The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1913-01-08

l
tonnage Il subject to estimate based
on the agricultural census just issu-
ed by the Reclamation Service. Al
falfa being feeding crop principal
ly, is not figured in while the total
Of other crops without deduction has
been taken with the following result
st. Clair 2070 tons; Island 905 tons,
Sugar Factory. lilo tons, Saltwater.
1910 tons.
So 1t is quite clear that the ton
mage is considerably overestimated
for any roads but st. Clair and Beck
steads
We might now get back TO the
sand-adobe road estimated at $500
per mile. Maintenance might be
placed at $40 per mile per year and
comparison will be given later.
sand-Adobc Road Yearly Charge.
per cent on $500 gives. =. $50
Maintenance. 20
Total annual charge !. ... s110
Estimated freight saving -. 200
Net saving per year. .,... s 80
being per cent on the $500 in
vested. This has a chance of creat-
ing some enthusiasm in the sand
adobe If il can make good. And the
enthusiast is likely to look askance
at the sand-adobe road, so it will be
discussed. Every freighter knows
that the semi sand-adobe road in the
shape of our natural hard bottomed
adobe roads are blessing the min
ute they are drawn into except in
wet weather, and that stretch after
stretch of adobe of the right char
aeter can be shown standing up un-
der heavy freight traffic. The ques-
ton becomes: can they be made wet
weather roads as well. The expert
enee elsewhere of built roads must
be turned to. The Engineering Re-
cord, one of the leading engineering
papers of America, says editorially
Roads in Virginia" Cheap roads are
not necessarily uneeonomical roads,
although that opinion seems TO be
firmly established in the North At
lantic States, where expensive con-
struction has been carried farther
than in any other section of the
country. 1t would be well for those
who do not know what well built
cheap roads will do, even with little
or no maintenance, to visit the sand
clay roads of Virginia this winter
and examine for themselves the con-
dition of such highways three to five
years old, which cost only one tenth
as much as the types of construction
considered necessary for the same
travel in the states where stone and
gravel are regarded as the only ma
terials fit for anything but a bride
path. 1t certainly is not wise to
vote for long term bonds for costly
work when one eighth to one tenth
of the money will furnish roads that
will serve equally we'll. There are
sand clay roads in Virginia three
and four years old, carrying a travel
which would be considered heavy
for a good gravel road in New York
or New England, on which no main
tenance whatever has been done,
that are in excellent condition today.
These things are mentioned because
there is a tendency among engineers
who are unacquainted with rural
conditions to consider that the only
economical form of road construc-
ton Is that which is best for the
highways radiating from our great
cities. This is an economic fallacy
and for ocular proof of it visit TO
Virginia is strongly advised"
A few quotations and statements
of costs will be given on the sand
clay roads of Kansas from an arti
Gle by w. S. Gearhart, Professor of
highway engineering in the satte col
lege there, as follows: 'In the shift
ing sand hills of western Kansas
sand-clay, sand-gypsum and sand
gumbo roads can be and are being
constructed at a very reasonable
cost and they are proving highly
satisfactory. The resistance per ton
on a level dry deep sand road is
equal to or greater than on hard,
dry earth road on 12 per cent
grade. A sand road is best when
1t is wet and worst when 1t is dry
With the clay and gumbo road we
have just the reverse road order
and when these materials occur IN
nature in such proportions that the
clay or gumbo just fill the vods In
the sand and act as a binder it over
comes the objections in both mater
ials and we have what are called
natural sand-clay or sand-gumbo
roads which can be found In many
communities. The sand-clay roads
have been carefully studied and sew
eral hundred miles of these roads
have been built in the Atlantic and
Gulf states and probably 75 miles