ROAD MAKING. 253 



veniet at all times, by nig-ht and by clay, for people to pass and re- 

 pass, with horses, teams, carriages, &c. 



Mr. Leland. Perhaps "convex" was not the right word to use. 

 I mean that they should have a true descent from the centre to the 

 ditch ; of course, the inclination must not be suflBcient to cause 

 carriages to tip over. 



Mr. RoBixsOiNr. What is the width of your road, after it is m*ade? 



Mr. Lelaxd. I have hardly ever taken the pains to measure, 

 but we intend that they shall be sufficiently wide for carriages to 

 pass each other readily. 



Mr. Turner. From my observation and experience, I am much 

 opposed to raising roads high in the middle. Where this is done 

 the frost goes deeper in winter, and it is much longer in coming 

 out in spring ; leaving the road wet and in bad condition. I want 

 a road well made, but as nearly flat as water will readily drain off 

 from. 



Mr. Lucas of Somerset. The great difficulties in regard to roads, 

 as far as my experience goes, are, first, to get them located where 

 they ought to be, and, secondly, to put them between points of 

 sufficient importance to get a good road. In the county where I 

 live, the idea with the first settlers was to settle upon the highest 

 hills, and roads were made from one hill to another, and continued 

 to be so made for a good many years, and, to a great extent, to 

 this time. It is very difficult to get any alteration made in those 

 roads. Almost every selectman has some friend whose personal 

 rights must be taken care of; and the same applies when roads are 

 located ; they are located more in the interest of individuals than 

 of the public. It is a great difficulty. Here are the farms on the 

 old roads, and the buildings, and the orchards, and here is an old 

 gray-headed man, who has worked hard all his life, and his labors 

 have gone for the benefit of the public, and, now he is to be de- 

 prived of his rights and privileges by taking away his road. All 

 these things conspire, in this portion of the county, against our 

 having good roads. 



The utility and necessity of good roads were fully set forth by 

 the lecturer. There are very few miles of road, in this section of 

 the country that he or any engineer would not see could be im- 

 proved by changing the location. But, there is this difficulty in 

 the way; here are all these personal friends of the authorities who 

 locate our roads, and their interests are to be regarded. 



The first thing, as I said, is to get the road properly located, and 



