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SOUTHErRN 

GoodFoads 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roada  Publishinar  Co. 


Lexington.  N.  C,  Janxaary.  1917  *'"*''"' i^c^.T^'L^^tL"''"  " 


American  Association  of  State  Higtiway 

Officials 

Report  of  Third  Annual  Meeting  Held  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  December  5-7, 1916 

By  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT 


OF  AIAj  the  riiad  associations  that  have  been  organ- 
ized ill  this  country,  tliere  is  none  that  compares 
with  the  American  Association  of  State  Highwa.y  Otfi- 
cials  in  value  of  Avorlt  accomplislied :  infiuenee  upon 
character  of  road  construction ;  and  intluence  in  sliap- 
ing  legislation  regarding  highways.  The  active  mem- 
bership of  this  association  is  eompDsed  of  the  oiHeials 
of  the  various  state  highway  departments,  including 
commissioners,  chief  engineers,  and  chiefs  of  bureaus 
in  these  departments.  The  meeting  at  St.  Louis  was 
attended  by  representatives  from  twenty-five  states, 
as  follows:  Arizona,  Arkansas.  Florida.  Illinois,  Indi- 
ana, Iowa.  Kansas.  Kentucky,  ^Maryland,  iliehigan, 
Minnesota,  ^lissouri.  New  Jersey,  New  York,  North 
Carolina,  Ohio,  Oklahoma,  Pennsylvania,  Rhode  Island, 
Tennessee,  Utah,  Virginia.  AVest  Virginia.  Wisconsin. 
District  of  Columbia! 

Federal  Aid  Road  Bill. 

With  the  passage  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Bill,  by 
reason  of  which  there  will  be  expended  during  a  five- 
year  period  more  than  ^150.000,000  in  road  improve- 
ment under  tlie  regulations  if  this  federal  act.  the  need 
of  the  various  state  highway  officials  conferring  togeth- 
er in  I'egard  to  tlie  expenditure  of  this  vast  snm  be- 
came vei'y  i;ii]ioi-taiil .  il  is  necessary  lliat  iiirthods  of 
procedure,  standards  for  plans,  constrnetion,  account- 
ing, cost  kee|)ing,  iiispecti^m.  and  tests  of  materials 
should  he  worked  out.  as  this  joint  fund  is  to  be  ex- 
pended in  road  construction  by  tlie  highway  depart- 
ments of  the  various  states  under  the  general  supervis- 
ion of  the  United  States  Office  of  Public  Roads.  This 
question  of  rules  and  regulations  governing  this  coop- 
erative work  between  the  State  and  Federal  highway 
depai'tments  was  taken  up  and  discussed  very  thor- 
oughly during  the  first  day  of  the  meeting.  Various 
questions  relating  to  this  suliject  were  discussed  by 
ilr.  W^.  D.  Uhler,  chief  engineer  of  Pennsylvania  State 
Highway  Department ;  W.  W.  Marr.  chief  engineer  of 
the  Illinois  State  Highway  Department ;  G.  P.  Cole- 
man, State  Ilighway  Commissioner  of  A^'irginia  ;  A.  R. 
Hirst.  State  Ilighway  Engineer  of  Wisconsin;  Lamar 
Cobb,  chief  engineer  of  Arizona;  W.  S.  Gearhart.  State 
Highway  Commissioner  of  Kansas ;  Joseph  Hyde  Pratt. 
Secretary,  State  Ilighway  Commission  of  North  Caro- 
lina; and  P,  St.  J.  Wilson,  Assistant  Director,  and  J.  E. 
Pennybaeker,  engineer,  office  of  Public  Roads.     While 


there  is  some  difference  of  opinion  amongst  the  var- 
ious engineers  and  the  office  of  public  roads  as  to  the 
interpretation  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act  and  the 
meaning  to  be  ascribed  to  rules  and  regulations  drawn 
up  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  in  regard  to  the 
operation  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Bill,  yet  it  was  the 
consensus  of  opinion  that  this  was  a  cooperative  work 
and  that  the  state  highway  departments  were  ready  to 
accept  such  rules  and  regulations  as  had  been  adopted 
by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  and  to  try  in  every 
way  possible  to  cooperate  with  the  Office  of  Public 
Roads  in  making  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act  a  success 
in  connection  with  road  construction  in  the  various 
states. 

The  president  and  secretary  of  the  Association  had, 
in  their  reports,  called  attention  to  the  need  of  a  most 
friendly  feeling  of  cooperation  lietween  the  state  high- 
way departments  and  the  Office  of  Pulilic  Roads. 

Road  Surfacing  Materials. 

The  second  da\'  if  the  convention  was  presided  over 
by  Mr.  George  P.  Coleman.  State  Ilighway  Commis- 
sioner of  Virginia,  and  the  sessions  were  devoted  to 
discussions  of  surfacing  materials  and  culverts.  The 
subject  of  bituminous  materials  w;is  discussed  by  Clif- 
ford Richardson  of  the  Barber  Asphalt  Company;  Phil- 
ip P.  Sharpies  of  the  Bari'ett  C  imiiany;  Henry  G.  Shii-- 
ley.  <'hief  road  engineer  of  Maryhmd;  C'ol.  E.  A.  Ste- 
vens, Ilighway  commissioner  of  New  Jersey.  Some 
very  interesting  points  were  brought  out  by  Mv.  Rich- 
ardson in  regard  to  the  mixing  of  bitumen  with  clay. 
His  investigations  are  opening  up  a  field  that  it  is  be- 
lieved will  bring  bitumen  into  use  in  connectinn  with 
the  construction  of  sand-clay,  topsoil  and  gravel  roads 
such  as  are  lieing  built  so  extensively  throughout  the 
South.  Air.  Shai'ples  brought  out  some  of  the  advan- 
tages of  the  penetration  method  for  the  utilization  of 
bituminous  materials  in  the  constructi(ni  of  bituminous 
macadam.  Both  he  and  Air.  Richardson  called  partic- 
ular attention  to  the  need  of  looking  after  very  partic- 
ularly the  drainage  and  foundation.  Alore  po  ir  results 
have  been  caused  by  some  defect  in  the  drainage  and 
foundation  than  by  any  other  cause.  Air.  Shirkley.  in 
discussing  this  subject,  brought  out  the  fact  that  Alary- 
land  was  experiencing  one  difficulty  in  using  bitumin- 
ous materials,  and  that  was  in  obtaining  competent  and 
skilled  labor  for  treating  the  roads  with  this  material. 


58526 


•     • 

c  c  • 

t»  « 


4", 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Januarv.   IIH 


The  suhjcct  oi  e  )nc-re1e  roads  was  taken  up  l).y  Mr. 
George  A.  Ric-ker.  of  the  Portland  Cement  ^lauufae- 
turers'  Assoeiation.  who  was  formerly  First  Deputy 
Road  Commissioner  of  New  York.  lie  gave  a  very  in- 
terestiiiii-  paper  on  the  use  of  concrete  in  highway  con- 
struction. Ilf  sh  >\vcd  the  remarkahle  increase  in  tin/ 
consti-urtion  of  cdncrctr  roads  and  flu'  vci'y  gcru'i-al 
satisfactoi-y  results  that  were  obtained  i'l-oin  them. 
callin<i-  pai-tieuiar  attention  to  the  roads  of  this  type 
hnilt  in  California  and  ^Michigan.  While  the  South 
h,-is  not  const  i-ni'led  any  large  mileage  of  this  type  of 
road  in  tin'  rui'al  sections,  yet  we  are  heginning  to  see 
the  need  of  llie  liigher  type  of  road  surfacing  and  are 
heginning  lo  use  consideral)le  concrete.  In  Florida 
concrete  I'oads  have  l)een  built  for  seveivd  years  with 
good  results.  In  Nnrth  Carolina  we  are  just  begin- 
ning to  use  concrete,  and  at  the  present  time  are  mak- 
luii.  in  Guilford  county,  roads  with  a  concrete  founda- 
tion and  a  three-inch  top  of  Warrenite:  and  in  For.syth 
county,  concrete  roads  with  a  skin  coat  of  bituminous 
mntcrial   and   chips.     Otlier  southern  states  ai'C  begin- 


Mount  .\iry-Winston  Higlivvay,  Surry  County,  N.  C. 

iiini;'  to  taki'  lip  this  ty|u'  of  lunement  and  it.  in  a  iew 
years,  will  licconic  much  more  geiK'i'ally  used. 

A  rathei'  interesting  discussion  was  brought  mit  in 
regard  to  the  lu^cessity  of  the  use  of  e.\pansioii  joints 
in  the  c  instian'tion  of  a  iMuicrete  road.  .Many  seemed 
to  believe  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  use  exi)ansiiui 
joints;  that,  aftci-  the  concrete  had  set,  it  would  crack, 
iiiid  these  emit  rail  inn  eiMcks  \\'ould  become  and  e:inl,l 
he  used  as  expansion  joints.  This  subject  was  :lis- 
cussed  by  .Mr.  .\.  1).  Williams,  state  highway  eiiginec' 
of  West  Virginia:  Win.  K.  C:icke.  highway  eniiineer  ol 
Florida;  and  Ileiii'v  (I.  Shirli'V.  rial  engineer  nl'  .Mary- 
land. 

The  (]Ucslii)ii  of  hriek  roads  was  discussed  by  .Mr. 
Will  V.  Blair,  nt  the  National  Paving  l>rick  .Manufac- 
turers" Associatinii.  While  advocating  the  use  of  brick 
for  highwiiy  coiistrm-tioji  on  a  iiiueh  larger  scale  than 
it  is  now  beiiiu'  used.  .Mr.  Ulair  stated  that  thi'ri>  -were 
many  ecnnoiiiic  features  to  be  c  insidere.l  in  determ- 
ining whether  a  brick  pavement  should  be  used;  and 
that  tliere  ai-e  pi-oludily  thousaiuls  of  miles  of  road 
with  medium  and  liuliter  IrafHc  conditions  where,  for 
economic  ri'asons.  bri(d<  is  not  to  be  considered  at  all. 
He  eallcil  particular  atti'iitim  In  the  iicimI  ol'  the  prc])- 
aratiot!  ot  the  t'onndation  for  the  brick — that  this 
riuuidation  must  be  such  thai  it  is  absolutely  dr\  and 
lirm.  lie  showed  how  in  nuiny  i)laces  the  brick  had 
been    laid   oil   the   imlural   soil    with    u'ood    results.      In 


other  places  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  special  foimda- 
tion  for  the  brick.  It  was  shown  that  where  a  con- 
crete foundation  was  used,  the  brick  should  be  laid  in 
the  green  cement.  One  of  the  obsta(des,  perhaps,  to 
the  more  general  use  of  brick  thnuighoiit  this  e(UUitry 
is  the  Freight  charge  on  the  brick  to  so  many  sections, 
lie  called  atfentiiui  to  the  fact  that  many  states  are 
with  uit  plants  for  making  paving  brick,  and  that  al- 
most the  entire  output  is  produced  in  the  following 
states:  .Vlabama.  Arkansas.  California.  Colorado.  Geor- 
gia. Illinois.  Indiana.  Iowa.  Kansas.  KiMitucky,  ^lary- 
laml,  ^lichigan.  Missouri,  .Montana.  New  York,  Ohio. 
<  )!<lahoiiia.  I'eiinsylvania,  'J'eunessee,  Texas.  Washing- 
ton, and  West  \'irginia.  Another  cost  is  the  layini;-  of 
the  briik.  which  is  done  by  hand. 

Brick  Paving  Machine. 

There  is  n.i  (juestion  but  that  a  i)aving  machine  would 
be  able  to  reduce  the  cost  of  construction  of  a  brick 
road.  Photographs  were  exhil)ited  at  the  meeting  of  a 
working  model  of  a  paving  machine  which  was  e  in- 
structed by  William  Bayle.v.  of  Springtield.  Ohio.  This 
machine  has  been  used  in  laying  pavements  in  the  Wil- 
liam Bayley  Company  shops  at  Springfield,  Ohio.  The 
machine  prepares  the  foundation  and  lays  the  brick, 
asphalt  blocks,  wood  blocks,  or  other  fcu'm  of  briidv 
paxiMnent.  on  the  foundation. 

Another  subject  discusscjd  was  ('(U-rugated  .Metal 
("nh'erts.  and  this  subject  was  handled  by  Mr.  Howard 
See  ot  the  .Vmerican  Rolling  Mill  Company,  and  Mr. 
I),  yi.  Buck  of  the  AiiuM-icau  Sheet  and  Tin  Plate  Com- 
p:iiiy.  The  former  was  calling  attention  to  the  use  of 
puie  ii-on  in  the  manufacture  of  culvei-ts,  while  the 
iattei-  \\as  calling  attention  to  the  eopi)er-bearing  iron. 
1 1  \\as  i-ecognized  l)y  many  of  the  state  highway  offi- 
cials that  in  considering  the  question  of  corrugated 
metal  culverts,  account  must  be  taken  of  the  fact  that 
the  two  irons  used  are  distinctive,  and  that  in  work- 
ing out  specihi-ations  for  culverts,  these  should  refer 
either  to  the  so-called  pure  iron  or  lo  the  oppcr-bear- 
iny-   iron,  as  two   distinct   methods. 

Maintenance  of  Roads. 

The  session  of  L)ecember  7th  was  presided  over  by 
.Mr.  S.  E.  Bradt.  secretary  of  the  State  Highway  Com- 
mission of  Illinois.  The  first  topic  discussed  was  Sys- 
tems for  Road  Maintenance,  divided  into  two  heads — 
High  Cost  Roads,  and  Low  Roads.  Papers  on  the 
maintenance  of  high  cost  roads  were  read  by  George  II. 
Biles.  Second  Deputy  Highway  Commissioner  of  Penn- 
sylvania; and  II.  E.  Breed,  First  Deputy  Commissioner 
of  the  Commission  of  New  York.  It  was  In'ought  out 
by  these  engineers  that  when  our  hard-surfaced  roads 
were  first  constructed,  they  were  designed  practically 
foi'  fai'in  traffic  by  horse-drawn  vehicles  carrying  liads 
of  from  one  to  three  tons.  The  introduction  of  the  au- 
tomobile in  I!t0l2  caused  the  tii'st  failures  of  our  roads, 
due  to  the  swift-moving  autonubile  loosening  the  finer 
particles  of  the  iiavement  and  throwing  them  out  of 
the  road  in  the  form  of  dust.  This  could  easily  have 
been  remedied  b\'  tlie  intro<luction  of  bituminous  biiul- 
ers,  etc..  but  our  roads  Avere  subjected  to  another  forui 
of  traffic  which  was  not  looked  for.  ami  that  was  the 
motor  truck,  this  carrying  loads  of  from  eight  to  ten 
tons,  aiui  over.  What  the  limit  of  the  capacit\-  of 
these  trucks  is  to  be.  no  one  knows.  As  a  result  of  the 
introthiction  of  the  nu>tor  truck  with  these  heavy  loads, 
many  miles  of  high  class  pavement  that  were  built  pi-e- 
vious  to  their  inti-idiu-tion  will  ha\e  to  be  i-ebuilt  in 
ordei'  to  sustain  that   form  of  traflie.      .Mr.  ISreed   was 


January,  I!*!? 


SOUTHERN  riOOl)  ROADS 


1)1'  the  opinion  that  Ics'islatiiui  should  control  condi- 
lioos  so  thai  unreasonable  tratHc  lie  prevented  from 
destroying  benefit  taxpayers  ought  to  receive  from  the 
good  roads  movement. 

Ijow  cost  roads  were  discussed  b.y  A.  ^rarstoii.  state 
highway  coniinissioiu'r  af  Iowa.  He  brought  out  the 
need  of  constant,  systematic  maintenance  of  these  low 
cost  roads,  such  as  sand-clay,  gravel,  topsoil,  etc.  A 
general  discussion  of  tliis  subject  of  maintenance  was 
entered  into  by  A.  K.  Hirst,  State  Highway  engineer, 
of  Wisconsin;  Henry  G.  Shirley,  chief  engineer  of 
Maryland;  T.  H.  MacDonald,  chief  engineer  of  Iowa; 
fjamar  (!ol)l),  state  engineer  of  Arizona;  A.  II.  Nelson, 
State  Iliglnvay  Engineer  of  Tennessee;  Joseph  Hyde 
I'ratt.  Secretary.  State  Highway  Commission  of  North 
Carolina.  Some  very  interesting  information  was  giv- 
en by  these  engineers  in  regard  to  methods  of  mainte- 
nance that  they  were  using  in  their  several  states.  It 
was  the  consensus  of  opinion  that  the  maintenance  of 
our  higliways  is  today  the  most  important  problem 
confronting  tlie  engineer,  and  is  one  of  tlie  hardest  to 
solve. 

In  considering  the  tyjic  of  road  that  should  be  l)uilt, 
iletinite  information  must  lie  kn  )wn  Regarding  the 
traffic  that  will  go  over  the  road,  not  only  at  the  pres- 
ent time  but  for  several  years  to  come.  A  low  cost 
road  can  be  kept  in  good  condition  by  constant  main- 
tenance, bi'.t  the  c  ist  of  this  maintenance  will  increase 
with  the  ti-aftic;  and  when  this  maintenance  cost  be- 
comes ci|i!al  or  nearly  equal  to  an  interest  charge  on 
the  cost  of  the  liigher  type  road  plus  the  cost  of  the 
maintenance  of  this  higher  cost  road,  then  it  is  not 
economv  to  retain  the  low  cost  road,   but  the   higher 


type  of  road  should  be  built.  Ajiother  thing  to  be  tak- 
en into  consider;i1ion  in  connection  with  which  road  to 
build,  as  the  two  costs  approach  each  other,  is  the 
smoothness  of  the  surface  that  will  be  maintained. 

A  motion  was  [lassed  instructing  the  president  to 
appoint  a  committee  to  study  the  economics  of  road 
construction,  particularly  in  refereiu-e  to  maintenance. 
This  committee  is  to  take  up  wilh  the  various  highway 
departments  and  find  out  from  them  the  cost  of  con- 
struction of  various  types  of  road  anil  the  cost  of 
maintenance  per  mile  per  year  of  tliese  roads,  and  the 
amount  of  triittic  that  goes  over  them. 

The  subject  of  highway  legislation  was  very  ably 
discussed  by  Col.  E.  A.  Stevens  of  New  Jersey.  One 
of  the  points  that  he  bi-ought  out  was  that  it  is  dan- 
gerous to  try  to  prescribe  by  legislative  act  methods  of 
conduct  of  busiiu^ss  of  the  state  highway  dei)artments. 
Care  should  be  taken  tluit  the  hands  i)f  a  connnission 
are  not  tied  with  useless  restrictions.  Pie  called  atten- 
tion to  the  (piestion  of  bond  elections  for  raising  reve- 
nue, and  said  careful  consideration  should  be  given 
as  to  the  character  of  boiuls  that  were  to  l)e  used.  Col. 
Stevens  als  )  bi-onght  out  the  fact  that  with  the  change 
in  administration  that  would  take  ])lace  in  many  states 
the  first  of  the  year,  many  highway  engineers  would 
go  out  of  office  because  of  political  change  in  the  ad- 
ministration. He  stated  that  this  was  n  it  fair  to  the 
road  work  of  a  state,  and  that  the  engineers  in  i-harge 
of  the  road  wirk  should  not  be  changed  because  of  a 
political  change  in  the  state.  They  should  imt  be  in 
any  way  political  apjiointments. 

The  president   of  the   association    was   instructed   to 


A  Sign  That  Speaks  For  Itself- On  a  Buncombe  County,  North  Carolina,  Highway 


SOITUKKX  (iooi)  UoADS 


JainiMi-x'.   1917 


apiiDiit  ;i  cDiiimitti'i'  to  invt'stiK'ite  iiii'tliiids  of  tinaiifing 
i-oarls.  ht'iietits  tlci-ived  frmii  r  )ails.  and  the  (|UPstion 
oi'  taxiiifi'  abuttino;  ])i-nporty  a  cci'tain  pr  ipi)rtion<d  part 
1)1'  tho  i-ost  of  liuilding-  the  roads.  The  roiinnittei'  is  to 
coi-respond  with  the  various  liiglnvay  (h'pai'tineiits.  ob- 
tainiiig'  information  ahnig  these  lines  as  to  what  is  being- 
prai'lii-ed  in  the  different  states,  and  from  these  reports 
and  its  own  investigation,  it  will  re])oi-t  at  the  next 
meeting-  of  the  assoeiation  what  it  consich'i's  is  the  best 
thing-  to  do  along  tiiese  lines. 

Bridge  Patents  and  Recent  Decisions. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  sub.iects  discussed  dur- 
ing tlie  meeting  of  the  assoeiati  )n  was  l)ridge  patents 
and  recent  decisions,  by  Honorable  Henry  E.  Sampson. 
Department  of  Justice  of  Iowa  and  General  Counsel 
for  the  State  Highway  Department  of  Iowa.  ^Ian.\ 
state  hig-hwa.\"  departments  have  experienced  eonsid- 
cralde  inconvenience  in  regai-d  to  certain  patents  that 
liave  been  awartled  in  connection  witii  bridge  designs, 
which  are  kn  )wn  as  the  Lutrin  and  Tlirasher  patents, 
relating  to  concrete  construction.  Some  of  the  claims 
that  it  was  considered  ought  not  to  lie  patented  were: 

Straight  wing  wall  below  the  roadway  level. 

Curved  wing  below  roadway  level. 

Apron   pro.iecting  downward  into  bed  of  stream. 

The  horizontal  pro.iection  depressed  below  pavement. 

S]ianilrel  or  girder  cantilevered  on  abutment. 

In  regard  t"  re-;di,gnment  of  coiling  forms. 

^Fr.  Sampson  stated  that  lie  believed  Iowa  and  all 
the  other  states  were  willing  t  >  pay  royalties  for  pat- 


Howard's  Creek  Bridge  on  Stantonsburg  Road 
Wayne  County,   N.  C. 

ents  tliat  were  .justified,  but  for  claims  such  as  enum- 
erated above,  he  believed  that  not  only  the  Iowa  State 
Highway  Depai-tment  but  all  state  highway  <lepart- 
ments  wci-e  in  accord  thai  such  claims  were  not  pat- 
entable. In  many  instances  where  these  have  been 
taken  up  to  the  courts  by  state  higlnva.v  tlepartnients. 
Ilic  dcpartnuMit  has  been  sustained. 

After  .Air.  Sampson's  paper  had  been  iliseussed  and 
many  questions  had  been  asked  and  answered,  the 
following  resolution  was  passed  unanimonsl\-  by  the 
assoeiati  )n  : 

Whereas,  there  are  various  complaints  of  unfair  pr;ic- 
tice  on  the  part  of  representatives  of  certain  interests 
holding  alle.ged  jiatents  on  devices  and  processes  en- 
tering into  road  and  bridge  eonstructioii.  and 


Whereas,  this  matter  is  of  such  great  importance  to 
the  tax-pa.\-ing-  [lulilic  throughout  the  various  common- 
wealths of  the  United  States  that  this  association  feels 
I'alletl  upon  to  take  cognizance  of  these  practices,  to  the 
end  that  the  public  may  be  protected  from  these  evils 
now  existing,  therefore  be  it 

Ixesolved.  that  this  associati(jn  firthwith  bring  this 
matter  to  the  attention  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commis- 
sion of  the  Cnited  States  and  respectfully  retpiest  said 
ciiiiimission  to  institute  an  investigation  of  any  and  all 
acts  against   such  restraint  of  trade,  and. 

lie  it  further  resolved,  that  the  secretary  of  this  as- 
sociation promptly  forward  to  the  said  comnussion  and 
to  the  director  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
I'ublic  Roads  at  Washington.  D.  C.  a  copy  of  these 
resolutions. 

Resolved,  that  the  president  of  this  association  be 
directed  to  appoint  a  committee  :)f  not  less  than  five 
members,  to  be  increased  at  the  will  of  the  president, 
and  that  such  connuittee  gather  available  evidence  of 
such  unfair  practices  and  promptly  place  the  same  be- 
fore the  Federal  Trade  Commission,  and  aid  such  com- 
mission in  e\-ery  wa.x"  possible  in  sucli  inx'estigation. 

Highway  and  Rail-way  Intersections. 

This  sub.iect  was  discussed  by  A.  l\.  Hirst.  State  High- 
way Engineer  of  Wisconsin.  He  \)  linted  out  that  rail- 
wa.vs  were,  as  a  rule,  very  favorable  to  the  elimination 
of  grade  crossings  but  that  the  (piestion  of  their  elimi- 
nation depended  largely  on  the  character  of  the  coun- 
try which  the  highway  and  railway  traverse.  He  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  advent  of  the  automo- 
bile had  greatl.v  increased  the  danger  at  grade  cross- 
ings. In  connection  with  this  sub.iect.  a  railway  signal 
was  displayed  by  the  A.  6.  A.  Railway  Light  and  Sig- 
nal Company,  of  Elizabeth,  X.  J. 

The  committee  on  Tests  and  Investigations,  in  mak- 
in,u-  its  report,  stated  that  the  vast  amount  of  funds 
that  are  now  being  and  will  be  expended  in  road  con- 
structi  in  and  maintenance,  call  for  the  most  careful 
cniisideration  of  all  materials  and  methods  emplo.ved 
in  the  development  of  our  highway  systems,  and  that 
the  committee  should  consider  as  one  of  its  duties  the 
corrtdation  and  dissemination  of  the  results  of  vari  ins 
scientific  investigations  that  are  being  conducted  b.\- 
the  different  state  higlnva.v  depai'tments.  enu-incering 
iiistitutions.    and    private   laboi'atories. 

This  c(iiiiinillcc  is  dixidcd  into  live  groups,  as  fol- 
lows : 

1.      Sclci-tiiin   and   care  of  samples  for  testing. 

■_',      In vestigati  in   of  chemical    materials. 

'■'t.      Investigation   of  non-bituminous  road   matci'ials. 

4.      Investigation    of    bittuninous    roail    materials. 

.").     Committee  on  traffic  census  and  traffic  ett'ects. 

The  committee  recommended  the  following: 

1.  That  insofar  as  adopted  tlie  standai-d  methods 
if  tests  of  the  American  Society  for  testing  materials 
be  employed,  and  that  in  compiling  sjiecifications  ref- 
erence be  made  to  lh(>  date  of  adoption  of  such  stand- 
ard. 

-.  T'iiat  whenever  possible  and  practic:il  institu- 
tions and  labiiratories  doing  individual  or  particulai- 
research  woi'k  loublish  the  results  of  their  findings  so 
as  to  render  such  inf  irmation  available  to  all  interested 
parties. 

:i.  That  as  soon  as  possible  results  of  |iresent  inves- 
tigations by  the  different  dejiartments  be  ascertaii.ed 
so  as  to  avoid  duplication  and  enable  concentration  in 
l'\itui-e  eff'orts. 

4.     That  the  I'l'pi'csentatives  of  the  various  highway 


:iiiu;ir\ , 


11)17 


Sor'l'lil'lK'N   (;()(l|)    l.'OADS 


ilrpMi-tiiicnls  iiiiikc  kiKiWM  their  desires  aiiil  reqiiire- 
iiieiits   I'm-  s]iei-iiie   in vestigatiuji. 

.").  'Ph;\t  this  iissoeiatioii  consider  the  detcrniiiiatioii 
of  the  inaxiinuiii  and  niininuini  effieicney  requifenients 
of  various  materials  for  different  classes  of  construc- 
tion and  that  insofai'  as  possihle  and  as  fast  as  practical 
the  coiiiniittee  on  standards  ado])!  and  disseminate  stich 
inf'ormati  )n. 

(I,  That  the  various  stall's  provide  ade.piri''  I'aiili- 
ties  and  suiipiu't  for  conduct  iny  investi.i;al  ions  of  the 
local  iiuiterials  in  the  I'espective  states  and  that  a  I'upy 
of  this  report  be  fnrnislietl  the  >;()Vei'uor  and  li'nisla- 
tnre  of  the  several  states. 

The  eonunittee  on  I'csolntiius  made  the  following- 
report,  which  was  unanimously  adopted  liy  the  asso- 
ciation : 

Committee  on  Resolutions. 

We.  your  committee  on  resolutions,  lie;^'  leave  to  sub- 
mit the  following-  reiwi't : 

First-— P.e  it  Resolved,  that  we  hail  with  pleasure  the 
sul)stantial  devel  tpment  in  public  sentiment  for  better 
hig'h-way  conditions  throughout  the  eidire  country. 
The  year  1!)16  has  witnessed  a  i)assage  of  the  Federal 
Aid  Road  Road  Law  appropriating  $75.()()0,U()(l.()()  fed- 
eral assistance  to  be  ajtplied  within  the  next  five  years 
in  conjunction  with  an  eipial  aincnuit  from  states  and 
eouuties.  The  many  benefits  that  -will  be  derived  from 
this  movement  cannot  be  enumerated  or  recited  at  the 
present  time.  It  has  laid  the  fovmdation  for  uniform- 
it.v  and  concentration  of  the  movement  for  better  high- 
ways. The  passage  of  this  act  was  due  to  the  concen- 
trated efforts  of  this  and  many  other  associations  in- 
terested in  highway  improvement,  but  due  credit  should 
be  given  to  every  member  of  congress  who  contributed 
b.v  his  vote  and  intluenee  towards  establishing  this  co- 
operative movement  between  the  nation,  states,  and 
counties.  Likewise  we  desire  t  >  thank  the  Secretary 
of  Agri<'nlture,  the  Otiiice  of  I'uldic  Roads,  and  the  re- 
tiring officials  of  this  association  for  the  efforts  antl  en- 
ergy exerted  to  secure  the  passage  of  said  act. 

We  further  endorse  the  spirit  of  cooperation  pro- 
j)  )sed  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  in  his  address 
to  this  association  at  the  special  meeting  held  in  Wash- 
ington. August  l!)l(i.  and  pledge  to  him  the  cooperation 
of  the  departments  and  officials  composing  this  associ- 
ation in  carrying  into  effect  the  act  according  to  its 
true  hitent  and  meaning,  so  as  ta  secure  the  best  obtain- 
able results  and  to  preserve  and  perpetuate  the  spirit 
of  harmony. 

Second — We  deplore  the  changing  of  local  and  .state 
highway  officials  for  political  reasons  and  suggest  that 
the  energies  and  efforts  of  this  association  be  exerted 
to  establish  in  the  public  mind  and  conscience  a  recog- 
nition and  appreciation  of  experienced  and  faithful  of- 
ficials. The  public  nuist  pay  the  expense  of  training 
every  person  engaged  in  administrative  and  scientific 
{)ursnits  that  aft'eet  the  public  interest,  and  officials 
who  have  been  trained  or  who  have  acquired  exper- 
ience should  be  retained  in  office  so  long  as  they  rend- 
er service  with  a  loyalty  of  purpose.  The  watchward 
that  should  govern  the  selection  of  highway  engineers 
should  be  efficiency.  For  this  reason  we  would  urge 
upon  the  legislatures  and  governors  of  every  state  to 
secure  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  place  the  office 
of  highway  engineers  free  from  political  emiiarrass- 
ment  and  secure  to  the  people  the  benefit  of  experience 
for  which  they  have  paid.  ITntil  tliis  method  is  estab- 
lished and  the  public  realizes  the  importance  of  such  a 


moN'c.  the  tax  pa.Ncrs  ol'  the  country  cannot  hopi>  to  re- 
ceive   the    best    results    I'l-oni    their    money. 

Third — The  binlding  of  jueii  and  charactei-  is  u<'ces- 
sary  for  the  preservation  of  government  and  in  sup- 
jjort  of  this  thought  we  endorse  the  use  of  prison  laboi- 
upon  the  public  road,  believing  that  it  is  an  economical 
benefit  to  the  comnuuiifies  and  the  social  duty  to  the 
prisoner.  Thei'e  is  n  >w  pending  before  Congress  a 
bill  providing  for  the  wm-k  of  I'l'dei-al  misdemeanor 
prisoners  upon  the  public  roads  under  the  laws  of  the 
various  states  in   which    they  ai-e   I'lmfined. 

Be  it  Therefore,  Resolved,  that  we  endorse  the  pas- 
sage of  such  an  act  and  request  the  members  of  this 
association  to  communicate  with  their  representatives 
in  Congress  and  Senate  of  the  LTuited  States  asking 
their  cooperation   of  the  passage   of  such   act. 

Fourth — We  recognize  the  need  of  a  closer  coopera- 
tion between  the  testing  departments  of  the  Feder;i. 
(roverinnent  and  various  states.  Therefore,  we  en- 
dorse a  conference  of  repi'esentatives  from  the  various 
laboratories  of  the  dift'erent  deiiartments  to  be  called 
at  some  convenient  point,  but  we  deem  it  inadvisable 
to  organize  anv  other  associati  in.       We     reeonnneiid 


New  Surfaced  Portion  of  Statesburg,  Ky.,  Higfiway 

that  the  various  road  organizations  now  in  existence 
endeavor  to  consolidate  or  to  at  least  arrange  for  a 
single  national  ))ieeting.  so  as  t  >  save  time  and  expense 
to  all  citizens  and  officials. 

Fifth—That  we  thank  the  Hotel  Jefferson,  the  St. 
Louis  Conunercial  Club,  the  ma.vor  of  St.  Louis  and  the 
lepresentatives  of  manufacturers  for  their  hospitality 
ind  courtesies  and  the  press  of  St.  Louis  for  the  space 
and  time  devoted  to  disseminating  the  information 
gathered  fi-om  the  discussions  in  the  meetings  of  this 
association. 

Topographic  Map  of  the  United  States. 

In  discussing  the  value  of  topograi)liic  majis  to  the 
work  of  highway  engineers,  it  was  brought  out  by  ^Mr. 
Hotchkiss,  of  the  State  High-way  Commission  of  Wis- 
consin, that  there  was  a  special  committee  at  work  try- 
ing to  expedite  the  completion  of  the  topographic  map 
of  the  United  States;  and  as  the  members  of  this  as- 
sociation are  very  much  interested  in  the  completion 
of  this  map.  on  account  of  its  value  in  locating  roads 
through(nit  our  several  states,  the  f  )llowing  resolution 
was  unanimously  passed : 

Whereas,  the  members  of  the  American  Association  of 
State  Highway  Officials  have  in  their  charge  the  duty 
each  year  of  expending  wisely  about  two  hundred  and 


8 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


January.  1917 


fifty  nii]lii)ii  dolhu's  (if  pulilii-  fiiiKls  fur  I'oad  improve- 
meut;    and 

Whereas.  We  realize  keenly  the  great  assistance  to 
us,  in  our  etiforts  to  get  maximum  effieienc.v  in  expend- 
ing the  vast  sums  in  our  charge,  of  the  topographic 
maps  jji'epared  l).v  the  I'.  S.  Geological  Survey:  and 

WiicrcMs.  Tile  Congress  has  decided  that  1hc  Fi-ilci';d 
Governnicnt,  is  also  to  take  a  great  part  in  the  work  of 
liiiilding  tlie  highways  of  the  nalioii;  an<l 

Whereas.  We  liclicve  that  Congi-css  heretofore  has 
not  heen  sufficieiitly  impi-csscd  with  the  great  import- 
anre  of  completing  tlie  topographic  map  of  the  United 
States,  or  it  -wiiuld  long  ago  have  provided  funds  for 
a  much  mure  i-apid  comjiletion  of  this  wurk  instead  of 
attacking  it  at  a  rate  thai  will  take  a  fiMitni-y  for  i-mn- 
pletion. 

Be  it  Resolved.  I>y  the  American  Association  of  State 
Iliglnvay  OfBcials  tliat  \vc  urge  upon  Congress  that  im- 
mediate steps  l)e  taken  to  hasten  the  completion  of  th3 
topographje  map  of  the  United  States  as  rapidl.v  as 
consistent    with    eflieieiit    woi'k. 

J^e  it  h'ui'lher  li'esnhcd.  That  the  Secri'lary  he  ;  i- 
strueted  to  present  copies  of  this  resolution  to  all  th(' 
members  of  Congress,  to  the  appropriate  Comnnttee  ot 
Congress,  to  the  Dii'eet  <v  of  the  United  States  Geoloi;-- 
ieal  Survey  and  lo  Profcssin-  W.  .M.  Davis,  the  chai)-- 
man  of  the  voluntai-y  "Coinmittee  to  Expedite  th  ■ 
Completion  of  the  To]iograpliic  ^Faj)  of  tlie  Ignited 
States;"  and  that  the  Kxecuti\'c  Committi>e  of  tliis  as- 
soeiati  111  he  instnirted  to  act  with  the  above  Commit- 
tee to  bring  this  matter  befoi'c  Congress. 

During  the  sessions  of  the  convention  a  letter  was 
read  which  told  of  the  serious  illness  of  Honorable 
Jesse  Taylor,  of  Ohio,  wh  i  was  one  dl'  the  most  ardent 
and  entlmsiaslic  worl<i'rs  foi'  good  I'nads  in  this  country. 
.AFr.  T'a.N'lor  was  well  known  by  the  members  of  'Ic 
American  Assoidation  oi'  Stale  Highway-  •  Md-M.-'s.  :ind 
when  the  letter  was  read,  the  foil  nviiig  resolution  -ivas 
unanimously  jiassed  : 

Resolved:  That  the  Anieriran  Assoeiation  having 
learned  of  the  serious  illness  of  Honorable  Jesse  Taylor, 
of  Ohio,  who  for  many  years  past  has  labored  so  effi- 
eienll\'  and  effectively  to  arouse  piihlii-  intei'cst  in.  ;ind 
the  realization  of  the  great  impoi-taiice,  by  the  ini- 
jirovemeiit  of  our  highways,  to  both  the  social  and  ma- 
terial  welfare  of  the  entire  country. 

We  hereby  enter  of  record  this  cxjiression  of  deep- 
est sympathy  fir  him.  his  family,  and  greatly  deplore 
his  serious  illness  and  express  the  hope  that  his  In^allh 
may  yet  hi'  reslm'ed.  and  his  great  scrx'iee  to  the  eiinn- 
Iry   be   continued   for  many   years  to  i;oiiie. 

The  next  day  a  telegram  was  received  b.\'  the  Sce- 
retar.v.  announcing  the  death  of  Mr.  Ta\'hii'.  and  by 
rising  vote  the  Association  insti'uctcd  the  Si'cretary  to 
send  ,-i  lelegl'ain  of  syiiip:ifhy  ,-iiid  respect  t  i  Mrs.  Tay- 
lor.    The  telegram  sent   was  as  follows: 

The  .\inericau  Association  (if  State  Highway  Officials 
extends  to  you  the  deepest  sympathy  of  its  members 
in  your  sad  affliction.  We  feel  tliat  the  cause  of  good 
roads  in  huth  the  state  .■iiid  the  cMintr.\-  h.is  sustained 
an  irreparalile  loss. 

A    great    many    invilalions   weri'    received    by    the   as- 

soci.-itioh   fur  the  1III7  II ting,  hiil   the  actual  selection 

of  the  pl,-iee  was  lel't  lo  the  ["Ixecnlice  Committee.  The 
cities  extending  invilations  to  the  association  were  as 
follows : 

i^uffal  1.  N.  v..  thriiiigh  its  mayor.  Honorable  U.  P. 
l^'nlirmanii.  and  the  president  of  the  Buft'alo  Chamber 
of  Commerce.    Fi'aiik    P.    li.'iird:    Chicago,  through    the 


Chicago  Association  of  Commerce,  by  George  ]M.  Spaug- 
ler,  Jr.,  Manager;  Asbury  Park,  N.  J.,  through  Honor- 
York,  by  E.  P.  V.  Ritter.  president,  and  through  the 
^lerehants'  and  ^Manufacturers'  Exchange  of  New 
York,  b.y  E.  P.  V|  Ritter,  president,  and  through  the 
Hotel  ]\Iartini(jue,  by  Walter  Chandler.  Jr..  Manager; 
Toledo.  Ohio,  through  the  Toledo  Convention  and  Tour- 
ist Bureau,  by  John  A.  O'Dwyer,  Secretary;  Richmond, 
^^■l..  thrnugh  the  State  Highway  Department;  Norfolk, 
\'a..  through  the  State  Highway  Department;  Jackson- 
\ille.  Ula.,  through  the  Jacksonville  t'liamber  of  (lom- 
meree.  by  George  Leonard.  Secretary;  Pinehurst,  N.  C.. 
through  Leonard  Tufts  and  the  Sand  Hill  Board  of 
Trade ;  Raleigh,  N.  C,  through  its  Mayor.  Honorable 
James  I.  Johnson,  the  Chamlier  of  Commerce,  by  Alan 
T.  Bowler.  General  Secretary,  and  the  Rotary  Club  of 
l\aleigli.  by  R.  S.  Busbee.  President.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion but  that,  if  this  association  could  be  induced  to 
hold  its  1017  meeting  in  some  one  of  the  southern  states, 
it  would  lie  a  great  stimulus  to  the  rjad  building  of 
the  Soutli ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee will  consider  favorably  some  one  of  the  southern 
states. 

The  following  were  elected  as  officers  for  the  ensu- 
ing year:  President.  George  P.  Cileman.  N'irginia  : 
Vice-President.  A.  B.  Fletcher,  California;  Secretar.w 
Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  Chapel  Hill.  North  t'arolina;  Treas- 
urer. F.  F.  Rogers,  Michigan ;  Executive  Committee. 
W.  D.  Uhler.  Harrisburg.  Pennsylvania;  Lamar  Cobb. 
Arizona;  T.  11.  ^lacDonald.  Iowa;  E.  A.  Stevens,  New 
Jersey;  Henry  G.  Shirley,  Maryland. 


An  Iowa  Argument  for  Road  Maintenance. 

It  is  the  people  of  today  who  are  paying  for  all 
maintenance  and  new  construction,  and  the  people  who 
pay  the  bills  today  are  entitled  to  have  roads  in  good 
ciinditi  in  for  their  own  use  now.  The  man  who  is  foot- 
ing the  bills  today  hopes,  of  course,  that  future  gener- 
ations, especially  his  own  children,  may  have  better 
roads  than  he  has.  He  is  willing  to  have  .just  as  much 
of  the  taxes  he  jia.vs  go  into  good  permanent  grading 
and  bridge  building  as  possible,  but  he  does  want 
I'liough  of  the  iirine.v  he  provides  spent  on  maintaining 
the  roads  he  has  to  use  (>verv  day  to  keep  them  in  rea- 
sonable condition  for  his  own  use  now.  Sniie  of  the 
best  county  engineers  and  boards  of  supervisors  in 
Iowa  are  great  rin  permanent  construction  win'k  Init 
woefully  weak  on  maintenance  features.  They  are 
making  great  progress  in  permanent  grading  and 
bridging.  Iiut  there  is  constant  .iustified. complaint  about 
the  condition  of  their  roads  from  lack  of  dragging,  neg- 
lect of  bad  mud-holes,  rough  tills  ovei'  bridge  approach- 
es and  culverts.  r;iad  grades  built  to  a  peak  in  the  cen- 
ter, and  all  the  other  ills  to  which  roads  are  suli.ject 
when  persistently  neglected.  Absolutely  the  first  diit.\' 
of  both  engineer  and  board  is  to  keep  the  mads  in  rea- 
sonably good  condition  for  the  people  who  p:iy  the  tax- 
es and  Avho  want  to  use  them  today.  T'he  second  (lut.\- 
is  to  make  all  possible  progress  with  pei'manent  con- 
struction work.  There  is  no  .iustification  for  neglect- 
ing the  maintenance  of  the  roads  today  in  oi'der  that  the 
extra  money  saved  may  go  into  more  permanent  e  m- 
stiMiclion  for  better  roads  tomorrow. — Iowa  Highway 
( 'ommission. 


McGeliee.  OUla..  puts  itself  right  squarely  on  the 
I'oad  map  by  preparing  to  build  five  new  roads  leading 
from  that  city.  The  surveys  were  made  by  C.  C.  Burk- 
ett.  engineer  of  the  State  Highwax-  Commission. 


Jaiuiai'v,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  KOADS 


My  Interest  in  Good  Roads 

By  PRESIDENT  WOODROW  WILSON 


'I'lic  (|Ucs1i(in  of  lii<;liways  is  a  question  which  lias  in- 
terested my  thonyhts,  particularly  in  reeent  yeai's  be- 
cause it  is  one  of  the  few  great  instrumentalities  of  our 
[iiililic  life  and  of  our  eomniunal  life  with  which  the 
yoveriimeut  is  of  necessity  connected.  The  goveruuient 
is  not.  ill  the  United  States,  expected  to  build  railroads. 
Railroads  differ  from  other  highways,  though  we  of- 
ten speak  of  them  as  the  highways  of  our  commerce, 
in  this  important  ]iarticular,  that  only  those  who  own 
them  can  use  them,  in  the  matter  of  putting  vehicles 
upon  them — that  a  jiarticular  set  of  individuals,  by  rea- 
son of  their  control  of  the  road  .have  the  exclusive 
right-of-way  over  it. 

AVe  have  never  doubted  that  the  government  had 
the  right  to  maintain  highways.  We  have  never  doubt- 
ed that  the  government  liad  the  right  to  suppl.y  these 
facilities  which  priv;ite  endeavor  has  never  been  exi)ec- 
ted  to  su])i)ly.  Therefore  we  are  not  up  in  a  new  ground 
of  theor>' ;  we  are  merely  upon  a  new  ground  of  prac- 
tice, and  when  I  think  of  what  the  highways  mean,  I 
feel  to  be  thinking  of  the  wliole  history  of  the  human 
race.  Whenever  I  used  to  read  stories  I  remember  my 
imaginati  in  was  most  fascinated  when  the  characters 
went  on  a  journey  and  met  the  rest  of  the  world.  On 
the  old  highways,  particularly  the  old  English  high- 
ways, you  met  everybody,  from  the  king  to  the  lieg- 
gar,  from  the  king  to  the  highwayman.  You  were  there 
in  a  way  to  have  the  adventure,  the  whole  experience 
and  adventure  of  English  life,  because  it  was  there  that 
English  life  interlaced  and  crossed  and  was  fluid,  flow- 
ing from  one  region  to  another,  and  by  the  same  token, 
ii  is  ui)on  the  highways  that  men  get  to  contacts  which 
result  in  the  building  up  of  public  opinion. 

\>)\\  know  how  that  the  Roman  Kmpire  used  to  throw 
its  great  highways  out  from  Rome  until  they  touched 
the  limits  of  the  Empire — until  they  threaded  even  the 
disttuit  island  of  Britain;  and  it  Avas  like  throwing 
thongs  out  to  bind  all  the  Empire  together.  Now  the 
initial  purpose  of  those  highways  was  to  afford  an 
open  road  for  the  armies  of  Rome,  so  that  she  could 
throw  her  power  rapidly  in  any  direction.  But  Rome 
also,  in  my  imagination  at  any  rate,  prepared  her  own 
destruction  by  those  highways,  because  she  could  not 
open  them  to  her  own  armies  without  opening  them  al- 
so to  the  people  that  lived  upon  their  edges,  and  they 
could  not  touch  one  another  without  forming  an  opin- 
ion about  the  Roman  power,  without  intermingling  the 
influences  of  different  nations,  for  these  roads  did  not 
stop  at  national  confines,  and  the  Roman  roads  thread- 
ed the  opinion  of  the  world  together  into  a  nexus  and 
pattern. 

