Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-01-07
GOOD ROAD MATERIAL
Best In the World Scattered
throughout United States.


Highway Congress Says Large De-
posts Of Asphaitum Rock clvs
Country Great Improvement chanes.
The people Of the United States have
ready at their hand the best roadmak-
ing material In the world Deposits
Of 1t are scattered throughout the coun-
try 90 that 1t cannot be ~cornered,"
and its use win bring q dustless era,
combined with safety Tor horses and
automobiles.
These are some OF the conclusions Of
Howard III. Gross. one OF the four
United States commissioners to tho
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 a reputation In
the past for having the best roads In
the world, but they are wearing out
under the strain OF automobile trafic,
and comparatively little new work is
being done. In Great Britain, how.
ever, they are taking up the task with
modern, mp to date methods and are
conducting experiments which will be
OF value to every country.
Everywhere the difficulty Is tho
same-the automobile riddles the pave
ment, the tires lifting out the fine par
ticles 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.
Instead of having the stone an inch
or an inch and half I'm 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 a
natural graduated asphaltum rock.
TheAasphaItum rock Is crushed and
spread over the surface, being rolled
until 1t ILLS the spaces between the
stones and the inequalities OF the sur
face. The stone shows on the surface.
making a 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.
Tn the United States we have large
deposits Of rock containing from to o
per cent Of asphaltum-in Tennessee.
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and
California. Thus the material IA
spread all over the country. 1t is not
controlled by any patent and would he
a hard thing to corner. A road built
on this plan would last for years. IT
would cost probably % 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"
studying the practical aspects OF
road building abroad, mi. Gross has
round that government aid has been
the plan generally adopted In Europe.
de has found also what he considers
ample reasons for the United States
government doing the same thing.
with a measure Of assistance from
the states themselves. Furthermore
he holds that the conditions of tbe
country's roads is a matter of uni
yersal 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. It has been stated
ECONOMICALLY that the expense of this
service IL augmented 20 per cent by
the state Of the highways. Now the
postohice department expends every
year SS5,00o.O00 on rural delivery.
Twenty per cent of this Ia $1,000. 600.
all waste, which would 20 a long way
In paying the interest on an issue OF
low interest government bonds issued
for road building"
A clearing house for information
VIII be established I'm Chicago. where
every one interested IN good roads
can secure the latest and best infor-
nation regarding experiments and ex-
periencs both in the United states
and abroad. II IL likely that a good
roads BIN WIN be submitted to the
general assembly this winter provid-
Ing for state aid, and Mr.. Gross be-
ieves that the farmers OF the state
ire ready to give It their hearty sup
port
Mrs. j. J. Tgerney passed through