The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-04-19
A New Era in Road Building

The following article, taken from
: The American Zinc and Lead Journal,
for April, which is monthly mining
journal published at Joplin, Mo-, was
prepared by John M. Malang, who is
manager of the Joplin Special Road
District. 1t is practically in line with
the fight The Times has been making
for gone time naet4 for hard snrface
roads in St. Francois county, and the
many facts there stated are very
closely in line with the arguments
that have heretofore been produced
by this paper. But the conditions Of
similarity go further. In regard to
road material, it is as abundant and
as cheap as it can be in Jasper coun-
ty; the roads, too, have been consider
ably better in St. Francois county
than in most surrounding counties for
number of years past, but as is the
case in Jasper county, the rock roads
have been unable to withstand the
late rapid increase in automobile travs
ell without serious damage, until the
time has now arrived when it is
necessary to put down a more endur-
ing road surfacing than heretofore.
The Times is of the opinion that
the troublesome question of i'm
proved roads is now about to be solved
| in the Joplin district. Read this ar
ticle and ponder it well. 1t is replete
with facts, logic and good common
sense:
Southeast Missouri and adjoining
territory, and especially Jasper coun-
ty, has enjoyed in the past as good, if
not better, roads than any other part
of Missouri. The roads referred to
we're built by bringing the roadbed to
proper grade, securing good drainage
and then surfacing with the native
material, mine chat, creek gravel or
crushed rock. These roads served the
purpose effectively until the advent
of the automobile and truck. Since
the motor traffic vehicles arrived in
great numbers and some of our
thoroughfares had an unusually heavy
traffic, sometimes as high as 5000 We
kicIes per day, it was found that the
previously built roads were made
l quate and failed to give the service
needed 1t was also found that the
cost of maintenance, to keep these
roads in proper condition 365 days of
the year was enormous, requiring in
fact, more money per year than the
interest would amount to on an in
vestment of more permanent type
of road.
Men of Joplin, interested in build
ing and maintaining the roads, began
to look about for a better kind of
road. They were confronted by a
| cf Epn Npk1i sn
to all difficult projects. After a gen.
eral survey of the situation it was
/ decided that they undertake to pro-
! mote and build concrete highway
| 18 feet wide, from Webb City, Mo-, to
the Oklahoma mining field, via Jop-
lin, Galena, Baxter Springs, Picher
and Commerce, to Miami, if posi-
bic. and to that end the citizens of
Joplin and some few outside of Jop-
lin, raised by popular subscription
800, 900; this money to be used in
paying part of the cost of the road
and the promotion of the same. The
success of the campaign to raise the
money was beyond the expectations Of
| the most sanguine enthusiasts and our
! efforts were crowned with success in
short period of time. In order to
promote and build such a road, the
| initial cost of which would be $780,
900 or $5O0,O00, it was necessary to
get other financial assistance, using
about twenty-five per cent of the fund
raised by subscription, and raising the
balance from other sources.
At the last session of the Missouri
Legislature, there was passed road
law, which created State Highway
Commission and created State Road
! Fund with a corps of engineers. Un-
der that law we were able to secure
fifty per cent of the cost of this road
from the State and Federal Govern
ment. In order to satisfy all of the
parties interested, namely, State and
Federal Government, as we'll as our
selves, it necessarily required good
deal of work and detail but at the end
of about six or seven months, we OBJ
tanned the final approval on the first
seven and one-half miles Of our pro-
iect from the Federal Road Depart
ment, thus insuring its portion of the
cost, which is twenty-five per cent,
and the final approval of our State
Department by its commission and
State Highway Engineer.
Bids were advertised for and opened
March 14th, in the office of the Joplin
Special Road District, at Joplin, Mo-,
and the Sherwood Myers-O'Day Con-
struction Company, Of Springfield,
Mo-, was awarded the contract. The
work is to begin not later than May
1st, and is to be prosecuted continu-
ously, without intermission until the
job is finished which, under the con-
tract must be done by Nov. 18th of
this year.
1t is the purpose of the Joplin Com
mittee to promote and assist in build