The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-29
GOOD ROADS OF
GREAT IMPORTANCE
BENEFITS MANIFOLD. BUT CoNUf-
TYoxs IN EVERY SECTION
DIFFERENT.
OYSTER SHELLS GOOD
TTDrwATEn VIRGINIA FORTUNATE
IN HAVING RIGHT MA
TERIAL AT IT'S

That good roads are OF paramount
Importance to any and TO every com"
rnunity is an undisputsd fact. Their
benefits are manifold and In every
section OF the country are different.
Just as local conditions differ, 30 40
the usages to which q road is sub
jected differ.
Geographical and soil conditions are
Of much more importance In the con-
Htruction of a road than a person
not familiar with the subject would
think. The material which may be
best adapted to roads in one section
may prove almost useless In another
part Of the country In some parts
OF New England practically the only
material used in road building Ia mar
Bile. There. marble Ia almost worth
less except in the large blocks and
slabs which may be marketed. Ii
is much cheaper than q combination
Of sand and clay or any other suita-
BILE road material.
road that could hardly be surpassed.
II would not DO OF great use in the
construction of roads IN this section
Of the country. In the first place the
cost OF transportation would make 1t
almost prohibitivs here. Then. the
expense of upkeep would be greater
than an efficient road supervisor
could recommend.
Tidewater Virginia. fortunately. has
at her command materials for MAX
ing excellent highways. a combinn~
ton of sand and clay has been found
to be one of the cheapest materials
with which TO construct g. permanent
road. 1t Is durable and not expensive
to keep In good repair Sand clay
roads are beginning TO be used
throughout the country and are found
to give better satisfaction for the
amount of money expended than any
other material that can conveniently
be obtained A macadam road. it Is
true. has longer life than the road
built OF sand clay. It's initial cost.
| however, makes 1t much less to be
| desired. unless there are almost un-
| limited funds at command. or only
a few miles arc to be built
| Another road material that gives
| good results is oyster or clam shells.
| They make q good road. one that
| should prove almost as Desirable as
| crushed stone. except that its life III
not so long. A road built of shells
| will femain fiFm In wet weather, hold
| ing Up under suoh conditions almost
| as well as macadam: Its chief dis
| advantage IL that the chemical ele-
menta of which 1t ~ composed seem
| to have = bad effect on the body
I finish Of carriages and automobiles.
| This effect 10 largely attributed to the
abundance OF lime. which dulis the
varnish on highly polished body sur
faces II q shell road 10 properly
| treated with an oil binder 10 lay the
dust. the effect Of the lime will be al
| most negligible.
l e.. Df tr,
| where shells are not so easily obtained
as they are in Tidewater they are ex
tensively used In road construction
The irst cost Of a shell road In com
paratively small. There Ia little con
struction work needed In building |
road Of this kind. In the early par
OF It's life the natural tendency 0
trafic IL to improve, rather than I
harm the surface OF q shell road. ]
becomes well worked down to m
foundation and the shells are thor
oughly broken UP by the horses an
wagons.
But in any road the chief considera
ton should b in the drainage. n
matter what material 10 sued tina III
Of the road will be greatly decrease
unless II 10 properly drained. A leve
country. like that in this section. pro
vides no natural drain for the waite
that will accumulate upon the high
ways. Not only Ia the life OF the roa
decreased. but its condition at a.
times II much below the standard
Money placed in road construction
where proper drainage facilities ar
not provided, Is money thrown ava,
Not only should the road 3
Crowned" but there should b
bitches on each side to carry on IN
water. II there 10 one low place
the road, water will settle there ate
the first rain Gradually . puddl
with form in that little spot The va
ter will soften the road material b
meath the puddle. until finally eve
the foundation has been damaget
. Had tho road been higher In the mid
die than II was on either side, this
puddle would never have been form
ed. The action Of horses hoofs
wheels upon the softened surface
tear the binder from $he road. n
; | litle puddle will spread until Il b
comes 3 dangerous hole. In time. ~
} ioss tho defect - remed3ed. tho hOl
| Socomes 4 menace and 10 passed on
: with the possibility Of the vshfc
becoming mired.
, The average road. should BE- crow
. "a 1t least nine inches. This dspent
! upon IT. width. however. and the mi
! tsrial from which II y made. n
| leas ditches are provided r. carrya
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