The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1909-01-13
FINE ROADS,
How a Sand Highway Was linz
proved With Clay.
ECONOMY OF DIRT ROADS.
Why a Council Bluffs Man Advocates
Them In Place Of the Maeadam.
6Ths Building and Improvement Of
HIN Roads.


The Building and Improvement Of
Z Hin Roads.
Iowa has 102,4iS miles OF highway.
I. OF these 1853 miles are gravel roads
and 241 milesare stone roads, AS evil
dence. of the. fact that the citizens of
this great state. nre becoming aroused
10 the importance of highway i'm
proyement the state legislature of 1904
|. passed law making the state college
{. d highway commission. They realized
, that such an act would increase the
value ~ tho farm lands of the state.
would improve tho condition OF the
y merchants as we'll ms the farmers and
would thus work for the benefit of all
classes Of society. There is. probably
no influence which is moro potent in
the development Of the state than that
OF the good roads. 1t brings the farm.
or nearer to town. 1t increases the
prosperity of the merchant and I'm
proves the social condition among lru-
raj classes.
Since the enactment of this law four
good roads conventions and schools
5 have been held. The first two met ut
Ames, the third at Council Bluffs and
the fourth Mt Waterloo Aug. 10 to 10
inclusive. At each session 1t was the
purpose to supplement the program
with practical demonstration work in
road building. says II. e. Colby In
Farm. and Fireslde. At Waterloo
about half mile of sand road was
improved This work was done by
cutting down hill In the vicinity Of
the stretch that was being improved
and carrying soil which contained n
portion OF clay to the sand rond. Here
It was thoroughly mixed with the
sand, thus combining the good effects
Of both and eliminating, 30 far as pos.
sible, the bad qualities of both.
w. l.. Spoon of the good roads de-
partment of Washington was in charge
of the work. He was also upon the
program, and In his address he spoke
of the sand road as being the only one
which runs uphill both ways. Sand
heads the list of bad roads. Wher-
over thoroughly good dirt road is ex-
amined 1t will be found to contain at
least portion of sand and portion of
clay. No matter how closely the sand
may be packed, there are spaces be-
tween the grains that cannot be flled.
The proper substance with which to.
All these Yolds Is clay. If the two
elements are not naturally mixed the
only thing to do is to bring them to-
Rether and mix them mechanically by
blowing and narrowing. This should
be done while the sand and clay are
wet. In fact they can hardly be too
wet to be thoroughly worked together.
II the road Is sandy the clay should
be drawn on. II 1t is clay the sand
should be mixed with the mud. Fol
lowing up the building OF such good
Foad with persistent dragging will
make almost an ideal highway.
Between Council Bluffs and Omaha
there is n stretch of road three miles
long. Over this 110 wagons on the av-
erage pass every day. Each carries
q load of Eve tons or more. This is
dirt road and Is kept In fine condition
at thoroughly economical figure. Its
builder, Colonel w. Il. Baker of Coun
ell Bluffs, spoke upon the building and
maintenance of dirt road. He would
ndvocate this in place of macadam, be-
cause the dirt road can be built for
great deal less than macadam, and 1t
can be maintaIised mt from to III per
cent OF the expense necessary for
maintaining mlcadam road. BY the
use OF the rond drag Mr.. Baker showed
that II would be possible to reduce the
rond tax Mt least 80 per cent within six
years.
The building and improvement of
I'LL roads were discussed by Mr.. Dye.
lNr, I,o of IN HNInS
and split log drag the processes of ma
ture might he used to improve the hill
rond. His idea was to plow furrow
MT each side OF the hill and carry the
soil toward the middle Of the road.
He would not have crown on hill
road, but he would simply have 1t SO
drained that the water would not wash
in the middle. Each rain would have
tendency to cut down the surface OF
the road, carrying tho soil from the
top Of the hill to the bottom. BY dis
trIbutlng this by the use of the drag II
IS possible to materially reduce the
grade In the hilly country each year
AS I'M evidence of the practical work
In Mr.. Dyes system he maintained
thirty-six miles of road In n hilly sec
tIon OF the state with an appropriation
Of $3.50 year. 1t was necessary to
ask for little donated labor, but that
wns decidedly minor matter.
Curtis Hill. the state highway. engi-
neer of Missouri. spoke upon the
building OF stone roads. He said that
It was necessary to consider the hard
ness, the toughness and the cementlng
value, OF stone In selecting 1t for the
purpose OF road building. The gravel
which .Ais commonly dug from the
gravel bnnk contains enough lime to
provide the eementlng qualities. II n
roller cannot betnfEorded It Is advlsa.-
Die to spread this gravel MS evenly asr
possible aud let the traffic pack It. He
would not >recomrnend dumping the
.rrnyel q lond at q time. because In so
toing certain spots of the road become
packed and the surface of the road
l,ns wpyy contour, ~ I.
sian Of cArotsSsness.