The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-09-14
Earth Roads Versus Metal Stone Roads In Connec.
ton With Our Local Road ProbIeme

ton With Our Local Road Problems
There seems to be an idea among our progressive
citizens that it will be impossible to get satisfactory
results with earth surfacing material for roads,
That we must resort to metal. This question has
come before every community in which the road
problem has been discussed. road properly
graded and drained surfaced with the right kind of
soil, would answer all our requirements in almost
every instance whether it be hill, river bottom,
pine flat.
The objections to stone roads are: First cost;
second, hardness which is injurious to horses, and
which necessitates shoeng all horses driven them
The objections to dirt roads, the best of them,
are: First, liability to rut and wash; second, ina
bty to stand frequent and heavy hauling.
When this section becomes as thickly populated
as the older parts of our Northern and Eastern
States, rock metal may become necessity. If
it should prove necessary, to use metal in some
places, there few materials superior to the iron
rock which abounds in this Parish, sometimes as
field stone, sometimes below the surface, but very
general throughout the hills. This material has
been proven superior to granite or syenite.
One of the best and most inexpensive forms for
country metal roads is to have driveway eight
feet wide in the centre of metal with dirt road of
the width on each side. This type of road has
been found satisfactory in many of the Middle
States the heavy traffic being confined to the mid
die, and the lighter to the sides of the road. The
right of-way for this type should be sixty feet and
it will cost about half much the usual form of
metal road. The problem of two loaded wagons
passing the metal seems to be satisfactorily
solved in practice by each giving half
Before we undertake even this form of metal
road, should give dirt roads fair trial. good
dirt road is far preferable for the farmer if it can be
we'll and economically maintained The cost of
grading and draining either kind is about the same
In Mr. Maurice 0. Eldridge's able paper on
Earth Roads,, it is stated that earth road con-
struction and maintenance given above are those
generally practiced by the most successful road
builders. They simple and in the main mex
pensive. They are based entirely on a thorough
system of drainage, and if applied with common
sense and judgement, according to the particular
needs of each locality better roads are sure to fol-
low. While the earth road, under favorable traffic
and climatic conditions, can be made excellent and
satisfactory in every way, yet it must be borne in
mind that the earth road is essentially light traffic
road When the traffic of road increases beyond
certain point it becomes necessary to supply new
material to take the place of large amount abrad-
ed Dy trathc and carried OFF by wind and rain, or
the way will soon down to such an extent that
drainage will become very difficult problem. AS
the traffic of most roads increases slowly the ada
cent earth first be used for REPAIRS then gravel
or crushed stone. These, however, are problems
to be solved by those familiar with the local con-
tons, and should be regulated by the requirements
of traffic, the availability of material and the cost
of necessary repairs. The large majority of roads
for some time to come will require only earth for
their construction and for this reason is essential
to the prosperity of each community that the earth
road be properly cared for.''
| LOUIS G.. BULKLEY,
Chairman Good Roads Committee North Louisiana
Fruit and Truck Growers Association.
The magnanimity of Japan in this affair is very
great. The undisputed victor in every engagement
on land and sea, she has foregone indemnity and
has given half of Sakhalin Island back to her foe
1 ~