The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-06-13

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A to A, entire width Of right of way; B
and B, such a distance as commissioners
think necessary to protect from fence or
hedge: c, bitches at side Of road. and
used for summer. or dirt, road; d. stone
or gravel.
of these three kinds of soil exist so
shall treat drainage in few general
remarks, and trust that the road COM
missioners" of each district will be in
telligent enough to determine what to
do in their particular locality.
The prime requisite Of every good
road is thoroughly underdrained road
Led. When this is not naturally so by
reason of q porous subsoil, it may be
economy to put in line of tile, from
two to four feet below the center of the
road, of sufficient size to carry of the
ground water. There may be spots
where it is best to put in line of tile
on each side of the road.
bitches along the sides to carry off
the surface water are among the neces-
sary clements of good road. These
bitches should be of n uniform grade,
so as to carry the water on as nearly
level grade as possible, in order to pre-
vent washing, and connect with proper
culverts or natural watercourses. Great
care should be used in making these
side bitches not to get them deep
enough TO be dangerous in turning off
from the main road either day or night
Now let us turn our attention to the
construction Of stone road upon our
ordinary soil that does not need tile
drainage; and that we may better un
derstand each other, will draw an
illustration:
Knowing how much money is to be
spent eac4 year, determine the cost per
rod, and proceed to prepare the number
Of rods by grading up the natural dirt
TO the desired height and width. 1t is
desirable to have roads around the main
cities for at least two miles In each di-
rection not less than is or 20 feet in
width, as they are used so much by the
city folks for pleasure riding that it is
necessary to have them wide enough
for safety at all times.
After the grading is finished, it is
best, but not the common practice, to
put on the heavy roller and roll the bed
thoroughly, that it will better keep it's
shape and support the heavy loads, for
il Is not the stone filling that supports
the load, but the dirt beneath supports |
both the stone roof and the loads upon |
its surface as we'll; therefore, too much |
pains cannot be taken with the dirt bed.
Stone or gravel, when properly broken
and packed together, forms an imper-
hnf far ~
One of the great mistakes of rond-mak- |
ing is in not rolling the dirt bed, but |
simply grading up and putting the stone
on. The result is that the loads pass |
over the center first, the stones settle |
into and pack down the dirt In the |
center, and in a short time road that |
when built had the properly curved |
surface becomes almost or quite level. |
thus allowing water to stand on it's |
surface until evaporation and ABSORB |
tion remove it. While thus standing, it |
has tendency to soften certain grades |
of stone, and allows them to wear away |
faster, thus producing ruts and requir-
ing needless repairs.
An 1s-foot road requires six cubic |
yards of crushed stone and one and one |
half cubic yards of dressing to the rod. |
making it nine inches deep In center |
and tapering to four or five inches on |
the sides. After the entire number of |
rods is properly stoned and dressed, |
burrows should be plowed along each |
side, throwing the dirt against the edge |
of the stone, thus forming bank to |
keep it in place, and prevent itsworking |
of and becoming scattered over the adj |
joining portions of the roadway.
Then when the road is properly |
trimmed and leveled of to q nice grade |
10 the outer edge of the ditch. take the |
big roller, commence ut this outer edge, !
roll lengthwise, going around in a land,
and finishing up in the center. Thus |
you put an improved roof on the ditch |
and greatly lessen it's liability to wash. |
You pack the outside stone FIRST, and |
that binds and holds the center stones |
i'll place, thus preserving the elevated
line Of the road and putting 1t In best
shape to bear the surface traffic.
Such a road, where stone is reason
ably convenient, can be built by con-
tract for about 1925 per rod, and where
part or all of the hauling is done by
volunteer work, the co & is greatly re-
duced. Gravel, not feeding TO be
crushed, and being so much easier 10
be taken from the pit, dan be put on for
half, or even less than half, the cost Of
stone.
For clay roads, the only material diff |