The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-14
FURTHER DISCUSSION OF
GOOD ROADS SUBJECT

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Editor Lakeland Evening Telegram:
( Dear Sir-I read the article on the
subject of good roads in your issue
! of today and believe that l have
something better to offer the city and
! county commissioners than the oil
proposition A solid foundation is
the first thing to be considered in
building street or road; the second
consideration is the wearing surface
A little oil sprinkled over the sand
will not furnish either a foundation
, or wearing surface if it was the best
California oil which l understand
contains a large per cent of bitumen.
| also understand the cheap oils
around this part of the country are
largely residue left from the re-
,fining of coal Oil which has no elias
tic or tenacious qualities, which are
very essential to hold material to-
gether. 1t is we'll known that as
phalt mixed with sand put down un-
der the best known methods, in
many instances lasts but few
years. We have here in Lakeland
about thirty thousand square yards
of paving, an effort having been
made in this pavement TO reinforce
the sand and asphalt with small
rock. We also have many thousand
square yards of brick paving, which
is recognized as one Of the best
known wearing surfaces, but the
brick have no foundation under
them and already fiat places and
holes begin to appear; this, however.
can be remedied by lifting the brick
and putting more sand under them,
so you see we have foundation in
one place and wearing surface in
another.
! think it is waste of time and
money to put clay into road and
worse than that to mix little oil
with sand. The life of any mixed
material for wearing surface de-
ponds on the binding material that
is to hold the hard substances to-
gether.
The California roads so much re-
ferred to are frst-class macadam
roads before the oil is applied; the
oil used is the best known oil for
road purposes Don't let us be de-
ceived.
A little cheap oil put on our sand
would come about as near making
us California road as a little oleo-
margarine put on corn pone would
make it like cake.
Creosote oil is the best known
preservative; it keeps out water and
all other destructive substances and
when mixed with other ingredients
1t is elastic, tenacious and senatary.
The only objection to a macadam
road is the dust and upkeep. We can
eliminate the dust and get rid Of
the repairs for about ten years, put
down a paving that combines foun-
dation and wearing surface in one,
for much less than the cost of brick
roads. Why then should we spent
$3.50 mile in well known fail
ure?
hope the good people of Lake
land and Polk county will not think
am sore or class me as a knocker
I realize there is no perfect paving,
but some of the road material that
is being offered reminds me of the
Cornishman that made stew and
after trying it concluded to carry it
to his neighbor. When he presented
the stew his neighbor said Friend.
why do you bring me all this nice
stew" The Cornishman replied. II
don't want stew: dog won eat
stew; you have stew.
Let us have good roads. but not
waste our time and substance; one
barrel of oil will furnish just as
good a test as mile of it.