We  Should  Think  in  Big-  Pieces. 

My  interest  in  good  roads  is  not  merely  an  interest  in 
the  pleasure  of  riding  in  automobiles,  it  is  not  merely 
an  interest  in  the  very  much  more  important  matter  of 
affording  the  farmers  of  this  country  and  the  residents 
in  villages  the  means  of  ready  access  to  such  neighbor- 
ing markets  as  they  need  for  the  economic  benefit,  but 
it  is  also  the  interest  in  w^eaving  as  complicated  and 
elaborate  a  net  of  neighborhood  and  State  and  nation- 
al opinions  together  as  it  is  possiljle  to  weave.  It  is  of 
the  most  fundamental  importance  that  the  United 
States  should  think  in  liig  pieces,  should  think  togeth- 
er, should  think  ultimately  as  a  whole;  and  I  feel,  in 
my  enthusiasm  for  good  roads,  something  of  the  nld  op- 


position that  there  always  has  been  in  me  to  any  kind 
of  sectional  feeling,  to  any  kind  of  class  feeling.  The 
reason  that  city  men  are  not  nmre  catholic  in  their 
ideas  is  that  they  do  not  share  the  opinions  of  the 
country  and  the  reason  that  some  countrymen  are  rus- 
tic is  that  they  do  n  it  l<no\v  the  opinions  of  the  city 
and  they  are  both  hampered  by  their  limitations.  I  Iie- 
lieve  that  the  deevlopment  if  great  systems  of  mads 
is.  psychologically  speaking  as  well  as  physically  speak- 
ing, a  task  of  statesmanship,  [  lielieve  that  it  is  the 
proper  study  of  the  statesman  to  bind  communities 
together  and  open  their  intercourse  so  that  it  will  flow 
with   absolute   freedom   and   facility. 

No  one  argument  ought  to  be  omitted;  every  class 
has  its  argument  for  good  roads  and  putting  them  all 
tiigetlier  they  form  an  irresistible  mass  if  arguments, 
but  the  result  of  the  whole  reasoning  to  my  mind  is 
simply  this;  the  United  States  has  up  tn  this  time,  sim- 
ply let  the  energies  of  its  people  drift.  It  has  Ihi'own 
the  reins  on  our  necks  and  said:  "Xow  here  is  a  con- 
tinent of  unexampled  richness;  do  what  you  pleasi; 
with  it.  we  will  try  t )  see  that  you  are  I'cstrained  un- 
til you  get  so  powerful  tliat  we  cannot  restrain  yon. 
We  will  try  to  see  that  \'ou  do  justice  until  you  so  com- 
bine with  one  another  that  justice  is  impossible.  Imt 
we  are  not  going  to  lend  the  aid  of  the  government  to 
the  actual  task  of   development." 

That  has  been  the  general  attitude  of  our  govern- 
ment up  to  this  time.  It  cannot  be  that  attitude  any 
longer.  I  remember  having  a  very  interesting  and. 
for  me.  enlightening  conversation  with  a  niountaiueer 
once  in  North  Carolina.  lie  was  very  hot  against  the 
excise  taxes,  which  made  it  practicall.y  impossible  for 
him.  without  becoming  a  criminal,  to  make  whiskey  out 
of  his  corn,  and  I  discussed  it  somewhat  minutely  with 
him  in  order  to  get  his  point  of  view.  His  point  of 
view  was  simply  this:  lie  had  a  little  farm  that  w'as 
a  fertile  pocket  in  a  remote  part  of  the  mountains.  It 
did  not  pay  him  to  take  his  corn  to  the  market  as  corn, 
because  by  the  time  he  got  to  the  market,  the  very 
horses  that  were  hauling  it  would  have  eaten  it  up, 
but  he  could  profitalily  get  it  to  the  market  as  whis- 
key, and  his  point  was  simply  this,  that  it  was  unrea- 
sonable for  the  government  to  forlud  his  getting  a  mar- 
ket for  his  corn  in  the  onl.y  way  in  which  it  was  possi- 
ble f(n-  him  to  get  a  market.  Now.  while  we  might  say 
that  it  W'as  not  desiraiile  that  there  should  be  any  mar- 
ket at  all  for  the  jirodnct  that  he  wished  to  sell,  never- 
theless the  illustration  will  point  my  moral,  namely, 
that  it  is  not  worth  while  producing  luitil  you  can  re- 
lease what  you  produce,  and  that  the  only  way  of  re- 
leasing it  is  by  the  most  facile  means  of  inter-iMimmun- 
ication  and  transportation. 


West  Virginia  Good  Roads  School. 

The  fourth  annual  sehoul  of  (io  id  Roads  held  under 
the  auspices  of  West  Virginia  University  Avill  be  held 
in  Jlechanical  Hall.  ATorgantown.  W.  Va.,  Feb.  Titli  to 
ITtii  inclusive. 

Exhibits  will  lie  shown  in  the  basement  of  ,Mechaiii- 
eal  Hall. 


Indiana  is  another  state  that  is  making  a  move  upon 
the  legislature  to  secure  favorable  action  for  the  cre- 
ation of  a  pr  iper  highway  commission. 


10 


S()1'T1IKKX   (iooi)   l.'dADS 


III  ( 


Economic  Phases  of  State  Higliway 

Legislation 

Delivered  Before  Annual  Meeting  of  tlie  Pouglikeepsie  Automobile  Club 

on  December  4,  1916 

By  ARTHUR  H.  BLANCHARD 

Consulting  Engineer  of  New  York  City 


HLGHWAY  appropriations  are  antliorized  by  the 
people  of  a  state  for  the  eonstruetioii  of  highways 
which  will  be  of  value  to  the  state  as  a  whole  in  ;li'' 
development  of  travel  and  its  natural  resources,  indus- 
tries, agricultural  interests,  and  civilization. 

Geuci'ally  sp(»aking  pidjlic  highways  are  not  built  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all  of  the  citizens  whose  taxes  are 
ix'ing  used  for  construction  and  maintenance.  Usually 
the  iidministration  and  engineei'ing  organization  having 
conti-ol  ol'  this  work  are  alone  held  responsible.  ! ;' 
]io\ve\-ei-.  the  conditions  in  any  state,  county,  m-  nii'.n- 
icipality  are  tlioroughly  investigated,  il  will  be  Found, 
in  many  cases,  that  others  outside  of  highway  officials 
and  the  engineering  (n-ganization  should  bear  some  of 
the  respansil>ility  wln-n  the  eonsti'uetion  and  mainte- 
nance of  th(»  jiulilic  highways  are  not  carried  ont  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  principles  of  efficiem-y  and  econoniw 

It  is  well  known  that  the  construct  i)n  of  a  great 
mileage  of  highways  requires  a  lai-gc  organization  of 
thoroughly  educated  and  ex|)erienced  highway  engi- 
neers, and  that  such  an  organization  cannot  lie  ilevel- 
oped   ovei'  night. 

.\s  in  the  case  of  nuiny  public  jictivities.  it  is  pi'acti- 
cable  in  connection  with  this  |)robleni  t)  dei'ive  valua- 
ble suggestions  from  practice  in  fiu'eign  coinitries.  In 
France  many  years  ago  the  people  and  the  servants  of 
the  ])eople  realized  the  advantages  accruing  from  the 
establishment  of  a  permanent  organization  efficient. 
well-trained  highway  engineers,  and  hence  there  was 
ci-eated  the  renowned  Department  >f  Roads  and  Bridges 
of  France.  In  order  to  secure  a  dollar's  worth  for  e\'- 
ery  dollar  expended,  the  British  public  realized  that  it 
was  necessary  to  have  in  control  of  theii'  public  works 
men  trained  in  a  profession  directly  dealing  with  every 
econ(nuic  and  engineering  phase  if  public  impi'ovi'- 
ments.  It  has  therefore  inaugurated  the  pi-aciii'c  nf  rc- 
(piiring  that  applicants  for  a  given  nuniicipal  or  coun- 
ty i)osition  shall  have  attained  the  grade  of  nunuber- 
ship  in  tlu'  institutiini  of  civil  engineers  of  Great  Bi'it- 
ain  connnensurate  with  the  res]ionsiliility  of  the  work 
if  the  particular  oflicc  ^Maiiy  leading  municipal  and 
county  positions  require  tluit  the  applicant  shall,  tii'st 
of  all,  hold  the  highest  grade  of  membership  in  the  in- 
stitution, while  positions  in  snuill  counties,  towns,  and 
districts  i'e(|uii'e  in  many  cases  associate  menibershi|). 
It  would  seem  desirable  in  this  country  that  a  stc]) 
along  the  liiH'  of  Fnglish  |)racticc  might  be  taken  and 
in  the  ease  of  positions  of  highway  officials,  that  1hi'i  ■ 
lie  incoriiorated  in  the  constitution  of  a  state  or  the 
ordiiuinccs  of  a  city  tlu'  stipulation  that  tlic  ajiplicant 
shall  hold  a  certain  grad<'  of  nunnbei'ship  in  the  Ann'ri- 
can  SoiMcly  (if  Civil  FiUgincers  and  have  had  a  certain 
number  of  yeai's  of  experience  in  highway  woi'k.  This 
reconnnendati  m  has  been  eiuUirsed  by  a  leading  tech- 
nical jiapei',  the  Engineering  Record. 

That    a    llighwav    Kngineer   encounters    many    obsta- 
cles in  the  development  of  an  efficient  cngineci-ing  or- 


ganization is  known  to  all  who  have  given  the  subject 
consideration.  The  people  and  the  servants  of  the  peo- 
ple are  continually  interfering  in  the  legitimate  work 
of  the  development  of  the  highway  department.  As  an 
illustration  may  be  cited  an  unfortuiuite  application  of 
the  woi-n-out  residence  qualification,  as  contained  in  a 
provision  of  the  New  York  Highway  law  now  in  force, 
which  requii'es  that  inspectors  of  construction  shall  be 
i-esidents  :)f  the  county  within  which  the  highway  to  be 
consti'uclcd  is  located.  It  is  evident  that  it  is  inipossi- 
hle  uinlei'  this  regulation  to  secure  the  most  capable 
man  from  ci\il  service  lists. 

^lauy  are  familiar  with  the  demands  of  the  i)ublie 
and  lay  bodies  that  highways  shall  be  constructed  with- 
out allowing  the  engineering  organization  sufficient 
tinu'  to  carry  on  the  investigations  of  local  conditions 
which  are  absolutely  necessai'y  in  practically  every 
case,  if  economical  and  suitable  ty])es  of  construction 
are  to  be  built  and  the  proper  location,  grading,  and 
di'ainage  [u-ovided.  In  few  instances  is  a  fifth  of  the 
tinn'  gi-anted  whicli  is  recpiired  for  this  most  impirtant 
step  preliminary  to  the  construction  of  a  highway. 

The  demand  for  inile;ige  results  in  ]iressure  being 
brought  to  construct  cheap  roads.  In  many  instances 
the  apiiropriations  for  given  routes  are  not  large 
e]uiugli  t  1  buihl  the  types  of  pavements  required  to  car- 
i-y  the  traffic  to  which  these  interstate  and  intrastate 
tnndv  highwaxs  will  in  a  few  years  be  subjected.  In 
this  connection  may  be  cited  the  recommemlation  of 
the  former  New  Yoi-k  State  Department  of  Efficiency 
and  Economy,  that  all  sections  of  highways  properly 
designated  as  state  and  county  highways  should  be 
built  upon  cement-concrete  fouiulations ;  and.  further- 
more, that  only  first-class  wearing  surfaces,  such  as 
cement-concrete,  bituminous  concretes,  and  brick  and 
stone  block,  should  be  used.  It  is  obvious  that  the  ac- 
ceptance of  this  recommendation  would  increase  the 
cost  of  const  I'ucti  111  per  mile,  but  it  is  likewise  obvious 
that  these  wise  reconuuendations  would  give  the  state, 
at  the  termination  of  the  life  of  the  bonds  inider  which 
the  liighways  are  constructed — in  this  case  fifty  years — 
an  asset  in  the  grading,  drainage,  and  pernuinenf  foun- 
dations, and  for  at  least  twenty-five  years  satisfact(H-y 
wearing  suT'faces.  if  proiierly  maintaiiwd. 

Demands  That  Hamper. 

Without  d  lubt  state  comnussions  h;i\'e  been  unduly 
inrim^nced  in  the  consideration  of  the  requisite  width 
of  improved  surface  of  many  trunk  highways  by  the 
demand  of  the  people  for  the  immediate  construction 
of  nuuiy  hundreds  of  miles  of  highways.  Here  again  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  the  former  State  Depai-tment 
if  Efficiency  and  Economy  presented  recommendations 
which  spell  ultimate  economy  for  the  state.  Its  recom- 
mendations were  to  the  effect  that  many  of  the  trunk 
highways  should  be  built  with  widths  of  improved  sur- 
face of  18  and  20  feet  rathei'  than  onlv  1(3  feet.    As  far 


January,  1017 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


11 


l)ack  as  1908  the  P'irst  International  Road  Congress, 
held  in  Paris,  adopted  this  resolution:  "There  should 
be  l)ut  one  roadway  for  every  luutl  of  vehicle,  propor- 
tioned to  the  intensity  of  the  traffic,  19  feet  8  inches 
(6  meters)  wide  at  least."  It  is,  of  course,  well  known 
that  the  main  county  highways  of  England  have  an  im- 
proved surface  of  20  feet,  and  that  the  main  trunk 
highways  of  Prance  are  practically  2-t  feet  in  width. 
When  the  rapid  development  of  touring  car  and  motor 
truck  traffic  and  the  development  of  motor-bus  routes 
are  given  consideration,  it  is  obvious  that  a  greater 
width  than  16  feet  of  surface  suitable  to  travel  upm  is 
absolutely  required.  Few  people  realize  the  traffic  to 
which  our  trunk  highways  will  soon  be  subjected.  As 
an  illustration  might  be  cited  information  furnished  by 
the  Public  Service  Commission  of  the  State  of  New- 
York  to  the  ett'ect  that  over  one  hundred  motor-bus 
mutes  are  today  in  operation  within  the  state.  In  some 
cases  tlie  motor-buses  cari-y  as  many  as  forty  passeng- 
ers, have  a  horse  power  rating  of  75,  weigh  loaded  as 
much  as  eight  tons,  and  have  an  overall  width  of  niue- 
tj-  inches.  It  is  well  known  to  the  traveling  public  that 
when  meeting  motor  trucks  and  motor-buses,  having 
widths  of  nearly  eight  feet,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to 
jivoid  a  collision  on  a  sixteen-foot  roadway,  to  turn  out 
on  soft  sh:)ulders.  Accidents  resulting  therefrom  are 
daily  occurrences. 

If  public  highways  are  to  be  economically  construct- 
ed and  efficiently  maintained,  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  adequate  legislation  should  be  passed  by  state  leg- 
islatures covering  the  utilization  of  highways  by  horse- 
drawn  vehicles,  touring  cars,  motor  trucks,  trailers, 
m :)tor-huses,  and  traction  engines.  These  regulations 
should  cover  the  operation  of  all  types  of  vehicular 
traffic,  permissible  loads  per  linear  inch  of  width  of 
tire,  and  width,  length,  and  height  of  vehicles.  Sucli 
regulations  should  be  enforceable  by  state  authority 
and  not  be  left,  as  is  the  case  at  present  in  New  York 
State,  to  the  c  )nti'ol  of  town  and  countv  officials. 


At  last  the  people  of  the  United  States  are  beginning 
to  appi'eciate  the  fact  that  in  order  that  value  should 
be  received  for  the  money  expended  in  the  construc- 
tion of  highways,  it  is  necessary  that  the  highways  be 
efficiently  maintained.  Some  method  must  be  devised 
liy  which  the  legislatures  shall  annually  appropriate 
sufficient  funds  to  properly  and  econ:)mically  maintain 
improved  highways.  Legislature  after  legislature  has 
IJiUowed  the  usual  procedure  of  discounting  the  esti- 
mate by  highway  departments.  Hundreds  upon  hun- 
dreds of  miles  of  state  highways  are  to  date  improperly 
maintained,  due.  in  many  cases,  to  a  lack  of  funds.  The 
fact  must  be  accepted  that  as  years  go  on  the  financial 
burden  of  maintenance  will  be  increased,  due  in  part 
to  material  additions  to  the  mileage  of  improved  high- 
ways. It  should  further  be  Ijorne  in  mind  that  if  main- 
tenance is  curtailed  in  one  year  to  the  extent  of  $500,- 
000,  and  miles  of  highways  are  thereby  left  unrepaired, 
the  necessary  appropriation  in  the  following  year  to  re- 
pair the  damage  to  the  highways  not  maintained  may 
amount  to  a  million  or  more  dollars.  In  other  words, 
many  types  of  construction  wear  very  rapitUy  after  they 
Hrst   begin  to  deteriorate. 


Paving  Equipment  for  Cuba. 

(_)ne  of  tlie  hirgest  single  shipments  of  paving  eijuip- 
mcnt  on  record  is  that  just  made  to  Messrs.  Torrance 
c^  Portal,  of  Havana,  Cuba,  who  have  secured  extensive 
paving  contracts  in  Havana  and  Cienfuegos. 

The  shipment  consisted  of  6  cars  routed  l).y  way  of 
Ke.^•  West.  Florida,  carrying  two  3-unit  asphalt  plants, 
two  2,000  gallon  and  one  1,000  gallon  steam  heated 
melting  kettles,  -t  tandem  rollers,  2  portal)le  b  >ilers  and 
engines,  lire  wagons,  paving  tools,  etc. 

Contracts  already  secured  by  the  Havana  firm  for 
paving  in  which  Trinidad  lake  asphalt  will  be  used,  to- 
tal about  400.000  sq.  yds.  One  of  the  Iroquois  plants 
is  to  be  located  at  Havana  and  the  other  at  Cienfuegos. 


LaRue  County,  Ky.     Hogenville-Greensburg  Waterbound  Macadan  Road,  Showing  a  Carefully  Located  Curve 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


•laiiiiai-v.   lf)17 


Streets  and  Sanitation 

Paper  Read  Before  Meeting  Street  Cleaning  and  Disposal  Officials 

of  the  United  States  and  Canada 

By  GUS  H.  HANNA,  Cleveland,  Ohio 


MR.  PRESIDENT,  delegates  and  friends:  It  has 
given  me  inneh  pleasurable  antieipatinn  to  lie  as- 
signed to  discuss  the  topie  assigned  1 1  nie  at  a  gather- 
ing of  this  kind.  Street  eleaning  and  the  disposal  of 
eity  wastes  h;ive  rejiresented  stiunhling  hloid^s  in  the 
path  of  munieipal  progress  for  a  majority  of  eities  and 
great  credit  attaches  to  the  few  on  this  continent  who. 
through  their  fortunate  or  unfortunate  contact  with 
these  problems,  have  been  alile  to  bring  aliout  the  de- 
gree of  progress  which  the  past  few  vears  iiave  witness- 
ed. 

I  need  not  cite  any  dry  statistii's  to  c  invince  this 
audience  that  city  Inidget  makei's  have  too  freqiUMitly 
tlesignated  the  street  cleaning  department  as  a  near 
relative  of  Kelly's  goat  and  have  pruned  its  appropri- 
ation t  1  the  \ei'ge  of  criminality.  I  say  criminality,  lie- 
cause  Id  iui|)aii'  the  health  of  a  city  is  crinunal,  espec- 
ially where  the  cuts  ai-e  made  for  tile  benefit  of  some 
boulevard  in  the  suburbs  that  will  enhance  the  value  of 
land  adjacent  thereto,  owned  in  all  proliability  by  some 
scheming  real  estate  firm  which  is  anxious  to  ilispose 
of  its  possessions  for  a  greatly  enhanced  price  at  the 
expense  of  the  taxpayers.  Boulevards  are  a  luxury  not 
at  all  conducive  to  the  comfort  of  the  daily  toilci'.  lui- 
less  he  is  the  owner  of  an  autonuibile.  Tf  the  pruning 
knife  must  be  used.  I  would  suggest  priming  the  lioule- 
vai'ds.  Th(>  cleanliness  :)f  a  community  is  a  ju-etty  ac- 
cui-ate  bai'onu'tci'  of  its  health.  I  am  not  a  pliysician 
and  am  not  capable  of  adding  anything  to  the  contro- 
versy aliont  the  extent  to  which  disease  germ's  arc 
ti-ansniitted  by  dust.  I  luiderstand  in  a  general  way 
that  there  is  less  tendency  today  than  there  was  a  few 
years  ago  to  attribute  infection  to  dust  borne  germs, 
although  T  think  no  ine  has  gone  so  far  as  to  deny  th;i* 
gei'iii  diseases  in  sonu-  instances  are  transmitted  in 
dust.  h"'nrther  than  this,  I  never  heard  of  .inyone  claim- 
ing that  dust  was  a  benefit  to  health  or  ideanliness  a 
iiienaec.  And  leax'ing  health  out  of  the  (|Uestion,  im- 
body  wants  filth\-  sli'cets  or  dusly  premises,  ('all  it  a 
mei'e  seiitinicnl  if  you  will,  but  it  is  a  sentinii-nt  thai 
distinguishes  the  civilized  man  I'l-oni  his  ea\'e  dwcHiim' 
ancestors. 

And  in  relation  to  si  I'ect  eleaning  cist.  I  want  ti 
point  out  tliat  the  nuist  economical  place  in  which  to 
perform  the  st  i-eet  cleaning  function  is  in  the  sti'e<'t. 
The  same  filth  must  lie  combatted  somewhere,  perhaps 
where  it  originates,  perhaps  where  it  is  lilown  after  ly- 
ing neglected  on  the  pavement.  I  rtn^all  a  rhyme  whii'li 
ajipcared  some  years  ago  in  an  Ohio  paper. 
We    lia\('   a    I'hcap   and    n  iv<'l    way 

To  clean   a   city   slivet . 
The  sniiniier  snii   beats  down  all   day; 

Till'    breezes  fan    it    as   they    play 
.\iiil    blow  the  (Inst    oft'  neat. 

The   refuse   of  two   thiirougld'ares 
Is  on  oiii'  bric-ii-bi'ac  and  chairs 

.\nd  in  the  food  we  eat. 

Dust  and  the  Housewife. 

The  housi'wife  is  usually  an  advocate  of  nninicipal 
economy.  AVoman  taxpayei-s  and  w  nnan  voters  ai'e 
Usually  strict    contenders  for  low  taxes,   lint    who  ever 


saw  a  woman  that  wanted  the  street  eleaning  neglected 
to  save  a  few  dollars?  She  knows  that  a  dusty  street 
means  a  dusty  home  and  that  tedious  hours  must  be 
spent  in  cleaning  furniture  and  rugs;  that  doors  and 
windows  must  be  kejit  closed  when  fresh  air  wuild  be 
welcome;  that  dirty  skirts  mean  laundry  and  eleaning 
bills;  that  her  own  time  is  the  .same  as  nioney  and  that, 
where  servants  are  employed,  the  cost  of  dusting  and 
sweeping  is  an  actual  tangible  tax  upon  the  family  in- 
come. She  knows,  what  anyone  knows  upon  refiection. 
that  it  is  easier  to  collect  filth  upon  a  broad  level  sur- 
face where  it  originates  than  it  is  to  wipe  minute  par- 
ticles from  vases  and  antiipie  china,  to  extract  it  from 
rugs  and  draperies  and  eii'ac(>  it  from  carved  furniture. 

Dirty  Streets  Cost  Merchants. 

The  niei'ehant  realizes  the  same  thing  when  it  is  call- 
ed to  his  attention.  There  is  scarcely  a  mercantile 
concern  in  which  the  cleaning  and  dusting  of  stoidv  is 
not  a  regular  avenue  of  expeii.se.  There  are  many  bus- 
inesses that  are  obliged  t.i  hold  periodical  sales  of  goods 
soiled  upon  the  shelves  and  counters,  realizing  from 
them  considerably  less  than  they  cost.  Any  honestly 
expended  appropriation  for  street  cleaning  is  a  source 
of  economy   to   .such   institutions. 

During  the  last  year  we  have  had  a  frightful  visita- 
tion of  infantile  paralysis.  [  venture  to  say  that  a  mil- 
lion or  more  of  dollars  has  been  spent  in  emergency 
measures  to  eliminate  the  disease.  Yet  it  is  noteworthy 
that  the  cases  occur  chiefly  where  children  are  forced 
by  crowded  conditions  to  play  in  the  street,  and  where 
sli'cets  are  insufficiently  cleaned,  or  iicrhaps  so  worn 
that  they  are  uncleanalile.  Am  ing  the  other  ofi'sets 
against  the  cost  of  clean  pavements  and  eleanable  pave- 
ments I  am  asking  you  to  consider  the  mone.v  spent  to 
control  this  plague.  I  cannot  ask  you  to  offset  the  lo.ss 
if  babies'  lives  for  the  tears  of  a  mother,  even  though 
she  is  a  tenement  motliei'.  is  something  that  I  will  not 
ask  this  audience  to  appraise  in  cold  dollai's  and  cents. 

I  hope  I  have  made  it  plain  to  y(ui  that  tax  expendi- 
tures arc  no  ditt'er<'nt  from  other  expenditures  which 
individuals  and  firms  arc  forced  to  mak'e.  The  miney 
comes  out  of  the  same  po(d<et.  .\iid  the  only  (|uestion 
to  consider  in  I'clation  to  the  disposjil  of  stri'Ct  refuse 
is  at  what  point  it  can  b(>  most  etl'ectually  and  econom- 
ically, whether  up  hi  the  street  itself,  oi-  on  our  house- 
hold effects  and  stocks  of  merchandise  or  in  the  human 
respiratory  tract  and  digestive  system.  Will  we  jiay 
the  street  cleaner,  on  one  hand,  or  the  hired  gii'l.  the 
stoi'k  clerk,  the  si-i'nli  woman  or  the  doclor  on  the  oth- 
er, making  no  allo\\;ince  whalever  for  thi'  laboi's  of 
■wives,  for  everybody  knows  that  wi\'es  woi'k  for  bo;ird 
and  love. 

Some  pli'ad  for  street  cleaning  funds  as  a  jiistitialilc 
luxiu'y.  I  contend  foi-  them  as  a  means  of  sa\ing  mon- 
ey in  the  ])erformauce  of  what  must  be  performed  by 
some  means,  in  any  event. 

Construction  and  Flushing. 

I  will  not  undertake  a  complete  review  of  the  various 
methods  of  sti'cet  cleaning,  most  if  which  have  their 
place   in   relation   to   the  kind   of   pavement,  trat'tic   con- 


■hiiiiK 


\un 


SOUTHERN  (!()()1)   KOADS 


13 


dition.s.  I'ost  of  labor,  etc.,  which  vai-y  with  the  h)c<ility. 
.Aly  own  experience  as  comanissioner  of  street  cleaning- 
in  Cleveland  led  emphatically  t>i  I  he  conehisijii  that 
flushing-,  under  favorable  conditions,  was  the  cheapest 
and  most  effectual  method  of  cleaning-  that  could  l)e 
devised.  I  collected  statistics  for  some  time  as  to  tlic 
cost  of  cleaning  various  pavements  l)y  this  method  and 
made  some  interesting-  discoveries,  botii  as  to  the  va- 
riation of  cost  on  different  surfaces  and  the  relation 
of  this  \-ariation  in  cost  to  the  other  charges  that  nv 
custonuirily  considered  in  choosing-  paving-  material.  1 
do  not  hesitate  to  assert  that  economy  in  cleaning  is 
an  item  comparable  in  figures  with  economy  in  repairs 
and  ought  to  receive  equal  weight  when  the  (piestion 
of  material  is  debated.  The  preferred  pavement  musi 
be  of  a  non-adhesive  substance  and  nuist  be  free  from 
crevices  in  which  the  dirt  can  lodge.  The  non-adhesive 
substances  upon  which  my  best  results  were  obtained 
were  vitrified  brick.  Belgian  bl  n-k.  .Medina  block,  or 
granite.  I  put  brick  first  oidy  because  it  is  slightly 
smoother  aiul  insist,  for  purposes  of  this  comparison 
lliat  the  other  iilock  materials  enunu^rated  must  he  suit- 
ably dressed  and  that  the  filler,  in  every  instance,  must 
lie  cement  grout.  A  soft  tiller  shrinks,  wears  and  dis- 
integrates, leaving  a  n-evice  which  cannot  be  cleancil 
by  any  method  and  offei-s  lodgcmcnl  Id  ni  >ist  filth 
which  is  an  ideal   In-eeding  place  for  disease  germs. 

The  use  of  I  he  rtusher  on  a  given  street  may  vary 
from  twice  a  week  to  a  daily  flushing,  proportioned  to 
the  traffic.  I  would  sui>plement  flushing  with  a  white 
wing  patrol  system,  in  which  the  city  is  divided  into 
section  with  a  suitable  force  of  men  assigned  to  each 
section.  Every  street  should  receive  at  least  a  daily 
visit  from  a  man  with  a  hand  sweeper  and  a  puslicavt. 
Flushing  saves  the  time  and  energies  of  the  sweeper, 
permitting  him  to  work  chiefly  in  the  gutters.  Where 
the  traffic  is  light,  the  entire  accumulation  of  refuse  can 
be  removed  in  his  hand  cart,  but  for  medium  and  heav- 
ily traveled  streets,  his  function  will  be  merely  to  swre.) 
the  accumulated  refuse  into  piles  along  the  curb,  wliich 
a  dump  wagon  will  collect.  The  administrative  test  i.f 
a  good  street  cleaning  superintendent  lies  in  rontuig 
his  tlushers.  his  sweepers  aiul  his  wagons,  to  get  1';c 
nmxinnim  result  with  the  mininunn  ett'oi-f  and  to  a-"  oid 
delays  between  the  collection  and  removal  of  the  wa- 
ters. 

The  Handling  of  Waste. 

The  handling  of  street  wastes,  garbage  and  othtr 
refuse  materials  is  the  ensuing  pniblem.  "Sly  o\vn  strong 
l)i-eference  is  for  the  early  cineration  of  all  such  ma- 
terials. A  city  with  ideal  equipment  and  organization 
should  incinerate  its  wastes  daily.  To  be  sure  certain 
exponents  of  thrift  tell  us  that  there  are  valuable  sub- 
stances contained  in  these  wastes  which  can  be  extract- 
ed to  the  profit  of  the  community.  I  have  not  yet  lieen 
convinced  that  the  pittance  which  communities  realize 
from  the  sale  of  wastes  aft'ord  a  sufficient  offset  to  the 
dangers  entailed  in  handling-  these  wastes  for  profit. 
Reduction  means  delay  and  mvich  handling.  Admitting 
that  men  can  be  hired  to  do  this  kind  of  work.  I  still 
think  it  is  a  kind  of  work  which  they  should  not  be  en- 
couraged to  do.  The  continual  exposure  to  infection 
on  the  part  of  a  few  men  means  the  cjutiimal  exposure 
of  the  entire  community  to  the  danger  of  an  epidemic. 
The  plagues  of  Europe  are  not  such  distant  history  that 
we  can  afford  to  ignore  the  possibility  of  just  such  dis- 
asters in  America.  We  all  remember  a  few  years  ago 
when  garbage  contracts  in  smaller  municipalities  were 
customarily  taken  by  hog  raisers  who  undertook  to 
convert  municipal  g-arl)age,  collected  at  a  profit,  into 


jiork  wliich  could  l)e  sold  for  another  profit.  Ft  was 
only  when  state  veterinarians  were  compelled  to  kill 
thousands  of  diseased  hogs  and  condemn  other  thous- 
ands of  carcasses  that  the  unprofitableness  of  this  kind 
of  profit  became  apparent.  I  think  it  is  a  fair  type  of 
the  risks  run  by  any  community  which  fails  to  recog- 
nize in  its  suljstances.  just  what  they  are,  dangerous 
poisons  which  are  to  be  handled  as  little  and  destroyed 
as  quickly  as  possible.  Not  merely  the  modern  city, 
but  the  modern  hotel.  fact(n'y.  and  apartment,  should 
have  modern  inciiu'rating  devices,  adapted  to  their 
needs. 

Such,  briefiy,  are  my  sentinunits  upon  two  or  three 
questions  pertaining  to  the  work  of  the  members  of  this 
society.  I  wish  that  I  could  close  with  a  fitting  tril)utc 
to  the  dignity  and  importance  of  the  membership  here 
repi'esented  and  the  work  in  which  you  are  engaged. 
To   those  who  are  engaged   in   sweeter  sr^ented  labors. 


Stiell  Pike  Between  Houston  and  Galveston,  Texas 

the  subject  of  street  cleaning  and  waste  disposal  ma.v 
be  a  nauseating-  theme,  but  the  obvious  comment  is  that 
such  a  thing  as  a  sweet  scented  civilization  was  not 
possible  until  a  jjortion  of  mankind  had  the  knowledge. 
the  will  and  the  consecration  to  devote  their  entire  ca- 
reers to  the  elimination  of  that  which  was  uncleanly. 
The  physician  who  braves  contagion  that  others  may 
he  well,  the  hero  who  goes  to  prison  that  others  may 
be  free  and  the  martyr  who  endures  torment  that  oth- 
ers may  have  life  and  have  it  more  abuiulantly  are,  as 
I  see  if.  all  of  the  great  fraternity  of  self  denial,  along 
with  those  who  brave  dirt  that  others  may  be  clean. 
You  could  find  more  agreeable  employmeiit.  perhaps. 
l)ut  not  of  greater  importance  to  the  community  and 
none.  I  am  confident,  that  offers  problems  more  worthy 
of  a  high  order  of  intellect  and  devotion.  May  I  wish 
you,  individually  and  as  a  society,  long  life  and  con- 
tinued usefulness. 


Good  roads  enthusiasts  from  different  sections  of 
Oklahonm  gathered  during  the  week  of  January  1-6  at 
Norman  anil  held  the  first  good  roads  week  for  the 
state. 


January  17  and  18  is  the  date  of  the  Texas  Good 
Roads  Association  meeting  and  Au.stin  is  the  conven- 
tion city.  A  very  large  attendance  is  expected,  as 
road  building  is  at  fever  heat  in  the  Lone  Star  State. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Januarv,  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXI    GTON.  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK,  Sec.  and  Treaa 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C..  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative :    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORBNZEN,  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
225  Fifth  Avenue.  60.5  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 


Subscription  Price 


$1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 


Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENR\  B  VARNER,  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  tratT.  Secretary,  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  President.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 
C.  B.  SCOTT.  Secretary,  Lynchburg.  Va. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President.  Columbia.  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK,  Secretary,  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XV. 


JANUARY,  1917. 


No.   1. 


A  SEASON  FOR  ACTION. 

Till-  .si'ii.son  fur  legislative  ad  inn  is  here.  In  iniin- 
ei'ous  states  in  llie  Soiitli  and  Nation  the  solons  are 
yatlieriiig  to  cdiisiiler  tlie  needs  :if  their  states  and  va- 
rious <Miiiiinuiiit  ies.  We  hnzai'd  the  guess  that  few  nf 
tliein  will  have  matters  of  more  vitiil  importance  to  all 
their  eonstitnents  than  the  i|Uestion  of  proper  eon- 
strueUon  and  inaintenanee  of  pulilie  highways.  The 
(1,-iy  of  :ii-gument  over  the  wisd  im  of  hiiilding'  roads 
has  alreaily  passed  and  has  been  classed  among  the 
dead  things  that  rightly  belong  to  some  fossil  age.  The 
questions  now  are  of  methoils  of  adininistration  and  the 
best  me;ins  of  securing  the  funds  to  go  ahead  with  the 
work.  Kew  of  Ihe  states  have  yet  taken  up  the  burden 
of  ro;id  work  as  a  elnirge  of  the  stale.  Instead  they 
have  left  it  for  the  separate  eoinmunities  to  carve  out 
some  way  for  themselves  without  ;iny  suggestions  or 
eiiiMJuragemeiil  IVoiii  lh<'  stiile  ilself.  The  leaven  that 
began  work  in  isobited  coinmunil  ies  li:is  in  nearly  ev- 
ery inshince  spre;id  In  bless  the  seclions  :id,joiiiing. 
Siinie  il'  these  liax'e  ill  siHiie  iiMiiiier  evidved  Sei-tioii:il 
road  systems,  but  the  (hiy  luis  come  when  we  iiinst  have 
larger  loiieli  willi  one  ;initther  —  now  is  the  time  to 
press  home  ihe  questions  of  state  riid  in  road  building. 
Our  Soiilliern  states  :ii'e  ii  it  so  poor  iis  1he\'  once  were, 
but   they  are  still   being  held   bind;   bv  thi'  lack  of  con- 


structive jiolieies.  ^Ve  need  breadth  id'  vision  on  road 
matters  among  our  lawmakers  as  never  before. 

There  are  numbers  of  items  of  legislation  that  will 
affect  the  road  status,  and  the  legislators  and  road  ex- 
|)erts  should  take  counsel  together  carefully  an,l  fully 
ill  order  that  whatever  laws  are  passed  will  not  be 
niiikeshifts  that  olistruct  rather  than  aid.  Traflic  laws 
for  the  public  highways  is  a  pressing  need.  The  ques- 
tion of  glaring  headlights,  of  excessive  speeding,  of 
auto  taxes,  of  maintenance  of  all  roads,  and  many  oth- 
er problems  should  be  properly  cared  for.  But  in  ev- 
ery bill  passed  for  the  issuance  of  bonds  of  special 
taxes  it  should  be  insisted  that  a  provision  for  mainte- 
nance be  included  before  the  bill  is  allowed  to  go  on 
its  passage. 

And  ahove  all  things  the  hand  il'  privilege  and  av- 
arii'c  should  be  watched  for  and  cut  out  of  road  legis- 
lation with  just  as  much  isire  as  a  skilb^l  surgeon 
would  use  in  cnrviiig  out  the  early  cniici'rnus  growth, 
which  if  allowed  to  remain  too  long  w  )uhl  destroy  the 
whole    bodv. 


Your  Half  of  The  Road. 


"Half  of  this  Ro.-id  is  Yours,  the  Other  Ihilf  .Mine."' 
This  big  sign  greets  the  I'yc  >!'  the  motorist  on  the 
s|)lenilid  ten-mile  sti'ctcli  of  asplnilt-niiicadiim  road  be- 
tween Ashexille  and  Weaverville.  which  is  a  link  of 
the  Southern  National  Highway  frcnn  Washington  to 
San    1  )iego.   ( "alifornia. 

This  sign  is  located  at  the  idty  limits  and  is  a  pow- 
erful  reminder  Ihnt    others  have  rights  on  the  road. 

Half  mile  beyond  at  a  sharp  curve  ar  >und  the  rocky 
blutit',  a  big  sign  on  which  is  painted  a  skull  enshrouded 
in  blac]{.  with  "'Just  .\roiiiid  the  Curve""  untlerneath. 
involuntarily  brings  the  driver  to  slow  speed. 

These  uni(|ue  signs  were  designed  by  Chas.  11.  Neal. 
County  Road  Engineer  and  erected  by  the  county  au- 
thorities, at  the  request  of  the  Asheville  ]\[otor  Club. 


Fibre-Asphalt  is  Invented, 

;\rr.  Geo.  A.  Henderson,  of  St.  Albans.  W.  Va..  has  re- 
cently secured  ])atent  for  Fibre-Asphalt,  which  he 
claims  to  be  a  siqierior  bitumin  uis  concrete  pavement 
that  can  be  furnished  at  fifty  per  cent  of  former  cost 
of  similar  materials.  ^Mr.  Henderson  writes  Southern 
Gohd  Roads  that  one  of  the  largest  asphalt  maehinery 
manufacturers  in  the  country  had  agreed  to  build  the 
maehinery  that  Avill  distribute  the  substance  success- 
fully and  a<-cording  to  the  specifications  in  his  ]ia tiers 
of  patent. 

in  describing  his  patent,  .Mr.  Henderson  says: 
"  IMy  invention  relates  to  a  combination  of  the  two 
types  of  pavements  characterized  ;ind  known  to  Ihe 
trade  as  "Hitumiuous  ^lacadam.""  lni\ing  a  wenrinsj' 
cnui'se  of  broken  stone  Willi  some  interstitial  spaci  s 
tilled  by  penetratimi  methods  with  a  bitumin  ills  bind- 
er, and  as  "Bitumimuis  Concrete.""  composed  of  stone. 
gravel,  sand,  shell,  slag  or  other  aggregate,  or  combi 
nations  thereof,  and  bituminous  materials,  incorporated 
together  by  mixing  methods;  and  the  invention  relates 
to    substantial    departure    from    the    ordinary   methods 


January,  1!)]7 


SOUTHERN  GOUl)  KUADS 


15 


and  from  tlie  aiiparatus  lit'i'eloforc  used    in   sui'li   cim 
struetion. 

"Tlie  invention  particularly  .relates  to  re.surfaein^ 
maeadam  roads  to  a  substantial  thickness  of  mixed  and 
bonded  material,  the  major  portion  of  the  mineral  ag- 
gregate in  which  is  composed  of  the  old  road,  with 
which  a  comparatively  small  (|uantity  of  new  material 
is  mixed  in  cases  whei-e  traffic  has  left  a  sufficient  (luan- 
tity  of  metal  over  an  adeipiate  sub-base  for  the  pur- 
l)oses  of  increased  trjiffic  to  be  attracted  by  the  iinpr.iv- 
ed  structure. 

"The  object  of  my  invention  is  the  economical  cor- 
rection of.  or  improvement  in,  the  foregoing  conditions 
ill  paving  structures,  the  sanitary  removal  of  dust  from 
the  surface  of  a  highway,  as  well  as  from  its  internal 
structure,  to  be  reineorpoprated  and  retained  therein 
suspended  in   bitumen. 

"In  carrying  out  the  invention  a  road's  surface  is 
broken,  then  scarified,  and  during  heating  of  the  sur- 
face to  a  substantial  depth,  the  surface  and  internal 
dust  is  removed  and  the  remaining  aggregate,  in  its 
loose,  ridged,  heated  and  diistiess  condition,  is  coated. 
during  turning  with  bitumen  uniformly  distributed. 
under  pressure,  sufficient  to  also  cause  penetration  of 
the  remaining  aggregate  on  the  roadway,  to  which 
surface  is  immediately  added  new  material  consisting 
of  a  graded  aggregate  coated  with  pre-heated  bitumen 
in  the  alisence  of  dust  during  drying  and  heating  of 
siu'h  aggregate,  which  is  then  mixed  with  iirelieated 
dust  coated  in  hot  air  suspension  under  sustained  heat 
with  preheated  atomized  bitumen,  then  raked  and 
pressed  into  the  interstitial  spaces  between  the  larger 
particles  of  loose  stone  on  the  road,  in  merely  sufficient 
quantity  to  fill  them. 


A  Victim  of  "Peanut"  Politics. 

Asserting  that  Carter  county  bears  the  distinction  of 
being  the  only  county  whicli  has  repudiated  the  State- 
aid  plan  in  road-building.  State  Inspector  and  Examin- 
er Nat  B.  Sewell.  of  Kentucky,  has  made  a  report  on 
the  methods  and  conditions  connected  with  road-build- 
ing in  that  county  and  filed  same  with  Gov.  Stanley. 

After  the  bond  issue  had  been  voted  and  work  start- 
ed on  road-building,  the  Fiscal  Court  refused  to  meet 
the  re(|uireinents  of  the  Department  of  Roads  and  re- 
pudiated the  State-aid  plan  under  which  the  bonds  were 
voted.  The  county  is  now  undertaking  to  build  roads 
on  its  own  account,  with  the  funds  voted  for  state-aid 
road-building,  which  is  contrary  to  law. 

Inspector  Sewell  says  the  county  is  wasting  money. 
and  is  not  going  to  obtain  satisfactory  results  which  he 
says  is  evident  from  what  has  been  accomplished  with 
over  $28,000  which  has  been  expended.  From  all  the 
evidence  obtainable.  Inspector  Sewell  says  he  is  of  the 
opinion  that  the  deplorable  state  of  affairs  existing  in 
Carter  county  is  an  example  of  the  demoralization  on 
any  public  enterprise  that  can  be  Ijrought  about  from 
the  manipulation  of  local  politicians  who  prefer  to  be 
free  from  State  supervision. 

On  April  17.  1915,  Carter  county  voted  bonds  amount- 
ing to  $150,000  for  the  construction  and  reconstruction 
of  roads  in  that  county.  Following  the  bond  election 
nearly  a  year  was  spent  before  any  definite  action  was 
taken  toward  constructive  work,  much  of  the  time  be- 
ing spent  in  wrangling  over  the  routes  to  be  followed. 
After  much  disagreement  on  the  part  of  the  Fiscal 
Court  and  citizens  of  Carter  county.  Inspector  Sewell 
says  that  it  was  finally  agreed  that  a  commission,  com- 
posed of  four  citizens  of  Carter  county,  two  from  each 


dominant  political  jiarty',  be  selected  t:»  direct  the  use 
of  the  funds  in  connection  with  State  aid  road  build- 
ing. 

I'luler  this  arrangcmeiit  tlie  Departineiit  of  Public 
Roads  attempted  to  work  in  conjunction  with  the 
county  in  formulating  and  carrying  out  plans  of  road 
work-  throughout  the  county.  After  much  bickering 
and  the  playing  of  "peanut"'  politics,  Sewell  says,  the 
officials  finally  designated  a  route  from  Olive  Hill  to 
the  Kowaii  (Jounty  line  by  way  of  Limestone,  Enter- 
prise and  Soldier. 


Big-  Road  Meet  in  Kentucky. 

On  January  17tli  to  'JOtli,  inclusive,  there  will  be  held 
at  Bowling  Green.  Kentucky,  the  County  Road  I]ngi- 
neers'  Convention.  It  is  the  first  time  that  such  a 
meeting  has  ever  lieen  held  in  Western  Kentucky  and 
all  county  officials  and  the  State  Department  are  en- 
ing  to  make  the  meeting  the  largest  of  its  kind  ever 
held  in  Keiitiirky. 

At  all  lU'cx'ious  meetings  of  this  character  the  theory 
of  mad  building  has  been  mostly  discussed,  but,  after 
two  years  work  luuler  the  state  aid  plan,  roatl  men 
throughout  the  state  now  have  practical  problems  to 
discuss  and  the  pi-ogram  lias  been  arranged  with  that 
end  in  vie\\'. 

