88 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
can not be used. Each squad makes about three-fourths of a mile of 
road per day—about $18 per mile. This includes all expenses of county 
farm, except clothing paupers. 
The grader is undoubtedly the road maker for the black land of Tex¬ 
as. The depth of ditches and height of center depend upon local condi¬ 
tions. Forty feet is ordinarily wide enough. 
I think a special law should apply to the group of black land counties. 
Our special law is not altogether satisfactory, but it is so much better 
than the old law we are satisfied till we can do better, although the pay 
for the superintendent is not enough. The business occupies our entire 
time, and we ought to receive $3 per day for our road sendees. The for¬ 
ty-five days allowed per quarter is, I think, enough. The office of com¬ 
missioner is the most important office in the county, and pays less. When 
we get a law that will elevate the commissioners’ court to the place it 
should occupy, intelligent men will be placed in that office, who will 
study the interests of their respective counties. There is only one way 
by which this can be done, and that is by paying the commissioners for 
their time. If they are allowed $3 per day for the 45 days allowed per 
quarter, they could afford to do their full duty. 
The overseer system is not satisfactory, but in making a law to work 
by taxation it will be difficult to keep down fraud and rascality. I pre¬ 
fer the present law to the one under the E. J. Davis administration. 
B. R. Long, of Grayson: Eight years ago last March, Grayson county 
began the solving of two questions, i. e.: (1) the improvement of the 
public roads by direct taxation, and (2) the making of this improvement 
by convict labor. We have solved both problems to the satisfaction of 
our taxpaying population. We commenced in March, 1889, with six 
mules. In twelve months we had fourteen mules; in July, 1891, we 
bought 24 mules, and started three eight-mule outfits. We have con¬ 
tinued to add to the force until now we have the following outfits: (1) 
convict gang, which consists of superintendent, two guards, 24 mules, 
lwo iron cages, two American road machines, three plows, four wheel 
scrapers, three wagons and all necessary smaller tools, and (2) three other 
outfits, each having 12 mules, one grader, two wagons, two plows, smaller 
tools, etc. The latter outfits employ four hired men: Boss man, $45 pet 
month, and three others at $35 per month. 
We have graded 1200 miles of road, 400 miles second time, built 1900 
bridges and culverts (span 3 feet to 75 feet). In addition to this, our 
county has 56 iron bridges (spans 50 to 150 feet) and we have no road 
and bridge bonded indebtedness. 
If the present force is kept until 1898, we will have all our roads of 
much importance graded, bridged and sewered, and then the time will 
