 



on a team and ploughed the road, scraped the dirt to each side, 

 and then laid what we term a French drain in the centre, covered 

 that with stone, and then with brick, and then threw the clay and 

 loam back on the road, spread over it some gravel, and there has 

 not been a day's work done on that road for fifteen years. The 

 object is to let the water have a chance to get off. It cannot get 

 off when shut in by clay, and it must burst up through. 



Mr. Lebroke. I was requested by my friend Mr. Chamberlain to 

 say, that the town in which he and I live, have, so far as we could 

 have the appointment of the road commissioners, in part adopted 

 the system of making roads by the town with money — that is to 

 say, in deference to a long-standing preference in favor of persons 

 working out their own road tax, a portion of the tax has been 

 worked out in that way, but we have expended considerable more 

 money, which has been raised and put in the hands of the select- 

 men, (perhaps not strictly according to the statue) and we have 

 realized great benefit from having a considerable portion of our 

 tax in money, and having it expended by judicious men. And, by 

 the way, I will say that we have succeeded, in our town, in find- 

 ing very judicious men for this duty when we have sought for 

 them. 



I am glad that a man so able as Mr. Stetson has undertaken to 

 write something on this subject, and changes will come in time, it 

 may be. Our school system is being changed, perhaps for the 

 better, against the prejudices of the people in some instances ; and 

 upon the whole, I am inclined to think that legislation may be had 

 on this subject that will improve the existing state of things, some- 

 what in accordance with Mr. Stetson's views. If I understand 

 him, his idea is, that legislation must be somewhat of a radical 

 character as to the raising and expenditure of money. If I remem- 

 ber right, a town has a right to elect road commissioners instead 

 of surveyors. As I have said, we in Foxcroft have not strictly 

 followed the statute, but we have assumed the English common 

 law power in this matter, and nobody has complained. 



Now aboiit the influence of roads upon the community. My 

 mind is of so practical a turn that I can never reason upon a sub- 

 ject a great deal unless I see something practical pretty clearly de- 

 fined in my own mind. Take my own town. The neighborhood in 

 which I was brought up had twenty-five years ago, population 

 enough to make a respectable school district. In that neighbor- 

 hood were to be found some of the best lands in the town, with orch- 



