The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-01-17
MEND YOUR WAYS
The Social Science Club Discusses
the Question of Good Roads.
Prof u. D. Cox and j. A. EIittie Read
Interesting Papers Upon the
Subject.

The question of good roads is at all
: times pertinent one. The public,
both urban and rural, is always deeply
interested in any discussion which
brings forth any information on the
subject, which will lead to securing
beneficial results at the lowest posi-
BILE cost. This fact undoubtedly led
the Social Science club to place the
subject on their program, in accord
ance with their custom of discussing
the live questions of the day. Two
interesting papers on the question
were read atcthe meeting Tuesday,
by Prof. U. O. Cox and Mr.. j. A Fit
! tie. The former paper referred more
I particularly to the matter of securing
good roads, and the latter to the ad-
vantageS to be derived therefrom.
Following is Prof. Cox's paper in full:
Since there is not great room for
! discussion on topic like this, for ali
those here believe in good roads. Mr..
: FlitJie and L have divided The topic
as it STANDS on the program, he dis,
cussing the advantages TO be gained
and the arguments tor good roads, and
/ the construction OF the same.
We have also divided the time
thirty minutes, each trying to keep
his paper within fifteen minutes in Or
der that there may be some time LETT
for general discussion.
i The question of COOK roads is one
\ that naturally Interests every citizen
of any community, both in the city
and the country, for without good
roads the farmer cannot always
market readily his produce and the
merchant cannot find ready buyers for
his wares. The first item which led
to the construction OF roads was war,
and, did we wish to be historical, we
might go back and discuss the con-
struction OF the Appian Way of-the
! Romans, but that, IL seems, does not
concern us very much in Minnesota at
the present time.
WHAT Immediately concerns us in
MankatO is bOo0 good roads can be
built, or, to be more definite, what
are the most practical methods for us
TO advocate in regard to road build
ing. Before deciding upon any one of
the various me thOdS, or even discuss
III
4 tiOn OF our roads at the present time.
Practically the whole OF Minnesota
lies in he region of glacial drift, con-
seQuently, our soil consists of gravel
4 and clay, the latter being well mixed
with vegetable matter in the wooded
1 districts, thus forming black loan.
! Both the loan and the clay are per-
| VlOuS 10 water and, after rains, SHOWS,
| freezing and thaWlng this clay and
! the loam becomes soft and WaXy and
makes travel over it very difficult.
> Where there is gravel or sand the con-
; ditlOns are quite different. The rain
which falls on such surface soon
! passes through it and the surface be-
| comes day and firm, consequently,
where there is gravel on the surface
little attention need be given TO road
building. Bedrock in the form OF
limestone OutcrOpS on small area
: here, but that area is so small that
practically it need not be considered
Since road building in the country
must necessarily be somewhat differ
erent from that in the city, we will
consider them separately and will
speak Of the country roads first.
The method which is almost uni
versally followed in the region of Man
i katO, is to grade the clay and loan
found in the road and thus form an
elevation from which the water will
escape more quickly after rain or
spring thaw, and TO furnish drainage
by which this water Can be conducted
away from the road. The method
just mentioned is that which Is az
first attempted in most states, ana it
answers in way, but, with ali Tic
nd ri IA il.r al
Sarily be time in the spIIng and
usually in the fall when such Mime
sofa roads will become almost i'm
paSsable. What we need is a kind of
road That can be Travelled at one sea-
son as well as another. There are
only two other kinds of roads which
are at all practical for us to attempt,
and they are the gravel and the
macadam, and really only the former
is practicable here for country roads.
Gravel roads are built by first grad
ing the road bed, as has already been
done in most places, So that it will
have somewhat OF an oval surface, in
order that the water may readily es-
s. cape; in providing good drainage
along side the roads for the quick
escape Of the water; and then in cover
ing this bed with good layer of
gravel, such as is found in many of
the pits around our city. The thick
ness and width of this layer should
depend somewhat on the amount of
travel. If it is a road leading into
= the city, like our GlenwoOd avenue,
the gravel should be ten inches thick
or more and wide enough for two
teams TO pass easily, but, if it be a
road three or four miles in the coun-
try, and not one leading directly into
town or city, the gravel, if placed
eight inches thick and wide enough
for one good track, will answer when
= first built. All gravel roads, the same
as those of clay, must be repaired
from year to year, and as this is done,
the graveled portion becomes wider
and wider until finally two good tracks
are formed. This l have observed