The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-08-17
ROAD BUILDING
COST m FLORIDA.
What l.I2I Yards COsS--This ROAd Was
Is Fest Wide and BuIlt In
HAPion cownRy.

HaFion couA1y.
The cost for the above road, which
was $50 yards less than q mile and was
1888 36--something to think about.
Last Saturday my record as a road
builder in Marion county was slightingly
referred to by a correspondent, so
herewith publish an official report made
by me to the county commissioners of
Marion, which shows what did in the
road building for one month.
RODGERS OFFICIAL REPORT.
Ocala, Fla, Dec. /, 1900.
To the Honorable Board Of County Com
missioners of Marion County:
Gentlemen: Since making my last
monthly report to your honorable board
have continued the work on the Cot
ton Plant road. have this month cut
three-eighths of a mile to grade, and
have completed in addition l, 12l yards
with crushed limestone. i have put
this stone upon the road-bed to a thick
ness averaging almost, or quite, 10
inches in the center, with a gradual
slope to the sides, leaving the surface
Of the road in the center about al inches
high, which think when travelled over
to some extent will settle to about
inches, and in my judgment on fairly
level land will be a sufficient crown to
drain the water from the center to the
sides Of the road. The metal which /
am now mining is a superior metal to
any have yet used since my connection
with the work, and while the distance
is greater than / would like to haul,
and the metal harder to find, feel
reasonably certain that the superior
quality Of the metal itself will compen-
safe for the extra cost necessarily in
CURED in the blasting and the hauling
of the same.
NEEDED A CRUsHER.
/ have this month been retarded in
the work to some extent in getting the
pit in proper shape, which, owing to the
condition in which found it, was tedi-
GUS undertaking. It is now, however,
In first-class shape and will improve as
the work progresses. have previously
had occasion to call the attention Of
your honorable board to the necessity |
of = crushing plant as matter of great |
economy In the proper making of good
roads. 1t would be extremely difficult |
to figure on the saving of labor and cost |
in the construction with the necessary
but in the case Of Marion |
county, where rock of various kinds is
generally abundant, believe it is reas-
enable to hope that the cost of labor
could be reduced one-third, possibly
more. 1t is a decidedly slow process to
beat the soft limerick by hand, while,
owing to the tough qualities of the hard
stone, it would be we'll nigh impossible
10 build road IL it we're necessary to
crush them by hand. While / believe
hn IiVanrnnk IN
making in Marion county makes a fine
road of which we all ought to feel
proud, am at the same time fully con-
1inced that the harder rock, which is
even more easily obtained, would, if
crushed, make a better road
ind one which might last indefinitely.
refer to the matter again only in the
rope that the board may see it's way
lear in the near future to supply the
county with the necessary outfit to carry
N economically this very important
work.
GOOD ROAD MATERIAL.
In looking ahead for the purpose Of
hiding suitable material closer to the
Dad have discovered on land belonging
o John McDufie a lime sink within
fifty or sixty feet Of the road, which ,
1pks to be inexhaustible. The deposit
q mile and a quarter from the city ,
limits. / have talked to McDuffie with :
eference TO mining the place, but he is :
lot in favor of opening his fence and
Iaving his place opened up as a pit.
1t the same time, the surface indica-
ions across the road and on through 9
ands just east of McDuffie's leads me :
o the belief that the metal can be had |
here. shall open enough pits to de- =
ermine the existence or non-existence
( the metal, and should we be able to (
nd it near enough to the surface il will Z
cry materially decrease the cost of the !
pad. q
The people generally living along the
ne Of the Cotton Plant road have Z
hown me every kindness. and seem to r
e anxious to aid the county in the rapid !
ompletion of the road The labor cost
the work for the month, for men and
cams, amounts in round numbers to I
5SS. SO. ALLAN RODGERS. q
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