The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1907-10-04
GOOD ROADS
NOW ASSURED
Machinery Purchased by St. LuCie
County a Success.
PLANT IN OPERATION
Conservative Estimate Places the Cost
Of Mining Material and Making
Road Per Mile at 81 ,O56.

The eXpediency of investing, in i'm
proved machinery for building good
roads in st. Lucie county is one which
The TRIBUNE, if it ever had misgiv-
ing no longer questions. Good roads
at this time are most urgently needed.
We believe the necessity and the sou-
ton have met in the inauguration of the
road making plant now in operation at
Oslo.
In company with w. A. Neal, South
crn agent for Good Roads Machinery
Co. j. nj. Osban, RIA. Conkling, TIA.
Robinson, and Tom Johnson, county
commissioners from Brcvard county;
n. M. Fish, supervisor of Brevard
county roads; K. f.. Minis. Jr., j. d.
Almond, j. +. Bell and A. g. Brown,
a representa- tive of THE TRIBUNE went
up to Oslo Wednesday and had the
pleasure of seeing the machinery in full
operation.
The rock quarry is located about one
quarter of IA mile west Of Oslo depot.
Here the rock crusher, tram road, drum
and cable car, operated by Is horse
power engine are located. The man
ner in which the mari rock is taken
from the pit, loaded on the car and
carried swiftly up the tram to the
crushcr, thence from the elevator to
the trailer cars and on the road, is in
itself reassuring. But the most inter-
esting feature was the operation of
the traction engine, machine of 3d.
600 pounds weight, 30 horsepower COM
pound Il type make especially for
Florida roads, and the first engine of
this type. The ponderous wheels o.
the engine, furnishing ample sustaining
surface for the weight of the traction
in sand, act us rollers for the mari af-
ter it is laid. Pulling four loaded trail
er cars, the traction rolled around the
loop at the pit on ordinary flat woods
road, making the turn at three mile
an hour clip. swinging into the rock
road and taking the 10 per cent grade
at the railway crossing, with two loaded
trailers with ease. Reaching the end
of the rock road, the real test was
made. Those who expected the big
traction to stop on the sand were
agreeably disappointed. With one
trailer the engine waded out into what
is said to be one the heaviest sand bee 8
in st. Lucie county, turned around,
picked up the empty cars and went
back to the pit.
On the outbound trip the engine,
with the four loaded cars in tow was
stalled in an unfinished part of the
road. After one or two futile attempts
to pull out, the engine uncoupled from
the trailers and steamed ahead ten
feet or so to solid ground, a steel cable
was attached to the trailers and the
train proceeded. This instance simply
illustrated how easily the machine sur
mounts the most difficult obstacles in
Florida roadmaking.
There is still another feature about
the traction engine that commends it
as practical machine. The engine
can be instantly converted into station
airy power for pile driving, rock crush
ing or any other like work.
And now that the road machinery
has demonstrated it's efficiency, the tax
payers want to know how much the
road making will cost per mile, and
what time will be required to complete
mile of rock road. Anticipating this.
we submit the following data, based
upon observation, together with esti-
mates furnished by Mr.. Neal, which
appeal ,.t to the f"'rII"i"dsd reader as
Operating expenses incurred in min
ing, rock crushing, and delivering into
elevator; per day Nine laborers at
81. so per day, 80; Stationary engin-
eer. SO; Wood, for fuel, 80; Superin-
tendent, SO; Total; $1,000.
Operating expenses of traction engine
and trailer cars incurred in transport
ing material and completing road; per
day: Engineer, SO; Fireman, So; Road
Continued on page ~