The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-02-27


material (graveD wherever wanted that
would mean the saving Of from $1,000 to
$500 per mile in the construction Of our
roads that would parallel that rightof-
way. We speak advisedly. In addition,
one Of the Banners readers has been
semiofficially informed that this con-
cession would be granted by that road,
and we believe the officials OF both the
Louisiana Railway and the Louisiana
and Arkansas Railway would be just as
liberal in dealing with our people in this
matter as soon as they were fully con-
vinced that it was to be taken up in a
practical way, backed by the necessary
fund and pushed to completion.
A letter from Mr.. J. 7. Bullen, High
way Engineer for Caddo Parish, written
in Shreveport under date of the 18th and
addressed to Mr.. Ed Logan of this place,
throws some light on the subject Of road
construction. 1t follows:
"Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of
the f4th will say that good clay gravel
for your roads ought not to cost, deliv-
cred +. o. b. the cars in Bossier Parish,
over IS cents to ST per cubic yard.
'For your roads, in all probability, a
width Of twelve feet and depth Of nine
or ten inches (loose) would be sufficient,
provided it was good gravel and prop
erly put down. A roller helps in build
ing a gravel road, but very excellent
gravel road can be built without roller
if care IL taken to frequently machine
the surface until travel packs it smooth,
which will be accomplished in about ten
days, ordinarily.
"For surface Of gravel twelve feet
wide and nine inches deep, 1850 cubic
yards will be required. For your out
lying districts, away from town, ten
foot gravelled strip down the center Of a
twenty foot road might suffice. For
that width, nine inches deep, 1857 cubic
yards would be necessary. The grading
and culverts will vary, Of course, de-
pending on the conditions on each road.
"For grade twenty feet wide on top
your average road would probably run
from 5000 to 1000 cubic yards of grading
and can be contracted for is to % cents
per cubic yard.
"Culverts of best vitrified clay pipe,
twenty-four inches in diameter, will cost
about $3.50 per foot in place. Other cul-
verts more or less according to size.
"The length of haul Of material from
railroad will be the main item to know
in figuring cost Of distributing gravel
Under average summer conditions teams
will average a little more than twenty
miles per day, hauling from one yard te
one and one half yards each load, de.
pending on size of team and condition
of road.
"You can perhaps build your roads
for $4,000 to $500 per mile, using ;
twelve foot strip Of gravel. You under
stand can only approximately estimate
the cost, as I only know approximate.
the conditions confronting you.
"Trusting that the above information
will prove Of service in your Good Road
: Cause, remain Yours very truly,
~. T. BULLEN.
e AS mightbe inferred from the figure
$ given in one of the last above para
9 graphs, Mr.. Bul!en IS not familiar vii.
t the conditions as existing in this parish
1 Many Of our main roads have been we
opened for years and graded from five t
d twenty years. In addition to this, man
E culverts are already in place, and wher
t roads are to be constructed along rail
road rigktofways there comes the add
y tional saving in team hauling referred
f above. In places in Caddo Parish tn
+ improved roads are being built throug
It the woods, if we are correctly informed
e while here in Bossier roads are alread
# established and class as fairly good di1
e roads.
: The assessable wealth Of Bossier Pal
i ish is about 50, 500, 900. This means tn;
under our statutes bonds could be issue
o in the amount of s350,OOO. II improve
Il roads can be constructed throughout II
!. parish at an average cost slightly in e,
le cess of $4,000 per mile (and we belie'
IS this to be true) we could put in upwart
y of 100 miles and still have left sever
le thousand dollars, which placed in bar
l. at compound interest would be sufficie
a for. sinking fund. AS about 80 p
to cent OF all businesses are conducted on
Re credit, why should we not build o
Re roads on credit?