It  has  bci-n  I'cciiiiiiiii'iiileil  liy  the  nftii'i'  that  exery  cii'- 
i-uit  .judge  bi'iiig  his  entire  court  to  the  meeting  and 
that  the  count>'  pay  the  expense  incurred  l)y  such  a 
trip.  It  is  a  known  faet  that  travel  broadens  a  man 
ami  it  is  believed  by  all  concerned  that  it  will  be  a 
great  help  to  the  various  counties  throughout  the  state 
to  attend  such  a  meeting  where  they  can  learn  what 
other  counties  are  doing  and  will  have  an  opportunity 
to  inspect  the  excellent  roads  in  Warren  and  adjacent 
counties,  as  well  as  the  Kentiudvy  Rock  Asphalt  fields 
about  which  so  much  has  been  written  in  recent  days. 

Other  states  have  several  road  meetings  a  year  and 
they  are  attended  by  between  two  and  three  thousand 
people  and  in  no  state  in  the  union  are  people  more  alive 
to  the  road  movement  than  in  Kentucky,  and  there  is 
no  reason  why  the  meeting  at  Bowling  Green  should 
not  be  attended  by  at  least  three  thousand  i)eople. 

The  meeting  is  held  at  a  time  of  the  year  when  no 
road  work  is  being  done  and  no  working  time  will  be 
lost  by  those  interested  in  road  Imilding.  and  it  is 
earnestly  hoped  that  all  county  officials,  all  contrac- 
tors and  all  citizens  interested  in  road  building  will 
make  a  special  eff'ort  tit  attend  the  meeting. 


Proposed  Bond  Issues  in  Tucker  County,  W.  Va. 

On  Dec.  29th  the  citizens  of  Dry  Fork  District.  Tuck- 
er County,  voted  upon  a  $ti(),()O0-year  5  per  cent  serial 
bond  issue  to  improve  the  roads  in  that  ilistrict.  $10.- 
000  to  be  expended  on  the  road  from  Red  Creek  Post 
Office  to  Jennington.  $9,000  on  the  Lanesville  road. 
This  is  to  be  used  in  gratling.  The  residue  to  be  used 
in  hard  surfacing  the  road  frim  the  Randoljih  county 
line  towards  Parsons. 

On  Dec.  29th  the  .-itizeiis  of  Fairfax  District,  Tucker 
county,  voted  on  a  $150,000  20-year  5  per  cent  serial 
bond  issue  to  permanently  improve  five  sections  of  road 
in  that  district. 

On  Dec.  29th  the  citizens  of  Davis  District  voted  up- 
on a  $98,000  20-year  5  per  cent  serial  bond  issue  to  per- 
manently improve  the  roads  and  bridges  in  that  dis- 
trict. 


llj 


SULTllEK.X  GOOD  KOADS 


•Jaiiuarv .    I'.'l  i 


Road  Improvement 

By  J.  E.  STONEKING,  M.  E. 


i^  IIEKK  is  such  a  lu-avy  iiRTeasi'  of  traftif  uu  all 
roatis  ill  this  country,  mort'  especially  on  the  main 
trunk  liijrhways  lu'twecn  cities  and  tnwiis  of  iiii[)(ii'tani-c 
and  the  roads  h'ading  from  tlic  nmre  popul jus  cinnitry 
districts  into  the  markets,  tliat  a  xcry  necessary  and 
radical  change  has  lieeii  fin-ccd  in  ro.nl  i)uikliiig  and 
iiiiproveineiit  metiiods.  Not  many  years  ago,  plaiu 
gravelled  and  water-l)ouiid  iiuieadamized  roads  stood 
the  wear  and  tear  of  the  then  comparatively  light  and 
si  )\v-moving  vcliicles.  Light  surfacing  was  the  rule 
and  materials  which  would  stand  up  under  that  traffic 
were  found  to  be  inadequate  when  subjected  to  the 
alirasion  and  hard  pounding  of  our  lieavier  and  rapid- 
moving  vehicles  of  the  |)resent  day. 

Since  tile  de\eIopinent  and  perfif'ting  "f  the  auto 
Inndc  for  iiauling  and  delivery  purposes,  the  slow  wide 
tired  wagon  has  been  largely  replaced.  This  type  )f 
traf'Hc  has  spelled  the  doom  of  earth  roads,  and  tears 
holes  in  lighter,  more  easily  worn  surfacing  with  amaz- 
ing ease  anil  rapidity.  It  has  also  c;nised  a  cry  to  be 
raised  for  easier  grades.  T'hc  lighter  pleasure  iinlomo- 
bile  is  almost  as  hard  on  road  surface  as  the  trindv,  ami 
the  higher  sjieed  has  increased  the  number  of  bad  a<-ci- 
dents  111  sharp  ciirx'es  and  steep  grades.  These  causes 
lia\e  not  onl\'  made  a  heavy,  wear-resisting  road  sur- 
face necessary,  but  in  the  rebuilding  and  improveiiient 
now  being  done  the  roads  are  widened,  grades  reduced, 
sharp  turns  and  dangerous  curves  eliminated. 

The  vast  amount  of  work  to  be  done,  cinipled  with 
the  higli  cost  ami  shortage  of  lalur,  has  led  to  the  de- 
xelopmi'iit  of  suocessfnl  labiu'-saviiig  road  machinery  of 
many  diti'erent  and  liighly  specialized  types.  One  of 
the  labor-savers  adopted  from  tpiarry.  railroad,  and 
mining  work  and  applied  with  success  to  road  building 
is  the  low-freezing,  si  )w-acting,  heaving,  low-grade  dy- 
namite for  earth  work  in  deei)ening  and  widening  cuts, 
widening  curves  around  hill  sides  and  points,  l)lastiiig 
out  stumps,  boulders,  and  trees,  and  in  making  side 
and  outfall  ditches  for  drainage.  Considerable  saving 
is  accomplished  by  its  use  in  loosening  material  in  eon- 
.junction  with  steam  shovels,  graders,  scrapers,  and  oth- 
er machinery. 

After  a  good  earth  bed  has  Ijeen  prepare<l.  the  typ.' 
of  road  surfacing  best  adapted  to  local  feasibility  and 
traffic  conditions  slioiild  be  applied.  Each  type  of  road 
has  its  particular  advantages  and  disadvantages,  and 
local  conditions  iBust  govern  the  selection,  frequently 
combining  parts  of  each  type.  The  following  are  con- 
sidered standard  types,  although  more  or  less  interre- 
lated : 

Macadam  in  its  different  forms, 

Bituminous  oi'  asphaltic. 

Brick  or  stone  jjaved. 

Wooden   block   and   Concrete    Roads. 

^[acadaniizing  is  jM-obably  the  oldest  and  most  wide- 
ly used  methad  of  surfacing,  having  more  moditications 
than  any  other  type.  It  consists  primarily  of  crushed 
stt)ne  or  gravel  held  together  with  some  form  of  ap- 
plied "binder."  This  type  of  road  is  most  generally 
the  cheapest  in  first  cost  ami  holds  up  well  under  the 
lighter  traffic.  Heavy  traffic,  however,  soon  breaks 
through,  making  a  higti  maintenance  c  >st,  hence  it  is 
not  suitable  for  use  as  city  paving  nor  on  main  roads 
near  the  larger  cities  and   market. 

Crushed   stone   having  sharp  edges  is   a    more  satis- 


factory' material  than  round-edged  gravel  for  it  com- 
pacts with  less  ■"creeping,"'  and  give.s  a  better  binding. 
Trap  ro(d\,  diabese,  basalt.  por|)liery,  and  other  tine- 
grained  ro(d-c  are  \'ery  good  m  aeeount  of  their  hard- 
ness and  wearing  (pialities,  although  somewhat  low  in 
"cementing"  (piality.  (fraiiite  is  usually  too  coarse- 
grained, and  limestone  too  soft  for  a  first-class  road  sur- 
face. A  small  amount  of  limestone  is  fre(piently  mixed 
with  the  harder  r  )cks  to  increase  their  cementing  effect. 
The  binders  used  ar(»  tine  stone  screenings  and  water, 
sand  and  water,  limestone  screenings  and  water,  or 
clay  and  water. 

Upon  the  comiiacted  earth  foundation  is  spread  a 
layer  of  broken  stone  of  sizes  between  one  or  two  and 
one-half  inches  in  diameter.  This  is  rolled  and  re-roll- 
ed until  it  is  well  compacted;  a  thin  c  >at  of  binder  ma- 
terial is  sjiread  ovei'  this  and  rolled  into  the  interstices 
of  the  larger  stone,  .\e.\t  ;i  coating  of  tiner  material  of 
one-half  inch  to  tlirec-(piartcr  inch  is  rolled,  on  top  of 
which  is  spread  and  rolled  very  thoroughly  a  tinishing 
c  lat  of  binder,  using  water  freely.  The  tinished  sub- 
base  of  corner  stmie  is  usn;dl.\'  about  four  inches  tliiidv 
and  the  surface  coat  two  inches,  thus  making  a  .jix-inch 
|iavement. 

In  bituminous  or  asi)haltic  roads,  the  ci-ushed  stone 
sub-base  is  coated  with  a  small  (piantity.  approxiiuaie- 
ly  one  gallon  per  scfuare  yaril,  of  asiihalt  cement  or 
tar,  then  tlic  surface  c mrse  consisting  of  thrce-quhrter 
to  one  stone,  which  has  been  heated  and  thoroughly 
mixed  with  asphaltic  cement,  is  spread  on  and  plb  d 
while  hot.  A  thin  dusting  of  sand  or  stone  sci-eeiiiugs 
is  spread  on  top  to  keep  the  surface  from  running  ai.  1 
becoming  stick\'.  Often  a  concrete  sub-liase  is  ii.-e  1 
with  the  surface  left  rough  purp  isely  to  prevent  the 
creeping  of  the  surface  course.  This  type  of  road  has 
a  certain  "springiness"  which  saves  the  horses'  hoofs 
from  too  iimch  parring,  it  is  easily  repaired,  the  sur- 
face is  not  easily  aliraded,  but  it  has  the  disadvantage 
of  disintegrating  after  a  length  of  time  due  to  the  pres- 
ence of  a  certain  amount   jf  volatile  oils. 

The  Oiled  Roads  of  California. 

A  modification  of  the  bituminous  and  asphalt  road  iv 
the  oiled  road  of  California.  .\  (piantity  of  broken 
stone  or  gravel  is  spread  upon  the  soil  surface  and 
thoroughly  sprinkled  with  a  light,  crude  asphaltic  oil, 
then  the  whole  is  plowed  to  a  depth  of  from  six  to 
eight  inches,  thus  mixing  soil,  stone,  and  oil.  It  is 
then  rolled  with  a  roller  having  foot-like  jirojections 
which  work  like  a  subsui-face  packer  in  e(mipacting  the 
material  from  the  bottom  upwards.  fre(picnt  harrowing 
and  oil  sprinkling  being  done  as  the  rolling  progresses 
until  the  surface  becomes  smooth  and  firm.  Light  oil  or 
tar  sometimes  is  used  to  sprinkle  macadam  roads  and 
the  surface  dusted  with  fine  screenings,  hoping  thus  to 
eventually  secure  an  asphaltic  road  through  the  pene- 
tration of  the  oil  into  the  stone  sub-base. 

Brick,  paving  stone  and  wooden  block  pavements  all 
require  a  good  substantial,  smooth-surfaced  foundation, 
Iireferably  of  concrete,  to  insure  permanency.  A  cush- 
ion of  sand  from  one  to  two  inches  thick  is  spread  over 
the  surface  and  the  stone  or  brick  laid  in  courses  with 
greatest  length  across  the  street,  the  joints  being  brok- 
en and  each  brick  or  block  rammed  home  to  a  smooth 
surface.     Sand  is  then  swept  into  the  cracks,  follow- 


•Tannni 


1!ll 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


I'd  with  ;i  tliin  cenii'iit  fjTuut,  a  pitch  eiiiiiiiiiiiiui.  tar,  or 
asphaltif  c'eineiit.  Wood  blocks  are  generally  treated 
with  some  preservative  and  rainmed  to  a  tinn  seat  in  a 
cement  mortar  or  asphaltic  cement  cushion  coat.  A 
joint  filler  of  s  inie  bituminous  compound  is  worked 
into  the  cracks  and  the  surface  is  then  dusted  with  sami 
or  fine  screenings. 

Concrete,  while  having  been  used  extensively  for 
foundations,  has  not  been  used  very  much  for  the  wear- 
ing surface  until  late  years.  It  has  the  disadvantage  of 
being  un.vielding,  sealing  or  spawling  under  blows,  vei'.v 
hard  on  horses'  hoifs,  and  it  is  difficult  to  secure  good 
bonding  between  repairs  and  the  older  work.  Never- 
theless, it  is  coming  into  favor  in  recent  .vears  on  ac- 
count of  its  durability,  slightly  cheaper  first  cost  com- 
pared to  other  fii'st-class  durable  pavements,  and  the 
genei'all.v  c  >mparative  ease  in  securing  the  materials 
for  constriiction  and  repairs. 

Formerly,  concrete  i-oads  were  laid  nuicli  the  same 
as  sidewalk.5  with  a  decided  difference  between  sub- 
base  and  w^f.ring  coat.  This  was  not  entirel.v  satisfac- 
tory, and  in  later  construction  the  whole  depth  is  pour- 
ed at  once  with  reinforcing  near  the  bott  )m,  and  by 
floating  gets  the  finer  materials  on  the  surface  for  a 
smooth,  good-wearing  siu'face.  The  addition  of  some 
form  of  w  )ven  or  weblied  reinforcing  has  done  much 
towards  insuring  the  permanency  and  conse(|nently  in- 
creasing the  use  of  concrete  roads. 

The  cost  of  roads  varies  with  so  many  factors  in  dif- 
ferent localities  that  an  average  figure  means  very  lit- 
tle. However,  a  few  avei'age  contract  prices  per  s(iuare 
vard  obtaine<l  from  different  sources  are  as  fallows: 

Macadam    .,$  .90 

Stone  paving 2,73 

Brick  paving l.!1"> 

Wood  block 2,82 

Bitulithic    2.2o 

Asphalti.-    l.!n 

I'etrolithic,  or  oiled  roads  (Figures  from  California 

only)    o(i 

A  Road  Lesson  from  Idaho. 

The  magnificent  scenery  of  Idaho  will  make  the  thou- 
sands who  eventually  see  it  wondei'  why  they  were  so 
long  in  hearing  of  its  beauties.  The  reason  for  this  de- 
lay is.  however,  plain  to  anybody  who  knows  how 
Switzerland,  for  example,  has  expl  )ited  her  mountains. 
There  the  way  of  the  travelei'  is  made  easy  everywhere, 
(lood  I'oads  aiul  good  ])aths  lead  him  to  evei'y  place  of 
infei-esf,  and  whenever  he  is  tired  or  hungi'y  there  is  a 
neat  little  inn  to  supply  his  needs.  Hut  the  equally  fine 
scenery  of  Idaho  is  practically  inaccessible  except  to 
the  traveler  on  horse  back,  who  carries  a  camp  outfit 
with  him.  There  are  nads,  but  what  a  poor  kind  of 
I'oadsl  For  in.stance.  a  good  many  thousand  dollars 
were  spent  in  lOOfi  on  a  road  fiom  the  state  capital  to 
the  mining  town  of  Atlanta,  The  road  followed  the 
line  of  least  resistance,  like  most  amateur  roads:  il 
went  u|)  and  djwn  hill  to  dodge  obstacles.  Siu-ingticuc 
found  it  three  or  four  feet  under  water  in  places,  an.l 
impassable.  Now  itis  not  even  a  good  pack  trail.  The 
demand  for  a  good  road  there  is  growing  .so  strong  that 
one  must  be  provided.  Rut  it  will  be  a  road  laid  (Uit  by 
engineers,  and  the  dd  winding  trail  will  be  of  little  ser- 
vice. The  investment  in  lOflfi  was  money  thrown  away. 
These  things  are  mentioned  because  the  pa.ss-word  of 
our  new  nationalism.  "See  America  First,"  means  a 
great  deal  financially  to  those  states,  and  they  are 
many,  which  have  natural  attractions  equal  to  any  that 
Europe  can  show.     Rut  to  make  such  attractions  acces- 


sible, to  bring  the  travelers  who  leave  so  nuich  m  )ney  in 
the  places  of  their  sojourn,  there  must  be  good  roads, 
and  not  the  rough  trails  which  are  unsatisfactory  even 
to  the  local  residents. 


) 


WOOD  DRILL  WORKS  SELF-ROTATING  HAMMER 

DRILL, 

The  wood  Drill  Works,  if  Paterson,  N,  J„  have  just 
placed  on  fhi'  market  a  self-rotating  Hammer  Drill 
that,  also,  automatically  (deans  the  hole.     If  by  chance 

the  air  going  through 
the  steel  is  not 
enough  to  (dean  th(^ 
hole,  in  some  kif  is 
of  rock,  by  pressing 
down  on  the  button 
at  the  top  of  the 
chest  the  full  pres.- 
ure  of  air  is  directed 
to  the  drill  |ioi;il 
(deaning  the  hole  of 
all  cuttings  at  once 
— by  i-el  easing  the 
button.  the  drill 
starts  automatically. 
One  of  the  great 
advantages  of  this 
drill  is  the  absence 
of  piston  breakage, 
and  another  is.  that 
no  collars  are  r"(|ui"- 
ed  on  the  steels,  ;d!iiv 
inating  a  great  deal 
of  the  blacksmith 
trouble  and  expense. 
The  hollow  ]usfon  al- 
wa.\s  strike  squarely 
on  the  anvil  block, 
sfeid  oidy  re(|uii'es 
to  be  cut  off  sipiarely  and  tempered,  and  pushed  up 
against  the  anvil  blo(d<  of  the  drill. 

The  cylinder  and  chest  is  made  of  Vana(lium-Tung.s- 
ten  Iron,  It  is  self-oiling,  and  has  soft  rubber  grips  on 
the  handle  whi(di  reduces  the  vibration  on  the  operator. 


How  Indiana  Protects  Her  Gravel  Roads, 

The  luiusually  extensive  dep  isits  of  good  gravel  for 
roadbuilding  which  occui'  in  Indiana  have  led  to  the 
consfrtudion  of  many  miles  of  excellent  gravel  roads  in 
that  State,  A  gravel  road  is  almost  as  quickly  destroy- 
ed by  heavy  hauling  as  is  an  earth  road,  wdieii  it  is  wc-t. 
and  the  legislature  has  accordingly  passed  an  unusual 
wet-weather  law.  At  such  times  any  person  hauling 
more  than  2,.")()0  pounds  on  tires  less  than  3  in(du's  wide, 
more  than  3, ()()()  p muds  on  .'i  to  -f  imdi  fires,  more  than 
;!,ri()()  |).,unds  on  4  to  r)-in(di  tires,  and  more  than  3.800 
pounds  on  tires  .)  inidies  or  over,  is  liable  to  a  fine  of 
•t.'i  to  -t.'iO  f'oi'  each  load  hauled. 


Commissioner  Coleman  of  Virginia  reports  400  miles 
of  good  rnads  built  in  the  year  ending  September  30. 
This  included  408  separate  pieces  of  work  done  in  88 
of  the  100  counties  of  the  state. 


The  meeting  of  the  Jackson  Highway  Association, 
which  wa.<  to  have  been  held  in  Rirminghani,  Ala,,  on 
December  2(1   was  postponed   to  Jannarv    II. 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


January,  1917 


Road  Building  in  West  Virginia 

By  CARL  P.  LEATHERWOOD 


G1  001)  HOADS  Mi'tivity  in  West  Virginia  at  the 
r  pi'esiont  time  is  t-oiitiiu'd  aliiiDst  exclusively  to  the 
eoiupletiou  of  jilaus  t'  >r  l)iiiul  issue  elections  in  ten  or 
more  taxing  units  of  tlie  state,  altliough  the  work  of 
preparing  several  miles  of  I'oads  for  hai'd  surfacing 
next  spring  is  going  on  in  a  few  counties  ami  districts. 
Engineers  and  assistants  are  engaged  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  rep  )i'ts  covering  tlie  work  completed  during  the 
road  building  season  just  closed  which  will  be  submit- 
ted at  organization  nu^etings  of  tlie  county  courts  to  be 
held  the  first  week  in  -January  the  re-organization  of 
the  county  courts  in  many  cmmties  will  see  many 
changes  made  in  the  engiiu'cring  offices  hut  it  is  ex- 
pected that  the  maj  iritj'  of  the  engineers  now  holding- 
office  in  the  state  will  be  retained.  One  change  has 
already  been  made  as  a  r(>sult  of  changing  the  politii'al 
complexion  of  the  Ohio  County  court.  W.  0.  ilcC'lus- 
key,  ■]]■..  having  been  a[i|)iiinted  a  suecessoi'  of  George 


Cutting  Away  Mountain  Side  for  West  Virginia  Good  Road 

\V.  Steenrod.  Road  engineers  have  been  in  great  de- 
mand in  all  sections  of  West  Virginia  for  s  )me  tinu' 
and  ovei'  half  of  the  men  imw  bidding  sui-b  oftic(>s  come 
fi-om  other  st;ites. 

.).  'P.  Hullen  who  has  ha, I  charge  of  the  ro;id  work  in 
Kaleigh  county  has  resigned  antl  according  to  well 
gi'nunled  I'umors  he  will  be  succeeded  liy  ( ".  Ij.  Scitt. 
]Mr.  BuUen  resigned  to  take  chai-ge  of  a  district  undei- 
the  PVderal  Good  Ro;ids  Act. 

Various  commercial  intei'csts  of  the  state  are  now 
devoting  considei'al)le  tinn-  to  the  discussion  of  ]ilans 
for  the  drafting  of  good  r  lads  legislation  with  the  hope 
of  lobbying  it  through  the  next  session  of  the  state 
legislature,  it  seems  that  evei'y  section  of  the  state 
wants  soiiu'  paiticular  legisbition  and  unless  some  stej) 
is  taken  for  a  coalition  of  the  VMri  )Us  bodies  for  the 
purpose  of  deciding  u|ioii  s  niie  detiiiile  i)lan  of  proce- 
dure and  uniform  legislation,  nothing  will  likely  be 
accomplished  in  the  way  of  new  laws  or  repealing  some 
of  the  present  objectionable  ones. 

The  annual  good  roads  school  will  be  hebl  in  Jlor- 
gantown,  February  fAh.  to  the  17th.  Several  of  the 
most  prominent  road  lecturers  and  instructors  of  the 
country  will  deliver  addresses.  All  of  the  phases  of 
road  construclion  ;ind  maintenance  nnd  the  imjiortant 


points  of  various  tests  and  investigations,  relating  to 
materials,  will  be  considei'ed  and  discussed  ami  the 
sessions  will  be  open  to  all  who  ai'e  in  any  way  inter- 
ested in  road  Iniilding. 

James  H.  Riddle,  former  well  known  West  \'irginia 
University  athlete,  has  been  added  to  the  field  staff  of 
the  Portland  Cement  Association,  tihe  Iheadqnarters 
if  which  are  located  in  Parkersbiu-g. 

The  West  Virginia  branch  has  added  another  room 
to  its  suits  in  the  Union  Trust  Building,  and  its  staff 
now  numbers  seven.  The  missionaries  of  the  "'service 
station"  are  rendering  valuable  a.ssistance  in  the  big 
road  building  program  which  is  now  being  carried  out 
in  the  ^lountain  State. 


The  Beckoning-  Roads. 

Between  the  North  and  the  South  the  road  .shuttle  is 
more  active  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  na- 
tion, according  to  the  figures  which  are  being  tabu- 
lated by  the  A.  A.  .\.  national  touring  bureaus  in  Wash- 
ington and   .\e\v   Voi-k   City. 

FliH-ida  is  the  principal  Southern  objective  at  this 
time  of  the  year,  f  )r  the  penin.sula  state  has  gotten  into 
its  highways  .stride  to  .such  an  extent  that  the  fact  is 
commanding  widespread  attention.  In  fact,  the  entire 
Southland  is  feeling  the  efl-'ect  of  the  recently  establish- 
ed federal  roads  cooperation  with  the  several  states, 
and  from  the  accumulating  .state  systems  are  emerg- 
ing the  trunk  routes  which  must  accept  a  growing 
i|uantity  of  freight  tonnage  and  passenger  traffic. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  every  forthcoming  state  legis- 
lature in  some  form  or  another  will  consider  the  twin 
subjects  of  roads  and  self-propelled  vehicles.  One  phase 
of  the  situation  is  the  practically  unanimous  desire  on 
the  part  of  all  states  to  establish  travelable  connections 
with  adjoining  states,  for  it  is  now  realized  that  com- 
merce and  social  relations  do  n  it  stop  shoi-t  at  state 
boundaries. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  each  of  the  two  years  past 
has  had  an  increase  of  one  hundred  percent  in  tourists 
from  the  West  to  the  Ea.st,  and,  other  than  the  trips  to 
the  California  fairs  of  last  year,  there  has  been  an  in- 
crease )f  ?jastei-n  toui-ists  into  the  West  of  nearly  six- 
ty percent. 

Of  that  dmibling  from  the  West,  whatever  the  con- 
tributing causes,  a  notable  factoi-  were  the  cars  from 
the  Southwest  that  have  used  the  National  Old  Trails 
I'oute  centering  on  Kansas  City,  St.  Louis,  and  Indian- 
apolis, thence  to  Wheeling  and  on  to  the  National  Cap- 
ital, where  they  spread  out  in  fan  shape  to  the  New 
Jersey  coast,  the  New  England  region,  and  the  New 
York  mountain  and  lake  c(uintry. 

Tourists  from  the  East  have  gone  into  the  West  and 
to  the  Coast  in  fairly  evenly  divided  luvmbers  between 
the  Northern  Routes  and  the  t'entral  and  Southwestern 
Routes,  these  latter  gaining  in  numbers  and  popularity 
with   those  who  started  late  in  the  season. 


A  bill  has  been  drafted  for  the  formation  of  a  state 
highway  commission  for  Texas.  It  provides  means  for 
securing  funds  for  carrying  out  the  work  of  the  body 
in  a  broad  sense,  unlike  some  states  that  have  foi'ined 
highway  i-onuuissions  and  stopped  at  that,  without 
]ii'oviding  the  wherewithal   for  their  usefulness. 


Jamiai 


y, 


1917 


SOUTHERN  (i(X)l)   IJOADS 


19 


Improving  Earth  Roads  By  Oiling 

By  the  Iowa  State  Higtiivay  Commission 


VLL  P:XPBRIJ1KA"P  iiMlicatcs  that  i>il  treatment,  if 
})i'operly  apiilird  u|i(iii  a  well-graded  I'oadhcd  in 
l)r()|)ei'  coiidifioii  I'm-  il  and  siiliject  tn  i-dinparativei y 
lijihl  Iraf'Hc.  is  a  splriidid.  IIkiii^Ii  iiiiifc  (ir  less  teiupor- 
.■ii\\,  (liisl  and  mud  prex'eiM  i\  c.  I']\i'ry  I'Xpci'iment  tried 
sii  far  in  liiwa  indicates  llial  llicrc  iiiiisl  ln'  ;it  least  one 
application  each  yeai',  and  sometimes  tw)  each  year,  to 
produce  the  desired  I'esuHs.  Oil  does  not  add  nuieli 
to  the  resistance  of  a  dirt  roa<l  to  wear.  Heavy  traffic 
on  a  dirt  road  will  tear  apart  the  particles  of  earth,  but 
the  oil-soaked  condition  prevents  the  particles  from 
rising  in  dust  clouds.  There  wdl  be  a  mat  of  dust  on 
the  surface  of  the  oiled  road,  though  not  so  much  as 
on  an  unoiled  I'oad.  but  the  dust  will  generally  cling  to 
the  road. 

As  a  dust  preventive,  the  oil  wt)rks  finely  through 
short  storms  such  as  |)revail  duiing  the  greater  part  of 
tlie  year.  The  hardest  trial  of  the  roads  comes  during 
the  spring  break-up.  Their  ability  to  resist  destruction 
at  this  time  depeiuls  on  the  amount  of  traffic  borne  and 
the  general  drainage  conditions  of  each  road.  If  wa- 
ter stands  in  the  side  ditches,  th"  road  will  become  sat- 
urated, and  the  alternate  freezing  and  thawing  will 
add  to  the  difficulties  the  :)il  has  to  overcome.  If  the 
road  surface  is  rough  or  rutted  or  has  holes  in  it  where 
water  may  stand,  the  ilifticulties  will  Ije  increased.  Tf 
the  ruts  or  holes  extend  through  the  oiled  crust,  the 
water  has  free  access  to  the  dii'l  below  and  can  soften 
it. 

Water  below  the  oiled  crust.  whi(di  has  soaked  down 
through  the  surface  :)f  the  road  or  percolated  sideways 
from  the  ditches,  helps  to  rediu-e  the  good  effect  of  the 
oil.  Tf  the  road  while  in  this  condition  is  much  used, 
nnid  is  sure  to  result.  The  oil-treated  dirt  of  the  top 
surface  is  mixed  with  the  lower  dirt.  When  the  road 
dries,  the  surface  is  no  longer  exclusively  tiil-treated 
earth  but  has  a  large  proportion  of  untreated  earth  in 
its  make-up.  Only  another  application  of  oil  can  re- 
store the  road  to  its  original  oiled  condition. 

On  the  whole,  the  experiments  in  road  oiling  this  sea- 
son have  given  better  results  than  those  of  last  year. 
This  has  been  due  to  three  things  mainly,  a  better  grade 
of  oil,  better  jireparation  of  the  road  surface  lieforc 
oiling,  and  a'  more  careful  application  of  the  oil. 

In  the  earlier  work  the  tendency  was  to  use  petrol- 
eum residium  from  the  different  oil  fields  without  regard 
to  its  suitability  for  this  particular  work.  ]\Iuch  of  this 
oil  possessed  a  greasy  characteristic,  iiulicating  a  lack 
of  binding  value  and  dui'ability.  The  samples  received 
by  our  laboratory  in  191  (i  have  generally  had  much  less 
of  this  greasy  characteristic.  These  tests  have  shown 
that  the  body  of  the  oil  was  a  durable  asphaltic  mate- 
rial possessing  good  binding  properties.  There  has  al- 
so been  a  tendency  to  us(>  lieavier  grades  of  oil  than 
heretofore,  and  this  is  undoulitedly  an  advantage  if  not 
carried  too  far. 

The  work  this  year  indicates  i-  iii(dusi\ely  the  desir- 
al)ilit.v  of  ajiplying  the  oil  hot  ix'cause  of  its  better  pene- 
ti'ation  into  the  road  sui'face.  This  does  not  mean  that 
a  cold  application  is  likely  to  be  a  failure,  l)ut  it  does 
mean  that  enough  better  results  are  obtained  by  the 
hot  application  to  warrant  the  extra  trouble  and  ex- 
pense. 

There  are  several  methods  of  heating  the  oil  before 
its  application  to  the  road  surface.     The  oil  is  usually 


shipped  in  ears  eipiipped  with  steam  coils,  so  that  the 
tanl<  can  be  cdnnecteil  to  a  steam  power  plant  and  heat 
ed  by  means  of  the  coils  inside  the  ear.  This  is  the 
m.osi  sat  isfactiu'v  nietliid  (d'  heating.  Where  it  cannot 
be  I'ollowed.  a  taid<  wagon  ecjuipped  with  heating  coil:-; 
has  iii'eii  used,  and  the  coils  are  supplieil  with  steam 
i'vmn  the  ti'actoi'  which  hauls  it.  In  this  way  the  oil  is 
warminl  while  being  deli\'ered,  but  the  heating  ^)rocess 
is  slow  and  some  delay  results  in  bringing  the  oil  to  a 
satisfactory  temperature.  In  cool  weather  there  is  still 
more  time  lost  because  of  the  slowness  with  which  the 
tank  wagons  can  be  filled  from  the  tank  cars.  In  other 
cases  the  tank  wagon  is  e(pu})ped  with  a  heater  bui'uing 
kerosene  or  gasoline.  The  tank  proper  is  jacketed  and 
sufficient  heating  ai'ea  provided  to  insure  rapid  heat- 
ing. I'suidly  the  oil  can  be  warmed  up  snfficientl.\' 
while  being  hauled  to  the  [)lace  of  application.  Here 
again  thei'c  may  be  souie  delay  in  loading,  and  s  >nu'  de- 
lay in  heating  if  the  haul  is  short. 

Fjur  miles  of  road  in  Mahaska  Couut.v  were  oiled 
last  season  at  tlie  exi)ense  of  the  peojile  living  along  it. 
The  oil  was  ap|)licd  before  the  road  was  brought  to  its 
]iermanent  ■  grade  :  in  fai-t  it  w;is  not  in  good  condition 
for  oiling.  This  i-oad.  without  any  attentii)n  whatever, 
went  through  the  summei'  showci's  without  becoming 
nuiddy  at  any  time.  There  was  some  nuid  during  the 
spi'ing  bi-eak-ni>,  but  at  no  time  was  the  road  so  l)ad 
that  antom(d)iles  could  not  travel  it  without  difficidty, 
even  when  the  dirt  I'oads  were  imjiassable  f;)r  nuichines. 
After  the  road  dried  up  and  settled  weather  conditions 
returned,  the  good  effects  of  the  oil  were  still  very  evi- 
dent. A  second  applicatiiui  of  oil  was  not  given  in 
the  spring  because  the  road  was  then  about  to  be  re- 
graded,  but  the  peojile  who  paid  fir  the  oiling  say  they 
were  so  well  ])leased  with  its  results  that  they  will  oil 
the  newly  graded  I'oad  next  year. 

The  Iowa  experience  indicates  that  road  oiling  is  a 
method  of  maintenance  or  dust  prevention  and  is  not  a 
substitute  for  hard  surfacing.  Oil  on  a  gravel  road  sur- 
face is  well  worth  its  cost.  On  heavy  traffic  roads  in- 
roads where  the  surfacing  material  is  soft  and  friable, 
like  shale  and  cincbu-s,  maintenance  by  oiling  is  likel.x' 
to  prove  prohibitively  ex]>cnsive.  On  the  light-traveled 
dirt  roads  there  is  increasing  evidence  that  conunnni- 
ties  which  try  it  feel  they  receive  their  money's  worth. 
and  are  willing  to  continue  to  pay  the  price  for  the  l)en- 
efits  they  secure  from  the  oiling. 


New  Zealand  to  Build  Highways  of  Concrete. 

The  local  and  national  authorities  in  Xew  Zealand 
are  studying  the  sub.iect  of  good  roads  as  they  are  in 
the  United  States  with  a  view  to  the  consti-uction  of 
concrete  roads.  They  estimate  a  mile  of  twelve-foot 
concrete  road  could  be  built  fen'  ^2,000  more  than  a  mile 
of  stone  aiul  that  the  saving  in  upkeep  would  be  .tl.200 
a  mile  in  tlie  first  five  .\ea)-s.  while  at  the  end  of  ten 
years  there  would  be  a  saving  of  $7,000  or  $8,000.  A 
good  grade  id'  cement  is  made  in  New  Zealand,  and  as 
there  are  ni  severe  frosts  in  the  country,  it  is  plainied 
to  make  the  road  four  inches  thick  as  in  California. 


De  Soto  county,  Fla..  votes  December  11)  on  a  direct 
tax  for  raising  road  funds  for  two  special  lax  districts. 
$91,000  is  required  in  one  and  $80,000  in  the  other. 


20 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


-Jaiuiarv.   1917 


Jesse  Taylor,  An  Apppreciation 

By  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT 

JKSSlil  TAVLOR,  coiislructioiiist,  not  in  the  sense  oi' 
being  a  road  engineer  ;>r  road  contractor  or  in  any 
wise  a  road  offieial.  Init  as  imo  who  will  live  in  tlie  liis- 
lni-y  III'  I  he  i-(i:i(l  umvcnient  ol'  the  United  States  he- 
eanse  he  gave  of  tiie  fund  of  liis  splendid  piM-smiality 
ami  en*  liusiasiii  In  liringing  to  his  generation  a  \isioii 
111'  \\li:il  g  111(1  i-iiMds  will  iiii'an  to  his  Shite  and  iialion. 
His  aliilities  as  an  organizer  ;ind  road  i)nipagan(list 
ga\('  Idni  wide  i-epntalion  and  the  scope  of  liis  intlu- 
ence  extended  to  many  states.  As  President,  Secretary 
and  Director  of  the  Ohio  Good  Roads  Uedei'ation.  he 
worked  for  a  s.ysteni  of  g  tod  roads  in  his  home  State. 
Ohio,  and  the  splendid  results  now  being  obtained  in 
that  State  are  due  largely  to  the  persistent  and  untiring 
endeavors  of  this  man.  ll(>  soon  became  a  national  tig- 
\tfc  ill  the  road  movemeiil  ami  was  connected  with  ma.n>- 
ot  the    national    I'oail    :irgaiiizations. 

.Mr.  'I'aylor  A\'as  directoi'  of  Ihe  American  ^\ss;iciatioii 
for  Highway  liiipiM\'ciiiciil  and  dii'ccldi-  grni-ral  of  the 
Xatiiiiial  Highways  AssocijM  inn.  As  Dii-cctor  (iciicral 
of  this  laller  Assoi'iati  m.  he  visited  a  large  niiniln'i-  oF 
Ihe  .Shiti's  of  Ihc  ciiiinlry.  iiiak'ing  good  roads  address- 
es and  assisting  in  tl i-i;anization  of  road  associations 

Ihi'ongh  which  the  good  i-oads  cause  is  no-w  being  cai'- 
i-ied  in  in  their  resjieclive  states.  I  beliex'e  il  is  diii'  in 
a  great  measure  lo  his  iiilliicncc  that  Ihe  cause  ot  good 
I'oails  lias  received  such  a  Iremendous  iiiipetns  in  many 
of  the  middle  west  and  western  states. 

in  iii'dei'  to  have  a  still  wider  field  for  his  activities 
ill  I  his  good  roads  woi'k,  he  organized  and  built  Tip  a 
road  magazin(>  known  as  "Jietter  Roads  and  Streets." 
He  not  oidy  made  il  a  success  but  it  has  beconn'  one  of 
the  be.st  good   roads  magazines  published  totlay. 

It  was  ill  coniiectinn  willi  the  good  roads  iiiovemeiit 
thai  I  became  persniially  acquainted  with  .Mr.  Taylor 
and  iiad  the  pleasure  and  privilege  of  knowing  him  in- 
timately for  sevcr.d  ye:irs.  His  enthusiasm  and  confi- 
dence hi  the  ultimate  success  of  the  cause  of  g  md  rnads 
throughout  the  counl ry  was  an  incentive  to  me  to  take 
hold  as  never  before  in  the  road  work  in  the  South. 
Mr.  Ta.-\'lor  was  ready  and  willing  to  assist  othei's  in 
every  way  possible;  and  North  Carolina.  Tennessee. 
Kentucky.  Flirida.  West  \'irginia.  Texas  and  other 
Soulhern  States  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  tliis  man 
for  the  interest  he  took  in  their  road  work  and  Ihe  en- 
deavors he  nuiile  to  assist  them. 


LARGE  ROAD  MILEAGE  BUILT  UNDER  FEDERAL 
SUPERVISION. 

Nearly  five  million  scpiare  yards  of  roadway,  the 
equivalent  of  :")(;!.!)  miles  nf  road  15  feet  wide',  were 
constructed  niider  the  supervision  of  Federal  road  spe- 
cialists during  the  last  fiscal  year,  according  to  tlie 
annual  repin-f  of  the  Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural 
P^ugineering,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 
recently  issued.  This  is  more  than  double  the  mileage 
so  constructed  in  previous  years.  The  roads  construct- 
ed under  supervision  of  the  office  include  experimental 
roads,  jiosl  roads,  county  roads,  and  roads  in  National 
I 'arks  and  forests.  The  expenditui'es  of  the  office  for 
this  imrpose  were  chicHy  fjr  engineering  services  and 
supervision,  the  communities,  except  in  the  ease  of  for- 
est and  park  roads  meeting  the  bulk  of  the  costs  for 
material   and   cnnsti'uctioii. 

A  sjiecial  approiiriation  was  made  for  the  construc- 
tion ill'  post  r  lads  in  the  post  office  appropriation  bill  of 


1912.  Eight  of  the  11  jjost  road  projects  remaining  at 
the  beginning  of  the  last  fiscal  year  were  completed  by 
the  end  of  the  year,  bringing  the  mileage  of  the  com- 
pleted roads  under  this  special  project  to  397.6.  Three 
of  the  original  17  projects,  aggregating  59.17  miles  in 
length,  remained  uncompleted  at  the  end  of  the  year. 
The  8  projects  completed  are  in  7  states  and  traverse 
15  counties. 

The  office  made  studies  and  rccoiiiinendations  for  im- 
pro\'ing  tlie  complete  road  systems  of  'A'2  counties  in  a 
number  of  States,  assigned  engineers  to  inspect  specific 
mails  and  advise  as  to  their  treatment  in  113  comiiiun- 
ilies,  and  specially  assigned  7  engineers  to  assist  State 
departments  of  roads  and  other  State  agencies  dealing 
with  roads  and  road  materials. 

Maintenance  Work. 

Till'  demonstration  maintenance  work  undertaken  in 
1914  on  a  through  route  fro'm  Washington  to  Atlanta 
was  continued  during  the  year,  the  mileage  under  su- 
pervision increasing  from  724  to  S7C.  The  cumulative 
effect  of  continuous  maiiiteiiaiic(\  says  the  report,  has 
been  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  from  iFarcli  15  to 
the  end  of  Hie  fiscal  year,  Jnne  -'iO.  1!)16,  the  road  was 
not   closed  In  traffic  at  any  poiiil. 

National  Park  and  Forest  Roads. 

Ill  the  Natimial  [larks  and  National  forests  the  oHice 
supervised  c  instruction  on  approximately  170  miles  of 
road.  Ill'  wliich  about  70  miles  were  completed.  One 
of  the  roads  under  construction — the  Escalante-Winder 
road  in  the  Powell  National  Forest,  Utah — will  open 
up  commnnicatiiin  with  a  settlement  in  the  valley  of  the 
upjier  Oolorad:)  River  which  has  heretofore  been  iirac- 
tically  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

The  economiic  work  of  gathering  road  statistics  and 
making  studies  of  traffic,  road  costs,  and  benefits  was 
continued  li.v  the  office.  Nnmer:)us  tests  and  much  re- 
search work  in  regard  to  mad  materials  were  conduct- 
ed. 

The  office  carried  on  a  iiuiuber  of  investigations  in 
regard  to  irrigation  in  cooperation  with  states  agricul- 
tural experiment  stations,  and  other  agencies,  chiefly 
in  the  West.  Drainage  investigations  were  conducted 
both  in  the  irrigated  and  humid  I'egions. 
Rural  Engineering. 

In  its  rural  engineering  work  the  office  planned  farm 
water  supply  systems  and  sanitary  sy.stems,  and  pre- 
pared plans  for  a  southern  farmhouse,  three  farmhouses 
suited  to  iiorlhern  conditions,  barns,  corncrilis,  stables, 
machhiery  sheds,  etc.  The  office  also  furnished  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  electric  lighting  ami  imwer  plants 
for  farm  refrigerating  systems,  heating  plants,  wind- 
mill installations,  etc. 


Tl)  date,  the  forces  working  in  Greenville,  county  S.  C. 
have  graded  upwards  of  200  miles  of  road ;  cmipleted 
over  100  miles;  have  repainted  and  refloored  every  iron 
bridge  in  the  county;  constructed  2S  concrete  1  ridges, 
not  including  small  culverts,  and  done  other  wovk. 
There  are  now  26  forces  at  work,  each  force  having 
from  20  to  40  men  in  it.  Tiie  c  unity  is  ti-  spend  *900,- 
000  in  road  work. 


Laurens.  Anderson  and  Spartanburg  are  among  the 
South  Carolina  counties  that  are  catching  the  spirit  of 
lietter  roads  from  the  fine  work  being  done  in 
Greenville  county  with  the  proceeds  of  a  bond  issue 
for  $900,000.  Concrete,  mcmac  and  topsoil  are  the 
types  of  roads  being  built  by  Greenville,  with  relation 
to  the  amount  of  traffic  for  the  different  types. 


January,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


21 


Swamp  Roads 


By   GEO.  W.  COOLEY 
Slate  Engineer  of  Minnesota 

Road  superintendents  sometimes  fail  to  provide  the 
elaborate  drainage  necessary  to  obtain  a  proper  foun- 
dation, because  expensive  drainage  work  reduces  the 
funds  available  for  surfacing.  This  applies  particular- 
l.v  to  the  gi-cal  mileage  of  imiin  rural  I'oads  on  which 
there  is  an  insistant  demand  by  road  users  for  surfac- 
ing, with  impatience  at  any  delay  made  to  provide 
proper  foundations. 

In  undeveloped  swamp  country,  the  most  permanent 
work  is  obtained  by  building  the  roadway  embankment 
of  material  obtained  by  dredging  a  ditch  on  the  up- 
stream side  of  the  road,  witii  an  auxiliary  road  ditch 
on  the  other  side. 

The  top  soil  from  the  ditches  is  tirst  spread  over  the 
roadway  and  the  dredge  then  excavates  enough  firm 
matei'ial  to  provide  a  sulistautial  foundation  when  de- 
posited on  the  top  soil.  The  ditches  are  dug  witli  prac- 
tically vertical  sides,  in  order  to  obtain  the  largest 
amount  of  firm  material,  usually  found  at  the  Ixittoni. 
The  ditches  must  be  of  sufficient  size  to  jirjvide  tlu' 
necessary  drainages  after  they  have  lieeome  contracted 
by  the  breaking  down  of  the  slopes.  The  low  points  in 
the  ditch,  excavated  to  secure  material,  will  liecome 
tilled  with  sediment  after  a  year  or  two. 

Tt  sometimes  appears  extravagant  to  make  such 
large  ditches  on  road  work,  but  in  new  country  lateral 
drainage  is  always  carried  to  the  road  ditches  and 
should  be  provided  in  advance.  There  is  not  much 
difference  in  cost,  however,  between  small  ditches  dug 
by  hand  ami  a  large  dredged  ditch,  on  aci'ount  of  the 
lower  cost  of  machine  work  per  cubic  yard. 

After  dr<nnage  is  seeiu'ed.  the  important  W(n-k  is  to 
eliminate  all  vegetable  or  perishable  matter  and  to 
huild  up  the  foundation  uniforndy.  Dragging  and 
planing  the  subgrade  as  it  is  being  built  will  prevent 
the  wavyness  of  surface  which  develops  oceasionally 
after  the  completion  of  a  road,  and  it  is  advisable  to 
specify  such  work.  Surfacing  with  gravel  constitutes 
the  final  work  on  the  main  rural  roads  in  many  parts 
of  the  country,  and  a  great  deal  of  money  is  wasted  in 
in)t  preparing  the  foundation  properly  for  this  surfac- 
ing. Until  it  is  compacted,  the  coat  of  gravel  acts  like 
a  sponge,  holding  water  until  the  foundation  becomes 
so  soft  that  traffic  drives  some  of  the  gravel  into  the 
underlying  material.  This  causes  not  only  a  loss  of 
gravel  but  also  an  uneven  surface. 

