The mirror., 1922-04-20

steel spring zig-zagged the full width of
the road. After this is in place coating
of tar is placed over the entire space
which gives the riding surface so neces-
sary. The reinforcing steel is CORFU
gated bar laid horizontally in the con-
crete and allowed to project to the first ex-
pansion plate and sometimes through it.
Concrete roads are not subject to heat as
the expansion plate and steel take up what
play there comes from either heat or
frost. They are as rule twenty-six feet
wide with four foot gravel edge which
drains and gathers all the moisture and
water from the surface. The average con-
crete road will cost from twenty-five to
thirty thousand dollars per mile, again
considering the cource of supply, but in
the long run pays for itself with the alb
sence of repair crew and maintainence.
Such a road now runs from St. Cloud to
Westcott Station, ten miles south of ST.
Paul. total distance of 80 miles and you
may travel at from ten to seventy miles
per hour if desired in smooth clean COM
fort. The latter may be negotiated at
your own risk as these country cops are
ever watchful to maintain an even flow
of money into their Golfers. This is the
type of road Minnesota will some day
have completed on the Babcock amend
ment and with careful supervision of
construction should prove great asset
Iowa has a running start; hef state being
crisscrossed with many fine examples of
concrete, while So. Dakota is following her
step. Wisconsin still maintains some of
the most notable gravel roads in this sec
ton of the country. Which pays the larg-
est dividend to the State, gravel or con-
crete, has yet to be formulated; but with
gravel not including the maintenance
costing approximately from seven to ten
thousand dollars per mile and concrete
from twenty-five to thirty thousand with
no maintenance to speak of, it will be a
matter of years to definitely say which is
the better. There are many other types
of roads which are laid with any and
every kind of material or substance. Texas
has roads made from sea shells, crushed
and rolled, Oklahoma and her oil shale,
Arkansas with volcanic ash, and Michigan
with iron Stag and ashes. Some of these
are fine, clean and lasting but from most
points of view the concrete heads the list.
When contractor has accepted a con-
tract he at once prepares to get the ball
rolling in that direction. He must make
arrangements to establish his camp at such
suitable place as will save him the most
money, order his supplies and get his
equipment, which may consist of every
thing from fresno to a steamshovel, on
the location. If he has graveling to do,
his best way is to hire all trucks at
nominal price per mile and any number
can be gotten in any large city. If he has
a grading and graveling contract with
CulNCItS dllu DIluRCS HC iIuSt dI dliSC
work to have all the grading work per-
formed far enough ahead SO that the
bridge and culvert crew will not be tied
up as they must place such work after
grading. The grading is done by what
is called an elevating grader, machine
which plows up the ground and throws
the dirt upon an apron thereby elevating
it to the height of a dump wagon into
which the dirt drops. When this wagon
has load it is replaced by another one,
which is right along side of the grader.
The wagon already loaded is then driven
to the depression where it is necessary to
fill in and there the big boss, or dump
man as he is called, places each load. To
make for efficient work it is necessary to
have from six to ten of these dump wa
gons for one grader, that will mean you
would own at least twelve to twenty head