The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-06-15
Woman Always Tells What Her Friends Say About Her Hats and Cot
ROAD BUILDING
j. Il. Livingston States Several Facts Worth
Knowing

Knowing.
Mr. Editor:-Leayingc controversy on
one side, let US go ahead and build
some good roads on paper, at least.
That will be better than no roads at
all. The student may profit directly
by the model highways we shall build,
and he average citizen will know
when he sees one under construction
whether the work is being done correct
ly or otherwise. In any event, trust
the subject of good roads and road
construction will interest and that my
object lessons may instruct your read
ers, to the end that some day We shall
/ e in position to take the matter up
in a practical way and really have
some hi always that are worth while.
When speak of road construction,
| mean the building of stone and
gravel and sand and clay and loan
or soil roads. We are hrdly up to
vitrided brick, or wood pavement,
which costs from ten to twenty TINS
as much as macadam, or even asphalt.
We could hardly afford Te!ford either,
or the French system, or concrete ma
cAdam or tar macadam, aud these latter
are hardly worth considering anyway,
since well constructed macadam road
will answer every purpose AT a much
lower initial cost as we'll as less eX
pense for repairs.
There is little piece Of work on
North street. at lis intersection with
Maine street, that was laid down 10y
me three years ago. 1t was built OF
crushed hardheads- screenings
from Pike s gravel pill 1t measures
81 feet long by q feet wide, exclusive
of the cutters, and cost $l79, which is
less than 50 cents per square yard.
| eXcayaled to depth OF six inches,
and laid the earth foundation to per-
feet grade and crown according To the
established curbs and cutters The
center Of the street was crowned TO ob
tain finished street at the center four
inches above the gutter stones. Tnat
gave II inches fall in 49, feet This
excessive browning was given because
tha grade is Slight, aud the vast amount
Of travel in all directions would obyi-
ate wear at the center line
Having put the foundation to perfect
grade and crown, the earth was
thoroughly compacled with the steam
roller. This heavy rolling of the earth
foundation was for the purpose OF
closing the capillaries of the soil THAI
moisture might not cutter from the
bottum.
LeXt laid down grade blocks 81
inches thick add spread the crushed
stone to them accdralelt IL was II
permitted to dump load OF stone aud
th, n spread it out, bat the stone was
dunn ed ON the earth foundation aud
every kernel shogeled over to The
grade blocks When this first course
was spread ! set the roller at work
80 long as This Course showed any
wayy motion on the surface, and until
a cracked stone thrown under the
no Ter was pulverized, the rolling was
continued. When sufficiently hard il
was found that his bed of stone had
been gradually formed into perfect
mosaic, occupying about 70 per cen
of its original rock formation viii
about 10 per cent Of voids
L log the grade blocks again, be
gan laying on the second c1urs,.
estimated sink OF but half an inch il
each course and allowed for no more
My estimation was absolutely correct
Each course was laid 3 inches deep
he finished street showed exactly ST,
inches of coating. The second cours,
of stone was somewhat finer than tn,
4 tifst, this result being obtained b,
closing the jaws Of the crusher half al
4 inch. When the second course was
laid the roller was sent oyerlo smootl
it out Seven loads OF detritus had il
the meantime beeu left in HE cutters
one man was set TO Sitting this binder
4 on with "a shovel while another held
a hand hose to flush it in, the roller be
4 ing kept under mo ion at the sam,
time. This work was KEEP up till til,
street finally looked like plasteret
wall-as smooth as asphalt The sever
loads of binder had been used up, TIN
\ water flushed ahead of the roller an,
40 more could be got in.
For tNo days the water sweat on
a and rau into the cutters, which shove,
that none could pass through the foun
iation. The street was then opened Il
traffic. la ten days it was scraped Wit
4 square nosed shovel and swept wit
barn broom. Less than half Loaf
Of detritus came of the surface. rhir
Jeen TOT Of binder was lodged anon
he stones Of the top course. Twice
week for four weeks he merchant
lbutting thereon standing the cost
his street was scraped and swept, q
/ line times in all.
J Last spring little slnkhole appeal
| ID in the surface of this street.
| gra' ually grew In depth and diameter
| until four months later spring bubb
! d az. Digging for the trouble bur-