Morris tribune., 1909-06-12
STONE FOR ROADS.
How to Be Obtained and How
to Be Used.

Stone for road building can be OBJ
tanned from the State free, but must
be used on state roads and must be
used in making permanent roads.
County Auditor Ware this week re-
ceived the following letter from the
state highway commission, which is
self-explanatory:-
You are hereby notified that ar
rangements are now being made for
the delivery of crushed stone to coun-
ties desiring to use the same for
gnacadam roads.
1t is the intention of the highway
commission to deliver this material in
quantities of from 500 to 1000 cubic
yards or approximately 20 to 40 car
loads to those counties making appli-
cation therefor, and as nearly as pos
sible in the order of the application.
We have already received informal
requests for delivery from Anoka,
Stevens, Stearns, Morrison, Sher-
burne and Benton counties. These
will be attended to as soon as we can
get the plan in running order.
de sire to call your attention to the
fact that macadam roads cannot be
properly and economically built by
simple dumping of broken stone on
an old road, but that the following
conditions should be complied with to
secure the best results. First, the
road should be brought to it's final
grade: we cannot afford to grade a
road, then macadamize it, then later
on cut down the grade on hill or
raise it on a fill. Second: the road
bed should be properly drained. First
class macadam work is necessarily
expensive, costing when all labor and
material is paid for in cash from 40 to
60 cts. per square yard after the road
bed is prepared. This would mean
for road 9 feet wide from two to
three thousand dollars per mile and
for wider road in proportion.
The cost will be materially reduced
if all material is furnished free, but
crushed stone is not the only factor in
the cost. A certain amount of gravel
should be used with the stone for the
purpose of binding it into a solid mass,
and if possible each layer of granite
should be thoroughly rolled with a
heavy roller, and it should be sprink-
led as it is rolled. If you have not at
hand facilities for doing this work we
will assist you in advising proper
methods.
We therefore would suggest that
you notify this Office at once, where
you propose to use this material and a
man will be sent over the work to ex-
anime it and prepare specifications
for the job.
For the present it will be considered
that all applications are in proper
form, and you are requested to see
that the accompanying forms are fill
ed out and sent in to this Office with
out delay. You need not wait for a
meeting of your county board to make
this application if you are satisfied
that formal approval will be given
when they meet.
The duty of the county will be: to
select the portion of the road to be
improved, which must be on state
road, and to notify this Office immedi-
ately. Next, to state just what siding |
the cars are to be delivered to, and to
provide for immediate unloading so
that there will be no charges for de-
'murrage.
A copy of this letter will be sent to |
the party making the informal appli-
cation, but you are requested to pre-
sent the matter to your board Or the
individual members thereof, officially
or unofficially, so that we can get the
work started up.
You will find us willing to cooper
ate with you to the fullest extent.
Respectfully,
GEO. W. COOLEY,
State Fnoioaer