Milford chronicle., 1909-07-23
HILL ROADWAY WORK
Suggestions For Making a Quick
Drying Road.
HOW TO GET RID OF WATER
Carry It Directly Across by slopins
Highway From Bank side-Pointer'
on Grading-Change Suggested II
King Drag For Hill Work.

I have always been very interested
and observant in the matter Of coun
try roads and have read many valua'
BILE articles on the subject. But still
think there are some points that
have not seen touched upon relative to
roadmaking especially in the hill
country along the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, slopes
The great object Of road work should
be to get the water away as quickly
as possible. We have a good soil for
roadmakine. but the hills are OF silt
formation, and a stream Of water
crumbles them like so much loaf
sugar.
Many Of our experienced roadmak- /
ers will throw up hill grade and car
rv the water down each side for long
distances. Then comes a heavy rain
fall Forty thousand rivulets from
the hillside above pour into the drains
and such a volume of water accumu-
lates as to cut deep gorges. Ihese
make the road almost impassable ana
reouire several days labor number
OF times each year to repair. To avoid
this trouble the road may be slopeu
from the bank side enough to carry
the water directly across the road
When a grade is desired on siue
hill roadway plow in three furr"Ws on
the lower side, the outside turroW To
he about twenty feet from the bank
When grading draw this loose dirt TO
ward the center Of the roadway WIN
slope of about one inch to the foot
carving this slope across the enlre
Grade The ditch thus made shouiu
be opened at short intervals TO let ou'
the water.
After the grading IS done headers
should be put in to divert any water
that might follow the wheel track To
make these headers scrape with the
slusber a trench a little dlagonauH y
across the grade about two scraperS
width and not deep. Deposit this dlrt
with more from the outside alohsslue
the trench. making the ridge no hlsnei
than absolutely necessary TO accom-
nlisb its purpose and not less than ten
feet wide. thus causing as little OBJ
struction as possible This plan VIII
always provide a quick drying MI
road. With the occasional use OF
King drag this can be Kept IKE
boulevard.
Mr.. King is an enthusiast on the
merits of his invention and thinks
lightly of any changes that may Dc
made in it, but for the benefit OF thos'
not so sanguine / will describe my
improvement, to be used more particu
larly I'm a hill country.
We are all familiar with the con
struction of Mr. Kings drag Now III
stead Of making this drag rigid D!
fight mortices, lemons, etc, we use wv
NV e inch crOsspieces with by
inch lemons six inches long on eaci
end. The shoulders Of these tenoh
are mitered each way from the cehlei
These fit mortices in each end or tn
nlanll. The mOrtices are mitered iron
tbe center to each side The tenon
are secured with one inch hardWoo
pins outside Of the plank, thus allow
ing the frame to oscillate. The utlllt
of this may be seen when We want |
carry the dirt all one way ON SID
hills. etc. We pull through as far a
desired. then change the team hltc
to the opposite side, turn around an
continue moving the dirt as befor'
If properly made this drag Will pun J
a direct line and do better work.
When the highway is cut through
hin It is desired to keep reducing ii
grade To this end work the roa
against one bank, leaving a dltcn q
one side only. Turn all the water fro
above and along the hill into tn
ditch. Plow it in repeatedly each Sc
son. After this trench has washed t'
much for safety smooth this side al
change the ditch to the opposite 81,
of the road and repeat. You VIII
surprised at the change In steepne
effected in ten or twelve years.-W'
Wiley in Good Roads Magazine.