A  hard  foundation  for  gravel  can  be  obtained  where 
the  soil  is  clay  Ijy  spreading  two  or  three  inches  of 
sand  or  gravel  over  the  clay,  mixing  them  together, 
and  rolling  initil  a  smooth  surface  is  obtained.  With 
a  sanc^.y  subsoil,  clay  is  recpiired  to  make  a  firm  foun- 
dation. "Where  no  clay  is  available,  success  has  been 
attained  by  spreading  about  four  inches  of  loose  straw 
over  the  sand,  but  care  must  be  exercised  to  prevent 
the  straw  from  Ijecoming  mixed  with  tin'  gravel.  Mus- 
keg or  pulverized  peat  has  also  Ixmmi  used  to  lulvan- 
tage  under  like  conditions. 


Model  Highvvray  in  Louisiana. 

The  good  roads  movement  has  taken  a  strong  hold 
throughout  Louisiana.  The  recent  action  of  the  parisli 
officials  of  Jefferson  Davis  parish  is  a  splendid  evidence 
of  this  fact.  Through  the  action  of  the  voters  of  the 
parish,  a  bond  issue  of  half  a  million  dollars  was  au- 


thorized, and  last  month  saw  the  police  .jui-y  formally 
carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  people  in  providing  for  the 
expenditure  of  that  sum  throughout  the  parish. 

The  work  was  determined  upon  only  after  careful 
T'onsideration  and  a  thorough  examination  of  the  neces- 
sities of  every  part  of  Jefferson  Davis  parish.  The  con- 
tract was  awarded  to  Colonel  W.  L.  Stevens,  of  New 
Oi'jeans.  the  well  known  civil  engineer  and  architect, 
whose  umny  friends  throughout  Ihe  state  may  be  relied 
upon  lo  receive  tlic  news  with  satisfaction  and  eonsidei- 
it  as  another  evidences  of  recognition  of  his  nu'i-its. 

The  determination  of  the  police  jury  and  llie  peopb' 
of  Jeft'erson  Davis  parish  to  issue  the  half  million  dol- 
lar bonds  for  road  purposes  will  open  up.  perhaps,  ev- 
ery part  of  the  parisli.  and  while  benefitting  the  people 
in  the  immediate  vicinit.v.  the  improvement  ^^nll  serve 
as  a  mighty  link  between  Louisiana  and  Texas.  A  lOri- 
niile  sti'etch  of  the  I'oad  proposed  under  Colonel  Ste- 
vens' plan  will  stretch  in  the  dii'ection  of  New  Orleans, 
and  it  is  exjiected  tliat  the  proposed  roads  in  Acatlia 
jiarish  will  form  an  additiouid  connecting  link  in  the 
direrlion  of  Moi-gun  City,  and  thus  bi-ing  Texas  meastu-- 
:ihly  iie;irer  New  Oi'leaiis.  Tt  is  believed  that  once  the 
iiii|ii'o\'i'd  I'Orid  eiinditioii  is  nbtMined  as  Far  as  Morgan 
('ity  in  an  easterly  dii'ection.  tra\elers  will  take  advan- 
tage of  this  iiiiproveiiienl  and  use  Ihe  New  Orleans- 
Donaldsonville  I'oute  to  reach  Southwestern  Ijouisiana 
and  Texas.  The  proposed  im])rovement  in  .lett'ersiui 
Davis  parish  may  be  considered  as  furming  oiie-tonrtli 
of  the  Texas-Liuiisiana  liighwa.A'. 

The  roads  are  to  be  of  standard  gravel  construction 
and  will  be  built  by  Colonel  Stevens  under  tlie  jirovis- 
ions  set  forth  by  the  United  States  Highway  Depai't- 
iiient.  Work  will  begin  about  November  1st.  and  the 
present  estimate  is  that  the  task  will  re(|uire  abinit  one 
year,  Tlie  State  Highway  Dejiai-tment  is  now  consider- 
ir._'  the  ]ilans  for  roads  leading  to  Crowley,  and  when 
this  work  will  have  been  completed,  modern  roadwa.\- 
construction  will  be  within  eighty-five  miles  of  New 
Orleans. 

The  success  of  Colonel  Stevens  in  securing  the  half 
million  dollar  contract  may  be  considered  as  speciall,\' 
gratifying  to  his  New  Orleans  friends.  Colonel  Ste- 
vens was  a  graduate  from  the  State  University  in  the 
class  of  '98.  and  followed  the  post  graduate  engineering 
course  at  Tulaiie.  He  has  practiced  surveying  and  ar- 
chitecture continuously  and  has  constructed  a  number 
of  notable  public  buildings,  particularly  court  houses 
and  schools.  He  it  was  who  planned  all  of  the  work 
for  the  Southern  States  Fair  in  New  Orleans,  and,  in 
addition  to  the  engineering  and  agricnitui-al  work  in 
general,  he  is  identified  with  the  ^lississippi  bridge  pro- 
.iect,  and  is  in  conference  with  the  City  Belt  Kailroail 
Commission   concerning  features  connected  therewith. 

Colonel  Stevens  has  been  a  zealous  worker  for  good 
roads,  and  is  especially  interested  in  constructing  a 
continuous  model  highway  from  the  Texas  border  to 
New  Orleans  by  way  of  the  proposed  river  highway 
bridge.  The  contract  .just  adjudicated  to  him  includes 
twent.v-six  miles  of  this  model  highway  road,  which 
will  join  the  Calcasieu  model  roads  on  the  west  and  the 
contemplated  Acadia  parish  roads  on  the  east.  C!oljiiel 
Stevens'  army  record  is  well  known,  but  not  many  ex- 
cept his  close  friends  appreciate  the  ramifications  of 
his  business,  nor  do  they  know  that  he  is  extensively 
engaged  in  agriculture  and  live  stock  breeding,  being 
the  chief  owner  in  the  Stevensdale  Land  Company.  Inc. 
of  East  Baton  Rouge  parish.  He  is  an  Elk,  a  Shriner, 
and  a  member  of  the  Chess  and  Press  clubs. 


22 


soi'TiiKiJX  cool)  i;o.\i)S 


I'.lIT 


Relation  of  Inspector  to  Contractors. 

Ill  till'  |ii- iccsscs  of  cither  iHililic  or  jirivntc  dcvrloii- 
iiU'iil  \Mi-ious  fjii'liirs.  tiriiis  :iii(l  individuals  iinisl  lie 
Considrrcd.  Tlir  iiriiici]);!)  furnishes  the  finance,  he  he 
cithci'  iiidi\'idu;d  private  "v  ])uhlic  corporation  ;nul  the 
importance  of  ade(|uatc  I'elurns  for  Ihe  iii\i>stnieiit 
should  l)p  considei'cd  the  sanu'  in  each  i-ase.  h'm-  this 
pui'])ose  Ihc  cu^'ineer  ov  architect  is  .suppiised  lo  repre- 
sciil  the  pi'incipai  hiil  in  I  lie  |U'ocesscs  of  exi.'cul  in;^'  Ihe 
wiM'k    Ihe    colli  ractur    is    as    inipni'lanl     i'achn'    and    his 

I'iyhts  (iiid   place  shoidil   I i)iisidercil   liy  the  engineer 

or  architect  and  each  .sh(ndd  meet  the  other  in  a  spirit 
of  fairness.  One  of  tlie  prohlems  that  confronts  the 
designing  engineer  and  architect  is  to  get  material  ap- 
plied into  the  Avjrk  so  as  to  produce  the  maximum  of 
efficiency.  In  these  processes  the  contractor  occupies 
an  important  position.  The  most  carefull.y  planned  and 
prepared  design  will  fail  if  the  incorporation  of  mate- 
rials are  not  done  according  to  mechanical  skill  and 
with  the  greatest  care.  After  the  designer  has  planned 
a  ]iiece  of  w:irk  and  the  principal  has  jirovided  the  fi- 
nance to  produce  it  according  to  the  jilans  and  specifi- 
cations, it  hccomes  the  duty  of  the  supei'vising  engi- 
neer to  get  for  the  jirincipal  the  results  ant  icijiated  in 
the  [ilanning  of  the  woi'k'.  In  his  p<isition  the  supervis- 
ing engineer  occujiies  the  position  if  a  judge  passing 
upon  the  i-esults  as  the  contractor  presents  them  in  the 
form  of  materials,  workmanship  and  completed  parts 
of  the  jn-ojeet.  Tt  is  his  duty  to  si'c  that  no  inferior 
materials  are  employed  and  tluit  the  woi'k  is  heing 
prosecuted  according  to  the  intent  and  meaning  of  the 
eonti-act  and  to  this  end  it  is  his  duty  as  inspector,  su- 
pervisor or  engineer  ti)  impart  such  information  as  will 
enahle  the  work-men  to  perform  their  duties  in  the  most 
efficient  manner.  Xo  man  should  midertake  to  per- 
form the  (liitii's  (if  snper\'is  ir  or  inspector  if  he  does 
not  have  a  cmiiplete  kniwli'di:!'  nf  the  woi'k  proposed 
and  who  is  not  capalile  of  fairly  and  impartially  de- 
ciding upon  every  jihase  of  the  project  as  it  is  present- 
ed, ilany  contract  u's  have  lieen  refpiired  to  do  un- 
necessary work  because  the  insjiector  failed  to  measure 
np  the  re(|uireii]ent  of  his  position  aiul  while  on  the 
other  hand  many  sti'Uctures  are  not  up  to  the  highest 
standard  of  efficiency  because  the  inspector  was  not 
capable  of  protecting  the  interest  of  the  principal.  The 
inspector  must  be  capable  fr.)m  experience  and  train- 
ing, honest  aiul  fair  iinnded  to  be  the  right  man  for  the 

place. 

Yours    \'er\-    tndv. 
W.    VA.    STATE    ROAD    BUREAr. 
A.    I).    Williams.    Chief   Road    Engineer. 


Alabama  Association  Incorporated. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Alabama  Good  Roads 
Association,  which  met  in  Hirmingham  on  Novendier 
15th  and  IGth,  the  necessary  j)ai)crs  were  adopted  au- 
thorizing the  incorporation  of  the  association  under  the 
laws  of  Alabama.  Ex-Senator  Frank  S.  AVhite,  Chair- 
man of  the  Sjiecial  Committee,  iirepai'ed  the  legal  pa- 
pers which  were  unanimously  adopted  by  the  associa- 
tion. These  papers  have  been  filed  in  the  probate 
judge's  office  of  Jefferson  cnunly.  and  also  in  the  office 
of  Secretary  of  slate,  and  have  been  passed  upon  by 
the   propel-   aulli  irit  ies. 

-Mr.  .1.  A.  Roiintree.  Seci-etai-y  of  the  Association,  who 
"•as  authorized  by  the  incorporators  to  do  all  things 
necessary  in  incorporating  tlie  association,  has  received 
otficial  notice  that  the  organization  is  now  an  incorpor- 
ated body  aii<l  has  all  the  ij.u'hts  and  powers  to  conduct 


a  legal  corporation.  The  association  has  the  pnwer  to 
conduct  and  maintain  suitable  cpmrters  for  its  mem- 
bers and  guests,  including  cafes,  club  rooms  or  oftices 
in  the  city  of  Birmingham;  t.)  engage  in,  promote  or 
assist  in  public  undertakings:  to  hold  institutes;  To 
promote  and  umintaiii  exhibits;  to  pulilish  maps,  books, 
journals  or  newspapers;  to  assist  in  matters  as  it  may 
deem  pi-oper  or  expedient  and  t(.  engage  in  any  legiti- 
mate enterprise,  industry  or  undertaking  for  the  pur- 
pose   if  furthering  tli<'  object  of  the  association. 

()\-er  two  hundred  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  in 
all  Avalks  of  life  are  the  incorporators  of  the  Alabama 
(rood  Roads  Association.     Among  the  nundjer  are: 

J.  A.  Rountree,  wlui  is  one  of  the  founders  and  has 
served  as  Secretarj-  of  the  association  for  the  past  twen- 
ty .vears ;  United  States  Senator  John  II.  Bankhea<l  of 
Jasper;  Lieut.  Governor  Thos.  E.  Kilb.v,  of  Anniston  : 
Cnited  States  Senator  Oscar  T7nderwood  of  Birming- 
ham; State  riighwa.\'  C  mimissioner  John  Craft  of  IMo- 
bilc;  Congressman  John  L.  Burnett  of  Gadsden;  Con- 
gressman Fred  L.  Blackmon  of  Ainiiston  ;  Congressman 
E.  B.  xVlmon  of  Tuscundtia  ;  Dr.  Geo.  H.  Denny,  Presi- 
dent of  the  State  University;  Judge  C.  E.  Thomas, 
President  of  Alaliania  P>ankers  Association;  W.  L.  Wa- 
ters. President  Alabama  Retail  ilerchants  Associatiin; 
J.  W.  Gwin.  President  of  Jefferson  count.v  Board  of 
Revenue;  Ex-Senator  Frank  S.  White  of  Ijirnnnghani ; 
John  W.  O'Neill.  Vice  President  of  the  United  States 
Good  Roads  Association.  Birmingham;  Judge  Daniel 
Gr(M'n  of  Birmingham. 


Entertain  The  Road  Builders. 

The  ])lans  of  the  committee  in  charuc  .  f  lue  enter- 
tainment of  delegates  to  the  Fourteenth  Annual  Con- 
vention of  the  x\.merican  Road  Builders'  Association 
have  progressed  to  a  i)oiiit  wh.icli  iiulicates  that  nmri' 
attention  will  be  given  to  this  feature  of  tlie  gathering 
than  at  previous  meetings  o  fthe  organization.  The 
I'onvention  will  be  held  in  ^lechanics  Building.  Bos- 
ton. .Mass..  during  the  week  beginning  February  5, 

A  special  effort  is  being  made  to  secure  a  larger  at- 
tendance of  the  wives  and  daughters  of  delegates  at 
this  convention  and  a  program  is  being  pi'epared  for 
their  particular  benefit. 

It  has  been  practically  ctecided  to  hold  a  reception  in 
the  convention  hall  on  the  opening  night,  February 
■").  On  this  evening  the  Eighth  National  Good  Roads 
Show,  which  is  to  be  held  in  conjunction  with  the  con- 
vention, will  be  open  and  an  opportunity  will  be  af- 
forded those  attending  the  reeeiition  to  inspect  the 
various  exhibits. 

The  first  allotment  of  exhibition  space  was  made  last 
week.  Applications  ali-ead.v  received  indicate  beyond 
cpiestion  that  this  will  be  the  most  important  exhibition 
of  its  kind  ever  held  in  the  United  States. 

In  addition  t  )  the  program  now  being  jn-epared  b.\' 
the  committee  of  the  Association,  the  ^Massachusetts 
Highway  Association  lias  authorized  a  special  com- 
mittee to  provide  an  entertainment  for  the  delegates 
on  the  evening  of  Feliruary  H.  A  hall,  only  a  block 
away  from  Jlechanics  Building,  has  been  engaged  for 
the  purpose  and  a  program  is  in  course  of  preparation. 
This  entertainment  will  begin  at  7:30  o'clock  and  con- 
tinue as  long  as  the  visitors  desire.  Refreshments  will 
lie  served. 

The  annual  dinner  of  the  American  Roail  Builder,s' 
Association  will  be  held  at  the  Copley  Plaza  Hotel  on 
the  evening  of  Febrtiary  7,  Other  features  will  be  an- 
nounced later, 


.TaiHi.irA-,   HM7 


SOUTHERN  (lOOl)   i;()AI)S 


Virginia  Road  Builders'  Meeting. 

The  Virginia  Huad  IJuihlt'rs"  Association  expects  ti 
hold  its  sixtli  animal  convention 'in  Norfolk,  X'ii'^inia. 
on  January  IHtli.  ITlh  and  IStli.  1917.  The  object  of 
this  convention  is  to  discuss  road  construction  and 
maintenance  in  \'irj;inia  in  all  its  phases. 

Addresses  will  he  made  by  persons  primiuently  con- 
nected with  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  roads 
in  this  and  other  States. 

The  Federal  Aid  Koad  Act.  and  the  I'ules  and  rei;-ii- 
lations  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  I'elating  thereto, 
will  he  explained  by  Mr.  G.  P.  Coleman.  State  Highway 
Commissioner,  aiul  an  opportunity  will  be  given  to 
those  wh  )  are  interested  in  the  construction  of  inter- 
state highways  with  Federal  Aid  to  show  the  advan- 
tages of  the  roads  in  which  they  are  interested. 

A  meeting  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  last 
General  Assembly  to  recommend  to  the  next  General 
Assembly  a  system  of  State  highways  has  been  called 
for  the  .same  "time  and  place  as  this  convention  by  Sen- 
ator C.  O'Connor  G^)olrick.  Chairman,  and  all  persons 
interested  in  the  location  of  such  highways  will  have 
the  opportunity  to  express  their  views  to  the  commit- 
tee. 

The  question  of  maintenance  will  receive  special  con- 
sideration and  nu'thods  followed  in  ither  States  will  be 
considered  with  regard  to  their  application  to  condi- 
tions in  Virginia. 

Reduced  railroad  fare  from  points  in  Virginia  will 
be  given  to  this  convention. 

The  headquarters  of  this  ass  )ciation  will  he  at  the 
ilonticello  Hotel,  and  special  rates  have  been  given  by 
the  Hotel  for  this  occasion. 

Other  meetings  of  this  association  have  been  held  in 
Southwest  Virginia  and  in  Washingtim.  D.  C.  and  this 
is  considered  an  opportune  time  to  hold  a  c  invention  in 
the  eastern  section  of  the  State. 

Norfolk  comity  is  expending  over  ^2(1(1.0(1(1  in  the 
construction  of  concrete  highways,  and  a  tour  of  in- 
spection will  be  made  :)f  them.  The  Federal  Govern- 
ment is  planning  to  spend  a  large  sum  of  money  in  ad- 
ditions to  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard,  and  a  trip  is  iilan- 
ned  to  the  Navy  Yard.  Other  trips  and  eiitertainnients 
are  being  arranged  for  the  delegates  attiMidiiig  this 
convention. 

It  is  of  the  nliiiost  iiiiportaiice  that  those  Avlio  are 
onseltishly  interested  in  the  i.iipr  ivemeiit  of  the  pub- 
lic highways  of  this  state  should  attend  tliis  convention 
and  aid  in  the  solution  of  the  imiiortaiit  problciiis  which 
will  he  considered  by  those  present. 

County  and  city  officials  and  all  other  persons  in- 
terested in  road  cnnstructijn  and  maintenance  are  in- 
vited to  attend  this  convention  and  take  part  in  its 
proceedings.  C.  B.  SCOTT,  Secretary. 


Oklahoma  Prisoners  on  Roads. 

All  prisoners  of  the  state  m  the  Oklahoma  peniten- 
tiary who  may  be  employed  without  the  walls  are  en- 
gaged in  road  building  in  several  of  the  couiities  un- 
der provisions  if  the  law.  These  number  about  3.")0. 
Their  employment  on  the  highways  is  resulting  in  a 
great  many  miles  of  good  roads.  The  cost  to  the  state 
for  this  employment  is  the  same  as  it  would  be  if  the 
men  were  confined  within  the  prison,  as  the  counties 
pay  the  difference  between  their  maintenance  in  camps 
and  in  the  penitentiary.  To  the  extent,  therefore,  that 
the  men  are  employed  in  road  building,  the  state  is 
getting  no  nearer  to  a  self  supporting  basis  for  the  pris- 
oners. 


RED  CROSS 

LOW  FREEZING 

EXPLOSIVES 

FOR 

ROAD 
MAKING 


A  PRACTICAL  knowl- 
edge of  the  use  of  ex- 
plosives combined 
with  the  employment  of 
modern  roadbuilding  ma- 
chinery simplifies  con- 
struction, increases  the 
mileage  and  makes  a  ma- 
terial reduction  in  cost 
per  mile. 

FREE  BOOKLET 
TELLS  HOW  i 

to  use  DU  PONT  RED 
CROSS  LOW -FREEZ- 
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ly in  connection  with 
modern  road  -  building 
machinery.  Get  a  copy.  | 
Learn  the  new  ways  to 
make  highways.  Send 
for  FREE  BOOKLET 
"Road  Construction  and 
Maintenance."  i 


E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DEL. 


Mogul  and  Titan  Tractors  Operate  on  Kerosene 
and  Other  Low  Priced  Fuels 

Years  ago  the  makers  of  Mogul  and  Titan  tractors  realized  that  if 
there  was  to  be  cheap  power  for  building  roads  it  irust  ccnne  from  the 
iower  priced  fuels— not  from  gasoline.  Accordingly,  the  keenest  in- 
ventive minds  and  the  best  skill  obtainable  were  put  to  the  task  of  de- 
signing tractors  that  would  use  kerosene  as  well  as  or  better  than 
other  tractors  operate  on  gasoline  and  at  the  rame  time  do  the  most  re- 
liable work-  The  Mogul  and  Titan  kerosene  tractors  are  the  succesi>ful 
result  as  experienced  road  commissioners  and  contractors  know. 

That  is  why  you  will  find  in  every  section  of  the  country  today, 
wherever  highways  are  being  bettered.  International  Harvester  trac- 
tors in  the  folio  ving  sizes,  rendering  uniform  lasting  good  service: 
Mogul  8-t6-H.  P.;  Titan  ie-20-H.  P.:  Mogul  I2-2S-H.  P.; 
Titaa  15-30-M.  P.;  and  Titan  30-60-B.  P. 

Possibly  your  road  maintenance  costs  are  higher  than  they  need  be. 
Perhaps  a  little  investigation  would  pay.  Would  you  like  to  see  some 
of  the  figures  we  have  collected  — some  of  the  savings  we  have  helped 
other  contractors  and  road  builders  to  make  by  changing  over  to  Mogul 
or  Titan  kerosene  tractor  power?  They'll  cost  you  nothing  but  a  two- 
cent  stamp  and  a  little  time.    Write  for  them. 

International  Harvester  Company  of  America 

(Incorporated) 
151  Harvester  Building  Chicago  USA 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Jannarv,  1917 


The  Foimtain  of  Youth  Abroad. 

A  modern  "' Fountain  of  Eternal  Youtli"  has  been 
(lisri)vered  by  E.  B.  Sweazy.  of  Fi'esno,  L'al..  who,  with 
his  wife,  is  makinti-  a  ten  thousand  mile  circle  tour  of 
Ihr  I'liited  States  in  an  ci^ht  i-yiinder  Oldsmobile  tour- 
ing ciir.  .Mr.  iinil  .Mi's.  Sweazy  ai'e  each  fif)  years  old. 
hut  they  are  traveling;-  ;done  and  campinfi'  every  niiilit 
that  the  weather  is  "■•^"<1  by  tile  roadside. 

The  Swcazys  stai'led  fi-om  tin;'ir  home  in  Fresno  last 
.March  and  they  e.xpeet  to  tinish  the  trip  about  (.'hrist- 
nnis  111'  New  "^'eai-'s,  spending'  aim  ist  a  year  on  the 
i'ii;id.  They  riiri-y  a  tent,  two  cuts,  :i  camii  stove  and 
(ithcr  cani|iiii,u'  c(|uipiiient  in  the  tmnican  id'  their  ciii' 
and  camp  where  darkness  ON'ei'takes  them.  "We'd 
i-athci'  sleep  under  canvas  than  under  wall  paper,"  says 
.Mr.  Sweazy. 

T'iie  Lincoln  Ilighway  was  followed  by  the  Sweazys 
in  tlie  first  part  of  their  journe.v.  The  remarkable  pull- 
ing power  of  the  eight  cylinder  motor  made  the  criss- 
ing  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas.  the  Rockies  and  the  desert 
cinnparatively  easy,  according  tn  Mr.  Sweatzy.  They 
visited  Chicago  and  then  went  to  the  Olds  .Motor  Works 
in  Lansing.  .Mich.  ivc;i\ing  ijansing.  they  ])assfd 
thrinigli  Cb'veland  and  liuffMlo  on  their  way  t)  Syi'a- 
cusc.  .\.  v..  whei'c  they  visited  relatives.  New  Yoi'k 
and  Wiishingtiin  were  visited  ne.xt.  The  Sweazys  are 
siimewhere  in  the  Kast  at  tiie  present  time.  They  ex- 
]iect  to  strike  south  fi'iiin  Washingtnn  mi  the  Capital 
ilighway  or  Seminole  Trail  for  Augusts,  (ia.  From 
.\ug'usta  they  will  go  to  .\ew  (.)rleans  :iiiil  then  up  the 
15 :)i'der  Trail  to  HI  Paso.  They  will  follnw  the  Sunset 
Trail  into  Los  .\ngeles  and  then  home. 

■"There  is  nothing  like  automid)ile  touring  to  keep 
I  he  mind  and  body  strong,"  said  Mr.  Sweazy  during  his 
visit  to  the  factor>".  ""I  know  that  ten  thousand  miles 
is  a  pretty  long  ti'ip,  but.  pshaw,  we're  only  a  little  over 
sixty.  1  worked  all  m\  life  u|)  tn  tlii'ee  yars  ago  ami 
n.iw  we'i'e  going  to  have  a  good  time  and  see  the  coun- 
try." 

H  )th  ;\lr.  and  .Mi's.  Sweazy  Imve  the  Mppearanee  of 
persons  ten  years  ynunger.  They  are  enjoying  their 
triji  tn  the  utmost. 


Creator's  Distribution  of  Highw^ay  Material. 

■'The  Creator  exercised  a  considerable  intluenee  in 
the  determination  of  types  of  highway  by  His  ilistrihu- 
tioii  of  road  material."  he  said,  in  answering  a  favorite 
criticism  against  technically  qualified  highway  depart- 
HH-nts  which  are  charged  with  building  "expensive 
t>|)es  of  roatl  instead  of  the  ex|)ensive  roads." 

These  are  the  words  nf  •).  K.  I'ennyba(d\er.  chief  of 
I'oad  ei-  inomies  from  Washington,  at  tin'  X'irginia  Good 
Riiads  Convention.  He  further  said  tinit  available  na- 
tive matei'ial  should  determine  to  a  great  extent  the 
type  of  road  built  in  X'irginia.  rather  thiin  sand-clay, 
gl'avel  and  top-soil  niiids.  if  these  materials  have  to  lie 
li'anspiU'led  a  ciinsiderMhle  distance.  In  the  state  of 
Virginia  the  Ci'catoi'  placed  up  and  dnwn  the  length 
of  the  great  Valley  nf  X'irginia  an  alunidance  of  lime- 
stone, which  fact  makes  for  a  moderate  cost  in  the  enn- 
struction  of  limestone  macadam  roads.  It  is  idle  tn 
talk  of  building  smid-clay  roads  in  the  Valley  of  Vir- 
ginia, for  the  Creator  gave  that  region  an  abundance 
of  clay,  whereas  He  put  most  of  the  sand  east  of  the 
]-51ue  Ridge.  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  sa.y  that  limestone 
roads  should  be  built  in  the  Valley  rather  than  hauling 
material  over  the  mountains  to  construct  sand  roads. 
Surely  native  matei'ial  is  best  in  considering  cost. 

Coiivei'seh-,   the   eastern,   southeastern    and   snuthein 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  v^^ith  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


WALTER  WILSON  CROSBY 

Member  Am.  Soc.  C.  E. 
CONSULTING  ENGINEER  HIGHWAYS 

1431  Munsey  Buildine.  BALTIMORE,  MD. 


W.  S.  FALLIS,  RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
Civil  and  Highway  Engineer 

Highway,  Bridge  and  Sewer  Construction.    Street  Paving:  and 
Water  Works 


CEMENT  CLAY  GRAVEL 

The  ideal  material  for  permanent 
streets  and  roads.  Does  not 
ravel  or  wash.  Cheapest  in  first 
cost  and  maintenance. 

CAPE  FEAR  GRAVEL  CO,  Inc. 


Norfolk,  Va. 


Lillington,  N.  C. 


RUSSELL 

Road  Machines  ^|i» 

Rnccall  Rna<l  Planorc  Offers  most  modern  'wholesale'  meth- 
IVUSMSII  IVUdU  r  l<iuer»  od  of  road  grading  and  planing  at  lowest 
cost  Two  sizes  No.  1.  for  tractors  25-3.S  H.  P.  No  2,  for  S  horses  or 
15-2.5  H.  P.  tractor.  Operated  by  one  man.  Each  blade  adjusted  in- 
dependently. They  maybe  brought  up  close  to  machine.  Dresses  en- 
tire width  of  road  in  one  operation. 


RUSSELL  GR4DER  IVIFG.  CO..  lUinneapoIis,  Minn. 


3mprniirii  Waab  iSork  irtlla 

are  built  to  be  "Cleaned  up  with  a 
Sledge  Hammer"  and  "Wiped  off  with 
a  Scoop  Shovel,"  and  yet  "Stay  with 
you."  Not  always  in  the  Hospital,  but 
on  the  job  until  overtaken  byold  age. 

Waoh  irill  Marks 

32  Dale  Ave.,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

,  E.  F.  CRAVEN 

Selling  Agent        GREENSBORO.  N.  C. 


.T;imini'\-,   1!)17 


KOrTIIERN  GOOD   lioAD.S 


25 


pDi'tioiis  (if  the  state  have  gTavel  and  sand-chiy  and  top 
soil,  with  but  little  suitable  road-buiidiug  rock,  and 
so  in  these  sections  of  the  state  J;lie  gravel  road,  the 
sand-clay  road  and  the  top-soil  road  usually  predomi- 
nate. It  is  unjust,  therefore,  for  the  people  of  the  Val- 
ley of  Virginia  to  gnuuble  because  they  do  not  gd 
sand-clay  roads  i)uilt  by  the  Highway  Deparluient,  or 
for  the  people  in  Eastern  Virginia  lo  grumble  because 
they  do  not  get  limestone  macadam  roads  Iniilt  l)y  the 
Highway  Department. 

JVIr.  Pennybaeher  said  that  he  found  that  of  2,!)l(i 
miles  of  state-aid  road,  880  miles  consisted  of  macatl- 
aui,  475  miles  of  gravel,  1,1 59  .miles  of  soil  or  sand-clay 
and  only  lOM'I  miles  of  concrete  and  bituminous  ma 
cadam.  It  is  thus  evident  that  the  mileage  of  the 
cliea,per  type,  such  as  gravel  and  soil  or  sand-clay,  was 
nuire  than  twice  as  great  as  the  mileage  of  macadam 
and  that  of  the  types  more  expensive  than  macadam  the 
mileage  was  almost  negligible.  It  is  hard  to  conceive 
any  highway  construction  program  more  conservative 
in  its  avoidance  of  costly  construction.  He  then  pro- 
ceeded to  point  out  the  most  serious  defect  in  the  state 
highway  system  ;)f  Virginia.  The  faidt  was  not  of  the 
Highway  Department,  he  said,  but  of  legisbitiim.  in  its 
failure  to  provide   adequate  maintenance. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  said,  "of  a  single  state  which 
has  not  failed  to  pass  through  a  most  trying  time  with 
r-efei-ence  to  the  nuiintenance  of  the  highways  constrm-- 
led  under  state  supervision.  Naturally,  the  stale  leg- 
islatures thought  in  the  first  instance  that  it  they  pro- 
vided Funds  and  expert  supei'visinn  to  l)uild  the  r  lads 
needed  by  tlie  counties  or  to  aid  in  building  these  ro;uls, 
siii-ely  the  counties  should  be  expcclcd  to  take  care  of 
the  \itilities  thus  created." 

T'his  expert  on  roads  and  Ihcii'  cost  said  ahimst  witli- 
out  exception  the  counties  failed  to  meet  their  obliga- 
tions in  the  care  of  the  roads,  and  so  the  states  have 
gradually  found  it  necessaiy  to  assume  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  state  find  state-aid  roads.  Ai-izona,  Califnr- 
iiia,  Connecticut.  Elaine  and  ten  other  states  ai'c  all 
spending  money  for  maintenance,  and  it  is  the  part  of 
for  Virginia  to  longer  depend  iipui  the  counties  to 
maintain  the  state-aid  roads. 

lie  also  maintained  it  is  a  seri  uis  matt  r  to  spend 
millions  of  dollars  to  create  a  utility  and  then  to  allow 
it  to  go  to  rack  and  ruin  for  lack  of  an  amount  for 
maintenance,  which  wimld  be  snial  in  c  iiii|i:irisoii  with 
the  original  outlay. 

Dixie  Highway  System. 

'Puking  the  various  units  in  the  Dixie  bighwMy 
scheme  as  a  \vh  ile.  the  expenditure  upon  the  under- 
taking, up  to  August  2(i  of  the  pi'csent  Near,  is  eiLiqiu- 
ted  at  about  $7,0(IO.t>0(l.  It  is  expected  that,  when  com- 
pleted, the  enterprise  «'ill  have  cost  s  inu'thing  like 
$2."). 000,000,  so  that  sonu4hing  mure  than  nue  (|uarter  of 
the  (>stimated  total  has  now  been  expended.  Taking 
the  states  traversed  as  units,  each,  through  county  ac- 
tion, is  building  not  only  trunk  but  branch  lines  or 
"feeders.""     The  Dixie  highway  is  not  simply  a  stretch 


of  a  single  i-oadway  ruiuiing  fi'om  the  nirtheni  tn  tlii' 
southei-n  boundary  of  the  United  States,  or  from  north- 
ern Michigan  to  southern  Florida,  but,  rather,  a  chain 
of  systems  of  highwnys  converging  at  intiM'vals  toward 
a  trunk  line  thai  bears  dii'cctly  in  a  n(ir1herly  or  s  iiitli- 
erly   ilirection. 

There  are  signs  (d'  increasing  I'alliei-  than  lagging  in- 
terest abiiig  the  entire  riiute.  Taking  the  extremes, 
which,  by  the  way.  in  this  instance  may  be  regarded 
as  typical.  1liei-e  is  fair  assui'auee  that  the  Dixie  liigli- 
way  tlu'ougli  .Michigan  will  be  entii'cly  surfaced  b<d'nri> 
the  ]iresent  yeai'  is  ended,  while  in  Florida  imc  ni  the 
greatest  pieces  of  work  nndertaken  in  connection  with 
the  entire  enterprise  is  being  rapidly  carried  torward. 
This  is  the  link  IVdiii  .\readi,i  Ihrough  I'inita  (iirda. 
along  ('liarliitte  liarlior,  thrimgh  Ft.  IMyers  and  .Mai-cn 
to  IMianii,  a  stretch  that  is  to  be  asphalted  ami  ready 
for  travel  in  11)17.  This  link  will,  eventually,  eiiabb' 
the  autoiuobile  tnurist  from  the  shore  of  Lake  Snpeiinr 
to  enter  the  Kv'crglades. 


In  a  Virginia  County. 

One  of  the  must  progressive  cimimunities  in  lioaii- 
ike  ciiunty.  \'a..  at  thi'  pri'seiil  time  is  CarviiTs  ('o\'c. 
the  secliiiii  Just  iKO'tli  (if  llollins  ('iillege  along  the  bur- 
lier line  lielween  Kiiaihike  and  ISoti'tinirt  eoinity.  The 
peiiple  id'  this  eiimmiiiiity  ha\-e  formed  a  "School  Im- 
lirovemenl  League"  which  is  irit  only  active  in  aiding 
in  the  upbuilding  of  edneational  atfairs  in  the  com- 
munity, but  has  iiiiderlaken  many  othei-  activities  of 
local  impriixement.  -lust  at  present  the\'  are  endiark'- 
ing  upon  a  vigoi'ous  etfort  to  secure  for  their  commun- 
ity a  liettei-  outlet  to  the  macadam  road,  i-ealizing  that 
the  de\-elopmenl  d'  their  beautiful  section  is  being  re- 
tai'ded  by  the  pr-esent   condition  of  the  roads. 

The  jieople  of  this  si'ction  have  good  reason  to  expect 
much  outside  aid  in  the  building  of  the  roail  contem- 
|)lated,  fill'  thei'c  is  no  question  that  with  a  satisfactoi'y 
i-oad  through  the  Cove  one  of  the  most  beautiful  drives 
in  this  whole  wonderful  section  would  be  opened  up  to 
ai'.toniobilists  and  othei's.  The  desire  is  to  make  ai 
least  a  well  gi'atled  dirt  i' lad  from  the  intersection  of 
the  Cai-vin's  Cove  road  with  the  main  macadam  road  at 
Tinker  ci'eek  near  llollins  northward  and  then  west- 
ward through  the  cove,  thence  by  Bennett  "s  Spring, 
c  iiiuecting  with  the  Salem-Catawba  railroad.  As  is 
generally  known  Salem  district  intemls  to  iii  icadam- 
ize  this  road  fi'om  Salem  to  the  foot  of  Catawba  in  niii- 
tain. 

This  r  lad  \voiilil  be  \ery  easy  to  improve  at  c,im|)ar- 
atividy  small  cost.  I  hi'  roadbeil  being  for  a  c:insider;i- 
ble  part  of  the  distance  a  hard  red  shale  \>'liicli  makes 
an  ideal  dirt  road,  'the  scenery  along  the  I'oute  em- 
braces every  variety  which  has  made  the  mountains  of 
Southwest  Virginia  rival  the  show-places  of  the  world. 
The  road  leads  by  the  beautiful  Carvin's  falls,  by  l>en- 
nett  Sjiring.  a  sulpliur  spring  of  wonderful  strength 
and  value,  and  also  by  "Kernidiff. ""  the  beautiful  home 
d'  Senator  ami  ^Irs.  John  W.  Kern. 


ATLANTIC 


Asphalt     Products 


Ask 

.THf  ATLANTIC  ^EF.'Jsirifij.xiOf 
P,h:ladclp^ia  and  P;tli}>ii.;g!\^      ;, 


26 


SOlTi'IEKX  (iOOl)   HOADS 


•T;muarv.    IDT 


Joplin  a  Road  Center. 

•Joplin,  ^Missouri,  knows  the  benclits  of  good  roads 
and  her  people  have  set  themselves  the  task  of  making 
that  eity  one  of  the  great  good  roads  centers  of  th^' 
state.  How  well  they  siieceeded  during  1915  is  shown 
hy  I  he  I'eeord  of  constriction  that  lollinvs. 

Jimlt  e  road  from  T'Hi:.%ard  Iloll/W  to  R  )ek  Braneh, 
a  distanee  of  eight  or  n'ne  miles. 

Extended  the  Saivoxie  road  a  di.^tance  of  four  mil.  >\ 

Extended  the  county  line  I'oad  from  Conueeticut  a\'- 
■^n\v,  two  miles  south. 

Constructed   a    road   tiirough    ,Mc('!i 
connects  with  the  Yirn-k  Hranch  road, 
miles  loi^^-. 

Huilt  a.  mile  of  road  that  runs  v.-est 
City  road. 

Extended  the  Gulfton  road  one 
mile  south. 

Extended  the  Cotuity  Line  road 
Hollow  a  distanee  of  one  mile. 

In  addition  to  this  the  r jad  district  coiiuaission  plac- 
ed in  condition  miles  of  roads  that  were  out  of  repair. 
It  also  built  other  roads. 

•Joplin  boosters  who  endeavoi-ed  to  arouse  interest  in 
road  building  in  towns  in  contiguius  territcu'y.  real- 
izing this  city  would  he  benefitted  through  better 
means  of  travel  to  and  fi-om  tiu'  neighboring  cities,  did 
not    work   in    vain. 

A  contract  was  let  for  the  construction  of  a  road 
from  Diaiiiond  to  (-iranby.  a  distance  of  P1V2  miles.  This 
road  will  open  a   new  trade  territory  to  Joplin. 

A  road  was  financed  from  Georgia  City  to  Opolis.  a 
distance   of  eisrht   miles.     When   this  road   is   finished 


Hand    park   that 
This  ri>ad  is  two 

irom  the  Spi'ing 

e  north  and  one 

west  from  Tar.vard 


mi 


there  will  be  a   hard  surfaced  liiKhway  from  .Joi)lin  to 
Pittsburg.  Kan. 

As  a  result  of  their  efforts  a  r-oad  five  miles  in  length 
soon  is  to  be  built  between  Sarcoxie  and  Jit.  Vernon, 
and  a  road  seven  miles  long  is  t:i  be  constructed  east  of 
Mt.  Vernon.  When  these  two  highways  are  liuilt 
there  will  be  a  rock  road  from  -Joplin  to  Si)ringfield. 

A  highway  was  financed  from  Dryfork  on  Spring 
i-iver  to  the  Barton  county  line,  a  distance  of  7%  miles. 
A  movement  was  launched  to  extend  a  road  from  Jas- 
per ti  Lamar  and  these  towns  will  doubtless  be  con- 
nected by  a  good  road  by  spring. 

Interest  was  aroused  in  road  iiuilding  in  Gravette, 
Gentry,  Decatur  and  Siloam  Springs,  Ark.,  and  these 
towns  are  now  united  in  a  plan  to  extend  the  Joplin- 
Xoel  road  south  to  Siloam  Springs.  Boosters  at  Fay- 
etteville  will  build  the  road  still  further  smth.  Local 
men  say  that  within  a  year  Joplin  and  Fort  Smith  prob- 
ably will  be  connected  by  a  good  highway. 

Great  activity  has  been  manifested  north  of  -Joplin 
in  the  -Jefferson  highway.  The  eastern  tier  of  counties 
in  Kansas  and  the  western  tier  of  counties  in  Jlissouri 
are  working  for  the  official  route.  Clubs  have  been 
organized  in  nearly  every  county  between  Kansas  City 
and  Joplin  and  keen  rivalry  has  sprung  up.  Indica 
tions  are  that  during  the  coming  year  both  states  will 
l)uild  main   miles  of  road. 


Some  if  our  Rocky  Mountain  friends  are  going  to 
ask  Congress  to  give  special  aid  of  a  million  dollars  in 
the  construction  of  a  great  circular  highway  running 
through  and  connecting  up  the  National  Parks  of  that 
section. 


\d^ 


^:M 


--•^  -3^         - --• 


AUTOMATIC  YARDAGE  -For  street  work  or  highway 
the  Koehring  paver  and  the  Koehring  boom  a  bucket  sys- 
tem of  distribution  is  absolutely  the  fastest  paving  unit. 
1  he  Koehring  paving  mixer  with  its  double  wide  loading 
skip  Its  fast  charging,  its  liberal  drum  dimensions, 
and  fast  discharge,  turns  out  the  maximum  value  of 
uniformily  mixed  concrete.  The  boom  and  bucket  system 
providing  the  greatest  distributing  range  without  moving 
the  mixer,  and  the  automatic  actions  of  the  Koehring 
'"^kes  It  easy  to  maintain  top-most  capacity. 

Write   for    Koehring    1916   Catalog,    and    booklet  C-4.5, 
Series  C-45. 


^^KSiB    ■ 


WELL  MIXED  CONCRETE  FOR    PERMANE^CY 

Koehring  Sizes  in  Ci'bic  Feet  Capacities.  Mixers  for  construc- 
tion work  :  10,12,15  20.  24.  30.  44.  Equipped  with  low  charging 
hopper,  batch  hopper,  and  side  Joadtr. 

Hot  Mixers  for  Bituminous  Pavements  :  12,  20,  22.  Side  discharge 
type  and  end  discharge  tj  pe. 

Paving  Mixers :    6,   II,   16.  22.    Equipped  with  distributing  boom 
nnd  bucket  or  spout. 
Gasoline  power,  electric  power  or  steam  power. 


KOEHRING  MACHINE  COMPANY,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 


SOUTHErRN 

GoodFoads 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roada  PablishinK  Co. 


Lexington.  N.  C.  February.  1917         '''*"'^  :^^SSrZ^°^'^  " 


Annuity  Serial  Bonds 

A  Substitute  For  Sinking-Fund  Bonds  in  County  Bond  Issues 

By  R.  L.  JAMES,  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 


THIS  ARTICLE  has  been  written  with  the  idea  of 
showinu'  the  uselessness  of  sinking-fuiul  l)onds  to 
the  couiity.  It  is  intended  to  demonstrate  that  a  eonn- 
ty  needlessly  1  )ses  money  when  it  issues  sinking-fund 
l)onds:  and  to  offer  as  a  substitute  a  form  of  bond  that 


MR.  R.  L.  JAMES 
Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

will  do  away  with  this  loss,  and  that  at  the  same  time 
will  have  no  inconveniences  that  the  sinking-fund  bond 
does  not  alsn  ha\c.     Xn  sjn'cial  knowledge  nf  funds  is 


assumed  on  the  part  of  the  reader,  but  it  is  taken  for 
granted,  of  course,  that  he  uiulerstauds  the  general 
principles  of  simple  and  enmpouud  interest. 

At  the  very  start  it  will  l)e  essential  for  us  to  have  a 
perfect  understanding  of  what  the  sinking-fund  bind 
is.  and  how  it  operates.  When  a  county  issues  such 
bonds,  it  is  making  a  written  contract  to  pay  to  the 
purchaser  of  the  bonds  a  specified  amnunt  of  money  at 
the  end  of  a  stated  time,  and  to  pay  interest  at  a  given 
rate  on  that  amount  until  the  time  of  payment  arrives. 
For  example,  a  county  which  issues  .-j^lOd.OOO  worth  of 
.j'(  Imnds  to  run  for  20  years  is  making  a  contract  to 
pay  the  purchaser  of  this  issue  $5,000,00  a  year  for 
twenty  years,  and  at  tlic  end  of  this  time  a  sincrh'  pav- 
ment  of  .'(:100.0(  10.(1(1. 

As  so.)n  as  the  bimds  are  sold,  the  comity  must  start 
a  sinking-fund  with  \\iiii-h  1  >  meet  the  large  final  pay- 
ment. This  fund  is  Imilt  up  of  equal  annual  contri- 
butions, and  the  amount  put  into  it  each  year  is  such 
that  at  tlie  time  the  bomls  fall  due  and  the  final  pay- 
ment must  be  made  by  the  county  the  total  sinking- 
fund — the  sum  of  these  annual  payments  with  com- 
pound interest — will  be  e(iual  to  the  reipiired  payment. 
Jj^lOO.OOO.OO  in  the  example  given.  Let  it  be  supposeil 
that  the  county  keeps  the  sinking-fund  in  a  bank  that 
will  pay  -I'^f  interest  per  year,  a  very  comm  in  practice; 
then  .t'LS.iS.liS  put  into  the  bank  annually  ami  drawing 
compoun.l  interest  will  amoiuit  to  $10(1.000.00  at  the 
end  of  20  years.  That  amount  plus  the  yearly  iutere^st 
that  the  county  must  pay  on  the  bonds  (-to.OOb.OO)  will 
equal  the  annual  cost  of  the  bond  issue,  $8,358.18  in 
the  case  cited.  The  sum  of  all  the  annual  costs  will 
equal  the  total  c  ist  of  the  bond  issue.  In  the  example 
given,  this  would  be  twenty  times  the  annual  cost  $S.- 
358.18).  whieh  is  .-tlOT.lfi.S.fiO. 

