The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-01-24

pulverizing them, and then chemically
Analysing them may not look practical
to laymen, but it is in reality the first
practical step to be taken in good road
making. In many cases, probably a
majority of cases in our country, ma
terial for reOad making is selected be-
cause of its cheapness. Thus mistakes
are made which are sometimes very
costly, requiring the ultimate selection
of suitable material and the rebuilding
of the entire road. There are many
requirements for good rock, but there
are three principal qualities which are
absolutely necessary. They are hard
ness, tOughness and cementing or
binding power. In this laboratory we
analyze rocks and make records of
their capabilities for good roads in
certain climates and conditions. Elk
pert road makers soon learn the value
of preliminary chemical examina-
tons"
John L. Macadam insisted that
"small angular fragments of stone are
the cardinal requirements" and that
no large stones should be used in road
making. He also earnestly advocated
the principle that all artificial road
building depended for its success upon
the making and maintaining of a solid
dry founda ton, and the covering of
this foundation with a dura BILE water
proof coating or roof of broken stone.
The thickness of this crust must vary
with the soil, the kind of stone used,
and the amount of traffic which it must
sustain. The principles of Macadam
are universally adopted, and upon
those principles the road making will
be continued by the department
1t is admitted, however, that in nu-
merous localities the building of
gravel roads will be encouraged, and
that thousands of miles of gravel road
will be in use, long before the macad-
amizing process shall be available.
Particularly in the prairie states,
where stone is not readily obtainable
and where the river and creek beds fur
nish boundless supplies of gravel, the
roads will be made of that material.
Thus, without awaiting the coming of
the governments road builders, the
people can relieve their alluvial soil
roads of their muckiness: The depart
ment advises the people who build
gravel roads to make use of liberal
amounts of sand wherever it is oh
tainable. Whereas dirt roads become
soft and muddy during rainy seasons,
sandy soils pack and harden. Because
of this natural condition, which all
farmers understand, sand should be
literally used with the gravel. The de-
partment urges drainage for all dirt
and gravel roads; the most thorough
drainage possible with the best of mod
ern methods and appliances.
Some of the conclusions already
reached concerning the stone mate
rails are that siliceous materials, COM
posed of flint or quartz, are too brittle
and deficient in toughness. Granite is
not desirable because it is composed of
three materials of different natures,
quartz. feldspar and mica. Gneiss is
inferior to granite. Mica slate stones
are altogether useless. SandstOnes
are also useless. The tougher lime
stones. are very good, but the softer
ones are too weak for heavy loads.
They wear. wash and blow away. Trap
rock is highly regarded as possessing
the qualities most desired for macad-
amizing purposes. Being hard and
tough, when broken to small sizes, trap
rock cement into a smooth hard crust
impervious to water, and the smaller
broken particles are so heavy that they
are not easily blown away.
While advocating the Macadem sys-
tenn Of road building. the department
does not undervalue the Telford sys-
tenn. Telford's claim that a paved
foundation is necessary for all roads is
too sweeping. But in very many in
stances that system is really essential
to good road making. But in a major
ity of cases the contention of Macadam
that paved foundation is unnecessary
must prevail with the road makers.
SMITH D. FRY
Teaths in ShaISespeare's Plays.
There are about 90 deaths in Shakes