The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-09-16
HILL ROADWAY WORK
Suggestions For Making a Quick
Drying Road.
HOW TO GET RID OF WATER.

Carry Il Directly Across by slipping
Highway From Bank Side-Pointers
on cradins-change Suggested In
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-
bic articles on the subject. But still
think there are some points that l
have not seen touched upon relative to
soadmaking. 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 good soil for
roadmaking. but the hills are Of silt
formation. and stream Of water
crumbles them like so much loaf
sugar
Many Of our experienced roadmak-
ers will throw up hill grade and car
~ the water down each side for long
distances. Then comes heavy rain
fall. Forty thousand rivnlets from
the hillside above pour into the drains.
and such volume of water accumu-
lates rs to cnt deep gorges. These
make the road almost impossible and
require several days labor a number
Of times each year to repair. TO avoid
this trouble the road may be sloped
from the bank side enough to carry
the water directly across the road.
When grade is desired on Il side
hill roadway plow in three burrows on
the lower side, the outside furrow to
be about twenty feet from the bank.
When grading draw this loose dirt to-
ward the center Of the roadway with
a slope Of about one inch to the foot.
carrying this slope across the entire
grade. The ditch thus made should
be opened Mt short intervals to let out
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
slusher trench little diagonally
across the grade about two scrapers
width and not deep. Deposit this dirt
with more from the outside alongside
the trench. making the ridge no higher
than absolutely necessary to accom-
plish its purpose and not less than ten
feet wide, thus causing as little OBJ
struction as possible. This plan will
always provide a quick drying hill
road. With the occasional use of a
| King drag this can be kept like a
boulevard.
Mr.. King Is an enthusiast on the
merits of his invention and thinks
lightly Of any changes that may be
made in 1t, but for the benefit of those
not SO sanguine l will describe my
improvement, to be used more particu-
larry In hill country
We are all familiar with the con-
struction Of Mr.. Kings drag. Now. in
stead Of making this drag rigid by
tight mortices, lemons, etc. we use two
by inch crosspieces with by G
inch lemons six inches long on each
end. The shoulders of these lemons
are mitered each way from the center.
These fit morticcs In each end Of the
plank. The mortices are mitered from
the center to each side. The lemons
are secured with one inch hardwood
pins outside Of the plank. thus allow.
ing the frame to oscillate. The utility
Of this may he seen when we want to
carry the dirt all one way on side
hills, etc. We pull through as far rs
desired. then change the team, hitch
to the opposite side, turn around and
continue moving the dirt as before
II properly made this drag will pull in
direct line and do better work
When the highway Is cut through a
hill 1t IS desired to keep reducing the
grade. To this end work the road
against one bank. leaving ditch on
one side only. Turn all the water from
above and along the hill into this
ditch. Plow 1t in repeatedly each sea
son. After this trench has washed toe
much for safety smooth this side and
, change the ditch to the opposite side
Of the road and repeat. You will be
surprised at the change in steepness
effected In ten or twelve years-W. s
Wiley in Good Roads Magazine