Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1908-09-17

that is exactly what has been done
here. and Assistant Chemist Provost
Hubbard of Director Pages semitic
CORDS is leveling a half mile stretch
OF road near Newton. and in few
days will be in active supervision of
the laying of the first molasses road
of history. This molasses is the al
most useless by-product of the great
cane sugar refneries of the south.
and the beet sugar refneries of the
West and Southwest. It is sickishlv
sweet. nearly as black and thick as
tar. and almost as powerful as a
binder. Having always been a waste
product. it can be bought at lower
price than coal tar and in greater
quantities. s
When the quality and the sticky
consistency of this material was call
ed to the attention Of Director Page.
a number of months ago. he conceiv-
ed the idea that it might aid in solv-
ing the always difficult problem of
dusty roads. He sent for a supply
for laboratory experiments and de-
tailed Mr.. Hubbard to conduct them.
The molasses was blended with oils
and limewater: was mixed with rock
dust. with earth and with sand and
tried out under heat and under
water. 1t behaved so we'll and held
out such promises for ideal roads
that the practical test of a real road
was recently decided upon.
Stag as the most useless by-pro-
duct of the blast furnaces and emo
lasses" as the useless by-product of
the sugar retineries may in few
years revolutlonize country road
building: create a demand for more
extended roads in the states where
these products are most easily to be
had. and add millions to the wealth
of the country bv putting "a cash
value on hereto waste material.
While experts are laboring with
these unique materiael experiments
in East. South and Middle West, an
other scientist, also from the Office
OF Public Roads, is engaged at Inde-
pendence. Kansas. in irving to de-
wise method of constructing oiled
roads analogous to the methods
which have produced the famous OIL
ed roads of Southern California. He
is mixing heavy oils. possessing pro-
nounced asphaltic bases..with natural
soil and sand and compacting the
preparation so formed with a tamp-
ing roller. One stretch of this pecu-
liar class of highway will be under
construction in few days. The
oiled roads of California have saved
millions of dollars to the farmers
and fruit growers of that fertile
state in the last few years by sup
pressing the dust that formerly arose
in binding clouds with the passing
of every vehicle. Those dust clouds.
floating to adjacent. fields and or
chards depreciating the price of..farm
produce and lowered the values OF
real estate TO a startling degree.
The sprinkling of oil was tried and
the dust was held in check. Then
some of the roads were plowed and
the oil mixed with earth and the
mass firmly rolled to properly
crowned surface. Splendid result:
followed in most instances.
Kansas has long been dust-riddeI
and the oiled roads now to be built
there will. it Is hoped. prove a.
beneficial to the people of that com
monwealth as the California road
have to that state. There is now IL
, course of preparation a comprehen
sive treatise on Dust Prevention
!, which will fall from the presses o
) the Government Printing Office in :
J, few davs. Following it In a fe1
r weeks will be a symposium embody
: ing the experience and experiment
+ |of all State highway commissioners
park boards and city engineers VIII
have done anv work along thes
lines. Their views and findings wi
be supplemented by the report of
i federal Public Road Expert VIII
Ehas carefully examined the method