The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-21

over the road for the fnishers to sit
on so that they can finish the sur
face without putting any weight on
the fresh concrete Ii is then al.
lowed to cure. This should take
abont a week. The surface should
be kept wet all the time so as to
cure the concrete. This is accom-
plished by sprinkling dirt on the
surface and then wetting it down
from time to time.
The Motion Pictures.
The first reel of motion pictures
was then begun and il showed the
construction of concrete roads in
Wayne county Michigan Some of
the road beds were qnasmires before
concreted. I'm some places narrow
gauge railways had to be built TO get
the material to the place where it
was needed. Traction engines were
also used
Fhe way a macadam road is spoil
ed by automobile traffic was shown.
The snction Of the tires takes up
the dust from the road, and this is
what is necessary to hold the road
together. An auto was shown going
slowly and spceded up to forty-fve
miles an hour. The dust follows and
with a little wind sprinkles the road
all over the farmers field just where
ne" doesn't want it. On concrete
roads this is impossible because there
can be no dust on the road except
what is carried on from other roads.
The Nine-Foot Road.
nj, Il lol
Mr.. Chubb, sis the best for coun-
try road if only a single passageway
is desired. If you want room for
teams TO pass make it eighteen feet
or wider. Do not build between
nine and eighteen feet These roads
in Wayne county cost about $1.37
per square foot, less than brick or
tar macadam roads. In Wayne coun-
ty the county commissioners have
adopted this form of road as the
official road and have a fully equip
ped company at work all the time.
When all these men are not building
roads they can be kept at the central
plant making concrete brick. The
Illinois state board of highway com
missioners have adopted the concrete
road and will use it exclusively. The
roads are SO smooth that the boys
skate on them on roller skates and
deliver papers eight miles out in the
country. Yet they afford good footing
for horses. The mixture that. has
given best satisfaction is one part
OF cement to one and One-half OF
sand and three parts of gravel
think that the sand You have here
is excellent material for this work."
Pictures of Bridges.
The pictures also showed concrete
bridges and their construction. One
bridge was tested by piling rock and
pig iron on it but it has not yet
been broken. although six times the
weight specified to be put upon it
has been applied. The last reel of
pictures showed scenes making &C.
ment tile by hand. the stock yards
where, when material is not needed.
it is piled up to be used when
necessary
When the pictures ceased few
questions were asked. J. H. Hob
mann asked how the water was got
ten TO the country roads. Mr.. Chubb
'>pioAiiSu llidL pipe illlcS ndu 10 De
laid and the water pumped through
them. If the distance was over two
miles relay tanks were used. The
cost of pumping the water is COM
paratively small. although from
twelve to fifteen thousand gallons are
used daily. The cost of the Wayne
county roads ranged from $1,000 to
$l,7OO per mile. But in some places
materials had to be hauled from six
to nine miles.
In closing Mr.. Chubb said that the
Universal Cement company which
he represents, will make tests of
local materials and estimate Just
what the value of the local sand and
gravel is. This will be done free.
All that is necessary is to send in
hundred pound sample.