The Globe-republican., 1909-08-26

DN'Ro O'yt
April %, 1909.
Mr.. L W. PAGE,
WashlI gton, d T.
Director Public Roads.
DEAR SIR:-
Y"nr request thr' 'ugh Mr..
E. H. MaolAou, 'eprtsenlve from
thu. dist ici, nskiug f"r iuform''i"n
ca Germ, & the ~.nd-Clny Road, u'lt
south Of b. dg+ City, Kal s"S, III No
vepber, 1898, under The supervision
Of Mrssrs Sp"'b, Cooley, Hare and
others Of the Department, h'A been
ret+ied to me
The +" sand bill road sonth of
Dodge City, through the sand bills,
was one Of the wois'; m empty wag
on, IN II, beng II load Tor two horses.
1t WAS scarcely ever travelled, the
farmers gmng around for better
Mr.. Spoons arrival here was The
sigual for g'"d roads through the
sand hills IL this II ctl'D uf The state.
Ar,a gelDtuts having been M 'de,
he immediately lM,krd up am 'lerlal
to work with ,he sand and found, III
n low place III the sand bills. close to
the proposed r'ad, n material of the
gumbo quality, which, ~be" mixed
win ab Ut 'venty five Ier cent of
sand, was fouuh adaptable for -nch
ronl building
Y,u m., not desire description
:. Of th- construction uf this road hut
, as | have had several requests from
different p,rt- of The state far such
, Information | u .bod, 1t herein
\ The road Aas fr,t lined; center
stakes s-t and ri IL stakes Se' the re-
, auneh dl>ta, ce. he ioa b-d I'll face
War plowed, dlsurg 'nlzlng every pur
tlun If II; then the harrow was used,
separating luif "r grass ant 'ofs
: from the sand, The grading aud
levelnp followed, making easy grades
! where required.
D The al plow was again used,
this time outside the outer stakes aud
Z. three furrows thrown to the stakes,
. making brac. 10 hold the clay in
the road bed.
Q The center stakes, which were re
/. moved durlug the grading, were
again set up, for the purpose of keep
r lug the center high, thus econ"m'zlug
r time III grading. A road grader was
u.ed during the construction, keep
Q ing the road snlld aud Of uniform
= grade.
About four inches ~ sand was now
+ put on top ut the clay, care being
taken thai uo grass or roots were left
iu it. Thus the clay ir penetrated by
b the sand from above and heneath and
will, III time, have the required
proportions
This roud has now been iu use eight
: mouths, the grader having been Iun
over it but once II has stood the
winter we'll and is in excellent condi-
tinn
The farmers living south OF t'ese
sand bills, ut difft rent points. are fol
loving this sample Of road bnil'iug.
!, A colony Of Germans settled on
, The fuest k,ud of wheat lAud, were
8 going 10 leave Oh account Of the in
!. cunveu,epce Of travel in NAL keting
their @he t but uow they have road
i, smuuth enough fr Il race track. Il
q has increased th- value of III -ir land
X at least twenty-five per cent. aud they
8 are well pleased to remain.
! The building Of this road was
s made possible by donations. A solici-
. tor Was appointed and after the first
hundred yards was built and the
l. character of the road demonstrated
" to the parties Interested, no further
difficulty was experienced in getting
all the support uece s"ry.
The United States Government
J" donated the experts; the farmers in
!" terepted donated the work; the cour ty
commissioners township trustees
. City alderman, business men, profess
; ional men. aud politicians all donated
n money and when the road is spoker
10 Of now the expression usually heart
'e is I'VE built the road
'- Trusting that the above may be o