The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-11-24
ENOUGH O N SAVED.
To Farmers IN few Years to Build
Macadam Roads-Figures to
Prove 1t.

VI LIN ooSo ANooao vas
by Secretary H. B. Thielsen. He
is a civil engineer, and declares
that enough money can be saved to
farmers in a few years to pay for
macadam roads, and he cites fig.
ures to prove it. Here is his ad-
dress:
"When a we'll managed railway
which is our finest type of road,
operated under the most perfect and
scientific control, finds itself unable
to handle the business offered, eth
er by reason of the volume being
too great or the cost of handling
being in excess of the income de-
rived therefrom, it Immediately
seeks a remedy. The engineers
are called upon to estimate the cost
of increasing capacity or reducing
cost of transportation. The desired
results are to be arrived at by re-
ducing grades and eliminating ur-
YES, by improving the road bed, or
by laying heavier rails and strength
ening bridges, makingit possible to
use heavier motive power thereby
increasing the size Of train loads
and decreasing cost of transporta-
ton. If the physical conditions
are such that the required changes
can be made at an estimated cost
which will justify the expenditure,
the improvement is ordered. If
not, some other solution is found.
Perhaps some combination is made
with competing lines whereby COM
petition is throttled and rates in
creased, or a new line is construct
ed afording more favorable con-
ditions. Mechanical skill has in
creased the size of locomotives until
the giant of yesterday is a pigmy
beside the monster of today, while
the utmost skill of the constructing
engineer has been taxed to furnish
a smooth and solid line over which
the enormous freight and passenger
trains may be driven at terrific
speed, with such comparative safety
that the percentage of accidents is
less to those travelling by rail than
on the highways, and the passeng-
er sleeps, eats, and reads in comfort
and safety while moving at the rate
Of a mile or more per minute.
Under the stress of the most in
tense competition, the cost of trans
porting freight by rail has steadily
decreased until today the average
cost on all the railways of Ethe I'm
tied States for all classes of freight
carried all distances, is less than
seven-eighths of one cent for each
mile a ton of freight is transported.
But while the highest demonstra-
tive ability laboring harmoniously
with the most distinguished engin.
ing skill has thus raised the rail
road to a point of astonishing eff
cheney, until within the past hall
dozen years the cost Of handling
freight over the average Wagon
road. remained about the same as
when the genius of Stephenson
evolved fhe incipient railway which
has developed so magnifcently and
has relieved the highway from a
burden of an enormous tonnage.
Given now. it is only here and
there that a community or commo on
wealth has awakened to the econ.
omic value of better roads and has
nerved itself to the necessity of pay
ing for the same. AS sign of the
changing times, engineers, exper-
fenced in highway construction,
are offered remunerative employ.
ment in such communities, and in
a very short time the same ability
which has determined for the rail,
ways the relative financial equiva.
lent for such degree of curvature
eliminated, for each foot of grade
reduced, for each mile of distance
saved or fraction of a percent OF
maximum grade lowered. these
equivalents varying with the vol
Tune of traffic, this same skill will
set out the financial equivalents fol
the various forms Of highway i'm
provement based upon the tonnage
carried over the same, whenever it
shall be called upon to do so.
"It is with a view Of presenting
a few of the simpler principle:
j.. which will govern these problems
that I have prepared this paper ane
if it succeeds in calling the atten
|. ton of some of you to the necessit.
of substituting a nor correct rule
. for determining the amount Of mon
: ey we should devote to road. i'm
f provement. for the rule of thum'
: and guess which has h~eretofor
prevailed, I shall be amply repaid
1 "The most serious limitation t
f the load that can be drawn upo,
the ordinary highway is due to tn
: character of the surface, whic
upon theu npaved road variesSsae
Z L--l-~ - 4laseaoeo~ fr0~, CO.. 4