The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1909-11-13

rD HE greatest public service
corporation in the United
States to-day is the Highway
Improvement a S o ia ion,
Il said James II. Mcdonald,
state highway commissioner
of Connecticut, at the dinner given
him on the private car Signet by the
members of the b. f. YOakum good
roads party at New Haven a few days
ago. After trip of 1900 miles by
motor car and 5000 miles by train
through II states the members of the
party were disposed to agree with him.
They were all farmers from the great
southwest-TeXas, oklahoma, Louis
lana and Arkansas-and they had just
finished a motor car tour of Maryland,
New Jersey, New York and the New
England states in search of good
roads.
This trip will have tangible and i'm
mediate results. The delegation from
the southwestern states returned home
full of enthusiasm for good roads
They promised collectively and indi.
Vldually to devote their efforts to pro-
noting a cause for which they learned
$lOO,OOO,OO0 already had been expend.
ed in this country and little states like
New Hampshire and Connecticut were
appropriating millions of dollars. With.
IN few years the southwestern states
Will have good roads.
The first actual work of road in
spectlon in company with state en-
gineers was in New Jersey. where the
farmers found roads ranging in cost
from $4,000 to $4,000 a mile. They
Travelled over roads made entirely of
gravel and crushed bv heavy steam
rollers They found these roads good
1or wagon traffic, but that heavy motor
service wore them out The average
oltumen road over which they passed
cost from $4,000 10 $1,000 mile, and
furnished very satisfactory service for
both motor and wagon traffic. They
had been laid down in quite a lot of
dlherent ways ranging from 25 per
cent. asphaltum, % per cent. tar and
the rest in gravel and sand up to a
very hlgh percentage Of asphalt. The
New Jersey engineers recommended
the lower percentage of asphaltum as
they do not get slippery in hot or
rainy weather
The next state visited by the in.
Vestgating committee OF southwestern
farmers was New Hampshire. They
were welcomed at Laconia by Gov
Henry B. Quinby, who told them that
the state had appropriated ST., 600, 900
Tor good roads at the last session OF
the legislature; and then proceeded
over parts Of the three great trunk
roads which are being built through
the state, in company with A. w
Dean state engineer. and his assist.
ants
Ihey found the macadam roads In
Massachusetts, and later in New
YORK, In which the upper course is
mixed with tar. costing from IS 900 TO
$4,000 per mile. This combination
makes an extremely sound road for
both wagon and motor traffic. II Is
customary 10 oil the surface OF these
roads from time to time in the spring
and fall. AS cold weather comes on
they cease this oiling, as extreme cold
Is apt to produce a bad surface under
heavy traffic conditions.
At the conclusion of their first day
in Massachusetts the party rendered
dinner III Boston to Lieut. Gov. Froth-
ingham Among those present was
W E McClintock. chairman OF the
Chelsea board Of control. who had
been for i5 years previous connected
with the Massachusetts state highwa
commission, and for u years Of that