Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-28

of bituminous or other top dressing can
be laid; as over dining table we lay a
piece of Canton flannel to deaden the
sound. In British India, where are to
be seen some of the best roads in the
world, we lind many concrete roads pure
and simple. But the concrete for road
must be made of hard, tough rock,
preferably, basaltic, and in correct and
exact proportions it must be mingled
with best cement and best sand. &.
Good roads are an investment and not a
tax. BY the increase in property values
they are paid for many times over.
In Philadelphia a committee of citi-
zens alive to the Importance of this sub
ject in 1889 offered, through the Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania, cash prizes of $400,
$500 and 500 for the best essays upon
road-making, the maintenance and road
lave. The first prize was won by Henry
Irwin, B. A., @. E., Canadian Pacific
railway, and in his paper he gives a
capital rule by which all desiring to
make the best of solid concrete may
make it. As such proportions appear to
be dead secret to so many concrete
makers in this and other cities, we
cheerfully give them herewith:
Into every box of sand, pour enough
cement of best quality to fill the voids
left by the sand. To this add ten per
cent more cement. Into the same box,
filed with broken rock, pour sand
enough to fill the voids of the rock, and
to this add ten per cent besides.
II this rule be followed, he says,
strong, compact concrete will result; (;
but if less cement or sand be used, the
result cannot be depended upon.
That education in road-making is
much needed in this country admits of
no question. In paper read recently
by Mr.. George E. Crane before the
Minneapolis Society of Civil Engineers
on prominent improvements in high
ways" he says that 100000 is prac-
tically thrown away by the
method OF road-making now in
vogue in the state of Minnesota. With
good streets, demand comes for light
elegant and graceful vehicles, and thus
one aesthetic ride is cultivated. =.
The first class railway accommodations
demanded in america And the extreme
ly low-class driving roads would appear
to be misft.
Every country road should be an ala
MEDIA shaded walk-for animals and
men. With our country roads smooth
and clean, and bordered with trees, it
would be the ambition of householders
and others to own beautiful horses and
light, graceful vehicles, and of every
wheelman near to glide past all on his
high grade cushion tired wheel, and
riding, driving end cycling, would be
restful.
A number Of enlightened and progress
sive men and women are urging that
the science of road making have its
place in the course of applied mathe-
matics in the different universities of
this. country. "road and street i'm
provement" is subject in which every
man, woman and child have either
or incidentally an abiding in
terest, and north, south, east and west
it is attracting attention. Our CONNER.
cial and agricultural interests require
the best of shaded roads.
California, for her fruit interests alone,
could we'll afford to build and maintain
such roads, that her fruit which now
reaches the market towns bruised and
dust-coyered, might arrive in appetizing
condition. The city people then would
get, at least a part OF the time, good
fruit, and the fruit-raisers would get
good prices.
A few bright leaders are already in the
work we 80 enthusiastically urge. May
their following be 30 ready and so earn
est as to insure great progress in this
work before the close of 1891.
CLARA S. Brown.