The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-12-03
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Section of Sidewalk.

| costing $3.50 or two dollars will lay so
square feet of finished walk.
For the sake of illustration assume
that a walk is to be built three feet
wide and four inches thick, concrete
3& inches. top mortar three-fourths Of
an inch. First, excavate trench three
| feet four inches wide If an open or
porous soil four inches below bottom
! or eight inches below top surface of
walk, but if in clay soil this trench
should be eight or ten inches below
bottom of walk From the lowest
point of trench lay tile so no water
will stand in trench to freeze. Now
| fill this trench with cinders. gravel or
stone, even, and lamp; when this is
brought up within four inches Of the
top surface of walk the porous foun.
dation is complete Now place side
forms (scantling. 2x4 inches, set on
edge). Stretch line tight, and from
| line set scantlings straight; also they
must conform to proper grade line
Secure these scantlings firmly by
placing a cross scantling every four
feet and securely stalking the outside
at each of these cross scantlngs to
keep them from spreading while the
concrete is tamped into place Use
no nails or spikes; or in removing be-
fore thoroughly hardened the cast
might be broken. The surface into
which the concrete is tamped is first
sprinkled so that the dry surface will
not absorb the moisture from the con.
crete and thus arrest hydratiou Mix
concrete for the "a inches in the fol
lowing way: Take one part Portland
cement, three parts sand lclean,
coarse and fine mixed and four parts
aggregate (this may be gravel,
screened cinders, or crushed stonel.
Place them in one pile on mixing floor.
While dry shovel back and forth al
least two times, until Thoroughly
mixed. Now sprinkle with sprinklng
can while it is shoveled back and
forth two more times or until evenly
mixed and about the dampness Of
fresh earth. This concrete is now
ready to place. Shovel into the sec.
tons of the form, beginning at one
end and filling each section as you 90.
tamping thoroughly and evenly to
within three-quarters of an inch OF top
of form. When the first section is
completed remove the cross scantling
and against the joint thus left bare
set board one-fourth of an inch thick
and projecting above concrete SO that
when this section is also filled it can
be slightly crowded loose and re
moved, thus leaving one-fourth Of an
inch division between each block
This is important The board is now
moved forward to the next joint, and
SO on to completion. With knife Of
pencil mark side forms exactly over
the one-fOurth of an inch open Joints
SO that when the top mortar is spread
continuously over the surface the tor
mortar may be cut through into the
lower Joint or opening with trowe
sliding along straight edge. The work
must be so managed that the top NOR
tar can always be placed on the con
crete within two hours after the latter
Is placed, also the concrete should %
slightly sprinkled before the mortar
is placed, so that the surface is moist
Make mortar for top as follows; Port
land cement, one part; sharp, clean
sand, two parts. First mix dry, then
wet and work into stiff mortar
Place this on the concrete, spread with
trowel, leaving the form rather full, SO
that when stroked even with straight
edge the form is even full everywhere
Leave for 20 minutes. when the
water will be evaporated AT TINS
time finish surfaces smooth and even
with float or trowel, but do not over
trowel, which again brings the water
to the surface. Run along each slde
edge with edger, cut across joints Win
trowel and straight-edge at markeu
points, run jointer through these, OF
in the absence of either edger OF
1ointer, dub the edges with trowei'
After "a hours cover with grass
straw, or carpet. wet .thoroughH
twice each day for six continuous
days, when the walk is ready for use