1900.] essays. 123 



a drain five feet deep and four wide was dug and partly tilled 

 with stone. 



The older I grow the less I am inclined to like to see trees 

 planted in the streets. They keep the land from settling in the 

 spring and for other reasons they are objectionable. If ever- 

 greens are planted near a road they should be on the north side 

 so that the sun can come in and melt the snow and take the frost 

 out of the ground as quickly as it may when winter passes. 



Good roads, when once built, should be maintained by the 

 towns and cities themselves. I think Gov. Boutwell's opinion 

 on this matter is right. 1 think it would be a good plan to re- 

 move any walls that border the roads, unless they be needed to 

 enclose pastures. Walls are a drawback to the appearance of 

 the roadway. If we must have walls let them be cut down to a 

 height of two feet. 



Lincoln Holland said the highway law of Massachusetts is 

 largely due to the League of American wheelmen. He spoke of 

 the interest the farmers in some parts of the West are taking in 

 the subject of good roads. They are taking hold of the matter 

 vigorously, and recently had a meeting which was attended by 

 GOO delegates. In the East the movement among the wheelmen 

 is mainly for construction by the State of sidepaths along the 

 highways, many miles of which can be built for the cost of one 

 mile of road. In New York taxes on bicycles support the side- 

 paths. 



David Fiske of Grafton said he thought the old way of re- 

 pairing the roads was well enough. Grafton used to keep the 

 roads up with an appropriation of $1500 to $1800 and it was 

 understood that a person should go out with a hoe when the 

 water collected on the road and drain it otf. Now $4000 is spent 

 yearly on the roads, and they are little better off. Mr. Fiske 

 told of a bad piece of road at the foot of a hill where the ground 

 was spongy in wet weather. This place was repaired by laying 

 a large quantity of large stone three feet deep, covering with 

 smaller stone and a little earth, and there is not a spot in 

 Grafton where the road dries out quicker than that. Mr. Fiske 



