The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

Guthrie. OKLA. July 17.-There are three
essentials Of good road-locatien. drain
age and surface. Il is an open question
which Of these is most important
A civil engineer would say that the
matter Of grade Is essential and that
without the best location. a good road
IS impossible.
4 drainage engineer would insists that
unless the road is thoroughly drained,
II viii never be good
Both these propositions may be granted,
but % seems true mat after al. the
surface Of the road fs-the most impor-
tant factor. In other words. really good
roads are impossible without a hard sur
face. and a hard surface necessarily re-
Quires a good building material
The surface OF a road should be hard
ana firm. or: not b-it.le. IL should con
tain cemenJing material. so that Il VIII
remain in good condition. and not become
dusty In dry weather. and muddy in wet
weather II should be durable 50 that II
viii resist the wear and tear OF trafic.
An ideal road-bunding material must In
/ clude all these qualifications
Material Near at Hand.
Most roads. however. must De con-
/ structed Of material near al hand. Road
material is bulky. and only under extra
ordinary conditions can IL be Transported
! for any. considerable distance II IS true
that occasionally. as in western Tennes-
see. limestone and other road-5uildins
material has been transported 100 miles
! OF more. YET the fact remains that nine
tenths Of all the roads win always be
built OF the material on the ground This
/ being true. we should know where T. The
/ state Of Oklahoma good road-buiidins
material IS 20 be found
/ This leads UP % the question II what
/ is the best Toad-bundinG materiai2 Ex
/ periments. particularly in France. Eng
/ land. Massachusetts and New Jersey
/ demonstrate that the various native rock,
I used for road-buildirg mayerial. stand ir
about the following-asphaL trap rock
hard limestone. flint. granite. gravel and
/ pebbles. sandstone, and clay.
Where Materials Are Found
Where. IN Oklahoma. are these variou.
materials found? BY reference 90
( geologic map. you win notice that
have attempted 10 Indicate the locsuor
/ in the State of certain road-building ma
Z ter!als. particularly limestone. asphalt
and granite. These three rocks, coasJ
tute the best r0ad-buiiding materials
found IN quantity IN Oklahoma.
Limestone Of good quality is found iT
inexhaustlbla quantities in six widely
J scattered areas in eastern and southern
I Oklahoma. There IS enough material T
sight for the construction Of roads fo'
hundreds OF generations. Il cannot b
I exhausted.
IN the northern part Of the state the-'
are more than twenty leGges. averaging
I Ten 20 forty feet thick. Outcropping b
half a dozen counties. Four counties. II
/ northeastern Oklahoma. are covered witt
a ledge Of limestone. go feet thicS-
A ledge in the Arbuckie Mountains
which occupies a good part % Murray
Z Johnston. ard Pontctoc counties, is nor
than a mile thick
Asphalt IN the south.
The asphalt is found chiefly IN Ia
southern part Of the state. in the. rev.oi
extending from the Arkansas lire. ves
through the Ar6uclles 10 the western
end Of the Wichita Mountains. The de
\ posits are practically inexhaustTble. 50
called veins, extending from tae surfac
70 the depth Of loo feet or more Th
veins are sometimes FIFTY feet side ant
outcrop for miles or the surface. Hun
dreds OF them have been discovered. ant
perhaps. others VIII come 70 light
There is enough asphalt in sight roJ
to pave the streets of sIl the cities o
Oklahoma for leo years. ana by th= way
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