The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-02-03

n
..n.e over the average wagon roads OF
he country through which load OF
wheat will pay its own transportahun'
would tend 10 convince any one OF inc
wealth producing. labor saving ana iooa
cheapening effect Of good roads. a farm
twelve miles FROM railroad station IN
district with good roads Is worth more
than one equally as good three miles
away from the railroad. where the roads
are as bad as they are IN many farming
DISTRICTS where the land Is rich- Of
cour-se the main trouble Is that the peo-
lie are not yet educated up to the posi-
Utilities in roadmaking. In no part OF
The country are the roads what they
should be.
II seems worth while then for all IN
tellipent -,copls to have some general
notion concerning the simpler facts IN
volxel in the science and art OF road
making. With such persons the study
Of these matters may well begin Win
certain fundamental conceptions as 70
the essential relation Of these construc-
tons. All highways are intended 70 al
ford a hard. smooth and as nearly as
rossible horizontal surfnce over when
that great instrument of civilization, the
wheel. with its burden, can be made 70
move with the least possible friction.
Every unit Of friction which is encoun-
tered is a measurable element OF cost
either in time, power or damage to the
mad and carriage For every foot OF
distance he traverses the wagner Is IN
currinu n tax. If he is conveying the
weight of n ton to market the amount OF
this tax for mile may. under favorable
conditions. not exceed five cents. From
this minimum scale Of expenditure. with
the advancing degradation Of the way.
the cost may increase until it amounts
TO ten or twenty times what II Is In the
ideal though seldom realized state OF
highway AT a certain stage In the ac-
emulation Of the tax even the more ad-
venturous. wisely, though without clear
reckoning. regard the way as econom-
/ ically impossible.
The first difficulty TO I've encountered
in the making 81 good roadways Is what
the engineers can the profile OF the way
The great majority o. country roads are
constructed on the idea that tie shortest
!, line between two points Is the mist De
!, sirable one to follow, yet from practical
!. standpoint. when the nature OF the soil
n and the general contour Of the country
i, To he traversed nre taken into consderar
/. ton. Just the opposite is the case. The
n load which could be hauled over direct
route is sometimes about half as heavy
J. as one that could he hauled over longer
b one whore grades are not so steep and
" other conditions are more favorable.
i. Difficult rs is the task which the sur
y yeyor has 20 meet in planning high
y way. the work is relatively simple q
u compared with tho more detailed part o.
- his duties when he comes 10 determine
" the exact form and structure Of tn
IL roadbed. These features have 70 be re
- lated 10 a much entangled set Of natura
Al and artificial conditions. He must thee
On take ia :, account the general nature o
- fhe traffic for which the way IL to b
used. the quality Of the underlying cart
~ as regards its solidity and the effect Q
~ the water upon Il, the penetration Q
We frost and It's effects. the dangers arisin
~. from the securing action Of the rain an
'n' the character Of the materials to be use
in building the travelled way.
~ The accumulated experience OF mol
than a century serves TO show that ON
\" in rare cases can we find condition
" where the materials of the soil or OF II
subsoil IRE fit for the construction
~, -" roads. The reason for this Is simple.
ia found in the fact that the process
which affect the earth's surface and pr
duce the debris suited to the uses
=" nlants tend TO divide the rocky matt
'n' into more or less distinctly rounded hi
" which have soft outer surfaces. Whe
ever the shearing strain Of wheel
~" brought upon this detrital matter I
nv. PARTICLES generally move over each 9th
40 that the greater part Of the pull
~ force which Is applied TO the vehicle
M extended in kind Of blowing work
task which is about as far removed fr'
nro the legitimate business OF traversint
IN way ss can well be imagined
~. The best exemplifcation OF this cl
III ~ action Ia found where road Is floor
pcr with gravel. One can there clearly
+ 81 and hear the effects OF the shearing
son. ton which the wheel produces on
400. materials. and from this example he m
sU.- readily perceives that the first object
600 the roadrnaker il TO keep the substan
The which form the bed firmly in place. II
ach- engineers therefore. have come to
,bso- conclusion that the staple or stand
lne-- foundation for roads must consist
broken stone. the angular faces Of
M fragments 50 driven together that !
y 80. will cling unmoved under any press
',a, which vehicles will bring upon then
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