Here.  then,  we  luive  a  county  paying  5'^f  on  money 
which  it  owes,  while  it  leaves  money  idle  in  the  bank 
to  draw  only  4';.  Obviously  a  loss  of  1*;,  on  the 
amount  that  is  in  the  l)ank  is  being  suffered  every  year. 
In  the  first  yeai.  when  the  sinking-fund  amounts  to  $3.- 
;>5,s.lS.  the  1  )ss  is  only  .$33.58:  but  this  increases  every 
year  as  the  sinking-fund  becomes  larger,  and  we  find 
that,  in  the  eighteenth  year,  for  example,  when  the 
sinking-fund  has  a  value  of  $8f5.11!».t)2.  the  loss  be- 
comes the  considerable  amount  of  ^f8tl^.l!).  If  the  rate 
of  interest  that  the  county  ]iays  on  the  bonds  is  more 
than  1%  higher  than  that  whieh  it  receives  ou  the  sink- 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Februar\-.  1917 


ing-fund.  as  very  often   the  i/ase.  then  the  loss  is  still 
greatei'  than   iiulieated   above. 

An  apparently  simple  means  of  doinji'  away  with  this 
loss  would  be  for  the  eoiuity  to  arrange  to  jiay  back 
principal  yearly  with  that  part  of  the  annual  eost  not 
used  to  pay  interest  on  the  bonds,  thus  entirely  doin<;- 
away  with  a  sinking-fund.  While  this  would  make 
necessary  some  other  form  of  bond  than  the  one  we 
have  been  discussing  up  to  this  point,  no  difficulty  is 
encountered,  for  the  annuity  serial  Ijond — sometimes 
called  sinipl.N'  annuity  bond — which  we  shall  consider 
fi'om  here  oh.  upci-ates  on  .just  that  jilan.  and  permits. 
thiTcliy  .a  \CL-y  niatcrial  reduction  in  the  annual  cost, 
as   wc   shall    later   sec. 

In  issuing  annuity  bonds,  a  c  )unty  contracts  to  [lay 
for  the  total  bond  issue  in  stated  yearly  inst;dlments. 
and  also  to  pay  interest  at  a  given  rate  each  year  on 
all  the  principal  owing  at  the  beginning  of  that  year. 
The  amount  of  each  installment  is  so  tig\ired.  that  the 
siuii  of  the  principal  repaid  at  the  end  of  any  yeai-  and 
the  interest  for  that  year  is  very  nearly  the  same  for 
each  year  iluring  the  total  ruu  of  the  bond  issue.  A 
study  of  the  accompan.ving  table,  showing  the  schedule 
foi'  the  repayment  of  a  5','  :|;l(iiMlOn.O()  bond  issue  in 
twenty  years,  shoidd  give  a  clear  undi'i'standing  of  the 
method  of  paying  fortius  type  of  bond.  The  interest 
for  the  yeai-  d-oluiini  3)  is  aiwaxs  7i<„  of  the  priiicii)al 
iwing  at  the  beginning  nf  the  sanu'  year  (colunui2.> 
The  principal  repaid  at  end  of  yeai'  (colunui  4)  sub- 
tracted from  the  principal  owing  at  the  beginning  of 
the  same  year  (column  2)  gives  the  principal  owing  at 
the  beginning  of  the  next  year  (cnhunn  2.)  Tlic  siuii 
of  the  intere.st  for  the  year  (eoluuui  3  )  and  the  princijial 
repaid  at  the  end  of  year  (colunui  4)  equals  the  total 
payment  for  the  year  (colunui  5.) 

The  sum  of  all  the  annual  payments,  which  amounts 
to  i|il60,405.00,  is  the  total  cost  of  the  bond  issue.  This 
is  less  than  the  total  cost  of  the  sinking-fund  bond  is- 
sue, !|;167,lfci3.60.  by  $6,758.60.  Had  less  than  4%  been 
obtained  on  the  sinking-fund,  in  the  former  case,  the 
advantage  of  the  annuity  bond  would  have  been  even  ^ 
greater,  as  the  foil  iwiug  tabulation  shows: 


Interest    on 
sinking-fund 


Total  cost  of 
sinking-fund 
liond   issue. 


Total  cost 
of  annuity 
bonds   issue. 


Saved  by 
use  of  an- 
nuity bond 


31/.  9, 
3 


$167,163 
170.722 
174.431 


[$160,405 
160,405 
160,405 


$  6,75.S 
10,317 
14.026 


There  can  bi'  no  doubt.  thi'U.  that  the  repayment  of 
an  annuity  bond  issue  will  cost  a  county  less  than  the 
repa.vmeiit  of  a  siid\iug-fund  Imnd  issue  for  the  same 
amount. 

The  matter  of  the  sale  of  the  bonds  is  yet  t  i  he  con- 
sidered, before  any  definite  conclusions  can  lie  drawn. 
When  a  county  sells  bonds,  the  amount  received  for 
them  may  vary  cctnsiderably.  depending  on  numerous 
details:  a  $100,000.0(1  liond  issue,  for  instance,  might 
sell  at  higher  ,ir  lower  figure  than  $20(1.(1(10.(11).  The 
only  detail,  however,  with  which  we  need  occupy  our- 
selves in  this  discussion  is  the  kind  of  bond.  The  wri- 
ter has  put  the  question  as  to  the  relative  desirabilit.v 
of  these  two  types  of  bonds  that  we  are  considering  to 
a  nund)er  of  the  largest  bond  houses  in  the  rnited 
States  (among  them.  Sidney  Spitzer  Comjiany  of  Tole- 
do, the  largest  buyer  of  North  Carolina  bonds).  We 
must  accept  as  absolutely  authoritative  the  inianinunis 
reply  that,  "A  bond  lunise  or  investor  would  pay  m:)re 


fm'  bonds  maturing  in  installments  over  a  period  of 
twenty  years  than  they  would  for  a  bond  running  twen- 
ty years  straight,  other  things,  of  course,  being  equal." 
It  is  obvious,  then,  that  the  ainiuity  bond  is  doubly  ad- 
vantageous from  a  hnancial  standi)oint :  it  brings  a 
higher  price  at  the  sale,  and  costs  less  to  reiiay  than 
does  the  sinking-fund. 

Before  concluding,  attention  should  l)e  directed  to 
the  fact  that  the  annuity  boiul  is  not  only  less  expen- 
sive than  the  sinking-fund  boiul.  but  it  is  also  safer. 
The  rate  :)f  interest  on  a  sinking-finul  may  be  reduced; 
or.  even  nu)re  serious,  the  bank  in  which  tlu'  fund  is 
kept  may  fail  during  hard  times;  or  unscrupulous  coun- 
ty officials  may  make  wrong  use  of  the  fund — either  of 
these  events  would  result  i  nserious  loss  for  the  county. 
The  annuity  bond.  b>-  having  no  sinking-fuinl.  is  pro- 
tected from  all  such  contingencies.  Keeping  'thv.-se 
facts  in  mind,  let  every  engineer,  and  every  voter,  make 
it  part  of  his  business  to  see  that  his  county  does  not 
use  a  long  term  sinking-fund  bond. 

Table  showing  the  schedule  of  repayment  of  a  5% 
$100,000.00  Annuity  Kond  Issue  in  Twenty  Years: 


Principal 

Principal 

Years. 

owing  at 

Interest 

repaid   at 

for 

beginning 

for   year 

end  of 

year 

of   year. 

year 

1 

$100,000 

$   5,000 

$      3,0(.»0 

$     8,000 

•) 

i)7.0OO 

4.850 

3,200 

8,050 

3 

1)3.800 

4.690 

3.300 

7.990 

4 

i)0,500 

4.525 

3,500 

8,025 

5 

87.000 

4.350 

3,700 

8,050 

6 

S3. 300 

4.165 

3,900 

8,065 

7 

7!).40O 

3.970 

4,100 

8,070 

s 

75.300 

3,765 

4.300 

8,065 

1) 

7],t)00 

3,550 

4.500 

8,050 

1(1 

66,500 

3,325 

4,700 

8.025 

11 

til. 800 

3.090 

4,900 

7,990 

12 

5(;,900 

2,845 

5,200 

8.045 

13 

51.700 

2,585 

5,400 

7,985 

14 

4(i.:!O0 

2.315 

5,700 

8,015 

15 

40.600 

2,030 

6,000 

8,030 

16 

34.600 

1,730 

6,300 

8,030 

17 

28.300 

1,415 

6.600 

8,015 

IS 

21.700 

1,085 

6,900 

7.985 

l!l 

14.800 

740 

7,200 

7.940 

20 

7.(i(lO 

380 

7,(iOO 

7.9SO 

T  )tals 


'$60.40.1 


j$100.()00         |$160,405 


Kentucky  County  Active. 


Frankfort  and  Franklin  county.  Kentucky,  have 
launched  intt)  good  roads  activities  in  a  way  that  in- 
sures the  permatu'ut  maintenance  iu>t  oidy  of  the  great 
trunk  road  that  embraces  the  Jackson  Ilighway.  ilid- 
land  Trail,  Boone  Way  over  the  thirteen  miles  travers- 
ing that  county,  but  promises  the  development  of  all 
roads  in  the  county.  The  Fiscal  Court  announced  re- 
cently that  in  view  of  other  needed  road  improvemeiit 
in  Franklin  county,  there  would  be  little  work  done 
on  the  trinik  highway  for  the  next  three  years.  The 
Frankfort  Chamber  of  Commerce  immediately  launch- 
ed a  movement  to  oil  and  sand  the  highway  to  preserve 
it  in  its  present  splendid  condition  mitil  the  county  offi- 
cials could  again  direct  their  attention  to  this  impor- 
tant thoroughfare,  and  the  local  newsjiaper.  The  State 
-louriuil.  is  c  inducting  a  publicity  campaign  to  pave 
the  way  for  a  county-wide  canvass  the  middle  of  Jan- 
uary for  a  $4,000  fund  to  carry  tin  the  proposed  work. 


February,  1917 


SOUTHEEN  GOOD  ROADS 


Paving  Brick — Production  and  Economic 

Use  of  the  Same 

By  WILL  P.  BLAIR 

Prepared  for  the  American  Association  of  State  Higliivay  Officials 

St.  Louis,  December,  1916 


1J)  ,\\'l.\<l  IMJICK.  in  size  three  mikI  (iiie-lialt:  by  four 
by  I'iiibl  Mild  (iiie-liiilf  inches,  i'e(|uirinf;-  forty  in 
nuniliei-  lo  bi\-  a  s(|uare  yai'd.  \veii;li  appriiximately  five 
Ions  |iei-  one  thousand  iirii-k  :  with  a  IVeijiht  rate  at  ^1 

pel-   ton    the   cost   in   freijrht   alone  ; mils  tn    Iwenty 

cents  per  s(|uare  yard.  Freifilit  rates,  thinijih  not  en- 
tirely based  on  distance  ,do  operate  as  ;i  factor  in  the 
economic  use  of  paving  bi-ick  for  the  iuiprovement  of 
highways.  However,  adaptability  for  use  in  pai'tieular 
places  and  under  certain  conditions,  or  where  nieetint;' 
I'elative  c:)ni])etitive  piMces.  even  thout;ii  hiii'li.  induces 
their  use  at  points  of  great  dislaiicc  I'l-oiii  I  he  lucatimi  nr 
niannfactui'e. 

i^'or  adaptation  innh'r  cciiain  cmidil  imis.  pa  vIiil:'  brick 
are  made  to  meet  siu/h  wants  by  a  \aria1iiiii  o\'  ih-plli 
measure  I'lnining  from  three  to  live  inches. 

.M;iny  states  are  witlmut  phiiils.  .Mm  ist  the  entire 
oiiti)iil,  ai>proximately  :!.■),( lOd.lKKI  yards,  annually,  are 
produced  in  the  following  stales  namely: 

Illinois.  Indiana.  Ohio.  Pennsylvania.  West  Virginia. 
Kansas.  Tennessee,  Georgia.  ^Missouri.  .Michigan,  Iowa. 
Oklahonni,  New  Y(n-k.  .Mai'ylaiid.  Arkansas.  Al;il)ama. 
Washington.  California.  .Montana.  Texas.  Colorad  >. 
Kentucky. 

The  first  six,  namely,  Illin  lis,  Indiana.  (Jhio,  Penn- 
sylvania, West  Virginia  and  Kansas  produce  nnich  the 
larger  piu'tion   of  the  whole. 

Plant  production  is  easily  increased  and  most  plants 
stand  ready  to  meet  any  emergency  of  this  character 
that  is  likely  to  arise.  The  average  output  of  all  the 
plants  in  the  country  produces  about  80  per  i-ent  of  the 
maximum  that  is  suitable  and  marketeil  for  paving 
brick.  The  production  that  is  set  aside  for  other  uses 
than  that  of  paving  is  so  assorted  for  the  reason  that 
the  brick  are  either  over  or  nnderbnrncd.  The  inider- 
burned  are  the  nearest  true  in  shape  and  doubtle.ss 
brick  pavements  in  many  1  jcalities  have  suffered  some- 
what by  too  great  an  insistence  for  a  shapely  brick. 
The  overburned  are  out  of  true  aliginnent  and  marked, 
but  thoroughly  vitrified  within  the  meaning  of  that 
word  as  applied  to  paving  briek.  A  thoroughly  vitri- 
fied brick  means  quality ;  all  those  that  can  be  used 
within  limits  of  "out  of  shape"  should  be  used;  they 
never  injure  the  pavement  and  the  underburned  some- 
times do.  Quality  can  now  be  assured  by  application 
of  testing  methods  approved  and  adopted  by  the  Amer- 
ean  Society  for  Testing  Materials. 

Soil  Conditions  Govern. 

There  can  be  no  hard  anil  fast  I'ule  laitl  down  for  the 
improvement  of  highways  with  vitrified  briek.  This  is 
s )  with  reference  to  their  economic  use  as  well  as  to  the 
actual  construction. 

In  a  few  places  south  of  the  Tennessee  line,  certain 
characters  of  soil  contract  and  great  fissures  open  up 
during  dry  spell  which  follows  a  wet  spell.  Where  such 
soil  conditions  exist,  a  re-inforcement  of  the  concrete 
base  is  necessary  to  protect  against  cracks.  In  the 
greater  area  of  the  south,  however,  the  soil  conditions 


ai'e  such  lh.it  a  crack'  in  brick  pavenii'iils  lo'vei'  ap- 
pears. 

In  the  noi'th  during  seasons  of  zero  and  lower  Idii- 
pei'ature  the  soil  that  becomes  saturated  with  in  lis- 
(urc  I'xpands  upwards  from  two  In  five  iin-hcs;  il'  Ihc 
expensive  strain  is  in  excess  of  the  beam  strcnglh  nf 
the  iia\-cmen(  itself,  a  bnigitudinal  crack"  in  the  pave- 
ment may  be  expected.  Where  soils  readily  drain  nat- 
urally, or  where  they  ai'c  thorouglily  artificially  drain- 
ed, no  great  injury  to  flie  pa\'ciiieiit  oi-curs  from  this 
soui'ce. 

We  lia\'e  concei\'c(l  thai  the  ideal  const  met  ion  fio' 
the  presci'\-al  ion  of  the  brick  rciniircs  thai  they  shall  be 
belli  firmly  and  securely  in  place  and  Ihat  tin-  grailc 
alignment  be  ma  iiit  aiiicd  with  a  smooth  an;l  cxcn  siir- 
fai'-e, 

.\ul  omat  icall.x  that  charactei'  of  construd  ion  which 
et'tiiceiitly  protects  the  )iavement  against  the  abrasixc 
effect  of  travel  is  that  which  in  a  large  degree  aids 
against  injury  due  to  natural  causes.  l<"or  there  must 
be  sufficient  strength  and  support  t:i  withstand  shock 
impact  and  load  to  hold  the  surface  intact. 

A  briek  payment  surface  which  sustains  the  load 
without  the  dis])lacemiMit  of  a  single  brick  inherently 
possesses  strength  which  in  a  large  measure  will  resist 
some  of  the  natural   causes  which  result   in   injury. 

Essential  Elements. 

iJuilding  against  the  effects  of  tra\'ci  and  building 
against  injur.v  due  to  natural  causes  embr;ice  the  es- 
sential prim/iples  which  I  believe  we  shouhl  take  into 
careful  considei'ation  in  designing  and  constructing 
brick  pavements.  Refinements,  little  understood  are 
not  of  vital  importance  to  practical  value  of  the  pa\e- 
ment  itself.  To  build  to  the  limit  of  knowledge  is  ipiite 
satisfactory. 

If  we  have  laid  down  correctly  the  reipiirement  for 
a  brick  surface  which  withstands  most  perfectly  the 
abrasion  due  to  year  of  travel,  then  the  question  of  such 
attainment  becomes  one  of  exceeding  importance.  I'li- 
on  such  a  surface  the  impact  is  least.  There  can  be  no 
droi:)  effect  to  increase  the  weight  of  destruction — at- 
trition is  always  at  a  mininmm.  If  the  individual  brick 
is  held  in  jilace  in  its  relationshp  to  otiier  like  units  of 
the  pavement — its  greatest  duraliility  is  provided  for 
and  the  greatest  case  of  traction  is  afiforded — a  coinli- 
tion  at  its  best. 

Under  conditions,  and  in  certain  locations  however, 
a  pavement  which  will  entirely  suffice  to  resist  injury 
from  traffic  effect  under  other  conditions  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  resist  injury  from  many  natural  causes.  There- 
fore, to  care  for  and  guard  against  injury  from  natural 
causes  is  a  far  more  difficult  problem  than  to  provide 
a  niaxinuim  cmidition  for  the  injury  that  comes  from 
travel  alone. 

Aside  from  these  two  chief  construction  features,  the 
question  relating  to  the  relative  economy  of  the  pave- 
ment in  costh'  design  or  otherwise  is  a  most  important 
matter  to  be  considered. 


G 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


February,  1917 


Still  another  question  of  eeouomies  eutirely  outside 
of  the  eonstruetiou  considei'ation  is  to  determine  wheth- 
er or  not  a  vitrified  improvement  should  be  employed 
at  all.  We  perhaps  may  with  good  sense,  say  that 
there  are  thousands  of  miles  of  medium  and  lighter  traf- 
fic eonditions  in  this  country  where  for  economic  rea- 
sons, brick  is  not  to  be  considered  at  all. 

The  whole  problem  therefore  of  obtaining  the  best 
i'oi-  the  money  presents  a  pi'oblem  fir  the  most  discrim- 
inating .iuilgment   with  all  the  facts  before  one. 

])i-y  earth  is  <'a]iable  of  sustaining  great  loads.  Sat- 
iiiMled  wilh  w.iler.  il  can  not  sustain  a  heavy  load  and 
a  fi-ozen  condition  exeiMs  an  cx]>ansion  force  moi-e  in- 
.iurious  \h:\\\  all  olliei-  I'lU'ccs.  unless  nu^t  with  an  ex- 
cess resistance. 

If  siil  and  undei'lying  conditions  ai'c  of  eas\'  natural 
di'ainage  a  careful  compiiction  of  the  suligrade  to  a 
smooth  and  even  sui'fai-e  is  about  all  that  is  necessary 
to  biiilil  upon  it  a  brick  surface.  If  natural  drainage 
(Muulitions  do  not  exist  then  they  nuist  be  supplied  ar- 
tificially, with  emphasis  directed  towards  the  import- 
ance of  doing  something  sufficient  tt  care  for  the  wet 
condition  and  its  consequent  elfects  where  sand  and 
gravel  is  almost  wholly  absent  and  a  sticky  plastic  clay 
is  the  condition,  aflr'ordiug  only  very  slow  drainage, 
making  it  difficult  to  remove  the  moi.sture  and  let  in 
the  air  betore  possible  freezing. 

Pavements  on  Natural  Soil. 

Eighty  per  cent  of  the  briidc  pa\enn'nts  of  ('levelaiid 
and  ad.joining  cities  are  laid  on  the  natural  soil.  The 
condition  of  these  pavements  is  definitely  marked  by 
till'  niiilerneath  condition  existing — granted  the  woi'k 
is  properly  executed,  the  jDavenu^nts  overlying  dry  soil 
show  no   jn.iury  whatever   but  where  soils  are   wet   li\- 


reason  if  lack  of  sufficient  drainage,  longitudinal  cracks 
occur.  It  is  a  matter  of  significance  that  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  has  issued  orders  looking  to  sufficient 
drainage  to  conduct  moisture  friuu  underneath  the  ti'atdv 
to  a  nu'an  water  level  of  four  feet  and  eight  inches  be- 
low the  top  of  the  rail. 

These  suggesti  )ns  cover  pre-requisities.  sust;iined  by 
theory.  ]iractice  and  observation,  necessary  in  the  prep- 
ai'ation  for  a  brick  surface,  no  more  so,  no  less  so,  than 
in  building  an\-  type  of  road  whatsoever,  namely;  a  dry 
conqiacted  snuioth  base,  at  a  cost  governed  only  and 
solely  by  local  coiulitions  and  local  prices. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  si'cn  that  the  i-haracter 
of  design  for  building  tlu'  supei-st  ruct  ui'c  must  be  va- 
I'ied  anil  govei'ued  according  t  >  what  is  attainable  in 
tile  prei)aration  of  the  subgrade.  According  to  the  dry 
condition  possible,  the  design  can  be  of  lesser  or  great- 
er cost.  In  s|ute  of  many  .streets  built  in  the  northeas- 
tern part  of  Ohio  witli  bricl<  upon  the  natural  soil,  in 
service  nuuiy  \ears  anil  n  iw  in  splendid  condition  with 
but  few  and  in  many  cases  without  any  repairs.  I  doubt 
the  economy  of  constructing  brick  highway's  in  the 
north  without  any  artificial  foundation  at  all.  uidess 
o\'er  quite  sandy  and  gravelly  soils,  and  even  then  it 
is  of  doubtfid  economy.  If  no  concrete  foundation  is 
used,  then  a  curl)  becomes  necessary,  and  a  cui'b  is  not 
necessary  if  a  concrete  base  is  used.  On  the  luisis  of  a 
road  nine  feet  in  width  with  a  two  :iinl  one-lialf  inch 
concrete  base  without  ciirb.  its  cost  aliout  i'i|uals  tlie 
cost  of  a  road  without  the  base  and  with  a  cui-b.  ^V 
brick  highway  constructed  by  laying  the  brick  in  green 
concrete  is  a  type  whicli  can  be  built  upon  a  two  ami 
one-half  inch  conci'cte  base  at  a  cost  equalling  any  de- 
sign for  a  brick  road  at  minimum  cost. 

Partiodar  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  tliis  is 


Evacuation  of  Cumberland  Gap  by  Confederates     The  Forces  of  Mud  Have  Now  Been  Routed  Here 


Fi'hruMi'w  11)17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


a  structure  of  perhaps  the  best  at  a  minimum  eost.  It 
is  ni)t  intended  to  convey  the  th^iuglit  that  tliis  struc- 
ture is  sufficit^^'t  to  meet  requirements  arising  from  con- 
ditions whieli  must  be  taken  into  account  for  wliieh 
good  judgment  demands  greater  strength  in  the  pave- 
ment. 

As  the  rislc  of  duraljility  and  permanency  of  the  road 
is  increased  liy  conditions  wliicii  mak<'  apparent  the 
necessity  for  a  str:)nger  support  and  greater  beam 
slrengtii,  a  stronger  and  more  costly  design  must  be 
resorted  to  Ijy  adding  to  tiic  thickness  of  the  base. 

Freiglit  rates  and  cost  of  delivery  of  materials  at 
destination  may  make  it  advisable  in  the  interest  of 
economy  to  use  a  brick  of  less  thickness.  A  lirick  of 
three  inches  depth  reduces  the  freiglit  cost  per  square 
yard  twenty-five  per  cent  and  redui-es  the  cost  of  luiul- 
ing  and  grouting  in  a  like  sum. 

Though  I  have  not  said  in  so  many  words,  it  becomes 
clearly  nii]iarent  that  the  use  of  brick  in  road  improve- 

iiien)  cm  1)1'  iiiadc  to  meet  the  varialil nditions  found 

both  in  the  nuitter  of  cost  and  in  meeting  spei-itic  re- 
i|uii'(Mncnts  arising  in  each  pai'ticular  case,  regardless 
if  locality. 

Economic  Features  of  the  Road  Structure  Upon  the 
Sub-Base. 

There  can  be  mi  duulit  whatever  that  brick  highway 
construrl  i(in  by  laying  the  brick  in  green  concreti'. 
whei'c    a    i-nncrctc    i'ouiidat  inn    is   deemed   advisable,    is 


Brick  Road  in  Bond  County,  Ky.,  Astiland  to  Catlettsburg 

the  best  possible  method  viewed  either  from  the  stand- 
[loint  of  first  cost  or  veiwed  from  tlu'  p  lint  of  value  and 
durability  in  the  resulting  pavenu'ut. 

Tt  has  been  thoroughly  tried  out  in  length  of  time  in 
service  as  well  as  character  of  service. 

Note:  Tlie  writer  witnessed  a  cut  throvigh  such  a 
pavement  that  was  in  perfect  condition,  down  for  12 
years,  when  it  was  a  task  indeed  to  make  the  excava- 
tion. Crow  bars  and  hea\y  hand  picks  and  coal  chisels 
were  the  to  )ls  used.  A  portable  air  compressor  oper- 
ating is  the  tool  to  use  for.  cuts  and  opening  and  re- 
placements in  Ijrick-pavements. 

Applied  to  most  earth  conditions  a  three  inch  con- 
crete base  in  connection  with  a  four  inch  depth  of  brick 
in  monilithic  form  constitutes  a  beam  strength  seven 
inches  in  depth  which  is  entirely  sufficient  to  econom- 
ically resist  injury  from  travel  effect  and  sufficiently 
strong  to  resist  an>-  great  injury  from  nattiral  causes. 
Where  iiuu-e  exti-eiiu'  condiliojis  exist,  the  doubt  can 
and  should  always  be  excluded  liy  increasing  the  factor 
af  strength  bevond  the  danger  limit. 


A  eorrespunding  exercise  of  judgnu'nt  is  likewise 
necessary  in  deciding  upon  design,  to  meet  the  travel 
to  be  borne,  not  necessarily  concluded  from  the  travel 
that  now  exists,  but  what  will  it  he;  better  guaged  by 
its  likelihood  of  becoming  the  logical  route  of  travel 
when  finished.  Thus  by  the  exercise  jf  such  foresight 
do  we  anticipate  the  fufui'c  of  real  roads  to  be — arter- 
ies til  be  seen  now  oidy  in  vision,  and  I'ealized  (inly 
when  we  shall  have  one  i-eal  road  capable  of  carrying 
travel  and  transportation  between  market  centers  of 
the  country. 

Time  forbids  attention  t  i  detail  and  data  sustaining- 
more  completely  what  is  here  stated.  Imt  the  equipment 
iif  methods  of  building  lu'ick  roads  by  laying  the  brick 
in  green  concrete  deserves  special  mention. 

The  process  is  brought  directly  under  the  eye  of  a 
single  foreman  and  likewise  under  a  constant  eye  of  a 
jiossilile  supervising  engineer  (I  do  not  want  to  say  in- 
s])cctor).  The  laying  of  the  concrete,  the  bi'iclc  rolling 
and  filling  the  joints  between  the  brick  witli  'jrnut  are 
steps  to  be  perfiirmed  within  thi'  limits  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  Lost  motion,  which  is  the  source  nf  large 
cxjiciisc  ill  extending  (iver  Imtli  time  and  distance  is 
eliminated  by  Iniibling  the  uTeeii  c  iiicrete  type.  The 
economy  of  its  const  ruct  inn  is  better  illustrated  b_y  ac- 
tual scenes  of  the  woi'k  than  by  word  description. 

We  so  thoroughly  belie\'e  in  the  economic  imjiortance 
that  our  association  has  pi-e[)ared  detailed  siiecificati;ins 
covering  this  fviie.  which  mav  be  had  for  the  asking. 


Progress  for  Bankhead  Highway. 

The  executive  officers  of  the  Bankhead  Highway  As- 
sociation, which  is  pushing  the  work  of  building  this 
highway  from  ^Memphis  to  l>irmiugham  and  Atlanta, 
are  meeting  with  the  greatest  success  piissible.  There 
is  a  w;i\-e  of  enthusiasm  throughiiut  Tennessee.  Missis- 
sippi. Alabanm  and  (Jeorgia  for  this  i-oad.  This  en- 
thusiasiu  has  iieen  taken  up  by  citizens  in  Arkansas. 
Oklahoma.  Texas.  Xew  .Mexico.  Arizorui  and  ('alifornia 
asking  the  Baiik'head  Highway  be  extended  from  ]\Iem- 
phis  to  Los  Angeles.  ^Ir.  J.  A.  Rountree.  Secretary  of 
the  Baidvheail  Highway  .\ssociatioii.  has  answered  the 
letters  from  good  road  advocates  from  these  six  States 
assuring  them  that  the  originators  and  pronnitiu-s  of 
this  great  highway  would  be  delighted  to  see  this  road 
extended  throtigh  their  different  states.  He  has  asked 
them  to  (U'ganize  this  sentiment  for  the  highway,  and 
assures  them  that  Kx-('ongressiiiaii  T'.  S.  Plowman. 
President  of  the  -\ss  iciation.  would  lie  glad  to  call  a 
conference  in  I\Iemphis  or  any  nther  city  in  those  States 
to  consider  extending  this  highway  to  Los  Angeles,  and 
that  steps  will  be  taken  to  allow  them  tn  have  repre- 
sentation at  the  next  annual  nu^eting  of  the  Bankhead 
Highway  Association. 

The  prospects  are  that  the  Bankhead  Highway  will 
Ijeconie  a  great  transcontinental  one.  as  steps  are  be- 
ing taken  to  extend  this  highway  from  Atlanta  to  Wash- 
ington and  to  call  this  highway  the  Bankhead  Trans- 
continental Highway.  If  this  is  done  it  will  be  one  ot 
the  longest  ancl  most  attractive  highways  that  has  been 
projected  in  the  I'nited  States,  and  will  connei-t  the 
East  and  West,  as  well  as  the  North  and  South. 

J.    A.    ROUXTREE, 
Birminaham.    Ala. 


Work  of  consti-uction  is  beginning  in  ,\lexander 
county.  N.  ('..  where  the  sale  of  .'t)20(),00(t  bunds  was 
questioned  in  the  courts  for  some  tinu». 


SOl'TIIERX  GOOD  K'oADS 


Febnicirv.  IDl 


Davidson  County  Leads  the  Way 

North  Carolina  County  Instructing  Maintenance  Forces  to  Make 

The  Patrolmen  More  Efticient 

By  E.  E.  WITHERSPOON 


D.WIDSOX  col' XT  V.  XiH-tli  ('iiroliuii.  stc|)s  to  tlic 
i'roiil  \\hh  the  tlistiiU'tion  of  l)eiii^'  the  first  (/ouiity 
ill  tli(>  state  to  hold  a  good  roads  institute  for  the  in- 
sti'iiction  :)f  tlie  niainteuauce  forces  in  ehartie  of  her 
20(1  miles  of  topsoil  roads,  recently  cnnstriu-ted  at  a 
cost  of  ^325.000.  The  1)111  authorizin.i;-  the  bonds  pro- 
viiled  for  maintenance  fund  and  the  patrol  system  was 
put  in  elfect  more  than  a  year  ago.  when  the  first  roads 
wiTc  ready.  Go  id  roads  men  there  conceived  the  idea 
of  hiilding  a  county  institute  where  the  patrolmen  couUl 
come  and  hear  talks  on  the  Ix'st  methods,  give  in  their 
ex|iei'ieiices.  tell  tlicii'  tmulih-s  and  suggest  any  renn'- 
dies  that  had  occurred  tn  llii'iii.  'I'lie  county  hoard  of 
I'oad  commissi  inei's  paiil  the  daily  wage  of  the  men  and 
gave  Ihem  their  dinner.  Kil'ly  (if  the  tifty-si.\  nnni  in- 
vited came.  'Pwcnly  nv  more  (ifHcials  and  leading  citi- 
zens alteiidcd  and  heai-il  with  interesl  the  |nMceedings. 
which  lasted  fi'iiiii  Icn  (ill  foiu'.  "(iond  lioads  For  l)a\'- 
idsnn"  was  the  slogan  adopted  and  rxi'vy  |)a1r;ilman 
put  in  his  c:iat  a  little  blue  liuttnn  \\illi  the^c  words  in 
white. 

S(-'veral    \ei'\'    inip:ii1an1    and    oulslanding   facts   wi'i'c 
developeil    (luring    the    day    and    s:inic    detiidte    mox'cs 


■were  put  undci-  way.  First  it  was  found  that  it  pays 
I'ichly  to  know  how  to  maintain  i-oads.  and  out  of  the 
demonstration  of  this  fact  will  probal.)ly  come  the  at- 
tendance of  many  of  the  patrolmen  at  the  North  Car- 
olina Good  Roads  Institute,  at  Chapel  Hill.  February 
12  to  16th  inclusive.  'Sir.  J.  E.  Everhart  told  these  men 
what  he  learned  and  how  he  had  applied  it  and  they 
cheered  him  heartil>\  Another  thing  brought  out  was 
that  at  some  places  the  topsoil  applied  was  inferior  and 
that  this  would  gradually  have  to  be  renunlied  by  the 
aiiplication  of  the  proper  sort  of  soil,  which  could  be 
determilH'd  by  getting  the  kind  that  has  been  holding 
n|>  this  winter.  The  pine  trees  along  the  roadside  must 
go  or  there  can  m'ver  be  ;i  good  ruad  at  that  point,  was 
another  foi-cilile  fact  brought  out.  When  the  sui'face 
iif  the  mad  is  moisi  the  si/c  of  loads  should  be  I'edueei! 
instead  of  Ihe  teams  increased,  and  this  must  c  mie 
ai'onnd  by  ihe  pi'oper  sod  of  road  education  and  an 
ai'ouse(.l  pi-ide  in  an  all-time  good  road.  The  hearl- 
lest  cooperation  bcl\vcen  patrolmen  ;md  the  superin- 
tendent and  road  b  lard  was  the  silent  pledge  tliat  could 
ciisily  be  divined   liy  an   onlooker. 

Xevei'  ilid  a   group  of  school  boys  give  better  atten- 


BOARD  OF  ROAD  COMMISSIONERS  OF  DAVIDSON  COUNTY,  N.  C. 

Composed  of  ttiree  Democrats  and  three  Republicans,  who  have  constructed  more  than  200  miles  of  topsoil  roads,  including  bridges, 

in  eighteen  months,  at  a  cost  of  -5325,000,  making  a  record  of  building  more  miles  of  good  roads  in  a  shorter  period  of  time 

for  less  money  than  any  other  board  in  the  State.     Standing— Left  to  right -R.  L.  Burkhead,  Clerk;  J.  W.  Lambeth, 

T.  H.  Livcngdod,  Dr.  E.  J.  Buchanan.    Sitting-  -L.  V.  Phillips,  L.  A.  Smith,  Dr.  .1.  W.  Peacock,  Chairman  ; 

K.  T,  Brown,  Supt.  and  Engineer 


Fi'lii'iuirv,  l!)r 


SOl'TIIERX  (fOOI)  ROADS 


tion  1(1  Hiiy  interesting  recital  on  the  part  of  their 
teacher  than  did  these  fifty  men  give  to  the  words  of 
the  gentlemen  .m  the  program.  These  were  Siipt.  Roy 
T.  Brown.  W.  L.  Spoon.  Federal  Engineer  in  charge  of 
maintenanee  on  the  Central  Highway:  Mr.  \.  S.  ^Mnl- 
lican.  eity  manager  of  Thomasville  and  expert  riad  en- 
gineer and  builder;  ilr.  John  V.  Ilic-ks.  assistant  engi- 
neer in  the  construction  of  Davidson's  roads;  ilr.  J.  E. 
ICverhart.  ehamjMon  road  patr.)lman  and  Dr.  -T.  W. 
Peacock,  chairman  of  the  board  of  road  cininnission- 
ers. 

Supt.  Drown  opened  the  meeting  by  stating  that  the 
object  of  the  institute  was  to  secure  a  unification  of 
the  work,  learn  the  best  methods  and  apply  them  in 
order  to  make  Davidson's  roads  the  best  of  the  topsoil 
variety  in  the  state  the  ,vear  round.  lie  declared  our 
county  had  suffered  in  the  past  from  failure  to  become 
unified  in  its  public  oljjeets.  Plaint enancc.  he  said,  had 
found  its  beginning  iu  France,  where  it  has  kept  the 
roads  the  best  of  any  in  the  world.  Wliile  France  had 
more  people  to  the  area  than  we.  yet  they  have  more 
poor  pet)p!e  and  we  are  fully  able  to  maintain  our  roads 
priperly.  lie  told  of  the  difficulties  encountered  sj 
far.  of  the  inabilit\-  to  finish  all  the  roads  desired,  but 
said  it  would  have  been  folly  to  go  to  the  outskirts  and 
build  a  piece  of  good  road  and  leave  a  bad  road  be- 
tween that  and  market.  Roads  to  go  somewhere  were 
the  kind  he  and  the  board  wanted  to  see.  Some  of  the 
lesser  roads  had  been  given  little  attention,  but  so  much 
work  has  been  wasted  on  account  of  temporary  char- 
acter and  when  a  maintenance  force  gjes  to  a  road  he 
wants  to  see  improvements  made  that  will  count  for 
something,  "so  that  we  won't  have  to  do  over  this 
week  what  we  did  a  month  ago."  He  would  get  the 
roads  worked  :>n  relocated  and  in  shape  to  drag,  so  as 
to  bring  them  in  the  class  of  permanent  good  roads. 
.Maintenance  is  now  the  i)iggest  faet(U-  in  road  buildin;.;' 
and  a  good  roads  system  cannot  be  made  in  a  day.  but 
we  must  keep  eternally  at  it,  lu'  pointed  out.  in  cnii- 
elnding  his  :)pening  remarks.  .Mr.  Brown  said:  "We 
have  been  able  to  get  hold  of  as  efficient  a  body  of  im-ii 
for  maintenance  as  I  have  ever  seen."  He  recognized 
the  fact  that  there  were  kickers  and  he  wished  he  could 
get  hold  of  some  of  these,  see  them  go  at  the  work  of 
making  bad  roads  go  )d  ami  stay  with  them  to  see  them 
do  it.  In  the  long  run  he  believed  the  ma.jority  of  the 
citizens   will   be  suited. 

The  roll  was  called  and  each  man  arose  and  told 
what  section  of  road  he  had  in  charge.  After  this  the 
roll  was  taken  up  and  each  man  arose  as  his  name  was 
called,  told  his  experience,  troubles  at  present,  what 
remedies  he  had  found  if  any  and  offered  suggestions. 
The  men  talked  freely  and  earnestly  and  showed  splen- 
did grasp  on  the  priiuMpal   idea  of  maintenance. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Spoon  Speaks. 
^Ir.  Brown  then  presented  ilr.  W.  L.  Spoon,  "the 
father  and  tleveloper  of  the  topsoil  road  in  the  South." 
Road  work  is  like  the  wjrk  of  a  doctor,  saivl  ilr.  Spoon  ; 
we  must  make  a  proper  diagnosis  and  then  apply  the 
remedy.  Shade  had  been  found  a  big  damage  and  the 
axe  is  the  only  remedy.  The  patrolman  finds  some 
places  bad.  some  good,  with  the  same  treatment  and 
should  find  out  why  before  he  leaves  that  point.  Among 
the  causes  t;i  look  for  are  proper  drainage;  see  that 
there  is  no  seep  water;  look  to  the  ditches:  find  where 
the  material  comes  from  and  its  cliaracter;  discard  the 
bad  and  use  only  thi'  good  material  in  repuiriug.  "(Ju 
to  school  to  your  rjad  and  find  out.  Go  where  you  got 
the  good  topsoil  and  get  some  mure ;  or  yot;  may    find 


the  fault  is  with  the  thickness  or  cr jwn.  No  business  re- 
quires more  pain.staking  stud.v."'  ;\Ir.  Spoon  admitted 
engineers  had  been  at  fault  because  when  locating  a 
road  they  did  not  at  the  same  time  find  the  suitable 
material  and  ai-range  for  its  purchase  before  going  any 
further.  This  would  forestall  tlie  danger  of  getting 
bad   material. 

Some  Valuable  Advice. 

.Maintaining  a  road  is  where  the  real  rub  comes,  said 
the  speaker  and  two  elements  enter  pr(nxiinently,  man 
and  the  elements.  If  the  weather  is  bad  folks  overload 
to  see  if  they  can't  go  through.  He  spoke  of  much 
hauling  in  sleety,  rainy  weather  and  asked  if  it  would 
not  be  .iust  to  the  taxpayers  if  we  would  stay  off  the 
roads  with  excessive  loads  in  bad  weather.  Reduce  the 
loads  instead  of  increase  the  teams,  he  suggested,  for 
dragging  is  nil  if  wagons  overload.  They  cut  through 
and  pull  clay  up  on  the  surface.      "Try  to  cidtivate  the 


Note  the  Thin  White  Line 

|irojier  sentiment."  he  aihiscl  th<'  ]iat  i-olmeii.  In  the 
summertime  the  patrolman  should  avail  himself  of  ev- 
ery possible  rain  to  drag,  foi-  dragging  in  dry  weather 
is  useless.  In  the  fall  take  blade  machine  and  foiu' 
horses  and  drag  back  from  center  and  prevent  blanket 
of  nnul.  Drag  from  center  in  winter.  Keeping  the 
road  dry  is  the  wh:ile  story.  Dragging  should  be  clear 
across  the  road  to  encourage  distribution  of  travel. 
Deep  ditches  on  both  sides  is  bad  road  building  and 
dangerous  to  travel.  T'here  should  be  ditch  enough  on- 
ly to  care  for  tlie  water  that  falls  jn  the  road,  but  too 
often  the  farm  water  is  turned  into  the  road  ditch. 
Berm  ditches  will  prevent  this.  The  whole-.vear  form- 
ula was  as  follows :  Spring — build  nj)  your  road ;  siun- 
mer — do  your  ditching;  fall — do  repairing:  winter — 
drag  faithfully  and  do  little  repair  work  as  possible. 
In  e  niclusion  ^Ir.  Spoon  said:  "The  faithfulness  of 
study  will  mark  yiuir  success." 

Ml-.  Spoon  answered  a  number  of  questions  put  to 
him  by  patrolmen,  ilr.  l^ivengood  asked  how  to  deal 
with  ice  and  sleet.  Take  a  blade  machine  when  thaw 
first  begins  and  scrape  center  back  to  sides.  Some  pa- 
trolmen had  cared  for  sleet  by  attachments  t  )  drags. 
Dragging  snow  was  done  best  when  drag  fastened  to 
front  running  parts  of  wagon. 

The  Afternoon  Session. 

The  afternoon  session  was  opened  l)y  Supt.  Brown. 
wli;(  illustrated  for  the  benefit  of  the  patrolmen  how 
they  should  fold  and  keep  tlieir  record  lilanks.  He  al- 
so read  the  amounts  expended  on  maintenance  for  Dl 
miles  during  September,  October  and  November.  The 
report  shoAved  that  the  average  maintenance  cost  was 


10 


SOUTHERX  GOOD  ROADS 


Februarv.  1917 


-•fS.To  per  mile  for  the  Three  mouths  period,  a  very  low 
cost.  Considerable  resiirfaeiug  and  ditehing  was  iu- 
cliided  in  this  cost  on  some  sections.  Some  of  the  men 
buUt  their  own  drags.  He  cautioned  them  to  be  care- 
ful about  making  out  reports  as  they  were  being  watch- 
ed all  the  time  by  people  wh-i  were  looking  for  some- 
thing to  kick  about. 

3Ir.  Jiihn  C.  Hicks  then  read  a  brief  paper  on  coop- 
eration. 

ilr.  Brown  explained  that  he  would  be  glad  if  a.s 
many  patrolmen  jis  pos.sible  attend  the  state  good  r  jads 
institute  at  Cliapel  Hill  and  suggested  that  their  rail- 
road fare  would  be  paid  there  and  back  and  that  he 
had  made  arrangement  for  securing  board  and  lodging 
at  a  cheap  rate.  He  called  on  [Mr.  J.  E.  Everhart  X" 
tell  what  he  had  learned  last  year  when  he  attended. 
Mr.  Everhart  said  that  he  had  tried  to  show  the  people 
whi  passed  over  his  section  what  he  had  learned.  There 
were  three  things  to  know  and  he  got  these  at  the  in- 
stitute. Tliese  are  what  soit  of  mad  you  want,  what 
t'i  do  and  when  to  do  it.  "'^rost  our  fulks  are  from  ^lis- 
souri  and  T  "^"^  '"  '-;t  of  my  trouble  with  people.""  Prop- 
er maiutei.  -  demonstrated  at  the  in.stitute  and 
it  worked,  so  nvr  rame  home  and  put  it  into  practice. 
Fir.st  thing  he  did  was  t"  till  up  the  side  ditches  and  stop 
the  cri'ss  drains.  ■•Sonu  as  it  ipiits  raining  I  go  to  the 
road.  Tlie  ijui-k--r  yoi  get  the  water  off  the  better.  I 
have  tried  it  ;i:  ases  the  peiple.""  He  told  how 
he  took  the  snow  ..ri  aiij  made  the  point  that  only  moist 
topsoil  will  stick  in  a  hole.  "  Nothing  on  the  farm  keeps 
me  away  fi-om  the  road  when  the  road  needs  me.  If  it's 
what  plea.ses  the  people.  it"s  what  e»unts. "'  concluded 
;Mr.  Everhart  amid  a  burst  of  applause.  Here  was  a 
man  who  had  succeeded  at  the  thing  the  patrolmen 
were  here  to  learn  about  and  tliey  gladly  gave  him 
credit. 

^Fr.  X.  S.  ^Iu]lii-;ii).  ciry  manager  of  Tliomasville  and 
an   experienced  road  builder.  si),ike  then  rm  ""How  t> 

S.-i-mv-    T"i'-.T..'V    :l^':''ll:t '-'■.-    "        TT.-    ..' ^■e'..s;-'.7     int^    ilHTii  iT*  Mri  .--• 


jf  keeping  drain  pipes  open  at  the  lower  end  and  of  the 
necessity  of  having  a  grade  below  the  opening  of  the 
pipes  that  will  quickly  cari^-  the  water  away  and  pre- 
vent aecumidation  of  sand.  He  also  suggested  means 
of  keeping  mouth  of  drains  open,  by  digging  a  box  in 
the  earth  in  front  of  drains  where  the  water  would 
drop  sand  and  other  ib.jects  that  might  stop  pipes.  In 
regard  to  ditches  he  suggested  that  always  the  wear  of 
water  should  lie  kept  against  the  bank  instead  of 
against  the  road  and  that  the  water  should  lie  spread 
out  much  as  possible  to  reduce  its  wearing  power. 

