The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-01
Polk County's Good Roads
By Albertus Vogt, c. E.

There has been, and is nov
being. so much written, publish
ed and said, of road making
bond issues, ETC., by the nation
1.-THE states and counties, until
am encouraged to help a mite.
Ten years ago Allie Angle
who was born a hundred year
ahead of time-begged for
bond issue OF S5,ooo,ooo, b,
Florida to build brick roads
Those bonds ought to have beef
issued. In the Winter Havel
paper of late issue, it was stated
that 100000 had been expended
in clay, or hard road construc
ton in Polk county. Where i.
the clay used in this more thar
half million dollar construction
work? Ask of the winds thai
all along-with atoms strew
the grass and leaves. or washing
rains that float away-into the
bitches mud up to the knees
of pigs and cattle every day.
About 3 years ago Mr.. Muir.
daugh-then in charge of the
county forces built from Griffin
north one of the smoothest and
apparently most lasting clay
roads in Florida. 1t, the CLAW SC
seemingly substantial and intel
ligent i'll construction. lasted in
places almost an entire year
and then axle and back wreckine
chug holes.
During the last year Capt c.
u. Fletcher with the county
forces again rebuilt the same
road, it may with continued
watchful and faithful prompt re-
pair be passable for two years.
| suspect the gross cost per mile
of this, built in good faith, but
only temporary in good SER
vice, high mud way has cost the
county $500 the mile and this
will apply in fact to more than
90 per cent of the clay roads in
any state.
On Wednesday last was
haggling with boy about the
price of the best 3 year old cow
in Florida. The boy said 81
can't sell her, MIR. ]. c. Swindel
gave her to me when she was
born. ! toted her home in my
arms, he said she was 'Guern-
sey Jersey Grade. She gives
four gallons of milk every day"
AT the moment car stopped,
it was Mr.. Swindel driving He
said. Jump in, | got bad news,
one of our mules had an acct
dent" ! jumped, we picked up
a vet and let 'er roll. :.
You ought to have been with
us-out South Florida avenue
and the speedometef registering
IS miles the hour, and road
Dumpy. But the fields of corn
and melons on both sides. they
were splendid and fruitful.
Directly we reached the road
gang and construction work.
Capt &. q. Fletcher is at this
moment building the best high
way ever in America. | will
describe and you want to see it.
Lots of folks are daily trying it
out with cars and wagons. 1t
will stay put" and believe it
solves the hard road problem in
the phosphate belt of Florida.
The right of way is cut out
and graded, then a foundation of
'clay-balls' IL X 3 is laid on this
graded foundation. and leveled
with steam roller. Then
surfacing Of inch of pebble
phosphate is laid on the clay
balls and rolled.
These clay balls waX-like in
ductile, tensile strength, in truth
they are SO tough as to be in
soluble and invincible to the
strenuous revolutions OF steel
spiked log washers and hydraul-
ic giant-nozzled streams of wat
er. The content of these clay
balls about 40 per cent pebble,
and 90 per cent of conglomerate
clay, forms a dense friable, prac-
tically indestructible matric,
that no torrent can move out of
place or dissolve. The top, or
two inches of dried and washed
phosphate pebble cannot, will
not wash off or out of place, the
steam roller and every passing
wheel and animal only helps
to firm and fix it in surfacing the
"clay-ball" insoluble foundation,
that with only occasional inch
top dressing of pebble phosphate
will last like unto the "Appian
way" 49,. 49,.
The slope maintained by |
Capt. c. q. Fletcher in his pres
ent road building from Bradley
Junction to Medulla is I I-2 inch