The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-15
More About Road Materials

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: In re the communication of Howard Eggieston, C. E., eriticising my article, l .The Building of Highways long ago Iea:ned not to engage in argument with
 women. architects or engineers-these last where Triggers" are involved.
 have been writing for near b years trying to arouse an interest by the peo-
 pie of Alabama in good roads; roads that
 can be travelled by any vehicle any sea
 son of the year. l am not road build
 CT, but l do know much of the failures
 to make pern1anent, easily kept up roads. have Il from those who have tried Va
 rol,s materials and modes of construc-
 tion that many of the so called good
 reads and have been constructed are
 not what they were cracked up to be by
 experts and engineers The Paige experi- mental road here in Jefferson county.
 which cost more than $130O0 per mile
 dhe figures furnished were for less than
 mie), but proves that the ancients
 knew better how to build lasting roads than cur C. Els and government experi-
 mentailsts.
 Permit me to say that my idea of the brick center roadway was advanced in
 the Selma Telegram 15 years ago; this was for class of soil such as the
 "prairie" soil of the black belt with only 10 foot center, however. Also the plan of broad, fianged steel plates on cross ties, with a filled center of road building
 materials and wagon track wide road way, with turnouts, was discussed but
 did not find favor.
 Here in Alabama we have had exper-
 ence with nacadam in Madison; chert and
 gravel in Montgomery county; as- phaitum. etc. (Paige's road), and chert,
 slag "concretum," bitullthic and others, either on streets or roads. The question
 of "rutless, smooth, easily kept up | roadway Is still to be pursued, according
 to those who have built these roads. Crhis dols not apply to those engaged in building reads with any personal interest In the n, n,atcrials to be used)
 Now to the issue. The state of Penn | sylvania, with abundance of funds to ex- | pc iment with. after all tho years of experience and plenty of sag, too. has well under way system of brick center | roadway highways. crossing the state at | Different points of the compass. I am l Informed that Cuyahoga county and other
 counties in Ohio have these roads. and
 they were evidently built on honor' too l MT. Eggleston's suggestion-and prob
 ably have 1T concrete base. (Ohio has
 rleniy of slagD ,tss
 | My suggestion as to standardized main highways dnterstate) was that with our | limited funds at present available we proceed to make ready for what must ultimately come upon the demands of the
 people. sooner or later--liberal appropria- ...,t1 |, | federal government. At best. all work
 fos the system of proposed roadway must | he preparatory. Here In Jefferson some 1 of the roads that cost from 5000 to 5000
 pei mile-roads in the path of the pro-
 posed highway, will. have to be repaired l q, iauch expense, or else built in ssuoh
 way as to last and not prove so expen-
 sive to keep up.
 If ir be said that 1t will cost as much | to build such a road as I suggest ta 1 lriCll center roadway l2 feet. with flank ing dirt roads feet widel as to build a
 iailrcad. l answer that the highway will 1 last long after many, many renewals of rails and crossties Of railroads have | retted out. Then. too the benefit to the l neople will be q eompensating feature well to be considered in the matter of cost. The time Is coming when the pow | ci ful road engine will pick up the trucks of tho farmers at stations where good
 roads intersect the standardized roadways I rroposed. aud having hauled them to
 market with their loads of produce. will return the empties tor perhaps the truck fl will he loaded with merchandiset to the connecting point Or If the rivers are
 op.sed to free navigation to tile gulf here In Alabama, loaded barges will float on ] the tide Of enterprise to the ports. Or to cities on tho banks of these streams, car r;1hs the farm and other produets,.. e., .4tf kaa good roads question be guarded against