^Ir.  -J.  C.  Hicks  brietly  discussed  the  proper  methods 
of  laying  terra  cotta  pipes  and  pointed  mt  the  danger 
of  improperly  placing  these. 

Mr.  Mullican  here  suggested  that  it  is  impossible  to 
build  a  topsoil  road  and  have  all  sections  perfect  at 
first,  but  urged  the  patrolmen  to  leave  all  the  kicking 
to  the  folks  who  made  that  their  business.  He  was 
sure  Davids;in  had  made  the  !>est  start  >f  any  of  the 
comities  in  the  state. 

Dr.  J.  AY.  Peacock,  chairman  of  the  road  board,  spoke 
brietiy  of  his  gratification  at  seeing  such  fine  interest. 
He  urged  the  men  to  mix  brains  freely  with  their  work 
and  said  ]Mr.  Everhart  had  succeeded  .inst  in  the  degree 
that  he  put  brains  on  his  section  and  he  was  sure  this 
was  the  experience  of  the  others.  He  was  in  favor  of 
the  biard  paying  expenses  of  all  men  to  the  state  road 
institute,  as  was  ^Ir.  Livengood.  whri  spoke  briefly. 


A  bond  issue  for  .$1,750,000  to  he  used  f  u-  building 
approximately  12.5  miles  of  concrete  highways  in  Sac- 
ramento County.  Cal..  passed  a  few  days  ago.  the  vote 
beins  four  to  one. 


3^4  miles  of  concrete  has  been  finished  and  opened 
to  traffic  on  the  Princess- Anne  Road.  Norfolk  County. 
Va.     This  is   the   first   important   stretch   of  concrete 

T.i:T   1     i'l    til.-    itn  +  f. 


Patrolmen  .\ttending  First  Davidson  County,  North  Carolina,  Good  Roads  Institute  at  Lexington,  January  26,  1917 


Febrviary.  1917 


SOUTHEKX  GOOD  EOADS 


11 


Financing  Road  Improvements 

By  M.  O.  ELDRIDGE 
Assistant  in  Road  Economics,  U.  S.  Office  of  Public  Roads 


'^y  IIKKE  are  two  ways  iii  which  fuuds  are  raised  for 
JL  goixl  roads.  One  is  by  direct  taxati:)U  and  the  other 
is  by  borrowing  the  money.  The  chief  advantage  of  the 
i-ash  tax  system  is  tliat  no  interest  charges  have  to  be 
paid  by  the  present  ir  future  generations.  There  are. 
unfortunately,  many  nndevehiped  c-o.nmunities  in  which 
it  becomes  advisable  to  liorrow  the  money  for  road 
building  in  the  same  way  that  farmers  borrow  miney 
to  buy  farms.  If  some  farmers  had  to  wait  until  they 
had  tile  money  t  >  purchase  their  farms  they  would  prob- 
ably never  become  land  owners.  Fuless  a  community 
is  able  to  raise  by  cash  taxation  enough  money  to  fi- 
nance the  Inulding  of  its  main  market  roads  within  a 


HON.  MAURICE  0.  ELDRIDGE 

reasonable  length  of  time,  the  benefits  resulting  from 
the  improvements  are  likely  to  be  piecemeal.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  a  sufficient  am  nint  of  money  is  raised 
either  by  direct  tax  or  by  a  bond  issue,  the  residting 
benefits  are  immediate  and  certain,  provided  that  the 
money  is  spent  wisely  under  competent  supervision. 


Competent  supervision  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter. The  pay-as-you-go  plan  too  frequently  involves  a 
small  annual  outlaj'  with  a  relatively  large  outlay  for 
supervision  and  maintenance,  or  what  is  still  worse, 
with  practically  n  >  supervision  or  maintenance.  With 
a  larger  fund  the  comnnuiity  can  afford  to  employ  com- 
petent supervision  and  do  the  work  on  a  large  scale  or 
by  eantraet.  It  is  usually  cheaper  to  do  road  work  on 
the  wholesale  than  on  the  retail  plan. 

A  man  from  New  Mexico  told  me  recently  that  a  few 
years  ago  his  county  issued  bonds  to  buUd  a  system  of 
good  roads  and  a  recent  tratfic  study  had  shown  that 
the  saving  in  hauling  co.sts  amovmted  to  s20.(i00  a  year, 
which  wiidd  be  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  whole  bond  is- 
sue, interest  and  principal,  in  about  seven  and  a  half 
years.  This  was  a  good  investment.  Another  gentle- 
man told  me  a  day  or  so  ago  that  a  county  in  Texas  is- 
sued road  bonds  only  four  or  five  years  ago  with  which 
to  build  about  twenty  mUes  of  roads,  and  that  practi- 
cally nothing  has  been  spent  on  these  roads  for  mainte- 
nance and  that  they  have  been  almost  destroyed  by  traf- 
fic and  the  elements.  This  was  probably  a  good  invest- 
ment in  the  first  place,  but  it  was  not  properly  safe- 
guarded by  maintenance.  A  community  may  properly 
borrow  m  mey  to  build  roads,  but  shoidd  be  required  by 
law  to  set  aside  a  sufficient  sum  annually  from  taxes  to 
maintain  its  roads  in  good  order,  so  that  the  investment 
in  them  may  be  protected. 

If  the  eommimity  decides  to  go  into  debt  for  good 
roads,  it  shoidd  determine  in  advance  what  kind  of 
bonds  are  to  be  issued,  whether  for  long  or  short  terms, 
whether  sinking  fund  or  serial  bonds.  The  people  of 
the  community  wdl  do  well  to  consider  the  advantage 
of  short-term  bonds  for  temporary  improvements  and 
long-term  binds  for  work  which  is  more  or  less  perma- 
nent, and  the  advantage  of  serial  bonds  over  sinking 
fund  bonds. 

ilauy  millions  of  dollars  could  be  saved  annually  if 
the  serial  bond  issue  were  adopted  instead  of  sinking 
fund  bonds.  To  illustrate  this  point,  let  me  explain  the 
dili'erenee  between  the  two  plans  and  the  saving  which 
would  result  from  adapting  the  serial  plan.  Under  the 
latter  a  certain  amount  of  bonds  is  retired  each  year 
and  the  interest  on  them  ceases  to  be  a  charge  against 
the  community.  Under  the  sinking  fund  plan  no  bonds 
are  retired  until  the  end  of  a  definite  period  and  the 
entire  is.sue  beai-s  interest  during  the  life  of  the  bonds. 
The  community  pays  interest  on  the  money  so  borrow- 
ed and  in  addition  sets  aside  each  year  as  a  sinking 
fund  an  amount  sufficient  to  retire  all  of  the  bonds 
when  they  become  due.  The  sinking  fimd  is  deposited 
with  banks  and  bears  some  interest.  This  interest  or- 
dinarily is  only  three  per  cent,  whereas  the  community 
has  to  pay  from  from  f  nir  to  six  per  cent  to  the  bond- 
holdei-s.  The  serial  plan  is  a  much  cheaper  method  of 
raising  money  even  where  the  sinking  fund  bears  in- 
terest as  high  as  four  per  cent. 

The  total  cost  of  a  $100,000  serial  bond  issue  extend- 
iiig  over  a  period  of  twenty  years,  with  interest  at  five 
per  cent,  will  amount  to  .$1.52. .500.  The  total  cost  of  a 
fund  loan  covering  the  same  time  and  bearing  the  same 
interest,  with  a  sinking  fimd  bearing  three  per  cent  and 
compounded  annually,  will  amount  to  $174.-131.     Cer- 


12 


SOUTHEKN  GOOD  ROADS 


Fel)niai-v.  1917 


l;iinl\  I  liis  sliiiws  a  s,-i  villi;-  in  1  he  serial  liimds  wiirtli  con- 
siilc-riiiii'. 

It  is  mil  al\va\s  ailvisahlc.  Iiowt'vrr.  lo  begin  payinu' 
off  a  bond  issue  the  first  year  of  the  loan.  Communities 
should  so  arraiige  their  tinaneial  obligations  as  to  make 
the  burden  eoniparatively  light  at  the  very  outset,  thus 
giving  the  people  a  elianee  to  develop  their  resources 
through  the  improvement  of  the  roads.  To  do  this,  the 
burden  shiuld  be  so  distributed  over  a  period  of  years 
that  it  will  avoid  the  two  extremes  of  excessive  tax  lev- 
ies on  the  one  hand  to  pay  off  the  debt  too  quiekly  and. 
(in  the  other  hauil,  the  extension  of  the  debt  beyond 
the  life  of  the  utility  in  order  to  obtain  a  Ijw  tax  rate. 

The  most  desirable  type  of  bond,  therefore,  appears 
to  be  in  which  the  ilrst  payment  is  made  the  fifth  or 
sixth  year  IrDiu  the  date  of  issue  and  the  other  pay- 
ments are  distriliuted  equally  over  a  certain  term  of 
years,  depending  upon  the  probable  life  of  the  improve- 
ment. 

Let  us  assume  that  ^100,(11)0  of  :i(l-year  o  per  cent  se- 
rial bonds  are  to  be  issued.  If  the  first  payment  is  de- 
ferred to  the  end  of  the  sixth  year  and  the  other  pay- 
ments made  in  ecpial  annual  amounts  during  the  re- 
maining 24  years,  the  total  outlay  for  interest  and  prin- 
cipal will  amount  to  approximately  H^l 90,000.  The  to- 
tal cost  of  a  ^100.000  sinking  fund  loan  covering  the 
same  term  and  bearing  the  same  rate  of  interest,  with 
a  sinking  fund  bearing  3  per  cent  and  compounded  an- 
nually, will  amount  to  $203,500,  thus  showing  a  saving 
for  the  deferred  serial  bond  issue  of  $13,500.  By  adopt- 
ing the  deferred  serial  plan  instead  of  the  sinking  fund 
plan  the  average  community  can  save  more  than  enough 
to  pay  all  engineering  and  overhead  expenses  for  the 
1'  lad   improvements. 

In  conclusion  I  wish  to  call  attention  to  another  im- 
portant point  that  should  be  considered  when  bonds  are 
issued  for  road  improvement.  The  term  of  the  bonds 
should  be  approxinuitely  the  same  as  the  life  of  the  im- 
provement. It  is  a  mistake  to  issue  50-year  bonds  to 
pay  for  roads  which  will  not  last  10  years.  For  in- 
stance, the  term  of  bonds  for  public  improvements  in 
Kew  Jersey  is  fixed  by  statute  as  follows :  Stone,  con- 
crete and  iron  bridges.  30  years;  roads  and  streets  built 
of  concrete  6  inches  thick,  or  of  blocks  of  any  material, 
or  of  sheet  asphalt  laid  on  concrete  foundation.  20 
years;  bifiuninous  concrete  construction.  15  years;  wa- 
ter-bound macadam  or  penetration  process,  10  years; 
gravel  roads,  5  vears. 


Texas  to  Meet  Federal  Aid. 

The  legislative  conuuittec  of  the  Texas  Good  Roads 
Association  at  a  special  meeting  held  in  Austin  drafted 
a  bill  ex[iressing  assent  of  the  State  of  Texas  to  fh.' 
l)rovisions  of  the  act  of  the  Sixty-Fo\u'th  Congress  ol' 
the  United  States,  approved  -luly  11.  1911), "  pr  ividiiig 
for  Fedeivd  aid  in  the  construction  of  post  roads  in 
State  of  the  Union  and  authorizing  a  Texas  highway 
commission  to  co-operate  with  the  United  States  Sec- 
retary of  Agi'iculture  in  administration  of  the  act  of 
( 'ongress. 

Also  the  bill  calls  foi'  the  creation  of  a  de|iartment 
of  pidilic  service  of  the  State,  to  be  known  as  the  State 
Highway  Department,  with  administrative  control,  of 
which  shall  be  vested  in  the  members  of  the  State  High- 
way Commissi  in  and  the  State  Highway  Engineer. 

The  commission  is  to  t'onsist  of  three  members  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Governor.  The  chairman  is  to  re- 
ceive a  salary  of  $-1,000  per  annum  and  two  advisory 
members,  each  t  i  receive  $2,500  a  year. 


Increase  Road  Building  Fund. 

Over    $71, I    ilisteail    of    .ilioul     $30,000    will     l>r    the 

county  I'evenue  of  the  Knox  comity.  T'enn.,  road  com- 
mission if  the  finance  committee  of  the  county  court 
carries  out  the  instructions  of  the  court  in  preparing 
the  annual  budget  and  make  the  county  pike  road  tax 
levy  seventeen  cents,  which  provision  in  the  budget 
will  doubtless  be  adopted  at  the  -Inly  session  of  the 
county  court. 

At  i^resent  tiie  eounty  jiike  road  tax  is  only  ei.uht 
cents,  which  is  eonsidei'ed  insufficient  to  enable  the 
road  eonnnissioii  to  cope  with  the  demands  now  being 
made  on  it  for  I'oad  work  and  the  greater  demands  an- 
ticipated when  the  Knox  count}-  good  roads  commis- 
sion has  entirely  expended  its  $500,000  for  the  construc- 
tion of  roads  and  the  whole  s.vstem  of  roads  in  Kuox 
county  must  lie  looked  after  by  the  Knox  Cjunty  road 
commission  are  exhausted. 

Supt.  John  Douglass,  in  commenting  on  the  situation, 
said:  "Funds  are  out  altogether  at  present.  We  know 
that  the  people  in  the  county  as  a  whole  will  welcome 
the  ju'iposition  to  raise  the  road  tax  levy.  It  is  greatly 
iiee(led  to  carry  on  the  work  successfully.  Travel  con- 
ditions in  the  county  are  changed.  And  when  the  good 
roads  commission  goes  out,  we  will  have  all  the  roads 
to  look  after,  and  the  gaps  in  between  to  fill.  They 
will  be    lur  roads  finished  or  unfinished." 

Since  the  present  Knox  county  road  commission  has 
been  in  office  it  lias  built  about  fifty  miles  of  jiike.  100 
concrete  firidges.  10%  miles  of  wide  grade  work  and 
other  road  improvements.  On  account  of  lack  of  mon- 
ey at  present,  this  commission  cannot  continue  t:>  go 
on  with  its  road  work  except  such  as  is  done  b.v  the 
workhouse  camps.  The  action  of  the  county  court  in 
instructing  the  finance  committee  to  inci'case  the  pike 
I'oad  tax  to  seventeen  cents  was,  tliere.  very  gratifyinii; 
to  the  commission. 


Richmond-Washington  Road, 

.Motorists  declare  that  the  lueliinond-Washington 
highway  is  at  last  fit  to  ti'avel  upon  from  Dumfries  to 
Occoquan.  If  this  is  true  no  one  will  be  more  agreeably 
surprised  than  President  Henry  W.  Anders  in,  of  the 
Richmond- Washington  highway  commission  corpora- 
tion. President  Anderson  has  devoted  a  great  deal  of 
time  and  no  little  money  to  the  building  of  this  road. 
The  chief  claim  to  distinction  for  the  Richm  ind-Wash- 
ington  highwa,\'  is  this:  It  is  the  first  road  in  the  state 
for  which  a  permanent  maintenance  fund  is  provided. 
All  other  roads  have  been  built  and  left  to  wear  out, 
which  roads  have  a  fashion  of  doing.  Once  a  mad  wears 
out  the  supervisors  have  t  i  go  begging  for  help  to 
ii'ct  the  road  back  in  sliape.  and  everA'one  the  supervis- 
or jipproaches  immediately  tells  him  that  he  already 
has  contributed  his  share  to  the  liuilding  of  the  road, 
and  iloes  not  .see  why  he  should  be  called  upon  to  do 
any  more. 

That  is  why  President  Henry  W.  Anderson,  of  the 
Richmond-Washington  highwa.v,  insisted  upon  setting 
aside  one-fifth  of  all  mone.v  contriViuted  to  build  the 
highway  so  that  it  might  lie  maintained  properly  once 
it  was  liuilt.  As  more  than  $50,000  has  been  collected  in 
Richmond  the  road  starts  oft'  with  a  $10,000  reserve 
fiuul  for  maintenance. 


.Muscogee  county.  Okla..  has  called  an  election  to 
vote  on  the  proposition  of  spending  a  million  dollars 
for  building  hard  surfaced  roads.  Tulsa  and  Cleve- 
land counties  ar(>  also  ]ilaiiiiing  elab  irate  road  systems. 


Februai-v.  11)17 


SOUTIIRRN  (!00D  ROADS 


13 


The  Greatest  Road  Problem 

By  B.  H.  PIEPMEIR 
Maintenance  Engineer,  Illinois  Highivay  Department 


''l^  IIK  liKEA'J'EST  road  piMbloms.  particularly  tluu 
-L  111'  the  township  or  road  district,  it  to  construct 
and  maintain  projierly  the  existing;  earth  roads.  Al)out 
90  per  cent  of  the  roads  in  Illinois  are  earth  and  will 
probably  remain  such  for  many  years.  In  view  of  the 
tremendous  amount  of  earth  road  work  to  be  done  and 
of  money  to  he  spent  for  it,  every  effort  should  be  di- 
rected along'  lines  leading  to  the  best  results.  If  the 
grades,  cross-section  and  drainage  of  earth  roads  are 
properly  established,  they  will  not  need  alteration  when 
the  roadways  are  provided  with  a  more  durable  wear- 
ing surface  at  a  later  date.  For  this  reason  a  large 
part  of  the  work  done  on  a  good  earth  road  is  perma- 
nent, and  is  just  as  important  as  more  expensive  meth- 
ods of  construction. 

The  greatest  mistake  in  most  township  road  construc- 
tion today  is  that  the  money  is  spread  annually  over  all 
the  rjads  in  the  township.  Very  few  roads  receive 
enough  time  and  money  to  be  put  in  fir^:t  class  cou.ii- 
tion.  Most  of  the  money  is  spent  in  an  endeavor  to 
maintain  earth  roads  that  are  not  in  a  s^iitable  condi- 
tion for  maintenance.  Jlany  earth  I'oads  are  wo'se  af- 
ter improper  w  n-king  than  they  were  bcl'cire  it,  for  a 
large  part  of  the  best  soil  in  them  is  exposed  so  that  the 
tirst  heavy  rains  wash  it  away.  JIosl  townships  have 
sufficient  funds  to  maintain  their  earth  roads  by  drai^- 
ging  and  oiling  after  they  have  been  put  in  propt  r  i  on- 
dition  for  effective  maintenance.  The  most  economic 
work  that  can  be  undertaken  by  such  tnvnsiiips  is  to 
finance  some  scheme  for  grading  and  .Irainii^g  its  r,  -th 
roads  and  constructing  permanent  culverts  and  bridges. 

Tlie  main  work  to  be  done  to  obtain  efficient  earth 
roads  is  to  drain  them  well  and  then  to  maintain  them. 
There  is  no  road  material  so  easily  affected  by  urn-'-  >p- 
er  drainage  as  earth.  When  dry.  it  will  carry  the 
heaviest  loads  imp:)sed  liy  traffic,  but  when  thoroughly 
saturated  with  water  it  will  not  support  tlio  iigJitest 
load.  Hence  it  is  necessary  to  utilize  all  methods  of 
keeping  the  earth  road  dry.  This  can  best  lie  done  by 
draining  away  the  underground  water  and  prrventing 
surface  water  from  standing  on  the  road. 

All  surface  water  is  removed  by  giving  to  the  i'.>ad 
gi'ades  and  cross-sections  which  will  aft'orded  the  nec- 
essary outlet  to  the  natural  water  courses.  Tl;-,'  ?ra'!e 
line  should  provide  for  cutting  down  tlie  hill.-,  and  till- 
ing the  hollows,  so  there  will  be  a  roailbed  v.hich  will 
not  require  change  for  further  improvement.  Special 
attention  .should  be  paid  t:)  providing  side  ditches  which 
will  remove  all  surface  water  rapidly.  Side  ditches  on 
long,  steep  grades  should  be  protected  against  serious 
erosion  by  riprap,  transverse  timbers  or  other  meai:s. 
Culverts  and  bridges  should  be  of  ample  size  and  be 
built  as  permanent  structures.  Drain  tile  should  be 
laid  to  carry  off  underground  water.  Side  ditches 
which  are  kept  clean  and  have  suffiident  slnpe  to  lenr; 
the  water  away  are  usually  preferable  to  tile  drainage, 
but  the  latter  is  necessary  in  some  places. 

Good  earth  roads  can  be  constructed  at  a  very  lov; 
cost;  however,  they  require  cou.stant  maintenance, 
which  may  be  expensive  where  the  travel  is  heavy.  A 
well  built  and  properly  maintained  earth  road  M'ill 
serve  some  sections  as  well  as  the  most  expensive  types 
of  hard  surfaced  roads  will  serve  other  .sectians,  Where 


this  fact  is  realized  more  attention  will  br  |)aid  to  earth 
roads  and  tiie  money  spent  on  them  w  ill  not  lie  regard- 
ed as  lost.  It  is  neglect  which  makes  earth  I'oads  bad. 
and  requires  two  dollars  to  be  spent  where  one  dollar 
invested  earlier  would  have  d  uie  the  work.  Every 
township  should  arrange  for  a  i)atrol  s.\stem  of  main- 
tenance, or  its  ecjuivalent,  under  which  someone  will 
give  his  entire  time  to  a  section  of  roads  and  be  respon- 
sible for  their  condition. 

Earth  rjads  shoidd  i)e  maintained  by  keeping  a  good 
crown  on  the  road,  the  surface  smooth  and  the  side 
ditches  open.  In  this  way  the  travel  will  be  distributed 
over  the  roadway  and  water  will  be  drained  away  rap- 
idl.y.  The  systematic  use  of  the  road  drag  ill  give  bet- 
ter results  for  the  money  spent  than  any  other  meth- 
od of  maintaining  an  eai-tli  road,  and  costs  from  $10  to 
ifilS  per  mile  per  year  in  Illinois,  provided  the  road  has 
been  properly  built. 


Dangers  of  Narrow  Roads. 

What  is  more  exasperating  than  to  meet  a  1k'  :  'y 
loaded  wagon  in  a  narrow,  steep,  rocky  road  witb.out 
room  to  turn  out?  If  you  have  the  lighter  vehicle  it  is 
"up  to  you"  to  back  out  and  give  the  other  fellow  the 
right  of  way,  especially  if  he  is  the  "bigger"  man. 
Sometimes  in  endeavoring  to  squeeze  pa.st  .vou  rim  in- 
to an  obstruction  and  either  upset  or  break  some  p;iit 
of  the  rig.  Both  courses  are  dangerous,  and  moi'e  es- 
peciall.y  so  if  you  happen  to  be  driving  a  young  skittish 
team  instead  of  the  old  family  "]Mare." 

Not  long  ago  the  photographer  who  was  taking  the 
moving  pictures  for  the  new  Du  Piuit  "Road  l^uilding" 
film  had  set  up  his  camera  with  a  view  of  showing  a 
short  section  of  a  narrow,  rock.y  road.  At  that  mo 
ment  along  came  a  bay  pushing  a  bic.ycle  followed  Ijy 
two  men  in  a  buggy.  The  horse  became  frightened  and 
in  endeavoring  to  turn  out  for  the  boy  ran  over  a  large 
boulder,  tipping  both  men  out  and  breaking  the  bug- 

The  photographer,  Ijeing  a  true  "movie"  man  seized 
the  opportunity  to  run  the  film  on  a  "scene,"  Fortu- 
nately no  one  "was  hurt,  and  the  film  was  such  a  good 
illustration  of  the  results  of  bad  roads  that  it  was  in- 
corporated into  the  body  of  the  "Road  Building"  film. 

No  one  who  has  seen  this  film,  which  is  an  education 
in  road  building  in  itself,  can  remain  a  passive  non- 
supporter  of  the  good  roads  movement.  It  contains 
scenes  taken  from  actual  construction,  and  shows  the 
improvement  and  conversion  by  the  best  and  most  mod- 
ern methods  of  our  worst  roads  into  the  various  types 
of  smooth  hard  surfaced,  easily  traveled  highways. 


April  IT,  18.  19,  20,  1917— I'nited  States  Go xl  Roads 
Association — Fifth  Annual  Convention.  United  States 
Good  Roads  Congress  under  the  auspices  of  the  U.  S. 
G.  R.  A.  and  I'nited  States  Good  Roads  Show  of  Ma- 
chinery and  ^Materials.  Birmingham.  Alabama.  Sec- 
retary. J.  A.  Rountree.  Suite  1021 — Brown  'Slarx  Build- 
ing, Birmiugham.  Ala. 


About  seventeen  million  dollars  per  year  is  being 
spent  in  the  state  of  Texas  for  road  building. 


u 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  li(_)ADy 


February,  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXI    GTON.  North  Carolfna 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  GenI  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  SUte  Geologist  of  N.  C,  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  BIdg..  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORENZEN,  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
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New  York  Chicago 

Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENRY  B   VARNER.  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  '■RATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  President.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 
C.  B.  SCOTT.  Secretary,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT,  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  black.  Secretary,  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XV. 


FEBRUARY,  1917. 


No.  2. 


SOME  IMPORTANT  ROAD  WORK. 

Six  or  ei^iit  immtlis  ;ifi'o  Siiutheni  (iimd  Knads  >;p.il<i' 
of  vrhut  an  iiiimense  licnffit  to  the  Soiitli  would  he  the 
roiistnicti  111  of  roads  thi'iui^h  IJocl^iiiuhaiii  ciiuiily. 
North  ("(iroliiia.  tlius  a ti'urdiiii;-  a  eiinneetiiig  link  .joiii- 
iiig  good  roads  of  I'iedinoiit  North  Carolina.  Soiitli  Car- 
olina, (feorgia.  with  those  :)!'  Virginia.  Cnder  dale  of 
January  24  .Mr.  .1.  W,  Dunn,  secri'tai'v  of  1he  l\eiils- 
ville  { 'oiniiiiM-cial  and  .Vgi'icult  ural  As.soi-iation.  writr.s 
as   follows: 

"  K'lirkiiighaiii  i-minl y  has  dcliiiil  dy  deriih'il  lo  gel  out 
of  tlie  iiind.  Our  coiinly  (■niiuiiissioiiers.  at  a  special 
call  iiiccling  held  ,it  W'ciilwnih  ycslerday.  sold  ImhkIs 
for  >|iL'(l().(i(l()  at  4'-  per  cent  for  the  purpiise  (d'  good 
road  const  riii-l  ion.  and  .d  the  same  session  contracted 
I'm'  the  construction  oi'  one  hnndi'cd  miles  of  r  lad  with 
;i    (Jreenshoro   iiolisc. 

In  addition  to  the  contract  'work,  oni'  farmers  are 
cooperating,  hy  giving  free  topsiil.  rights  of  way.  and 
the  use  of  teams  and  wagons,  I'or  the  piii'|)ose  ol"  coii- 
strueting  tlie  coniiectiiig  links  of  what  will  constitute  a 
perfect  system  of  san<Uday  roads  throughout  the  entire 
county." 

This  is  indeed  a  program  worth  while  ami  othei- 
Southern  euunties  might  beiietit  liy  watching  Koekiiig- 
ham, 


A  GOOD  ROADS  LEADER. 

Davidsoi niity.  Noiih  Cai'oliiia.  blazes  the  trail  for 

the  other  good  r  lads  counties  of  the  South  hy  the  in- 
auguration of  the  county  good  roads  institute,  an  ac- 
count of  -whieli  appears  in  this  issue  of  Southern  Good 
l\oads.  There  must  he  a  unification  if  the  work  if 
inainlenancc  is  to  aiiproxiinate  the  high  degree  of  snc- 
i-css  intended.  The  only  ^\■ay  lo  do  this  is  to  get  the 
men  actually  engaged  in  the  work  together,  bring  t  i 
them  advice  that  is  practical,  let  tliein  tell  each  other 
of  their  ideas  and  experiences  and  thus  iuvm  a  eommou 
basis  for  the  aecomplishnieiit  of  a  common  purpose. 

A  few  -weeks  ago  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the  Ijeg- 
islature  that  threatened  to  do  harm  to  the  extension  of 
the  good  roads  cause  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  A  mass 
meeting  -was  called  and  the  citizens  responded  in  num- 
bers, ]iledged  their  efforts  to  keeping  the  work  going 
and  f  >r  proper  maintenance,  then  had  their  desires  put 
into  resolutions  that  have  since  been  enacted  into  law. 
There  seems  now  to  Innc  come  peace  and  a  united  pur- 
pose for  road  v^-ork  in  this  cininty,  -which  less  than  two 
years  ago  would  have  "stoned  the  prophets." 


THE  BIRMINGHAM  MEETING. 

The  Fifth  .\niiual  Session  of  the  I'niteil  Slates  (i.;  id 
Uiiads  Ass;)ciation  will  beheld  in  P.irmingham  on  April 
17.  IS,  10.  L'd.  This  meeting  will  be  one  of  the  largest 
and  111  ist  iiit  crest  ing  in  the  history  of  llu'  organization, 
which  has  done  so  much  to  ad\-aiice  tlie  cause  of  good 
roads  throughout  the  nation.  It  has  for  its  President 
Senator  John  II.  Bankhead.  who  is  the  author  of  the 
ISankhead  >1<S.'\()III),(HH)  good  r  lads  appropriation  liill. 
Some  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  in  the  United 
States  are  members  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  in- 
terested in  making  this  association  a  great  success. 

In  connection  with  this  aiinnal  meeting  the  United 
States  r4ood  Roads  .Machinery  and  Material  Show  will 
be  liidd.  It  will  lie  :\  splendid  opp  irtnnity  for  inachin- 
er\-  and  ni.it  erial  men  t  i  get  their  wares  before  the  good 
I'oads  adxdi'ates  that  ^vill  be  in  attendance  of  this  meet- 
ing. 


Dangerous  Grade  Crossings. 

T'liere  wfVi'  .'il  persons  killed  on  the  Iowa  highways 
at  i-ailway  grade  crossings  in  one  xcar.  and  many  per- 
sons were  injured.  The  Iowa  Highway  Coaimission  is 
stri\iiig  to  (diminate  these  dangi-rous  conditions,  with 
the  ludii  of  railway  companies  and  local  officials,  but  as 
t  here  are  S,fi76  such  crossings  on  the  country  roads  of 
the  state  and  many  more  in  the  cities  and  towns,  the 
task  is  a  serious  one.  Strange  to  say,  some  of  the 
wiu'st  accidents  have  occurred  on  crossings  not  consid- 
ered particularly  dangerous,  which  indicates  that  with 
the  raiiidly  increasing  use  of  the  highways  the  grade 
crossings  on  main  roads  nuist  be  eliminated.  Obstrnel- 
ed  views  in  approacliing  the  track  and  sttcii  approach- 
es to  it  are  the  most  common  sources  of  danger.  Many 
crossings  innv  dangennis  because  the  view  of  them  is 
obstructed  by  brush,  trees,  or  buildings  can  be  greatly 
improved  by  the  removal  of  these  obstructions.  Lev- 
eling the  banks  on  either  side  of  a  crossing  is  a  method 


Fehninrv,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


often  employed  to  rediu-e  the  diiiiKei'  \\li<'i-e  the  road 
and  railway  are  in  deep  tnits.  Grades  above  6  per  cent, 
at  crossings  are  very  dangerous  for  two  reasons;  an 
inexperienced  driver  may  stall  his  engine  on  the  track 
while  attempting  to  shift  gears,  and  vehicles  approach- 
ing the  crossing  at  the  same  time  from  opposite  direc- 
tions may  collide  on  aceonnt  of  their  liurst  of  speed  to 
surmount  the  crossing  quickly.  Another  dangerous 
type  of  crossing  is  that  where  the  highway  crosses  the 
railway  at  a  small  angle.  Oljservations  of  the  travel 
at  such  crossings  show  that  few  motorists  look  back  as 
they  should  just  before  reaching  the  crossing 


French  Military  Roads. 

The  military  rjads  which  are  used  by  Ihr  French 
army  have  been  the  subject  of  a  number  of  couiments 
recently,  among  which  the  following  note  by  a  corres- 
])ondent  of  the  Associated  Press  is  of  interest  as  show- 
ing how  both  maintenance  of  surface  ami  direction  of 
traffic  are  cared  for  constantly : 

"Junior  officers,  many  of  whom  in  |irivate  life  occu- 
py high  positions  in  Ijusiness,  seem  to  have  adajrted 
themselves  swiftly  to  the  new  life  so  ditt'erent  from 
their  regular  occupation.  At  every  intersection  one 
of  them  is  posted  to  direct  the  traffic,  and  they  do  so 
with  all  the  efficiency  of  the  memliei-s  of  a  city  police 
traffic  s(piad.  Never  during  his  sojourn  with  the  French 
armies  has  the  correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press 
observed  any  serious  congestian.  Occasionally  a  Ger- 
man long-range  gun  will  tear  great  holes  in  the  roads 
in  the  endeavor  to  prevent  reinforcements  coming  up 
or  the  approach  of  annnnnitiou  colniiins.  At  once 
large  squads  of  men  supji  iscd  to  he  eiijiiying  a  rest 
from;  the  rigors  of  the  front  line  are  put  to  work-  to  till 
the  gaps  with  fresh  macadam  and  Imgh  steam  rollers 
appear  to  level  the  surface.  Other  men  conu'  on  with 
tar  pails  and  brushes  and  coat  the  surface  to  })revent 
the  rising  of  du.st  as  much  as  possible." 

The  tetchnical  aspects  of  the  French  military  orads 
have  received  considerable  attention  from  Colonel  E. 
A.  Stevens,  commissioner  of  public  roads  of  New  Jersey 
and  for  many  years  a  student  of  military  affairs.  His 
sources  of  information  are  somewhat  better  than  the 
pictures  he  mentions  in  the  folli>wing  notes,  it  is  only 
fair  to  add.  He  made  these  conuneiits  un  the  subject 
in  a  recent  public  address: 

"As  is  well  laiown.  the  Fi'eiii-h  ni'iiiy  (in  the  X'erdun 
sectoi-)  has  been  kept  supi)lied  by  motor  truck.  The 
number  of  men  is  unkujwn  and  so  are  the  weights  mov- 
ed. If.  however,  the  ordnance  weights  are  from  six  to 
eightfold  the  quartermaster  and  conuiiissary  weights, 
there  will  Ijc  not  less  than  40  pounds  moved  per  man. 
The  French  force  cannot  be  less  than  ;JOO,UOO  men.  This 
would  mean  some  6,000  tons  a  da^^,  or  say  2,000  three- 
ton  trucks  each  way  a  day,  or  one  each  way  every  43 
seconds.  The  numiber  of  roads  used  is  doubtful.  The 
l)hotographs  published  or  shown  as  nuivies  allow  us  to 
judge  tlie  tyjte  of  road.  It  is  evidently  a  limestone 
nmcadam.  French  limestone  is  usuall>'  soft.  Such 
loads  as  one-third  or  one-half  of  the  above  will  make 
short  work  of  any  macadam  surface  unless  the  repair 
work  is  prompt  and  efficient.  The  drive  against  Ver- 
dun coincided  with  the  most  trying  season  for  roads. 
Yet,  if  the  ]>hotographs  show  the  true  conditions,  the 
roads  r.rc  'u  splendid  shape.  It  seems  probable  that  the 
niotors  could  not  have  stood  the  strain  of  poor  roads. 

"These  conditions  are  not  the  result  of  good  luck. 
They  are  due  to  well  built  roads,  well  maintained.  But 
this  has  been  po.ssible  only  by  the  organized  effort  of 


trained  iijeii.  and  \vhatever  success  the  French  may  ob- 
tain at  Verdun  will  be  due  not  only  to  the  soldier  in 
the  trenches  but  to  tlu^  patient,  enduring  and  humble 
labor  of  the  men  who  made  the  supply  of  the  necessi- 
ties of  life  and  of  munitions  foi-  the  fightei's  possible 
by  the  condition  in  which  they  kept  the  roads.  This 
they  weri'  able  to  do  on  account  of  the  centuries  of 
training  and  cai'eful  study  that  the  French  have  given 
their  roads.  In  a  A\-in-d.  they  wcvt'  |-eady  and  made 
good. 


Effect  of  Federal  Farm  Loan  Act  on  Road  Improve- 
ments. 

The  recent  announcement  of  the  location  of  twelve 
federal  land  banks  for  carrying  out  part  of  the  work 
authorized  by  C'ongress  last  year  to  develop  our  agri- 
culture has  considerable  significance  to  those  interest- 
ed in  road  iinprovements.  Under  the  conditions  exist- 
ing down  to  the  present  time,  financing  the  farmer  has 
been  coinlucted  by  a  method  which  is  not  so  heliifnl 
as  that  in  a  nundier  of  other  countries.  A  farmer  who 
wishes  to  develop  his  property  faces  an  undertaking 
which  cannot  be  completed  in  a  few  years.  He  must 
work  in  cooperation  with  Nature,  and  Nature  takes 
her  time.  A  farmer  needs  from  five  to  several  times 
five  years  to  make  real  improvements.  Under  the  sys- 
tem of  raising  money  on  short-term  mortgages  here- 
tofore in  vogue,  his  work  was  crippled,  just  as  a  I'ail- 
way  or  industrial  company  would  be  crip|)led  if  it  could 
not  I'aise  money  on  long-term  bonds  and  had  to  rely 
exclusively  on  short-term  notes.  The  fed{>ral  lainl  banks 
and  their  snhsidiai'y  national  farm  loan  associat  inns 
will  enable  the  rariiicr  to  bori'ow  money  I'oi'  tei'ms  of 
live  to  t'orty-HN'e  years  on  his  lanil.  Tbi'  lai'iii  mortgage 
will  no  longer  l)e  a  dreaded  thing,  and  tlie  change  is 
expected  to  revolutionize  farming  practice  in  this  conn- 
try.  One  (if  the  first  public  improvements  that  intelli- 
gent farmers  demand  now  is  road  betterment  ade(pude 
for  their  needs,  not  only  because  it  is  of  business  and 
social  advantage  to  them  but  also  because  a  farm  on  a 
good  road  is  w(n'th  more  than  a  similar  farm  cut  off 
from  civilization  by  poor  roads.  The  amount  of  nnmey 
any  farmer  can  borrow  from  a  land  liank  will  depend 
on  the  value  of  his  farm,  and  if  he  is  like  most  farmers 
and  business  men  in  being  a  borrower  he  will  try  hard 
to  get  good  roads  in  his  vicinity  in  order  that  his  bor- 
rowing ca|)acity  may  be  as  strong  as  practicable. 


An  Inexcusable  Source  of  Danger. 

The  pi-actii-e  ol'  sono'  I'oad  bnildei's,  pulilic  ot'licials 
as  well  as  contractors,  of  leaving  piles  of  gravel  or 
broken  stone  on  roads  without  any  warning  signal  oy 
light  is  an  inexecusable  infringement  of  the  rights  of 
the  travelei-.  A  layer  of  such  material,  six  inches  thiclc 
encomitered  sudilenly  on  a  good  road  on  a  dark  night, 
is  very  likely  to  render  a  light  car  unmanageable. 
Screenings  are  particularly  dangerous.  In  states  that 
keep  records  of  accidents  on  roads,  tlie  dangerous  re- 
sults of  such  carelessness  have  been  demonstrated  b.y 
figures.  One  state  highway  department  recently  warn- 
ed the  i)ul)lic  that  "loose  gi-avel  forms  a  menace  to  life 
and  limb  almost  as  serious  as  an  oi)n  ciil\-crl  oi'  an 
unfilled  In-idge  approach."  The  unlightcd  monnds  of 
road  material  sometimes  left  on  highway  under  repair 
are  more  easily  recognized  at  night  as  dangerous  than 
are  these  thick  beds  of  loose  gravel  or  stone. 


The  road  between  ^lanatee  and  Saraota,  Fla.,  is  be- 
ing built  of  gravel  and  oil  and  will  shortly  be  one  of 
the  finest  highways  in  that  section, 


16 


SorTIlERX  (ioOD  KOADS 


Pebnuirv.  Vni 


The  North  and  South  National  Bee  Line 

Highway 


I\  llif  |ji)iiis\ill('  ('iiuriiT  .liiiii'ii.il.  \ij\-.  ■_'!,  ll)l().  Ilir 
t'olldwiiijj'  ]iHi7iti'r;i|)li  is  in  the  i'olldwiug  write  up  ol' 
tile  meeting-  of  llie  .hii']<snii  Iliyliw;! y  Direet  irs.  in  Louis- 
ville.  Xov.  2()tli.    11(1  li: 

".Miss  Ahna  Kitteiiliei'v.  wlio  as  a  dauglitrr  of  ISll' 
in  Binninghani  lielped  1o  originate  the  Jaekson  ]M'o- 
ject  two  years  ago,  also  expressed  herself  by  deelaring 
tliat  she  was  willing  to  permit  the  Mississippi  route  to 
divoree  itself  from  the  Jaekson  projeet  using  the  Jaek- 
son Highway  name,  and  supjjort  a  movement  for  a 
Lakes-to-Gulf-IIighway  I'unning  from  Chicago  to  the 
Gnlf  by  the  way  of  Alabama." 

As  the  meeting  closed  an  adjourned  meeting  the  tight 
was  continued  for  the  Deeatur  and  Bee  Line  route  as 
originally  planned.  jMueh  regret  has  been  expressed 
tliroughout  the  eounti'y.  liy  good  roads  enthusiasts  that 
the  work  as  originally  planned  by  I\[iss  Rittenbery  was 
not  carried  through  completely.  It  is  the  first  time  in 
Good  Road  history  of  a  woman  originating  the  idea  of 
a  National  Highway  as  a  monument.  As  the  official 
chairman  of  historic  roads  and  highways  in  the  organi- 
zation of  Alabama  daughters  of  1812.  she  laiuiehed  the 
project  of  a  National  Highway.  Lakes-to-Gulf  Higliway, 
which  was  a  North  and  S-)Uth  Highway,  as  a  moniiment 
to  Andrew  Jackson,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Alabama 
daughtei's  of  1812,  at  a  National  Good  Roads  Conven- 
tion held  in  Birmingham  ;\Iay  2").  IDll.  and  has  dili- 
gently worked  in  an  educational  way  to  create  the  se  ■ 
timent  for  this  broad  llighAvay.  splitting  the  Middle 
Basin  coming  through  the  States  of  Indiana.  Kentucky. 
Tennessee.  .Mabania  to  ;\lobiIe.  skirting  the  Gulf  to 
New  Oj'leans.  No  North  and  South  Highway  had  been 
planned  or  suggested  through  this  special  territory.  In 
the  National  Highways  proposed  in  Congress  in  1910 
not  one  was  in  honoi'  of  Andrew  Jackson.  n(n'  was  one 
proposed  ti-aversing  the  middle  section,  from  Chicago 
to  the  cities  of  Indianapolis.  Louisville,  Nashville,  De- 
catur. Birmingham.  Montgomery,  ilobile  to  New  Or- 
leans. 

^liss  Rittenbery  is  a  woman  of  superior  intelligence, 
her  ai'tieles  on  Good  Roads  and  IIighwa.^■s  have  been 
published  in  all  the  leading  Good  Roads  I\iagazines  and 
is  I'Ccognized  as  having  done  some  good  constructi :)n 
work  and  while  the  Jack-smi  Highway  |)roiiosition  was 
not  carried  out  as  originally  jjlauned.  the  credit  is  ab- 
siiliilcly  due  iiei'  for  the  Jacks;in  Highway  being  given 
a  place  on  the  map  of  the  I'nited  States.  The  ot^cial 
route  of  the  Jackson  Highway  goes  from  Chicago' 
through  Indianapolis.  Nasln'ille,  FloreiU'c.  Cohnubus. 
I\Ieridian.  IIa11iisl)ui'g  to  New  Orleans.  The  Tennessee. 
Alabama  branch  of  the  Jackson  Highway  goes  through 
FayetleviUe.  Hunlsville.  Ala..  1o  Gadsden  and  turns  to 
cross  to  iiirminghaiii.  'S\  mlgoniei-y  stopping  at  Selma. 
'i'he  Xashville-Hujjls\ille-Gadsdeii  Jatd^son  Highway  is 
l)roving  a  good  feeder  to  the  Dixie,  tourists  being  i-out- 
ed  over  that  !■  lad  Ihi'ough  Rome.  Ga..  on  to  the  Dixie. 
Birmingham,  liy  the  siqiport  of  hulianna  and  Kentucky 
and  Teiniessee.  throwing  their  votes  to  the  Iluntsville 
route  got  "a  place  in  the  Sun"  but  the  Decatur  Bee 
Liiu'  routi'  that  kept  the  work  alive  for  four  years, 
forming  in  July  SO.  1915.  a  Jackson  Highway  A.ssocia. 
tion,  makmg  Mr,  Peter  Lee  Atherton,  of  Louisville, 
president,  "was  left  out  in  the  cold." 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Jackson  Highway  Association, 


whieii  \vas  held  in  1  iii'minglia iii  Jan.  11.  IIMT  al  the 
I'utwiler  Hotel  ,the  final  decision  was  made  which  gave 
Iluntsville  and  Gadsden  the  Alabama  route.  ]\Ir.  W. 
T'.  Sanders  of  Athens.  Ala.,  a  Directoi-  in  the  Jackson 
Highway  Association  and  a  loyal  Bee  Liner,  resigned 
frim  the  a.ssociation  and  announced  from  the  floor  that 
he  was  going  to  organize  immediately  a  North  and 
South  Highway  Association.  Miss  Alma  Rittenbery 
also  resigned  but  was  immediately  elected  honorary 
member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Jackson  High- 
way Associati  )n  at  the  suggestion  of  the  president,  ilr. 
Peter  Lee  Athertmi. 

A  call  meeting  was  set  out  by  Mr.  AV.  T'.  Sanders  of 
Athens.  Ala.  to  organize  a  North  and  South  Bee  Line 
Highway  to  meet  in  Birmingham  on  the  2:3rd.  of  Jan. 
1917.  The  Jefferson  County  Roads  Association,  hoping 
to  take  the  initiative,  issued  a  call  fir  the  22  of  Jan.  to 
form  a  Lake.s-to-Gulf  Association,  ilr.  Sanders  grace- 
fully yielded  to  the  date  of  the  Jefferson  Good  Roads 
Association  call  but  when  the  delegates  arrived  in 
Birmingham  the  South  and  North  Bee  Line  delegates 
outnumbered  the  Gulf  by  .'JO  to  1  and  South  and  >J'orth 
Bee  Line  Association  was  quickly  organized,  with  ]\Ir. 
W.  T.  Sanders  presiding  over  the  meeting  and  ~\lr.  L. 
]M.  Buell.  of  Cullman.  Ala.,  as  secretary. 

