El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-09

Las Cruces, n NJ, Nov. ST thinl
DOna Ana county is to be congratu-
lated upon the efficient and econom-
zeal manner in which you are doing
your road work. It is ahead Of any
thing have seen for thorOughness,
efficiency and cheapness." This is
what judge A S. J. EylaT, of FL PasO,
road booster and pioneer road building
expert OF the southwest, says IN a let
ter written to Francis z. Lester, OF
the Dona Ana county road board. The
letter was written after an inspection
by judge Eylar Of DOna Ana cOunty's
road building now going on. Naturally,
the DOna Ana county road board is
feeling a little "chesty' over these
words of communication from one who
knows, and it considers that such a
statement more than offsets the criti-
cism the board has received at the
hands Of political agitators in the past
few weeks
Has $4,000 to spend.
The road building program laid out
by the DOna Ana county road board
some months ago is now in full swing,
and the work being rapidly pushed.
The board has a fund of over S1O0, 900
to spend, being the proceeds of the
county road bonds approved almost
unanimously by the people of the coun-
ty -Four are working on the west side
highway in the southern part OF the
county, three on the Canine Real. one
of DOna Ana. A 10th gang starts next
week in the northern part of the cOun-
ty between RincOn and Hatch. Each
gang has its foreman. and the work
of each body is under the general su-
pervisiOn of the board, through its en-
gineer.
Gravel Work PredOminates.
The bulk Of the money is being spent
on gravel roads; and the work of build
ing gravel roads in New Mexico is
largely pioneer underta king. The ex-
tremely dry climate, the pecUliarities
of local material, and other questions
have all to be considered, and there
is comparatively little to be gained
from the road building methods of our
eastern states, where conditions are
entirely different.
The first work undertaken by the
board was somewhat experimental 1t
took some time to find the cheapest
and most efficient manner of screen
ing, loading and hauling gravel,
which constitutes about IS percent of
the cost OF building the road. After
careful figuring, the plan of paying
Tor all hauling strictly on the basis
OF amount hauled was adopted, and
20 cents per yard mile is being paid
Main Road Wider and Heavier.
The board is undertaking its road
strictly with a view to the
traffic that a given road must carry.
The main starveled roads. where the
traffic Is very heavy, are built Is feet
wide with the gravel nine inches deep:
a Oliver stratum of coarse gravel and
a top layer of fine gravel The roads
with less traffic are nine feet WIDE
with gravel from six to eight inches
deep; and the shoulders of the road
covered with a top gravel dressing so
as to take care of the passing traffic
All gravel roads are ordered rolled,
and the various methods of watering
nave been carefully tried, in order to
arrive at the most economical method.
IL Is believed that the finished roads
are superior to anything built for
the price in he southwest if not in
the country; but time alone can tell
1oW well they will hold up. The
gravel road is costing from $500 to
$500 per mile, and the board from
he beginning has determined to ar
nance OF all roads it builds.
Cost is Classified.
The road board has a complete svs-
EN- of cost records, developed with |
commission. Every dollar paid out is /
classified in three ways: first. bv /
marrying to the fund from which it /
s properly payable; secondly, by be- I
ng charged to the road for which an 4
has been made; and /
hirdly, being charged to the ledger I
-ccount to which it belongs, such as
obstruction, maintenance, equip I
nent, superintendent, etc. Every !
Dad IN the county is numbered and !
complete county road map has been !
developed by the engineer
Strives for Efficiency.
The Dona Ana county road board is
onstantly striving for efficiency
hardly a day goes by but what IFS
members are in consultation with the
nglneer, superintendent or the various
cremen, in order to arrive at the !
most economical and efficient meth
ds- The board has also been in con J
lanI correspondence with judge Eylar
4 II EaSo county, compares notes
nth him frequently, and thus cooper-
te to the mutual benefit of both /
ounties.
Many Visitors to Valley.
Every train coming into Las Cruces