The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-05-26
In the older por-

tions Of the country the first roads
were often located by chance. Per-
haps an Indian trail was followed.
The new settler built his home in the
forest, and the tOrtuOus brldlepath he
followed afterward became public
road, and has for over two centuries
been travelled by thousands. The
surveyors compass and chain have
never been used upon it, The curves
by which great trees or other obsta-
clcs were avoided still remain. Hills
and knobs are passed over IN utter
disregard of the relative length of the
standing and the horizontal kettle
bail. Points that it was once deslra-
bic TO reach are no longer of any con-
sequence Many old roads, and not
a few of modern construction also, can
be greatly improved, at comparatively
little cost, by strengthening here, or
grading down there, and filling up in
another place. The moving of large
quantities of earth is very expensive,
but the exercise Of sound Judgment
will readily determine where grading
can be advantageously done.
HIGH-CLASS ROADS.
BY the simple means already de
scrlbcd our existing roads can be
greatly improved without the eXpen-
di;ure of more labor than the most OF
our agricultural districts can we'll at
ford. But there are many sections
where something better is required
where there is sufficient wealth afford
it or where the increased value to
property or the attraction to new
corners NAV make it advisable to ex-
pend larger sums. The higher classes
OF roads require a large expenditure
of labor. Where the road is straight
as is practicable, and has been judi
ciulisiy graded and thoroughly under
drained. we must next add such mate
rails as will make 1t more substantial.
Where proper gravel Is at hand, 1t IS
the Cheapcst and best material that
can be used. 1t should be applied, as
already described, over the entire
length of the road, sCreened where It's
character admits, and thoroughly
rolled after each dressing. Successive
dressings should be added until a solid
and durable road bed is obtained.
We must now mention the Importance
of having road materials wet when
beng rolled, as it is an important
agency in COmpaCting the bed and
securing the best surface. 1t the
ground is wet, it may afford all the
dampness necessary, or the rolling may
be done during or Immediately alter
rains, or water may be applied artih-
Cially. The last is best done by an
ordinary street sprinkler. But the
agency of water is necessity, what
ever the Compacting materials may
be-
/ Where gravel is not obtairable, OF
where a still better road bed is re-
quired, we must resort to artltIClally
broken stone. This brings us to the
much talked of European road making
The writer has carefully examined the
systems of road making and repairing
in Great Britain and nearly all the
countries on the Continent, and it may
be we'll to state the methods pursued
for the various purposes aimed at. In
all the higher class of roads the mos,
careful attention is given TO thorough
drainage, and the generally accepted
rule is to limit the grade of roads tC
one in thirty; that is, to one foot O
rise to thirty of distance. Upon thi:
carefully graded, drained and com
pact roadway the road materials are
placed. These >high-class roads are
ordinary stone dressed roads, or the
MtAdom or the Telford roads, accord
ing to the method oftheir construction
The latter ale named after thei
inventors. or more correctly, after the
engineers who introduced them into
Great Britain. In all of these, broker
stone Is the chief material employed
Some kinds of stone are better
adapted for road purposes than Others
Hard, tough stones are preferable
Trapp, granite, tough limestone, quart
zose rock and gneiss are preferred, il
the order named Machines for crush
ing stones to proper size are now gener
ally used. althouh hand broken stone
are referred. The latter are more regula
and cubical and are found to binC
together more firmly than machine
broken stones. Except in Countris
! where labor is very abundant and cheap
machine broken stones are much les
J expensive. After breaking, the stone
are screened those of an average siZ
of an inch and a half or a two-inc
J: cube are used for the main dressing:
II while the finer portions are used a
4 a finishing and binding materia
1S vary raceSSar,- bn15;p ~