The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-06
BEGIN A CAMPAIGN
FOR BETTER ROADS
Congressman Howell and Prof.
Richard R. Lyman Taking
an Active Part.
TO DISTRIBUTE BULLETIN
ADVOCATE BUILDING AND MAIN
TANNING OF EARTH ROADS.

Joseph Howell, Utah's representative at
Washington, ID. c., and Professor Rich
ard X Lyman, OF the department of civil
engineering, University of Utah, have
begun vigorous and extensive campaign
IN the interest of good roads in the state
OF Utah. Professor Lyman has prepared
an article On THE Construction and
maintenance of Earth Roads," In this
article II is pointed out that pavements
OF various kinds and, in fact, gravel roads
also are so expensive that an extensive
system OF roads throughout the state can
not be constructed The whole article
Is an argument in favor of building roads
OF ordinary earth, and keeping them In
good repair, before any very general eff
Tort is put forth to construct hard roads.
rms article has been gotten out by the
experiment station of the University OF
Utah in the form of a bulletin. In ii
the standard cross sections fixed by law
by the last legislature are given, and
drawings are also produced giving the
details of construction of the King road
drag, which is a cheap device, by the
use of which, at a comparatively small
cost, earth roads can be kept nearly al
ways in good condition and the remain
der of the time in fairly good condition,
Three thousand copies OF this bulletin are
to be distributed throughout the state
for the purpose of convincing the people
that this method of road construction
is that which should De adopted first.
To Distribute Bulletin.
In order to reinforce the arguments set
forth in the bulletin above mentioned Mr..
Howell has obtained 5000 copies of a
booklet issued by the department of ag-
riculture, entitled 1.-The Use of tAe SPLIT
cellent paper will be distributed with the
bulletin sent out by the University of
Utah. This government pamphlet has
been prepared by ID. Howard King of
nc . a.. IL
probably the greatest expert on the use
of the split log drag. This article also
emphasizes the Importance of maintain
ing the earth road in good condition. II
shows that in actual practice road main
tained with the split-log drag is not only
kept smooth, and comparatively hard
but that IL also reduces the quantity OF
dust which accumulates on the road. Con-
corning this matter, the bulletin says:
CLAY, when mixed with water and
thoroughly worked, becomes remarkably
tough and impervious to water. If COM
pacted in this condition it becomes ex-
tremely hard. Another valuable result
of dragging is the reduction of dust, for
the particles of clay adhere so tenaeiously
that there is but little wear when the
surface is mooth. Dust on an eartS road
is due to the breaking up under traffic
of the frayed and upturned edges of ruts
and hoof prints If the surface is smoothed
after each rain and the road dries hard
and even no edges are exposed TO crush
ing. and the only dust which forms is
that due to the actual wear OF the road
surface"
Those who are interested in this move
ment expect to be able to turn the at
tention of the good road enthusiasts to
the earth road, and they hope that in
the course of a very few years an eX-
cellent system of smooth, hard, dry, high
ways of earth will be constructed, reach
ing into every part Of the State of Utah.
This is thing they believe can be easily
attained while they are convinced that
efforts put forth to build extensive road
systems in a mora expensive way will
only result in encouragement and final
failure.