There  was  some  discussion  at  the  injecting  the  word 
NATIONAL.  Miss  Rittenbery  suggesting  and  con- 
tending that  the  route  be  called  the  North  and  South 
National  Bee  Line  Highway.  IMr.  H.  Key  Millner,  tak- 
ing the  suggestion  of  ]\Iiss  Rittenliei-y,  made  a  motion 
that  it  be  called  that,  which  was  unanimously  carried. 

]\Ir.  F.  J.  Crampton,  of  ^Montgomery,  Ala.,  was  elect- 
ed Pi-esident  of  the  new  association.  Other  officers 
elected  were.  Judge  "\V.  E.  Skeggs.  of  Decatur.  Ala. 
vice  president  for  Alaliama.  Mr.  Newton  D.  White,  of 
Pulaski,  vice  president  for  Tennessee.  Mayor  Martin 
Behrman.  New  Orleans,  vice  president  f  >r  Louisiana. 
The  election  for  vice  president  of  ilississippi,  Indiana 
and  Illinois  was  deferred  to  the  next  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Directors.  Mr.  L.  M.  Buell,  of  Cullman,  sec- 
retary and  Mr,  H.  Key  Millnei'.  of  Birmingham,  treas- 
urer. 

The  Board  of  Directors  is  com]iosed  of  F.  M.  Alas- 
sey.  Pulaski.  Teun. :  W.  T.  Sanders,  Athens.  Ala. :  W.  JI. 
Orennen.  Hii'minghani;  L.  D.  Stephens.  Jlontgomerv; 
Alorgan  Richards,  Sehna,  John  Craft,  Mobile  and  A.  L. 
Schaffenberg.  New  Orleans.  Mr.  J.  A.  Yanllouse,  of 
Bangor,  Ala.,  was  elected  Field  Agent. 

^liss  Ahmi  Rittenbery,  ]\Ii-s.  Samuel  Ledbetter  and 
Airs.  Chapel  Cory  of  Birmingham,  three  iirominent 
Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  were  elected  Imnorai'y 
life  members  of  the  Association.  Avith  the  iirivilege  of 
tile  II  Mir.  The  motion  to  mak'e  the  three  ladies  iiiem- 
biM-s  of  the  association  was  maile  by  .Mr.  W.  T.  San.l- 
ers.  it  A\'as  unanimously  carried.  Miss  Rittenbi-ry. 
Alesdames  Ledbetter  and  Cor.\'.  were  aiipointetl  a  com- 
mittee to  submit  the  design  for  mai'kers  for  and  sta- 
tion ei-y. 

On  m.itioii  of  Miss  Rittenbery,  General  Coleman  Dn- 
Pont,  Wilmington,  Del,,  who  is  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Councilors  of  the  National  Highways  Association 
and  Air.  Henry  Ford,  Detroit,  ]Mich.,  President  Ford 
Alotor  Car  Co..  were  made  honorary  life  presidents.  Ou 
motion  of  Jlr.  W,  F,  Drennen,  Mr,  J.  N,  Willys,  Toledo, 


Kcl)ni:ii-v,  1017 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


17 


(>lli(l,      I 'rcsiilclll      III'     lllc      \Vlllys-(  )\  r|-hlM(|      A  llldlllnllilc 

('ii.,  \\;is  .-lisii  iii;i(lr  liniiiir;ir'\-  lit'i'  in't'sidciil . 

Mr.  ]l.  1j.  Shiitfnci'  i-cprcseiitiiij;'  llic  ( "niiiiiiiTcial 
Club  of  NaslivilJt',  jjiit  in  some  etfective  talking  in  be- 
half of  the  Dixie  Bee  Line  Hmite,  which  I'lins  fi'oin 
Nashville,  through  Springfield.  Tenii.,  ITopkinsville. 
Kentueky,  Evansville,  Vineennes,  and  Terre  Ilante,  Ind., 
and  ])anville,  111.,  in  Siintli  ('hica,g:i,  witli  the  Route  ex- 
lending  through  Roekfiird.  111.  .Madison.  AVis..  ]\Iiinie- 
apnlis,  i\linn.,  up  to  Duliith,  ,ir  some  gooil  termiiuis. 
^Ir.  George  llclirr,  ivpresenting  the  Rotary  (T.di 
of  Dothan,  Ala.,  was  pi'csent  at  the  meeting  to  put  in 
the  claim  of  the  IMontgomery.  Dothan,  Tallehassee, 
Tampa.  Fort  Meyer  Route  for  the  Porida  extension,  hut 
for  the  sake  of  harmony  the  Florida  Route  was  held 
over  until  the  next  meeting.  Both  extensi;)ns  north  to 
Chicago  and  beyond,  aud  the  Florida  extension  had 
been  discussed  and  planned  by  iliss  Rittenbery  aiul 
IFr.  W.  T.  Sanders  as  a  route  worthy  of  tln'  \\m!  k  of 
all  good  roads  enthusiasts.  The  name,  ^'ortll  and  .Smlli 
Hig-hway,  could  n-it  be  other  than  a  name  well  suited 
to  the  route,  to  the  territoi-y  through  which  it  will 
ti-nvi'l. 


The  Travel  on  Main  Highways. 

Tt  is  a  diftii-ull  thing  to  determine  what  type  of  con- 
st ructinn  sliiiuld  be  adopted  for  the  improvement  of 
some  main  highways.  If  by  any  chance  they  beeonu^ 
parts  of  through  routes  f;)r  nuitorists,  the  travel  ovei' 
them  will  increase  enormously  and  a  mose  expensive 
road  will  be  needed  than  if  they  are  used  only  as  main 
market  roads.  When  the  Massachusetts  Highway  Com- 
mission began  in  1909  to  investigate  the  travel  on  the 
shore  road  from  Boston  1 1  the  White  JMountains.  thev 


I'lMnid  lli;il  ,it  l>'ii\\lc\  I  his  Iravrl  \\,i,s  iiiadr  up  of  an 
average  iiF  117  a  ill  nmoliilcs  and  11)1)  other  vehicles  a. 
day,  whilr  in  11)1.")  it  had  inci-casi'd  In  (i,")()  automobiles 
ami  109  other  vehicles.  On  an  old  lui'npike  ri-diii  Bos- 
ton to  Newlmi'port  the  a\crage  numluT  (jT  users  (if  the 
road  in  1909  at  a  p;)inl  'H)  miles  I'l-nni  thi'  Foniiei'  city 
was  11.  of  which  -t  were  automobiles.  In  IDI.'i  there 
were  :{41  automobiles  and  (i  teams  using  the  idail  daily. 
On  the  lid  .Mohawk  Trail  in  11)12.  there  wei-e  'i:\  teams 
and  7  automobiles  jiassing  Fbn'ida  .Mountain,  while  in 
191.'i,  whi'ii  many  parts  of  the  mule  were  still  merely 
dirt  roads,  there  were  lilib  antiinmbiles  and  21  teams 
passing  daily,  on  an  a\-erage.  On  the  Sunday  before 
Labor  Day  of  thai  year.  )i.'_'bS  antoniiibiles  passed  over 
the  mountain. 


How  The  Sentiment  Grows. 

The  growth  of  good  roads  sentiment  in  ('alifm-uia  is 
sh:)wn  in  ;i  sti'iking  nuumer  by  the  vote  on  the  recent 
^l.'i.OOO.dOO  state  bond  issue. 

There  are  08  counties  in  the  state  and  in  1910  oidy 
a,  slight  majority  was  obtained  for  an  ^IS.DOO.OQO  bond 
issue.  Fourteen  coniities  in  that  yeai'  \'nted  against 
the  bond  measure  and  it  (inly  carried  by  the  close  mai'-, 
gin  of  9.'1297  for  and  Sll,,")lli)  again.st.  In  the  recent 
election  every  county  gave  a  nuijority  f  n'  the  measure 
and  in  no  county  was  the  plurality  less  than  2  to  1.  In 
one  county  it  was  neai'ly  20  to  1.  Two  counties  which 
in  191(1  voted  4  to  1  against  bonds  voled  pi-actically  3 
to  1  in   favor  of  the  l!)1(i  issue. 


Livingston,  Clinton  and  Linn  ai'c  Hire-  ol'  t!ic  most 
recent  eimidy  entries  into  I  he  :i(i.1-(lay  ('ood  b'o.-ids 
Clubs  in  Ihe  state  of  ^lissouri. 


A  Gravel  Road  Near  Selma,  Alabama 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Febrnarv,  1917 


GOOD  ROADS  IM^ES 

GATHERED  HERE  <?7«^>^^«ERE 


California. 

Aj;i'e«^iiii'iil.s  liax'c  Imtii  siiiiicd  liy  the  siM-rctary  ol" 
agriculture  and  the  State  highway  department  of  Cal- 
ifornia for  the  eonsti-nction  of  five  roads  under  the 
terms  of  the  Federal  aid  mad  act,  these  being  the  first 
agreements  entered  int;i  since  the  passage  of  the  law. 
The  five  projects  comprise  sections  of  road  forming 
parts  of  the  State  higlnvay  system  of  California  and 
will  take  up  practically  the  entire  first  year's  allot- 
ment to  the  State,  amounting  to  >fil51,063.92.  All  of 
the  roads  wU  be  of  concrete  with  a  wearing  surface  of 
asphalt. 

Other  States  which  are  uearing  the  point  of  begin- 
ning road  work  under  the  Federal  act  are  Connecticut, 
Pennsylvania,  Colorado,  Arizona  and  Idaho.  Quite  a 
number  of  the  States  will  delay  active  participation 
in  the  work  until  their  legislatures  take  appropriate 
action  at  the  sessions  to  be  held  this  winter. 

The  Federal  act  is  distinctively  a  co-operative  meas- 
ure and  provides  for  quite  a  number  of  things  to  be 
done  by  the  States  before  the  benefits  of  Federal  co- 
operation can  be  assured.  TTius  it  follows  that  one  of 
the  chief  ends  served  by  the  act  will  be  the  enact- 
ment of  State  legislation  of  such  character  as  will 
greatly  promote  the  efficient  handling  of  the  road  ques- 
tion. 

The  fact  that  the  working  season  was  already  well 
advanced  at  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  Federal  aid 
law  made  it  apparent  from  the  outset  that  little,  if  any, 
actual  construction  could  be  undertaken  before  the  sea- 
son of  1917.  This  was  most  opportune,  as  it  permitted 
preliminary  work  to  be  done  and  afforded  the  State 
legislatures  an  opportunity  to  deal  with  the  subject  and 
thus  permit  the  1917  season  to  start  with  everything 
cleared  up  and  the  necessary  preliminary  work  all 
in  order.  The  year  1917  should  prove  a  great  year 
for  road  building  and  should  strikingly  vindicate  the 
Federal  aid  policy. 

Oklahoma. 

Agitation  for  liuilding  permanent  roads  throughout 
Oklahoma — just  at  present  much  the  most  prominent 
feature  of  public  activity  in  the  state — is  rapidly  crys- 
lalizing  in  bond  elections  with  the  object  of  building 
main  lines  of  travel  as  the  beginning  of  county  unit  sys- 
tems designed  to  ultimately  connect  with  similar  sys- 
tems in  adjoining  counties,  the  final  result  of  which 
would  be  an  accurately  designed  system  of  permanent 
state  highways  of  such  character  as  to  guarantee  ease 
of  travel  regardless  of  the  season  or  weather  conditions. 

Okmulgee  county  is  the  first  to  act,  having  recently 
voted  an  issue  of  s|;800,0(IO  with  which  a  system  of  solid 
concrete  roads  will  be  Iniilt  connecting  the  principal 
cities  and  towns  of  the  county  and  reaching  the  county 
boundaries  in  every  direction.  Washington  county,  a 
few  days  later,  defeated  a  similar  issue  of  >(i600,000  but 
the  chief  reiason  assigned  for  the  defeat  of  the  propos- 
al is  not  one  of  opposition  to  the  roads  but  a  prevailing 
suspicion  that  the  fund  would  be  the  subject  of  graft. 
Grady  ami  iMnskogee  counties  will  each  vote  on  ^1,000,- 
000  issues.  Oklahoma  county  will  likely  consider  a  .iil,- 
00(1.(1(10  issue  earl\-  next  s|)riiig.     Tulsa.  Cn-ek-  and  Car- 


ter counties  are  agitating  to  a  similar  end  and  through- 
out the  state  good  roads  bonds  are  a  serious  subject  for 
consideration. 

The  sentiment  is  ra]>idly  growing  in  favor  of  con- 
structing main  lines  of  road  with  regard  for  their  con- 
nection with  lines  in  adjoining  counties  to  the  end  that 
great  main  line  state  highways  may  result,  and  that 
these  highways  shall  be  of  some  hard  surface  material 
of  a  practically  indestructible  nature  so  far  as  normal 
wear  and  usage  is  concerned. 

This  growth  of  sentiment  for  permanent  highways  is 
very  largely  the  outgrowth  of  state  highway  law  as 
adopted  by  the  last  legislature  and  administered  by 
the  state  highway  department.  Under  this  system  roads 
are  no  longer  considered  strictly  in  a  local  sense  but 
as  units  in  a  state  sy.stem  that  will  ultimately  supply 
the  actual  transportation  needs  of  the  people  to  an  ex- 
tent that  will  relieve  the  former  dependence  upon  rail- 
roads and  electric  lines,  substituting  the  automobile 
and  auto  truck  for  l)otli  passenger  and  package  freight 
transportation. 

Missouri. 

A  new  road  bill,  which  provides  for  a  bi-partisan 
State  Highway  Commission,  has  lieen  introduced  in  the 
Legislature  liy  Harry  B.  Hawes.  It  is  designed  to 
make  possible  l\Iiss:>ui'i"s  taking  advantage  of  federal 
aid. 

The  bill  provides  the  State  Highway  Commission 
shall  have  four  members,  two  Democrats  and  two  Re- 
publicans, appointed  liy  the  governor.  The  members 
are  to  serve  without  com|)ensation,  except  necessary 
expenses. 

The  board  would  name  a  State  Highway  Engineer, 
who  is  to  receive  .'fsGOOO  a  year,  and  his  assistants,  who 
shall  receive  not  to  exceed  $3000  each. 

The  engineer  .shall  select  and  designate  not  less  than 
3500  miles  nor  more  than  4000  miles  of  roads  to  be 
known  as  state  roads. 

The  bill  also  provides  for  the  creation  of  a  state  road 
fund  for  the  construction  of  roads  in  conjunction  with 
the  federal  fund  apportioned  to  ilissouri : 

The  money  received  fi-oni  the  federal  government  is 
to  be  placed  in  the  state  I'oad  fund. 

The  bill  also  provides  foi'  the  maintenance  by  coun- 
ties of  state  roads  receiving  federal  or  state  aid.  The 
federal  aid  act  provides  that  if  federal  said  roads  are 
not  propei'l\'  maintained  the  state  shall  forfeit  its  fed- 
eral funds. 

All  road  and  bridge  construction  is  to  be  uinler  the 
supervision  and  control  of  the  state  highway  engineer. 

Meridian  Mobile  Highway. 

Following  a  meeting  of  the  I\Ieridian-jMobile  High- 
way at  Buckatunna,  IMiss..  the  executive  committee  an- 
nounced that  the  highway  is  assured,  ilobile  is  the 
next  meeting  place.  About  200  enthusiasts  are  to  gath- 
er here  February  13,  they  said,  when  pathfinders  are 
to  report  their  decision  on  the  routes  selected  through 
the  various  counties  from  ^leridian,  ^Miss.,  to  ^lobile. 
Seventv-flve  delegates,  officers  and  others  were  in  Buck- 


Fel)ruMi-y,  1!)17 


SOI'TIIERX  COOl)  1!()AI)S 


I'J 


atuniui.     The  fullowiu^-  delegates  were  present: 

:\robile— .Messrs.  1..  U.  Adams,  J.  W.  Woalf,  James  F. 
]\raury.  George  B.  Toulmin.  Jitlui  15.  Harvey  and  ^Maibeii 
Cammaek. 

C'itrimelle — Dr.  ileans  Blewett,  ^Messrs.  II.  Piersmi, 
M.  C.  Skinner.  C.  W.  Tliomas.  J.  M.  Baivhiv. 

Quitman— Jlessrs.  Ben.  TT.  Donald.  C.  .M. 'Davis,  W. 
J.  Norswortliv,  W.  -1.  Fnster.  T.  .1.  I^olst  cr. 

De  Soto— W.  P.  Hodges. 

Shulnite— Messrs.  Charles  W.  Weeiiis,  W.  II.  I'atton. 
A.  .rohnstiin,  K.  (I,  Ilairston  and  JMr.   Flmu'uoy. 

Waynesboro — ^Messrs.  'SI.  Bradley,  N.  .AlcKiie  iiud  J. 
T.   Ilairstoii. 

West  King — .Mr.  J.  S.  Gray. 

Healing  Springs — Dr.  Blount  and  Mi-.  I'ettus. 

Vinegar  Bend — ;\[r.  H.  S.  Turner  ;iiid  Dr.  Thomas. 

In  a  Tennessee  County. 

A  large  nuinbei'  of  men  are  now  engaged  in  road 
building  in  Franklin  County,  Teiui.,  grading  ;iiid  ma- 
cadamizing i)eing  done  in  almost  every  section.  I'rae- 
tieally  Iwenty-fonr  miles  of  maeadamized  ])ikes  have 
been  finished  by  the  C.  H.  Butler  comiitiny  of  Nash- 
ville. The  birgest  number  if  men  are  I'ebuiiding  the 
boulevard  from  Winehester  to  Deehei'd.  and  a  niue- 
nnle  pike  In  .\l1n.  Also  ;i  large  nnmlii'i'  of  men  are 
rii]iidly  bnibling  the  l)i.\ie  highway  nuiti'  from  Win- 
ehester to  .Moideagle  ;ind  i1  is  i-biinu'il  by  the  contrae- 
toi's  tb.-it  tourists  will  be  jjble  1(1  ti-a\-i'l  the  mountfiin 
route   by  spring. 

*     *     * 
Brown  County,  Texas,  Roads. 

Jl  will  cost  l)i-ii\vn  ('ounly  .t-l:i)l),l()(l  to  impi'ove  nine 
roads  leading  into  Hrownwood,  aeeording  to  the  report 
of  Geoi'ge  I).  Marshall,  Fnited  States  Federal  engineer, 
received  by  the  Hriwn  County  Good  Koads  Association. 
^Iv.  ^lai-shall  two  months  ago  niaile  an  ecoinmiical  sur- 
vey of  the  iMad  system  in  this  county  and  his  report  of 
his  investigations  has  only  recently  been  announced. 
The  survey  was  made  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Brown- 
wojd  Chamber  of  Conunerce  and  the  Brown  County 
Good  Koails  .-ssociation  with  the  intention  of  calling  a 
bond  issue. 

Ifr.  Jlarshall  in  his  report  e.stimates  that  7.')  per  cent 
of  the  traffic  of  flie  I'ounty  would  travel  o\-er  the  nine 
roads  he  nanu's.  His  report  calls  fir  regrading  and 
resurfacing  a  numbei'  of  r.iails.  The  total  distance  of 
(ill   till-  ro;ids   is   174  miles. 


Progress  in  Texas  County. 

Altliiugh  Dallas  county  has  not  made  the  rapid 
strides  in  road  building  during  the  past  year  that  for- 
mer years  have  seen,  it  has  advanced  materially  in 
bridge  building,  remodeling  or  resurfacing  of  old  roads 
and  in  the  installation  of  culverts  on  the  maeadamized 
roads.  Another  year  probably  will  see  the  building  of 
more  miles  of  paved  roads,  or  at  least  the  beginning  of 
the  building  of  these  roadwa.vs  nnire  than  during  any 
other  12  month  period.  Expenditures  for  another  year 
are  planned  to  the  amount  of  more  than  sfwOO.dOO.  while 
during  the  past  twelve  months  approximately  ^-129.000 
has  been  spent  on  the  roads  and  bridges.  Of  the  $700.- 
000  proposed  to  be  expended  .|500,000  will  be  derived 
from  the  bond  issue  voted  by  Dallas  county  at  the  gen- 
eral election  in  November.  This  fund  is  to  be  spent  on 
new  macadam  or  concrete  roadways.  The  remainder  of 
the  $700,000  will  come  from  the  special  r.uul  tax. 


Road  Drag  Beats  Skepticism. 

A  number  of  years  since  the  wi'iter  delivered  a  series 
of  addresses  at  Chautaquas  in  Florida.  The  most  last- 
ing impression  of  the  tour,  from  a  road  standpoint,  was 
received  by  me  in  Miami. 

The  general  feeling  in  Florida  at  that  |ii'ri(id,  as  to 
till'  King  drag,  wms  skei)ticism,  rank,  raiii|)Hnt,  bellig 
I'l'ent.  skepticism.  Of  course  I  was  somewhat  handi- 
i-ap|ied  by  my  iiudiility  to  spc:ik  positively,  with  the 
antliority  tlnif  siirings  from  first-h,-iiid-personal-exper- 
ieiice.  col riling  the  marl  used  d  i\\  n  there  for  surfac- 
ing the  roads.  And  a  further  luindicai)  was  found  in 
the  failure  of  the  committee  to  [imvide  a  drag  fir  a 
]irai'tictil  demonstration. 

However.  I  made  a  painstaking  study  of  marl.  1  vis- 
ited the  beds  from  which  the  marl  is  taken  :  1  examined 
the  freshly  broken  material.  I  walked  over  newly  laid 
roads.  And  o\-er  older  roads  of  different  ;iges  ;ind  in 
various  stages  of  wear  and  repiiir.  My  iiivestigatiins 
convinced  iiie  the  si)lit-log  drag  world  liandle  the  marl 
roiids  with  tln'  same  ease  and  satisfactory  resulf'i  tiiat 
it  handled  gi-a\-i'l  Mnd  chert  and  shells  elsewhere.  Han- 
dle it  far  eiisier.  I  fidt  reitiiiii.  IliMii  it  handled  yteel- 
slag  and  waterbound  macad;ini,  on  which  the  i[.:\g  has 
been  so  successful,  lint  hII  this  study  jiroved  of  no 
;i\;iil.  I  seemed  iiiiiible  to  make  the  slightest  dent  in 
an\"  mind. 

This  gciier:il  situation  w;is  especially  ex;isperating  in 
.Miami,  where  I  found  a  group  of  high-class,  pr  igri.'s- 
sive.  Well  iiifiiriiied  geutlemeii,  A\'ho  were  deeply  con- 
cerned with  the  subject  of  rond  improvement.  My 
sjieci'h  did  mil  move  then — seemingly  because  I  could 
not  say  1  h:id  personally  drngged  marl  roads.  They 
would  not   even  pr  miise  to  give  the  drag  a  try  out. 

The  next  day  I  discovered  a  gang  of  negroes  with  a 
ciirtful  of  marl,  tilling  holes  in  .Mimiii's  main  street. 
The  holes  were  deep,  and  the  sides  ot  the  holes  Were 
straight  up  mimI  dnwii.  |irecipitous.  They  were  the 
meanest  holes  I  ever  s;iw  except  others  like  them,  in 
an  undragged  steel-slag  road,  at  North  Tonawanda. 
(New  York.)  T'hese  negroes  were  carrying  marl  from 
the  cart  in  slio\-els.  filling  the  holes.  It  was  preposter- 
ous. Tt  was  ineffective.  In  my  helplessness  it  was  mad- 
dening. 

I  got  busy  and  dragged  men  from  their  offices,  from 
their  counters,  from  the  banks  and  took  them  out  into 
the  street.  I  pointed.  I  explained,  I  argued,  I  entreat- 
ed— with  no  result.  T'hese  gentlemen  listened  to  me 
with  their  ears  but  not  with  their  understanding.  They 
were  polite,  ileferential,  but  they  were  pre.iudiced  :  the.y 
wouldn  "t  even  talk  drag. 

From  that  day  to  this  my  blood  has  run  a  little  swif- 
ter when  I  think  of  my  efforts  to  fill  those  ^Miami  street 
holes  with  material  that  would  pack  and  stay  packed; 
fill  them  with  material  that  lay  reaily  mixed  all  about 
and  close  to  them;  material  that  was  weathered  and 
seasoned,  in  contrast  with  the  new  unready  stuff  they 
were  using.  A  process  that  would  give  Miami  smooth 
streets  all  the  time. 

Now  comes  my  vindication.  Now  I  may  shake  my 
finger  at  my  good  friends  in  iliami.  For  in  the  issue  of 
Southern  Good  oRads  for  Nivember  1916,  I  find  that 
the  State  Road  Commissioner  of  Florida,  !Mr.  William 
F.  Cocke,  includes  "marl',  with  gravel  and  sand-clay, 
among  those  road  materials  that  should  be  treated  with 
a  drag.     And  I  rejoice. 

Today  I  am  wondering  if  the  streets  of  beautiful  ili- 
ami  are  smoothly  dragged.  D.    WARD    KING. 

Maitland,  Mo.,  Jan,  1917, 


20 


SOl'TIIEHX  (iOOl)   KOADS 


Convicts  on  Colorado  Good  Roads 


By  THOMAS  J.  TYNAN 
Warden  State  Penitentiary 


1"^  IIK  st.ili'  |irii  itriit  JMI'v  li:is  slliiwii  i  iic1'i-:isim1  ;ii-li\i- 
\y  ill  iill  (IcpHrtnu'iifs  of  ontdn  ir  work  (liii-iiit;-  the 
last  two  vein's.  I'sjU'cially  in  roml  mikI  farm  work.  Tin' 
The  total  iiiimln'r  of  miles  of  roa.l  i-onstinieted  by  the 
l)ri.soiier.s  duriiii;'  this  biennial  perioil  was  140.  These 
roads  have  been  construotod  in  Welds.  Larimer.  Hmild- 
er.  Pueblo.  Garfield  and  Fremont  e  unities.  From 
monthly  reports  submitted  by  eaeli  i)\-erseer  dui'ing' 
the  last  two  years,  showinji'  the  amount  of  solid  roek. 
loose  roek  and  dirt  moye-.l,  and  the  amo\nit  of  jj'radiiio;. 
surfaeing,  wall  and  lii'idu'<"  eonstrnel  i  in.  tlie  \alue  of 
these  140  miles  of  road  lo  the  laxpayers  of  Colorado 
is  .t4(iri.iMI().  |)hiriiiir  a  biw  estimate  on  a  "reat  maii.\-  ex- 
eepiiiinal  miles  of  road   in   the  mountain   eaiions. 

in  fact,  this  estimate  on  Ihe  mountain   r.iad  eonstriir 
tion  is  ver.\'  low.  as  thi'  value  of  Ihe  work   mi   lo)  mi'e 
is  ]ilaeed  at  more  than  ^!l.ll(l().  and  lliere  are  a   number 
of  mill's  wliieh  wiiiild  have  eosi   ^'i-in.CdO  by  e  nitract. 

The  road  construction  in  the  in  irntaiiis  has  lu'cii  the 
most  difticult  ever  attempted  in  this  state,  as  many 
miles  have  had  to  be  blasted  from  solid  roek,  aiul  inaii.\" 
miles  of  retainiiii;'  wall  ha\'e  had  to  be  eonstnu-ted  to 
siijiport  these  roailwa.\s.  'fhe  most  difficult  and  woii- 
tlerful  iiieces  of  work  d  nie  by  the  convicts  lia\'e  been 
in  the  canons  of  the  (Ji'aiid  rivei'.  near  (llenwood 
Spring's,  on  the  ('ache  La  I'midre  river,  west  of  Fort 
Collins,   and    in    fioiildei'  canon. 

Work  207  Men  a  Day. 

We  ha\'e  worked  a  t  ital  of  l.ds,")  individual  pris  Mi- 
ers  at  r  lad  and  farm  work  diiiinc'  th,'  two  .\i'ai's.  a:id 
a  daily  averagi'  (if  207  men  for  the  entire  two  years  in 
road  construction.  These  men  wi'i'e  blaeksmitlis.  oow- 
(\i'V  men.  power  drill  ii:en.  steam  slmvel  men  siiiv^'y- 
(U's.  cooks,  waiters,  teamsters  and  ciniimon  laboreis.  and 
the  food  cost  ]iei'  d;i,\'  per  man  t  >  the  counties  for  the 
labor  of  these  men  was  about  '-i^)  \-'->  cents.  Tiie  cfith- 
injj  and  shoes  toy  the  men  have  been  furnisheii  'mm 
the  institution  maintenance  fund. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  period  Ihe  institutim 
operated  ti\('  farms  and  ranches,  and  during  tlii'  last 
.Year  of  the  period,  four.  The  instituti  in  now  has  un- 
dei'  lease  one  farm  and  ranch  c:iiilainiiig  ;ibout  8,000 
acres;  one  school  section  containing  ti4(t  acres,  and  an- 
other farm  containing  7(KI  acres,  and  a  small  ranch  of 
about  7tl  acres.  Besides  these  under  lease,  niiicli  |iro- 
duee  and  veg(>taliles  were  raised  in  oiu'  own  \-egetable 
gardens  m  the  penitentiary  i'esei'\at  ion.  b'rom  these 
farms  over  and  above  what  the  institution  cuisumed 
foi'  its  iiwn  Use  in  shee|i.  cattle.  Imgs.  pindtr.w  hay. 
wheat,  oats,  beans,  silage,  etc..  we  sold  for  cash,  \\liicli 
money  has  gone  toward  the  maintenance  of  the  insti- 
tution— .t;-i9,:^7:i.7."i  worth. 

The  instituti  111  has  handled  during  the  last  biennial 
period  1.-171)  prisoner  and  ol'  this  number  l.OSo  individ- 
ual pi'isoners  luive  been  workeil  on  the  roads  ami  state 
farms  and  the  total  percentage  of  loss  from  escape  I'nv 
the  entire  period  was  about  -'  per  cent.  This  was  a 
little  heaviei'  than  heretofore,  but  diii'  necessity  has 
lieen  great  and  the  .lemand  for  men  I'  ir  oiir  mad  camps 
and  farms  has  far  e.Nceeded  the  nuniber  we  were  abb- 
to  fiiriiish. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  for  the  last  two  biennial  per- 


iiids  the  cost  of  food  products  and  all  other  materials 
necessary  to  piiri'hase  in  tln'  maintenance  of  a  great 
institution  such  as  this  has  adxanciMl,  the  cost  of  main- 
tainin.u'  the  prism  has  been  about  ."l^^dO,!!!)!)  for  each 
of  the  last  two  ]ieriods,  yet  the  legislature  has  appro- 
jn-iated  $200,000  for  the  maintenance  in  each  period, 
and  it  has  been  necessary  for  fhe  management  to  exert 
every  effort  ])ossible  toward  earning  cash  on  fhe  prison 
farms  to  lud])  pay  the  expense  of  maintaining  the  insti- 
tution. While  the  deficit  for  this  period  is  much  less 
than  for  the  former,  yet  we  liave  a  deficit  of  .+22,409.87. 
However,  we  have  to  offset  this  with  luisold  products  on 
the  farms  and  ranches  in  hogs,  dairy  st  ick,  beef  cattle, 
calves,  colts,  lia.\',  silage,  beans,  etc.,  to  the  amount  of 
about  .+12,1100.  While  we  lack  +22.409.87  of  having  been 
able  to  ]iay  our  bills  at  Ihe  end  of  this  period  we  have 
on  hand  products  to  the  \aliie  of  about  +12,0(10. 


Georgia  Convicts  on  Roads. 

(iciirgia  employs  practically  all  her  able-bodied  male 
com  lets  in  road-building.  In  1909  the  State  abandoned 
the  old  s.vstem  of  leasing  lU'isoners  to  [U'ivate  contrac- 
lors.  and  since  that  time  an  increasing  number  have 
lii'cn  employed  on  the  roads.  The  work  has  been  con- 
sidered vi'r\'  snc<'essful. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


WALTER  WILSON  CROSBY 

Member  Am.  Soc,  C.  E. 
CONSULTING  ENGINEER  HIGHWAYS 

1431  Munsey  Building.  BALTIMORE,  MD. 


W.  S.  FALLIS,  RALEIGH,  N.  c. 

Civil  and  Highway   Engineer 

Highway,  Briii^e  and  Sewer  Construction.    Street  TavinK  and 
Water  Works 


CEMENT  CLAY  GRAVEL 

The  ideal  material  for  permanent 
streets  and  roads.  Does  not 
ravel  or  wash.  Cheapest  in  first 
cost  and  maintenance. 

CAPE  FEAR  GRAVEL  CO.,  Inc. 


Norfolk,  Va. 


Lillington,  N.  C. 


l<'cliriuii'\ .   11)17 


SOl'TIlKli'X  (looi)   KOADS 


21 


The  Rome-Menlo  Route. 

EiigiiU'er  E.  II.  Davis,  of  the  Georgia  highway  ('(ini- 
niission,  has  coinpleteil  the  survey  of  the  propuseil  state 
highway  from  Rmiie  to  Jlenlo.  (ia..  on  the  Alahania 
state  line,  via  Suininerville.  leading  over  the  erest  of 
Ijo  ikont  ridge. 

Tllis  ciiHipletes  the  Held  wiirk  Wir  Ihis  ruulr,  .'iinl  Ihc 
oftiee  work  remains  yet  1i>  lie  i-;niiplrl  imL  When  the 
office  work  is  enuiijh^led  the  di'tails  nf  tlic  mntr  will  lie 
ready  to  he  sulimitted  tn  llie  I'nited  States  sci'i'i-tary 
of  agrieultni-e  i'.n    aiiprnxal    fm-   federal   aid. 

The  Houie-.Menlo  route,  when  eiiniiiieted,  will  fin-iii 
tlie  Georgia  link  iif  the  Georgia-Alabama  highway  now 
being  built  from  Rome,  Ga..  to  Hnntsville.  Ala.,  whieh 
will  form  a  gateway  of  extraordinary  scenie  lieauty 
through  the  Cumberland  mountains.  This  iiass  through 
the  Cimiberlands  will  be  of  great  .strategic  value  for  the 
reason  that  it  makes  passable  the  only  link  of  impass- 
able highway  on  the  main  trunk  lines  of  highways,  in- 
cluding the  Dixie  iiighway.  between  the  north  and  the 
southeast.  The  (Georgia  Aiabaimi  highway  is  mil  now 
a  link  of  the  Dixie  highway,  but  is  making  a  strong  bid 
to  be  ineluded.  and  unless  improvements  are  made  in 
the  Dixie  highway,  Cumberland  |)ass  just  thraugh  the 
Cnmberlands.  near  Chattanooga,  it  is  likely  will  lie  in- 
cluded. The  diMuand  for  a  ]i.issable  road  tiirough  the 
Cumberlands  is  growing  daily  with  the  increase  irf 
tourist   niotoi'ing  from  the  nortli. 


Wants  South  Texas  Highway. 

"From  Houston  east  to  Ihe  Albinlir  there  is  an  ex- 
cellent and  connected  highway.  From  Fl  Paso  to  the 
Pacific  coast  tliei-e  is  a  highway.  Hnishcil  and  perfect  in 
every  particular.  The  thing  tliat  I  can  not  see  is  why 
Houston  and  San  Antonio  don't  go  to  work  and  con- 
nect uj)  with  the  West,  so  that  there  will  be  a  great 
transcontinental  road,  open  for  use  'M'l  days  out  ;.if  the 
year,  from  the  ocean  on  the  east  to  the  ocean  on  the 
W(st.  Then — well,  its  safe  to  say  that  the  transconti- 
nental nnitorists  trat'iii'  amounts  to  KHI  cars  a  da.\'.  This 
seeti:)!!  doesn't  get  one  a  week,  and  won't  get  thai 
many,  unless  it  takes  definite  steps  quickly." 

So  Judge  Adi'ian  Poole  of  El  Paso  sums  up  his  good 
roads  idea  for  South  Texas.  He  was  liehind  t'ne  great 
highway,  building  and  built,  that  has  connected  El  Paso 
and  the  Fort  Worth  and  Dallas  territory,  which  routes 
t.mrists  from  the  East  through  New  Orleans,  Shreve- 
port,  Dallas.  Fort  Worth.  .Midland  and  El  Paso,  and 
so  on  to  the  Pacific  cities.  Of  this  road.  El  Paso,  com- 
ing east,  has  already  constructed  110  miles,  bitulithic 
and  concrete  paved  road,  and  has  under  construction 
30  miles  more.  Tarrant  caimty.  going  west,  has  30 
miles  of  paved  road.  And  the  18  counties  in  between 
are  connecting  up,  so  that  road  will  be  in  actual  use 
along  every  mile  within  the  year.  Incidentally,  mo- 
torists coming  out  of  New  Orleans,  west  bound,  will 
take  the  route  througli  Dallas  because  there  is  nj  such 
road  just  now,  on  the  Gulf  line  to  El  Paso. 


Road  Building  Ordered. 

The  Karris  (Jount.w  Texas,  commissioners  at  their 
January  meeting  ordered  tw-o  important  highways,  the 
Clinton  road  on  the  ship  channel  and  the  Ku.vkendall 
road  in  the  northern  part  of  the  eount.v  improved  out 
of  the  original  .f2-t00  Ilarrisburg  road  fund.  xVddition- 
al  anticipation  warrants  to  the  sum  of  $12,000  were 
ordered  issued  for  road  work  now  under  way  on  the 
Cypress  road  and  on  the  fSheldon  street  ruad. 


SALESMEN 

One  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  manufac- 
turers in  the  United  States  will  place  on  the 
market  about  February  15th 

A  Complete  Line  of  Flushing  and 
Oiling  Equipment 

both  motor  and  horsepower.  This  equipment  will  be  in  a 
class  by  itself.  The  very  latest  improvements  are  em- 
bodied and  entirely  nevv  practices  featured.  We  desire  to 
get  in  touch  with  high  class  salesmen  who  have  had 
experience  in  selling  street  and  road  equipment  or 
allied  lines. 

Address,  "M.  E.," 
Care  of  Southern  Good  Roads 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusive!) 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


Look  for  i'hai' 

Trade 
Mark 


WHEREVER  that  Triangle  Ap- 
'^'  pears  it  is  the  sign  of  iron  of 
the  highest  purity — the  kind  of 
iron  that  resists  rust  and  defies 
time.  Look  for  it  and  insist  on 
seeing  it  when  you  buy  culverts. 
It  appears  on  every  section  of 


•*IRON 

CORRUGATED 


CULVERTS 


It  is  your  assurance  that  the  culvert  appropriation  has 
been  wisely  invested  and  that  there  will  be  no  rapid  rust- 
ing out  or  breaking  down  after  the  installation  has  been 
made.  It  means  better  roads  at  less  cost. 
For  all  informition  on  "Armco"  Iron  Culverts,  Flumes, 
Sheets,  Roofing  and  Formed  Product?,  write 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  &  FLUME  MFRS.  ASSO. 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Febnuirv.  1017 


GOOD  ROADS  NOTES  "^BRIEF 

The  issuaiici'  df  hmids  fur  >rU().O0()  for  i- )iitiiiuati(i!i 
i)f  I'liMil  liiiildiiii;-  \\-orlv  and  the  rreatinn  of  a  eouaity 
lii.o'hway  eoiimiissiini  was  anUmi-ized  liy  the  Legisla- 
tni'e  for  Yadk-iii  mi'nl.w  \.  C.  in  a  hill  I'ecently  pass- 
ed. The  \iitrrs  if  this  iMiuiity  (i\'crlill'iieii  Iheii'  cusloin 
(if  t  \\i-iity-1i  VI'  years  to  send  a  .u'lmd  roads  i-epreseida- 
1i\"(>   In   I  he   (ienei'al   Assemhly. 

The  hn.siness  Innrses  nf  Knrkdale,  Tex..  r('reidl.\-  idns- 
e  1  Iheii-  doiirs  fur  twn  hnurs  in  the  aftin-n  mn  and  ev- 
erybody went  to  a  good  roads  mass  meeting'.  Only  five 
vofe.s  were  given  against  a  motion  asking  for  the  is- 
suance of  >(^230.00(l  bonds  f  n-  tiie  cnunt.w 

The  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  delegation  to  the  State  Leg- 
islature has  asked  for  an  election  on  a  bond  issue  of  a 
milliim  dollars  for  the  I'onsti'uctioji  id'  i-oads  in  that 
e  irnly.  (ireenN-ilie.  a  neiglihiu'ing  ennnt.x'.  is  now  en- 
.U'aged  in  huildiiig  I'nads  from  the  proeeeds  of  a  ;|<!I0().- 
(KHI   issue. 

State  iMIgineer  j^'l-eneh.  of  New  .Mexieii.  is  ni'ging 
that  the  slide  issue  Iwd  inilli:in  dollars  in  honds  tn  sup- 
plement a  little  over  a  milliim  fnun  Kedei'al  aid  for  a 
state  system  of  higlnva.\s.  A  nnlli  m  and  a  (|nai'ter  has 
already  been  spent  on  the  slate  high\\a.\s  liei'e. 

Six  ladies  "teams  of  Frankfrn-t.  Ky..  working  under 
the  auspices  of  the  chambei'  of  eonnneree.  i-eeentl.v 
raised  !j<4, 0(1(1  wilh  which  to  oil  the  -Tacksnn  Highway 
through  Franklin  eonnt.w 

The  asphalting  of  the  Ccidral  Highway  of  North 
(^'arolina  is  lieing  agitated  by  good  roads  advocates  in 
that  state  aud  a  jilan  has  lieen  submitted  to  the  Leg- 
islature through  whieli  it  is  hoped  to  secure  this.  This 
road  runs  from  the  sea  at  Mnrehcad  ('it.\-  to  th(>  Ten- 
nessee line  on  th(>  west. 

Norfolk  c  )uuty.  Va..  is  engaged  in  spending  ^lidO.dOd 
in  the  construction  nf  coiu'rete  roads  a]'(irnd  the  city  of 
Norfolk.  Their  inspection  was  one  of  tiie  iilcasant  fea- 
tures of  the  Virginia  Riatl  Hnilders  conventim  held  in 
that  city  last  month. 

A  eompreheusive  program  of  road  linilding  has  been 
inaugurated  l)y  the  hoard  of  conunissiouers  of  Rock- 
ingham county.  N.  ('.,  who  are  constructing  a  system 
of  topsoil  roads  through  c  )operation  with  property 
owners,  who  give  right  of  way  and  nuitci'ial  free. 

A  bond  issue  of  sj^l 00,000 '  to  further  the  work  of 
road  building  and  I'cpair  macadam  i-oads  has  been  au- 
thiH'ized  foi'  (Jasfon  ('ount.\-.  North  ("aridina.  About  a 
half  nnlli  m  has  alrcad.v  been  spent  i]i  ImiMing  I'oads  in 
this  count. \-. 

Alabama  will  have  its  i)orliiin  of  the  Jacksini  High- 
way, kmiwn  as  the  xVlaba ma-Jackson  Highway.  ^Iv. 
L.  P.  Ihnic.w  of  Ijouisville,  K.v.,  has  been  chosen  field 
secrctai'.\'    if  the  Jackson  Highway  Association. 

A  meeting  was  held  at  Norfolk  dui'in,g  the  session  of 
the  Virginia  Road  Builders  havin.g  for  its  object  tin' 
construction  of  a  national  hii;-hwa\'  fi'om  ^^'ashington, 
D.   C.   to   Raleigh,  N.    ('. 

Road  boosters  in  Grant  c  mid.x'.  Xcw  Mcxi<'0.  expect 
to  see  an  election  called  to  vote  on  the  issuance  of  jI^-'^OO.- 
(•00  bonds  for  I'oad  building.  +'-1:0. (KHI  has  recently  been 
spent  on  the  road  fi'om  Silver  City  to  Tyi'one. 

The  section  of  the  National  Highway  between  De- 
eatur  and  Sloni'  ^lountain.  (la.,  has  .just  been  e(nnple- 
ted,  ha\ing  lieen  treated  with  oil  and  sni'faee  of  crush- 
ed stone.  There  is  some  S|ilendid  sceliei'y  alon.g  this 
si  retch    of   )•  lad. 


The  Man  Who  Doesn't 

Beheve  in  Permanent 

Construction  Won't 

Be  Interested 

in  This 


Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that 
thousands  of  engineers  have  made 
tremendous  reputations  because  they 
were  far-sighted  ? 

These  engineers  didn't  say  "That  job 
ought  to  last  20  or  30  years."  They 
said,  "There's  a  job  that  wiU  be  stand- 
ing when  I  am  gone,  because  there  isn't 
a  single  substitute  piece  of  material 
in  it." 

That's  the  point— "No  Substitutes." 
In  your  highway  work  you  use  cul- 
verts. Do  you  try  all  kinds  of  substi- 
tutes on  account  of  their  cheapness  ? 
If  you  haven't,  you're  an  exception. 
But  you  always  come  back  to  the  old 
stand-by,  when  yoa  found  out  that  a 
low  first  cost  in  culverts  means  a 
a  heavy  ultimate  cost. 

Don't  risk  your  reputation !  Don't 
risk  wasting  the  tax  payers'  money 
on  make-shift  culverts!  Ask  any 
highway  engineer  about  the  old  re- 
liable U.  S.  Cast  Iron  Culvert.  After 
all  is  said  and  done  Cast  Iron  will 
out-wear  any  other  metal  ever  used 
for  culvert  pipe. 

We  don't  bother  you  with  a  lot  of 
chemical  information,  we  just  point  to 
the  instances  right  in  the  Country 
where  Cast  Iron  Pipe  has  been  in  ser- 
vice for  anywhere  from  80  to  111 
years.  Baltimore  holds  the  record  of 
111  years. 

Real  facts— not  theory. 

Send  for  our  culvert  literature. 

Just  drop  us  a  card — today  ! 


UNITED  STATES 

CAST   PTPT?   AND 
IRON   riLEj   FOUNDRY 

COMPANY 

GENERAL  OFFICES:  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES : 

Philadplphia.  14'21  Chestnut  St.  St.  Louis,  Security  Buildirgr 

New  York.  71   Broadway  Birmingham,  Ala. .Am  Trust  Bldp. 

PitHburgh.  Henry  W  Oliver  Bldg.        San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldgr. 
Chicaffo,  12-2  So.  Mijh.  Blvd.  Buflalo,  :I57  E.  Ferry  St. 

Portland,  Ore  ,  Northwesiern  Bank  BMk. 


