The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-11-11
BAD SPOTS IN ROADS.

Temporary repairs to roads are,
or at least should be, confined to
emergency measures. In proportion
to the results obtained, temporary
work is always expensive and Is
never justified by ordinary condi-
tions, Unusual conditions however,
often occur to pleague the road man.
For example, the closing OF main
highway to traffic because of con-
struction, repair or washouts may
SUDDENLY throw a heavy traffic for a
short time on a little used and prob
ably unimproved byway. Clearly, in
such a case temporary expedients
are legitimate.
The most common troubles met in
a case of this kind are mudholes and
ruts if the soil is heavy, and dust
and loose sand If the soil is light or
sandy.
Mudholes the Chief Trouble.
On a clay or gumbo road mud
holes usually cause the most trouble
AS water is absolutely necessary for
the existence of mudhole, any
treatment. whether temporary or
permanent in character, must pro-
vide for getting rid of the water.
The first step is, therefore. to dig
a trench to the side and allow the
water and mud to drain. If neces-
sary, open UP also the side bitches.
Furthermore, remove all of the soft
mud left in the mudhole. The bot
tom of the trench should be filled
with broken stone or coarse gravel
so as to provide a drain to prevent
any further accumulation of water
Gravel is the best material for fill
ing the old mud hole. If gravel is
not obtainable, use the best earth
at hand, tamping it down in or
inch layers. If possible, spread a
little gravel or sand over the new
fill, which should be made slightly
higher than the adjoining road sur
face. The best treatment of all,
however, is to keep the drainage in
good condition. Serious mudholes
will then never develop.
Don't try to fill a mudhole with
out first draining out the water
and removing the soft mud. Don't
try to fill it with large stones, be-
cause If this is done there will soon
be two mudholes instead of one.
Don't try to fill a mudhole with sods
or similar material which absorb
water readily.
On an earth or gravel road ruts
are best treated with the drag.
Don't be afraid of dragging too Of
ten during rainy spell. If thin
coat of sand or gravel be spread
softened by rain and then worked
in by traffic and liberal use of the
drag, a poor earth road can be much
improved and made to carry a sur
prisingly heavy traffic for short
time.
In contrast to the clay or gumbO
road, the sand road gives least
trouble during wet weather. On
sandy roads anything that will pre-
vent the free movement of the sand
particles will be of value. AS long
as the road is damp, the surface ten
sion of the capillary water acts as a
binder and holds the separate grains
of sand in place. All efforts should
therefore, be directed toward pre-
venting the sandy places from dry
ing out, or to adding some binder.
The addition Of clay furnishes a pos
tive binder and is really the best
and most permanent treatment. The
addition of any fibrous material
such as straw, spent tan bark, sage
brush, or pine needles is of value
and, when spread on the road and
covered with thin coat of sand or
allowed to work into surface, will
make an almost impossible sand
road fairly good for a time. But the
best way to treat bad place, wheth-
er on clay or a sand road, is to
treat it before it gets bad. Imme-
diate attention to small injuries will
prevent later prolonged attention
and extensive repairs to serious