Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-10-07

MAKING SAND-CLAY ROAD.
[From Good Roads Magazine, New York
mules, this amounting to about SIG
per month per mule. The squad oper-
ates one road scraper, costing 500;
one dump wagon to each pair of
mules. five "wheelers'' 1.-TWO wheel
scrapersD and a supply of shovels No
roller or harrow Is used. such imple-
ment having been found unnecessary.
The mixing of the sand and the clay
is accomplished by the passage of traf-
tic over the surface. The total cost OF
construction of one mile Of the best
thirty foot wide sand-clay road, taking
all the above items into considera-
ton, is not over $500 per mile as an
average. The cost Of maintenance does
not average over SO per mile annually
If the repair work is done constantly.
If the season is rainy one the repair
work should be done once month. y
floating gang Of two or three men, all
that is necessary, is maintained for
this purpose. With the two or three
men four or five miles day can be
put in perfect condition.
In personal letter to the writer Mr..
Owens presents the following facts re-
parding his methods of constructing
and-clay roads:
LAS requested, | will give You a
short sketch of the sand and clay
roads of Richland county. In January,
1889. | took charge of the roads OF
Richand county, which were then In
deep sand in two-thrds of the county,
the balance being through sticky clay
hills. with the exception of about two
miles Of macadam road which had
proved too expensive for our county to
continue to build.
u commenced covering the sand on
the old Camden road with clay to
about ten inches in depth. Al first the
people were diSp!caSed. 1t had ralncd
Il great deal. and they were not acrus-
toned to seeing muddy roads. con
tinued TO throw sand on the clay until
II quit begging and sticking to the
wheels. keeping II crowned with an
ordinary road scraper. After ! had
built few miles Of the road and II
became smooth and hard the people
were delighted
"As to the method of building, the
first thing to do Is to grade the road
and give ii Il very slight crown, not
over two inches to every ten feet from
center to ditch Then the clay should
be put on six inches deep. then sand
on the clay as clear Of vegetable mat
ter as possible This keeps down the
dust. 1t depends entirely on the quail
ity OF clay as TO the necessary amount
OF sand. If it Is pipe clay or chalky
knolin it requires great deal more
sand, which has to be applied after
each rain until the clay stops cutting
or begging. The ruts should he kept
closed and the proper crown kept on
the road with road machine until it
becomes hard The important thing
Is the sand. 1t should be as clear OF
soil as possible. If the sand Is fine
and badly water worn the result IL
not ~ good.
"As tn the cost that depends antirr
" on the haul Of fhe clay. In real
genuine sand hills. like portions OF
Richland county and Lexington. where
clay can he found by digging pits on
the hilsides or in the bottoms. it costs
about $40O per mile for a thirty foot
road. Where the clay can be found
near the roadside and often in the
bitches by digging two or three feet
ii is very much less.
Gravel roads are often mistaken
for, sand and clay roads. They are as
Old sas macadam and 1t does not re-
quire the skill and care to build gray
ell roads that it does those Of sand
aud clay, especially where the clay