Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1909-01-21
GOOD ROAD MATERIAL
Best In the World Scattered
Throughout United States.
is DUsTLEss AND DURABLE.

American Delegate to international
Highway Congress Says Large De-
posits of Asphaltum Rock Give
Country Great Improvement Chance.
The people of the United States have
ready at their hand the best roadmak-
ing material in the world. Deposits
of it are scattered throughout the coun.
try so that it cannot be "cornered,"
and it's use will bring dustless era,
combined with safety for horses and
automobiles.
These are some of the conclusions Of
Howard II. Gross, one of the four
United States commissioners to the
international good roads congress at
Paris, who recently returned. Mr..
Gross is an enthusiast on roads and is
preparing to put his observations to
good use in acquainting the American
people with the results Of experiments
abroad and the opportunities which
lie at their own doors.
II have found while abroad that we
have more to learn of Great Britain
than of France regarding the building
of modern roads," said Mr.. Gross to a
representative of the Chicago Post.
France has enjoyed reputation in
the past for having the best roads in
the world, but they are wearing out
under the strain of automobile traffic.
and comparatively little new work is
being done. in Great Britain, how
ever, they are taking up the task with
conducting experiments which will be
of value to every country.
Everywhere the difficulty is the
same-the automobile riddles the pave
ment. the tires lifting out the fine par
tfcles which compose the surface of
the macadam road, leaving the rough
stone. Therefore the English have
adopted the new plan of increasing the
size Of the crushed stone In the top of
the pavement just before the top dress
ing, or binder, as 1t is called, is added.
"lnstead Of having the stone an inch
or an inch and q half in diameter the
size is increased to two or two and a
half inches and sometimes three.
There are three methods of top dress
ing. One is to apply the coal tar prod
ucts in heated condition; better one
IS the use OF an asphaltum mixture,
and the third and best is the use of, Il
natural granulated asphaltum rock.
The asphaltum rock is crushed and
spread over the surface, being rolled
until it fills the spaces between the
stones and the inequalities of the sur
face. The stone shows on the surface,
making gritty hold for horses shoes
In slippery weather and eliminating to
large extent the skidding of automo-
biles. 1t does not crumble into dust
like the ordinary macadam pavement
and is more durable than any other
road material
In the United States we have large
deposits Of .ock containing from Z to 9
per cent OF asphaltum-in Tennessee.
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and
California. Thus the material is
spread all over the country. 1t is not
controlled by any patent and would he
hard thing to corner. \ road built
ON this plan would last for years. 1t
would cost probably 25 cents square
yard more than macadam, but would
more than make up for the initial ex
pense In the cheapness of maintenance.
The dustless feature alone is worth
the difference in cost"
S1ndVinp fbo
road building abroad, Mr.. Gross has
found that government aid has been
the plan generally adopted In Europe.
He has found also what he considers
ample reasons for the United States
government doing the same thing
with measure Of assistance from
the states themselves. Furthermore
he holds that the conditions Of the
country's roads is matter of uni
versal concern and should be left en-
tirely to the farmers of each locality
when payment of the initial cost IS
provided for.
The country roads are part Of the
nations mighty system Of transporta-
tion" he declared. when the roads
are bad every one feels the results in
the cost of the articles on his table
and practically everything else he
uses
"The tax on the individual purse,
both rural and urban, extends to the
cost Of running the national govern
ment. The postal department uses 40
per cent of the roads Of the country
for rural delivery. 1t has been stated
semfofticially that the expense of this
service is augmented % per cent by
the state Of the highways. Now the
postofise Genart.neut cxpcnds every