SOUT^HErRN 


Publiihad  Monthly 
By  Seutharn  Good  Roadi  IhibUahtnK  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C.  March.  1917 


Enterad  at  Lexington  Po«t  Office  ai 

Mcond  clnaa  matter 


In  the  Kentucky  Mountains 

Splendid  Work  Done  on  Construction  of  Dixie  Higliway  and  Other 

Roads  in  Laurel  County 
By  J.  S.  WATKINS,  County  Engineer 


C  INCE  the  early  settlement  of  the  state  of  Ken- 
O  tueky.  tradition  has  marked  the  Kastern  Kentiieky 
Mountains  as  a  distriet  of  feuds:  iniiabited  hy  a  sort 
of  hewilderinij:  uneonventionaj  people.  Even  in  oui' 
own  state,  the  outside  people  iiad  no  eorreet  souree  of 
knowiedge  of  the  existing  eonditions  in  the  Kentueky 
mountains,  but  were  prone  to  aeeept  the  details  from 
some  story  writer  who  always  'had  to  add  a  lot  of  weird 
things  to  make  his  columns  fascinating.  There  is  a 
cause  for  all  this,  and  it  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  was  not 
until   till'  vear  1S82  that   a  railroad  was  luiilt  through. 


County  Judge  W.  L.  Brown,  of  the  Laurel  County,  Ky.,  Court 

the  Kentui'ky  mountains.  V\)  to  tiiis  time  the  mode 
of  travel  was  the  stage  coacih,  on  the  Wilderness  Turn- 
pike. The  railroad  opened  up  large  coal  and  timber 
resources,  which  resources  have  proven  to  be  the  great- 
est natural  wealth  to  the  State  of  Kentucky.  With  the 
opening  up  of  this  district,  a  more  adeipiate  knowledge 
and  a  better  understanding  of  the  Kentucky  Mountains 
ensued. 

After  the  election  of  Jixdge  W  .L.  Brown,  present 
County  Judge  of  Laurel  County,  busied  himself  with 
the  pro.jeet  of  a  bond  election  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing the  county's  portion  of  the  Dixie  Highway  and 
other  roads.    Tlie  amount  of  the  bond  issue  determined 


upon  was  .'j^lOO.OOO  and  the  work  t)  lie  done  with  tliis 
fund  was  tentatively  outlined  on  tliis  basis  before  the 
election.  This  was  a  new  era  for  Laurel  county,  and 
awakening  to  the  vast  inii)ortance  of  road  building. 
She  was  able  to  visualize  the  future  to  the  extent  that 
her  people  must  have  intercourse  with  their  neighbors 
by  means  of  good  roads,  if  they  were  to  progress  and 
move  forward  in  this  age  of  civilization.  Even  though 
the  spirit  for  good  roads  was  running  high,  yet,  it  was 
necessary  to  conduct  a  campaign  of  education  and  ag- 
itation to  convince  the  masses  of  the  people  of  the 
need  for  better  highways  in  the  county.  Judge  Brown 
ably  assisted  by  a  number  of  intiuential  citizens  can- 
vassed the  wli:)le  county,  and  public  speakings  were 
held  in  every  cinmtry  store  and  school  house  on  the 
subject.  The  bond  election  was  held  in  April  1915  and 
was  carried  by  more  than  two  thirds  majority. 

Following  the  outline  made  before  t'he  election  the 
bond  fund  was  divided  as  fallows:  $40,000  was  to  be 
expended  on  the  Dixie  Highway  from  London  to  the 
Rockcastle  county  line ;  .$20,000  on  the  Dixie  Highway 
from  London  south  to  the  Knox  county  line ;  while  the 
remaining  $40,000  was  to  be  expendecl  equally  on  two 
intercounty  seat  roads  extending  east  and  west  from 
the  county  seat.  As  all  of  this  work  was  being  done 
on  inter-county  seat  roads  on  which  State  Aid  could  be 
secured,  application  for  such  aid  was  made  to  the  De- 
partment of  Public  Roads  of  the  State  and  construction 
work  carried  on  in  co-operation  with  the  Department's 
Engineers.  Engineers  were  employed  to  make  the  nec- 
essary surveys;  and  plans,  specifications  and  estimates 
were  prepared  and  approved  both  by  the  county  and 
the  State  Road  Department  in  the  late  fall  of  1915. 

The  chief  obstacle  to  t'he  building  of  the  Dixie  High- 
way was  believed  to  be  the  possibility  of  securing  a 
suitable  line  and  grade  across  Wild  Cat  Mountain  from 
East  Bernstadt  to  the  Rockcastle  River.  This  moun- 
tain, which  at  that  time  had  to  be  crossed  by  all  trav- 
elers going  North  or  South,  had  always  proved  an  in- 
surmountable barrier  to  travel  except  for  a  few  short 
periods  during  the  summer  months,  and  even  then 
could  not  be  crossed  without  a  decided  sacrifice  of  com- 
fort. The  topography  of  this  section  of  the  county  is 
very  rough  and  irregular ;  which  coupled  with  the  fact 
of  being  sparsely  settled,  did  not  make  of  it  a  very  de- 
sirable section  for  an  important  through  highway  to 
pa.ss.  However,  inasmuch  as  the  officials  of  Rockcastle 
county  were  desirous  of  etfecting  a  meeting  place  with 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Maivh,  lOr 


Laurel  (■(iiuity's  iinprnveiiii'iit  in  the  iiiiiuediate  vieiiii- 
ty  of  Liviiijjstou.  a  c'i)iisi(lc'ral)lL'  aiiiDunt  of  time  was 
sjieiit  in  I'unnino:  reeonuaissanee  and  preliminary  sur- 
veys across  this  mountain.  The  result  of  these  surveys 
and  investigations  demonstrated  beyond  the  shadow  of 
a  doubt  that  a  suitable  road,  eoidd  to  be  eonstrueted 
across  this  mountain  e.xeept  at  a  prohibitive  cost.  Af- 
tei'  a  consultation  between  the  State  otifieials  and  the 
officials  of  Laurel  and  Rocd<castle  counties,  it  was  agreed 
to  effect  this  meeting  place  between  the  counties  at  the 
mouth  of  Parker's  Creek,  a  point  on  the  Rockcastle 
River  approximately  five  miles  East  of  Livingston.  As 
tlie  river  at   this  pnint  I'cpi'esents  the  line  between  tlii' 


Laurel  County,  Ry.,  Road  Before  Beginning  Construction 

counties,  the  constructii>n  of  a  bridge  across  the  I'iver 
]iecessarily  represented  a  .jiint  obligation  on  the  (tart 
of  the  two  counties. 

No  jjarticnlar  difficulty  was  anticipated  in  the  con- 
strnction  of  the  road  from  London  to  East  Bernstadt. 
For  a  number  of  years  tlie  travel  between  these  points 
had  l)een  making  use  of  a  section  if  an  old  abandoned 
railroad  grade.  At  the  time  tliis  grade  was  abandoned 
the  ties  were  removed  by  the  railroad  company,  whib' 
tlic  grailc  Mild  ballast  wci'c  donated  tn  the  comity  for 
such  uses  as  she  should  desire.  This  loose  ballast  at 
tluit  time  was  roughly  shaped  with  a  grader  and  had 
been  accommodating  the  traffic  uj)  t)  the  time  of  the 
bond  issue.  As  the  surface  of  this  grade  was  some- 
what rough  and  rutted  the  plans  for  its  improvement 
called  for  the  scarification  of  the  surface,  the  cleaning 
of  ditches,  the  addition  of  new  stone  where  necessary, 
and  the  sli;i|iing  and  bonding  of  the  entire  siii'face  with 
st  ine  screenings  as  in  oi'dinary  macadam  con.st  met  ion. 
From  the  end  of  this  section  of  railroad  grade  to  the 
Rockcastle  River  at  Parkers  Creek  the  jilans  called  foi' 
earth  construction  in  its  entirety.  It  was  realized  that 
the  amount  of  fuiuls  available  for  the  construction  of 
this  north  road  would  not  lie  sufficient  to  grade  and 
macadamize  the  entire  distance,  so  that  it  was  thought 
advisalde  to  first  construct  an  earth  road  with  perma- 
nent drainage,  and  of  such  grade  and  width  that  in 
future  years  it  would  acconunodate  a  macadam  surface 
without  any  changes  oi-  revisions  whatsoevci'.  T'he 
construction  of  this  eartli  r  )ad  reprt'sented  no  small 
undertaking,  as  the  amount  of  excavation  on  the  sec- 
tion par;dleling  Parkei''s  Creek  to  the  Rivei'.  a  distance 
of  approximately  three  miles,  averaged  well  over  10.- 
000  yai'ds  to  the  mile,  of  which  approximately  26  per 
cent  was  solid  rock.  In  pursuance  of  the  above  out- 
lined policy,  the  entire  road  from  London  to  the  Rock- 
castle River  was  established  on  a  gi'ade  not  exceeding 
Xi%  and  graded  to  a  width  of  24  ft.  in  cuts  and  20  ft. 
on  fills.  Of  its  total  distance  of  l.o  miles,  only  2  miles 
of  this  noi'th  line  will  be  surfaced  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  present  bond  issue. 


From  London,  South,  on  the  IMxie  Highway  to  Corl)- 
in  and  the  Knox  county  line,  a  distance  of  l-t  miles,  the 
county  was  particularly  fortunate  in  being  able  to  util- 
ize for  this  highway  tw:)  seeti(Uis  of  abandoned  rail- 
road grade:  one  extending  from  London  three  and  one 
half  miles  South;  the  other  extending  from  a  point 
seven  miles  north  of  Corbin,  into  the  town  of  C'jrbin. 
These  sections  are  to  be  scarified  and  bonded  in  the 
same  manner  as  has  been  described  for  the  section  on 
the  north  line.  The  intermediate  distance  of  three  and 
•)ne  half  miles  between  these  sections  has  been  grades' 
and  surfaced  with  nine  feet  of  macadam. 

Aside  fi' )m  the  Dixie  Highway.  Laurel  county  is 
building  8  miles  of  road  on  an  East  and  West  line; 
foui-  miles  extending  from  Loudon  East  toward  the 
Clay  county  line  (known  as  the  Manchester  Road)  and 
roui'  miles  from  London  West  toward  the  Pulaski  coun- 
t\  line  (kuDwn  as  the  Sublimity  Road.)  The  same 
l,\pes  of  permanent  drainage  are  being  used  on  this 
work  as  on  the  Dixie  Highway  work  in  the  county. 
The  entire  eight  miles  have  been  surface  with  nine  feet 
of  macadam. 

On  account  of  there  being  no  limestone  availalde  in 
the  county  for  .surfacing,  local  sandstone  material  was 
used  as  the  foundiition  or  base  course  in  all  new  macad- 
am construction.  The  thickness  of  this  sandstone  base 
ranged  from  six  to  seven  inches.  The  wearing  course 
and  screenings  consisted  of  limestone  purchased  and, 
shipped  in  by  i-ail  from  Rockcastle  county.  The  irreg- 
ularity of  the  shipments  of  this  limestone,  coupled  with 
the  added  cost  of  freight,  not  only  hampered  and  de- 
layed the  progress  of  the  work,  but  materially  increas- 
ed its  cost. 

All  of  the  work  in  the  county  was  done  under  the 
contract  system.  While  it  was  necessary  to  reject  the 
bids  and  readvertise  the  work  one  or  more  times  on 
some  of  the  roads  before  it  was  considered  that  rea- 
sonable bids  had  been  secured;  mi  the  whole,  this  meth- 


Construction  Laurel  County,  Ky.,  Road 

od  of  doing  the  work  had  met  with  geuci-al  approxal 
and  given  entire  satisfaction.  Disinterested  engincci-s 
who  are  in  touch  with  tiie  w  irk  in  many  counties  in 
our  section  of  the  .state  have  expressed  the  opinion  that 
Laurel  county  was  receiving  more  returns  for  the  mon- 
ey invested  than  any  county  with  which  they  were  fa- 
miliar. The  cost  of  the  resurfacing  and  bonding  the 
sections  of  old  rail  road  grade  will  average  approxi- 
mately $L2tlO  per  mile.  T'he  cost  of  new  macadam  con- 
sti'iU'tion  including  grading  and  the  nine  feet  macadam 
surface  will   run  as  high  as  $b.()00  pel-  mile. 

it  is  unfortninitely  true  in  many  instances  where  imb- 


irareh,  1917 


SOUTHERN  OOOl)  KOADS 


lie  funds  ai-c  to  lie  cxix'nili'd  in  the  iiitcrosf  of  the  pub-' 
lie  welfari.',  thiit  cei'tiiiii  sclfisli  iiilci-csts  arc  iiivarialjly 
cneountei't'd  which  wonhl  place  tiic  welfare  for  the 
l)ublic  second  to  their  own.  A  few  instances  if  this 
nature  were  encountered  in  Laurel  county  and  result- 
ed in  a  considerable  Icnsthciiino-  of  the  iiorthei'ii  jior- 
tioii  of  the  Dixie  Ilitjluvay  by  the  Engineers  who  made 
this  survey,  and  who  did  not  familiarize  themselves 
with  the  general  topography  of  the  country.  It  was 
found  necessary  therefore  to  revise  the  ma.ior  portion 
of  this  survey.  Due  to  .Judge  lirown 's  long  familiarity 
and  intimate  knowledge  of  the  topograpliy  :)f  the  coun- 
ty, he  was  able  to  suggest  several  important  rluinges 
in  the  first  location  of  the  London-Kockcastle  cnunty 
i-oad.  These  changes  were  afterwai-d  made  and  re- 
sulted in  a  shortening  of  the  survey  distance  of  apprjx- 
imiately  one  mile  and  saving  of  construction  cost  of 
approximately  ^4.000.  Although  he  had  already  pass- 
ed the  mark  of  three  score  and  ten.  there  is  not  a  more 
progressive  road  builder  in  the  state  :)f  Kentucky  then 
.(r.dge  W.  Ij.  Brown.  He  is  prone  to  accept  Twentietli 
(lentiuy  ideas  in  this  work,  and  always  carries  the 
welfare  of  his  people  at  heart.  Daui-el  county  is  par- 
ticularly fortunate  in  the  fact  thiit  she  has  had  such  a 
man  directing  the  work  of  building  her  roads.  Td  the 
e\'erlasting  credit  of  the  fiscal  court,  it  should  l)e  said 
that  they  have  invariably  backed  up  the  rei'  inunenda- 
tions  of  the  State  and  County  engineers  in  all  (|nestions 
])ertaining  to  location,  i-evision  of  location,  anil  the  es- 
tablishment of  drainage.  In  the  location  of  the  Dixie 
Hi<;'hwa\'  through  tlie  countv,  iiarticular  attenti  )n  was 


Completed  Section  Laurel  County,  Ky  ,  Road 

given  to  the  elimination  of  grade  crossings.  The  fa- 
vorable settlement  of  a  controversy  between  the  coun- 
ty and  the  Ij.  &  N.  Railroad  Co.,  -will  enable  the  county 
to  offer  the  tourist  a  road  the  entire  length  of  the 
county   without   a   single  grade   crossing. 

On  the  completion  of  the  work  in  progress  at  the 
present  time,  the  Dixie  Highway  will  lie  surfaced  with 
macadam  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles  extending  from 
('orbin  and  London  to  Pittsburg.  From  Pittsburg  to  the 
Rockcastle  River  will  be  an  excellent  earth  road.  Some 
provision  will  necessarily  have  to  be  made  for  the  ma- 
cadam surfacing  of  this  last  named  section  and  also 
for  the  construction  ;)f  the  joint  bridge  across  the  Rock- 
castle River.  Althougli  the  county  has  strained  every 
financial  nerve  in  her  system  to  complete  the  work  al- 
ready done,  and  stands  ready  at  any  time  to  further 
strain  her  resources,  it  will  hardly  be  possible  to  ma- 
cadamize the  section  from  Pittsburg  to  the  River  with- 
out securing  same  aid  or  assistance  from  other  sources. 

The  Dixie  Highway  through  Laurel  eoiinty  is  partic- 
ularly a  scenic  route  and  is  of  especial  interest  from 
a  historic  standpoint  since  it  follows  "The  Old  Hoone 


Trail."  Tliei'c  is  no  iiioi-e  lnMuliful  sccikm-v  in  tlie 
springtime  than  is  encouuteerd  along  this  Highway  in 
the  vicinity  of  Rockcastle  river.  Leaving  the  Rock- 
castle River,  and  traveling  foi-  three  miles  along  Park- 
ei'"s  Creek,  the  eye  never  tires  in  viewing  Nature's  rug- 
ged splendor,  fringed  by  Honey  Su(d';le  and  an  abund- 
ance of  nature's  wild  [n'olitic  growth.  Leaving  Pai'k- 
er's  Creek,  there  unfolds  before  the  eye  a  gently  rol- 
ling farming  country  through  which  you  travel  for 
many  miles.  Continuing  South,  the  monotony  of  tin- 
fa  rming  landscape  is  broken  at  frequent  interxals  by 
strips  of  woodland  where  the  tourist  may  pause  in  com- 
fort to  commune  with  nature  and  mai'vel  upon  the 
many  beauties  which  he  has  iieen  privileged  to  behold. 


Board  Will  Remove  Shade  From  Road. 

At  the  l)avi<lson  ('ounty  (X.  ('. )  Koail  Institute,  no 
ted  in  February  Southern  Good  Roads,  it  was  disidosed 
by  the  patrolmen  that  proper  nuiintenance  in  winter 
months  was  impossible  where  the  roads  were  shaded 
by  trees.  The  board  of  road  commissioners  are  acting 
to  remedy  the  trouble,  as  is  evidenced  bj'  the  following 
notice  sent  out  to  patrolmen  and  property  owners: 

■■In  oi'di'r  to  aid  in  the  maintenance  of  the  roads  by 
'having  renuived  timber  and  ti-ees  that  in.juriously 
shade  them,  the  l>:)ai'd  of  Road  Comnnssioncrs  will  pay 
the  i)ro])crty  owners  for  the  I'enioval  of  such  liiid)i'r 
and  trees  on  the  following  terms: 

"To  the  owner,  oi-  other  person  obtaining  proper 
permit  fi-om  the  owner,  fifty  cents  per  cord  of  wood  so 
cut.  anil  six  cents  per  hundred  for  merchantable  tim- 

•r.  If  the  owner  does  not  care  to  cut  the  timber  or  to 
hire  it  done  the  Board  will  pay  fifty  cents  per  cord  foi- 
the  wood  on  the  stump,  and  will  ]iroceed  t)  have  it  cut 
aiul  marketed;  for  nu'rchantable  tindier  the  proceeds 
fi'om  the  sale  thereof  after  deducting  the  cost  of  cut- 
ting and  marketing. 

"This  allows  the  owner  his  choice  of  the  method  of 
getting  the  timber  cut,  as  may  be  to  his  liest  advantage, 
and  at  a  reas  mable  compensation.  In  case  neithei- 
method  is  agreeable  to  any  owner,  the  timber  will  be 
cut  b\'  the  road  forces  under  aiithority  of  the  present 
road  law.  Section  5,  paragra{)h  1.  and  adjustment  made 
;is  therein  provided. 

"Before  beginning  work  under  the  above  terms,  the 
owner  should  see  the  patrolman  of  his  secti')n  or  the 
engineer  and  agree  as  to  what  tindier  is  to  be  i-ut  on 
these  conditions.  R.  T.  BROWN.  Knuincer." 


Penalizing-  Narrow  Tires. 

A  few  years  ago  aliout  100  miles  of  roads  were  im- 
proved in  Spotts.vlvania  County,  Va.,  which  is  far  from 
being  a  wealthy  county.  This  resulted  in  nuich  heav- 
ier loads,  particularly  loads  of  lundier.  on  narrow-tir- 
ed wagons,  and  these  great  weights  on  a  few  inches  of 
tire  began  to  injure  the  roads  considerably.  So  the 
county  sujjervisors  passed  an  ordinance  limiting  loads 
to  4,000  pounds  on  wide-tired  vehicles  and  2.-100  poiuids 
on  those  with  narrow  tires.  Many  teamsters  hauled 
more  than  the  ordinance  permits,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  indict  a  number  of  them  before  they  realized  that 
the  supervisors  proposed  to  have  the  law  olieyed.  ilost 
of  the  teamsters  have  now  provided  themselves  with 
:-)-inch  tires  for  two-horse  vehicles  and  4  to  6-inch  tires 
for  four-horse  vehicles.  This  saves  the  road.  The  team- 
sters have  found  that  they  do  not  suffer,  for  on  account 
of  the  easy  hauling  due  to  a  good  road,  they  often  hitch 
one  wagon  behind  another  and  haul  both  with  four 
hoi'ses,  thus  doubling  the  work  done  by  the  team  and 
driver. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


March,  1917 


The  Farmers'  Roads 

Discussion  of  Roads  to  Serve  Rural  Communities 

By  JOHN  H.  MULLEN 
Deputy  State  Engineer  of  Minnesota 


YOr  will  pardon  me  for  reminding  you  that  80  per 
cent  of  our  roads  must  of  necessity  be  earth  roads 
for  some  time  to  come.  They  should  remain  earth 
roads,  because  the  traffic  does  not  warrant  an  expen- 
sive surface,  but  let  us  see  that  they  are  built  as  sub- 
stantially as  the  other  earth  which  will  be  surfaced 
later.  This  is  not  merely  because  such  work  is  the 
only  really  permanent  part  of  a  highway  and  will  af- 
ford a  founilation  for  subsequent  improvement  of  the 
surface,  but,  what  is  more  important,  because  it  will 
improve  the  thousands  i)f  miles  of  feeders  whieh  are 
now  tile  limiting  factors  in  hauling  our  great  annual 
tonnage  of  farm  produce. 

Bow  many  county  road  .systems  are  laid  out  upon 
a  systematic  basis?  Very  few,  although  road  work 
con.stitutes  the  greatest  single  activity  in  any  commun- 
ity. The  first  step  to  lie  taken  by  a  governing  bod\ 
like  a  county  board  is  to  employ  a  road  engineer  to 
nuike  a  survey  of  the  road  situation,  not  an  instrumen- 
tal survey  but  a  study  of  the  transportation  problems 
of  the  county.  The  board  must  forget  district  lines 
ami  disregard  personal  pleas.  The  determination  ot 
the  roads  to  be  improved  first,  the  type  of  improve- 
ment, and  the  amount  )f  money  to  be  raised  should  be 
based  upon  definite  data  showing  the  necessities  of  the 
iMtunty  and  the  proibable  use  of  the  roads.  When  these 
things  have  been  settled  the  engineer  should  be  au- 
thorized to  plan  the  work  and  carry  it  through,  the 
lioard  acting  merelj'  in  an  advisory  capacity. 

The  first  point  is  to  be  considered  in  planning  a  s.ys- 
tem  of  roads  is  location.  The  poor  location  of  many 
important  roads  is  due  in  some  cases  to  the  tendency 
to  keep  to  old  trails,  but  usually  to  following  the  sub- 
division lines.  In  gently  rolling,  well-drained  c  luntry 
it  is  probably  better  to  follow  the  section  lines,  but 
where  heavy  grades  are  encountered  or  other  l)ad  top- 
ographical conditions  exist  a  location  should  be  adopt- 
ed which  will  ])rovide  the  most  economical  and  satis- 
factory road  for  all  lime,  without  regard  to  property 
lines. 

To  have  any  degree  i>i  success  witli  an  earth  road  it 
mast  be  completely  drained,  which  means  wide  deep 
ditches  and  offtakes,  the  location  and  grades  of  which 
must  be  determined  by  survey  for  the  eye  cannot  be 
trusted  in  laying  out  this  work.  A  common  source  of 
trouble  is  fmnid  whei'e  roadbeds  are  built  by  taking 
materials  from  the  sides  with  blades  graders.  In  such 
cases  the  protile  of  the  ditch  conforms  with  that  of  the 
groinid  and  depressions  are  left  where  water  collects 
and  saturates  the  roadbed.  After  a  few  years'  exper- 
ience in  maintaining  such  roads  an  engineer  will  always 
insist  upon  heavy,  substantial  earth  construction,  for 
the  first  work  laid  out  has  to  be  rebuilt  because  it  is 
too  light.  Frequently  a  surfacing  has  been  applied  to 
the  roadbed  and  is  lost  because  of  the  poor  foundation 
work,  or  has  to  be  thrown  away  on  accoiuit  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  rebuilding  the  roadbed. 

Rolling  an  earth  road  has  been  demonstrated  to  be 
advantageous,  particularly  by  the  use  of  heavy  trac- 
t  )rs  hatiling  grading  machines.  In  such  cases  it  is  not 
unconnnon  to  compress  the  earth  from  30  to  50  per 
cent   on   light   work,   which   means   better   bearing   ca- 


pacity in  the  road  and  less  damage  by  rains.  An  im- 
portant point  is  to  drag  the  roadbed  constantly  dur- 
ing its  construction,  so  that  it  will  be  snnothat  all 
times.  In  this  way  chuck  holes  and  ruts  are  prevented 
on  new  work,  and  the  road  is  turned  over  in  a  tinished 
condition  for  the  maintenance  crew. 

It  was  formerly  the  rule  to  build  a  high  crown  on  an 
earth  road  in  order  t)  shed  water,  but  now  that  main- 
tenance systems  are  being  established,  we  find  that  a 
light  crown  on  .substantial  earth  construction  is  best, 
for  this  permits  intensive  dragging,  building  up  a  pud- 
dled hard  ciiist  resistant  to  traffic  and  impervious  to 
water.  The  least  width  of  the  roadway  should  be  20 
feet  and  on  main  lines  24  feet,  but  for  safety  on  em- 
bankments it  is  well  to  increase  the  width  about  -4  feet 
on  an  embankment  4  feet  high  and  6  feet  on  an  em- 
bankment   8   feet   high. 

We  have  all  agreed  that  dragging  is  the  i)rincipal 
feature  of  earth  road  maintenance.  It  is  the  manage- 
ment of  dragging  which  makes  or  breaks  the  effective- 
ness of  the  work.  The  superintendent  must  contract 
with  residents  along  the  road  to  drag  certain  definite 
sections  after  each  rain  and  whenever  ordered  by  him. 
These  sections  may  vary  from  1  to  3  miles  for  team 
haul  and  up  to  10  miles  or  more  with  a  tractor.  A 
price  per  mile  for  dragging  and  per  hour  for  extra 
work  like  clearing  ditches  is  agreed  upon.  It  is  stipu- 
lated that  the  price  of  the  first  few  draggings  be  re- 
tained until  the  end  of  the  season,  and  any  neglect  to 
drag  when  necessary  shall  be  compensated  for  by  a 
deduction  from  this  retained  sum.  It  is  impossible  to 
check  this  work  closely,  but  by  reporting  by  postcard 
after  each  dragging  and  using  these  reports  as  the 
l)asis  for  monthly  payments,  few  errors  occur.  The  su- 
Iterintendent  is  generally  given  considerable  v.ilunlary 
assistance  by  those  using  the  roads. 


Texas  Spends  Most  Money. 

E.  J.  Ilernan.  assistant  director  general  of  the  .\a- 
tional  Highway  A.ssociation.  who  was  in  Fort  Worth 
recently,  said  that  Texas  spent  more  money  for  good 
roads  in  liIKi  than  any  other  State  in  the  I'nion.  .Mr. 
Herman  has  just  returned  from  West  Texas,  where  he 
assisted  in  road  bond  elections  at  Spur.  Stamford.  Pa- 
ducah.   Childress,  Aspermont,  Rotan   and   Roby. 

After  a  two  days'  rest  he  went  on  to  Austin,  where 
he  will  work  for  bond  issues  for  extending  the  Great 
Plains  highway  from  Austin  to  Houston  and  thence  to 
New  Orleans.  This  r  )ad  runs  north  and  west  from 
Austin  through  the  Panhandle  to  Canada  and  parallels 
the  nu-ridian   road  which  passes  through  this  city. 


$500,000  Available  for  Roads. 

The  Beauregard.  La.,  parish  police  .jury  met  recently 
in  special  session  to  receive  the  preliminary  report  of 
Government  Engineer  Alderman,  who  has  just  com- 
pleted a  preliminary  survey  of  the  parish  roads.  There 
was  a  large  delegation  of  citizens  present  to  show  their 
interest  in  the  location  of  the  new  roads.  The  money 
from  the  sale  of  the  .'foOO.OOO  bonds  issued  for  roall 
building  is  now  available,  and  as  soon  as  roads  are 
located  and  estimates  made,  work  will  begin. 


Maruli.  I'JIT 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Sixth  Annual  Convention  of  Texas  Good 
Roads  Association,  Held  at  Austin 


By  D.  E.  COLP,  Secretary 


ONE  of  thf  most  iiii|>ort;nit  iiit'otiiiy:s  in  its  history 
was  the  sixth  annual  convention  of  the  Texas 
Good  Roads  Association  at  Austin  and  delegates  to 
this  convention  and  their  work  prior  and  subsequent 
to  the  meeting-  is  given  much  credit  for  the  passage 
by  the  present  Legislature  of  a  bill  creating  a  State 
Highway  Department,  and  which  now  has  but  to  go 
through  the  Senate  and  be  signed  liy  Governor  James 
E,  Ferguson  to  become  a  law. 

As  the  Governor  is  knowai  to  favor  it,  being  a  plat- 
form demand  and  no  Senator  is  known  to  be  opposed  to 
it.  its  proponents  are  well  jileased  with  present  condi- 
tions. 

The  convention  was  presided  over  i)y  Howard  Bland 
of  Taylor,  its  jn-csidcnt.  who  hIso  is  a  State  Legislator 
and  a  numher  of  Reiircsentatives  and  Senators  t  lok 
part  in  the  |n-ogram  which  was  admitted  to  be  the  best 
of  any  convention  ever  held  by  the  association,  cover- 
ing practically  every  phase  of  road  work. 

After  the  report  of  President  island  who  reviewed 
work  of  the  past  year  and  gave  some  of  the  plans  for 
the  future,  the  report  of  D.  E.  Colp,  Secretary-Treas- 
urer, was  read. 

This  was  to  the  effect  that  the  a.ssociation,  during 
the  past  year  had  as.sisted  in  bond  issue  campaigns  and 
other  good  roads  work  that  resulted  in  the  expenditure 
of  approximately  ten  million  dollars  and  that  mem- 
bership in  the  association  had  increased  nearly  200  per 
cent  during  the  nine  months  and  one  week  since  the 
previous  convention. 

"Permanency  in  road-building"  was  the  subject  of  L. 
S.  Franklin  of  Dallas,  who  advocated  preparing  the 
roads  now  for  use  of  the  generations  to  come  and  told 
of  Wayne  County,  ^Michigan,  the  first  to  attempt  con- 
struction of  roads  to  that  end,  as  well  as  the  vicissi- 
tudes encountered  by  its  proponents,  then  the  general 
satisfaction  over  the  result  after  the  road  actually  was 
completed. 

"We  must  be  able  to  look  into  the  future,"  he  said, 
"look  to  the  time  when  this  country  will  be  teeming 
with  the  millions  of  Europe  who  are  tired  of  war,  and 
and  when  they  reach  this  country  you  people  of  the 
Gi'eat  Southwest  should  be  ready  to  offer  them  induce- 
ments to  settle  here  and  the.y  will  want  good  roads. 
They  have  been  used  to  good  roads  in  Europe  for  hun- 
dreds of  years  and  we  are  .just  beginning  to  wake  up." 

"What  Good  Roads  and  the  Auto  Has  Done  for  West 
Texas,"  was  the  subject  of  an  address  by  County  Judge 
S.  A.  Penix  of  Big  Spring,  who  is  president  of  the  Fort 
Worth-El  Paso  Highway  Association.  Judge  Penix 
told  of  the  troubles  in  getting  the  first  bond  issue  for 
the  County,  then  the  great  satisfaction  that  followed, 
illustrating  with  the  statement  that  land  values  had 
increased  from  $2  per  acre  before  he  roads  were  built 
until  now  it  is  worth  from  $40  to  $50.  He  said  also 
that  modern  l)rick  and  stone  school  houses  had  replaced 
the  old.  one-room  frame  structures  and  that  churches, 
Inisiness  houses  and  the  citizenship  in  general  showed 
the  great  benefits  following  good  roads. 

An  urgent  plea  for  proper  maintenance  of  roads  was 
made  by  Col.  P.  L.  Downs  of  Temple,  Bell  county,  who 
told  of  the  great  benefits  that  had  followed  construc- 
tion  of  good  roads  in  that  coi;nty.     Col,  Do^\tis  is  a 


bMuki'i-  and  sai<l  that  his  bank  |taid  taxes  oT  approxi- 
mately $50(10  a  year  and  that  he  considei'ed  the  portion 
of  that  spent  on  roads  their  best  investment. 

Col.  Downs  stressed  the  need  of  bringing  about  co- 
operation between  business  men  of  the  towns  and  cit- 
ies and  "the  business  men  of  the  country.'  the  farmers, 
in   the  work. 

"In  bringing  about  this  co-operation,"  he  said,  "our 
community  meetings  were  a  very  important  factor  and 
I  attended  many  such  during  the  past  year.  The 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Agricultural  Committee  and 
the  Good  Roads  Committee  arranged  for  some  promi- 
nent man  to  go  to  the  school  house  in  some  section  of 
the  county  every  Friday  night,  to  get  ac(piainted  with 
the  jieople.  imt  to  tell  them  what  they  should  plant  or 
how  they  should  plant  it,  liut  to  harmonize  with  them, 
to  preach  agricultural  aiul  road  progress  to  the  end 
that  they  would  become  acquainted  with  and  trust  us. 
and  this  was  the  means  of  bringing  al)out  the  warm 
support  and  co-operation  of  the  rural  districts. 

"Since  we  connmenced  building  good  roads  land  val- 
ues have  increased  100.  200  and  in  some  cases,  even  ."iOO 
per  cent  aiul  I  have  the  figures  to  prove  it.  Bank  de- 
posits have  increased  enonnousl.v  and  though  we  are 
a  town  or  not  more  than  15,000  our  five  banks  have 
more  than  $2,300,000.00." 

How  Road  Money  is  Wasted. 

Concerning  road  maintenance,  Col.  Downs  said  this 
was  the  most  vital  factor  to  be  considered  and  express- 
ed the  opinion  that  millions  of  dollars  spent  on  roads 
throughout  the  country  had  been  literally  wasted  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  proper  provision  for  maintenance. 
Taking  an  instance  right  at  home  for  an  illustration,  he 
told  of  the  road  between  Temple  and  Belton,  construct- 
ed at  a  great  expense  but  which  was  ruined  in  two 
years. 

"Our  people,"  he  said,  "must  be  educated  to  the 
value  of  bviilding  permanent  roads.  Tn  constructing 
this  road  we  used  gravel  and  should  have  used  crushed 
stone,  but  we  wanted  to  save  money  and  liuild  more 
road,  therefore  we  used  a  cheaper  material,  but  the 
mistake  has  been  brought  home  to  us  and  T  believe  that 
one  of  the  greatest  things  your  State  Highway  Depart- 
ment can  do  (when  it  is  created)  is  to  encourage  and 
insist  upon  permanency  and  proper  provisions  for 
maintenance." 

"State  Prison  Labor  on  Roads."  was  the  subject  of 
an  address  by  Morris  Stern,  a  manufacturer  of  San 
Antonio  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the 
State.  Jlr.  Stern  is  a  staunch  advocate  of  this  plan 
and  a  few  years  ago  inaugurated  a  move  looking  to- 
ward that  end.  He  also  gave  figures  from  Warden  Ty- 
nan of  Colorado  covering  several  years  during  which 
convicts  had  been  used  on  the  roads  is  that  State. 

Section  14  of  the  proposed  Highway  Bill  provides 
for  this  aiul  was  passed  thus  by  the  legislature  with- 
out amendment.  Mr.  Stern  advocated  this,  not  only 
because  of  it  value  to  the  State  but  from  a  humanitar- 
ian standpoint  in  behalf  of  the  prisoners. 

"Wliy  Roads  Should  Connect"  was  the  subject  of  an 
address  by  Cliarles  M.  Kirk  of  Houston,  chairman  of 
the  State  Democratic  Executive  committee,  and  the 
speaker  warmly  advocated  a  State  Highway  Depart- 


8 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Man-h.  i:)17 


nil-Ill  lliat  tlii'i-f  iiiiglit  bo  established  a  comprehensive 
s\'stein  of  Jlighways  be^'iunint;'  somewhere  and  going' 
somewhere. 

"Roads  as  a  Country's  Greatest  Asset"  was  the  top- 
ie  of  an  address  liy  State  Senator  Cark)S  Bee  of  San 
Antonio  who  promised  to  use  his  best  efforts  to  got  the 
Bill   passed  by  the  Senate. 

"We  are  eonfronfed  in  this  cuniit  ry, "  lie  said,  '"b-i- 
an  appalling  situatimi  nf  which  I  do  md  bciiexc  iiiaii.\' 
people  ap|)recia1e  the  seriousness  (if.  'I'liis  is  not  politi- 
i-al  (dap-trap  or  a  stalennMil  for  curr\ing  favor  for  when 
a  man  assei'ts  tliat  the  growth  of  the  cities  and  tiie  ilecay 
of  rural  comnuuiities  contributes  most  surely  to  the  de- 
struction of  government  it  is  a  plain,  irrefutable  fact. 

"In  other  words,  if  a  great  calamity  should  befall 
this  fair  State  of  ours  tonight  and  wipe  from  its  face 
every  city — while  the  grief  would  be  great,  the  loss  of 
pi'opei'ty  would  be  ajipalling  and  indescribable  horror 
would  follow,  this  State  couUl  go  on  just  the  same,  but 
you  cannot  nutintain  a  commonwealth  without  the  great 
producing  settlements  and  neighborhoods,  and  it  is 
alarming  to  contemplate  a  situation  under  which  our 
rural  secdions  would  be  blotted  out  foi-  there  would  lie 
no  connti'y  and  no  State  for  us  to  proceed  with. 

"IIow  to  keep  the  ]>eo])le  in  the  country  satisfied  and 
stop  their  moving  to  the  cities  is  the  great  probleiii 
that  taxes  the  ingenuity  and  the  ability  of  the  lawmak- 
ers of  tliis  land.  and.  in  my  judgment  there  are  three 
wa\-s:  Tlu'  establishment  of  the  Chui'ch.  the  building 
of  the  s(dioii|  house  and  the  construction  of  good  roads, 
for.  \\'ilh  these  three  you  can  I'ender  the  conditinus  in 
the  country  so  agreeable  and  opportunity  so  great  that 
the  men  and  women  will  be  glad  to  sta>-  there  for  God 
Almighty  really  intended  the\-  should — under  his  sun- 
light." 

"Building  ;i  Road  Across  Texas."  was  the  subject  of 
II.  A.  Fisher  of  Cn.ickett,  secretary  of  the  Red  Kiver  to 
the  Gulf  Highway  Association."  Mr.  Fisher  told  of 
the  work  accomplished  on  tliis  highway  ami  expressed 
the  opinion  that  building  a  good  road  was  but  a  matter 


of  education  and  co-operation.  "Teach  the  farmers," 
he  said,  "that  they  can  sell  the  .surplus  of  everything 
they  raise,  taking  loads  of  produce  to  town  instead  of 
empty  wagons,  and  they  will  be  ready  to  help  you  build 
the  roads." 

"Some  Roads  I  Have  Built"  was  the  subject  of  Ju- 
lian Fi(dd.  a  idvil  engineer  of  Denison.  who  advocated 
thorough  preparation  before  beginning  road  woi'k  and 
then  construction  that  will  iiieaii  long  life,  with  a  pro- 
\isioii  fd)- Clint  inuous  maintenance.  Deiuson  is  in  Gray- 
son County,  one  of  the  pioneers  in  good  roads  w H'k  in 
Texas  and  these  is  practically  no  community  from  Avhich 
one  cannot  reatdi  the  city  on  good  r  lads. 

"Benefit  of  a  System  of  Highways  to  the  Iceman  and 
the  Spinachman."  was  the  subject  of  C.  N.  Avery  of 
Austin,  who  is  connected  with  many  industries  includ- 
ing ice  manufaiduring  and  truck  raising,  ilr.  Avery 
expressed  the  belief  that  a  Highway  Department  was 
necessary  to  every  business  and  pi-ofession.  He  also 
advocated  proper  contsruetion  and  urged  State  super- 
vision not  only  of  that  but  of  maintenance. 

Time  Now  to  Go  Ahead. 
Hon.  Adrian  Pool.  County  Judge  of  El  Paso,  urged 
the  construction  of  connecting  highways  throughout 
the  State  and  Nation  and  while  he  was  in  favor  of  ob- 
taining all  the  Federal  aid  j^ossible.  said  that  the  people 
should  go  right  ahead,  regardless  of  what  might  be 
obtained  later,  and  build  their  roads. 

Earl  B.  ilaytield.  a  memiber  of  the  State  Kail  road 
Commission,  urged  the  association  to  give  their  support 
to  a  bill  pending  in  the  Legislature  giving  the  State 
aidhority  to  compel  railroads  to  install  non-grade  cross- 
ings where  necessary. 

J.  T.  Land,  of  Fort  ^Vol•th.  told  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  which  reiiresented.  in  aiding  in  carrying  a 
bond  election  of  $L<iOO.()00.00  for  roads  and  bridges. 
In  this  connection  he  urged  all  connuercial  organiza- 
tions to  co-operate  in  the  good  roads  work. 

"Road  [Material   Suitable  for  the  Traffic."  was  ablv 


Hauling  Concrete  on  Concrete  Road  Near  El  Paso,  Texas 


MmivIi.    1!)17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  i;(».\|)S 


9 


liaiKlli'il  liy  .1.  ]',  Xiish.  tosling-  ongiiiccr  of  Ww  State 
University.  Prof.  Nasli  explained  that  iuasiuucli  as 
fifty  ti)  seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  money  spent  in 
roadl)ni](ling'  went  for  material,  and  that  as  probably 
75%  of  the  trafitie  in  a  given  eounty  was  over  one  or 
two  particular  roads  leading  to  the  market  center,  that 
road  should  by  all  means,  receive  a  larger  portion  of 
the  money  raised  than  other  less  heavily  traveled  roads 
and  that  a  road  niiaterial  survey  slio\dd  be  made  in  or- 
der that  the  real  X'alin'  of  local  material  nughl  be  as- 
certained. This,  he  said,  should  be  augmented  by  a 
ti'aftic  census  and  the  roads  estalilished  on  the  basis 
thus  found. 

"The  Federal  Aid  Act,"  as  explaineil  i)y  L'aptain  J. 
D.  Fauntleroy,  V.  S.  District  Engineer,  who  is  station- 
ed at  Fort  Worth,  was  listened  to  with  close  attention, 
but  as  that  act  is  no  doubt  generally  understood 
throughout  the  other  states,  but  little  space  need  be 
given  this  section.  He  explained  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  having  a  State  Highway  Department  and  of 
each  State  giving  assent  to  the  Act  of  the  National 
Congress  in  road  building  and  maintenance,  and  that 
the  State  must  work  with  the  United  States. 

"Some  Common  Jlistakes  in  the  Administration  of 
T?oad  Bond  Issues"  was  explained  by  R.  L.  ^Morrison, 
professor  of  HighwaA'  Engineering  of  the  Texas  xV.  & 
-AL  College. 

One  of  the  most  cdmimon  of  mistakes,  he  said,  is  in 
liromising  too  many  miles  of  road  to  be  covered  with  a 
certain  amount  of  money.  To  remedy  this  he  said  that 
inspection  should  be  made  and  estimates  prepared  by 
a  competent  engineer  before  the  amount  of  bonds  to  be 
asked  for  should  be  determined,  explaining  that  this 
was  one  of  tlie  gi-eat  benefits  to  follow  the  creation  of 
a  State  Highway  Department. 

Professor  ilorrison  also  advocated  a  traffic  census 
to  determine  what  roads  should  be  ni'ost  substantial  and 
also  that  all  material  be  tested.  He  also  was  emphatic 
in  his  criticism  of  the  action  of  counties  issuing  antici- 
jiation  warrants,  stating  that  they  meant  a  great  waste 
of  money  and.  in  many  instances,  ihiwnright  fraud. 

^Vnother  thing  which  he  eni]»hasizcd  the  need  of  was 
the  proper  provision  for  maintenance  of  roads,  ex- 
jiressing  the  opinion  that  hundreds  of  dollars  were 
wasted  annually  through  failure  to  provide  for  taking 
care  of  roads. 

"Raising  Hill  county  out  of  the  Mud"  was  tlie  subjtct 
of  C.  R.  Gardner,  secretary  of  the  Hill  County  Unit  of  il.e 
Texas  Good  Roads  Association.  He  stressed  the  need  of 
the  proper  engineering  work,  saying  that  his  could y 
had  a  severe  oljject  lesson  in  spending  .'|^25(),()(M)  whicli 
resulted  in  only  24  miles  of  road. 

"The  Use  of  Prison  Labor"  the  subject  of  John  W. 
Warren  of  San  Antonio,  chairman  of  the  Legislative 
Committee  of  the  Texas  Good  Roads  Association,  was 
diverged  from  by  the  speaker  after  strongly  urging 
that  this  be  arranged  for.  after  which  he  spoke  in  bi,'- 
half  of  the  creation  of  a  State  Highway  Department. 
He  also  read  telegrams  from  the  Governors  of  a  num- 
ber of  states,  entloi'sing  such  a  department,  telling 
brietiy  of  the  benefits  they  had  received. 

"Uniform  Statewide  Registration  and  taxation  of 
Motor  Vehicles,"  was  the  subject  of  Hon.  R.  L.  Car- 
lock,  State  Representative  from  Fort  Worth,  who  has 
been  heartily  in  accord  with  the  movement  of  the  Tex- 
as Good  Roads  Association  from  its  inception. 

"Neeil  of  a  Highway  Department  to  Get  Gooil  Roads 
Everywhere"  was  the  subject  of  State  Senator  F.  ]\L 
Gibson  of  Bonham.  Senator  Gibson  is  a  member  of 
the  Legislative  Committee  of  the  Association  and  has 
been  working  for  the  passage  of  the  bill  for  months. 


Senatoi'  (Jil)son  urged  the  cre.ition  of  a  Highway  De- 
l)artment  most  earnestly,  sunnning  up  points  nuide  by 
other  speakers  and  expressed  his  appr;)val  of  a  salni-ied 
connnission. 

"Some  of  us."  he  s;iid.  referring  to  the  law-makers. 
"will  be  afraid  to  go  hmne  after  creating  a  commis- 
sion and  jiroviding  an  adeipiate  salary  for  the  mem- 
bers, but  we  want  a  go>id  depai'tinent  with  convpetent 
men  in  it  and  we  cci'lainly  cannol  hope  to  obtain  the 
sei'\ices  of  su<'li   men   foi-  nothing." 

1).  K.  Colp.  secretai'y  of  the  Te.xas  Good  Roatls  As- 
sociation sunnned  up  the  work  of  the  past  year,  show- 
ing an  increase  in  nuMiibei'ship  of  nearly  200  ])er  cent 
with  the  formation  of  nearly  100  local  units  and  also 
showed  a  good  cash  balance  in  the  treasury  while  two 
years  ago  there  was  a  deficit  of  nearly  two  thousand 
dollars.  He  explained  also  that  during  the  past  year 
he  had  traveled  approximately  six  thousand  miles  in 
his  own  car  insi)ecting,  logging  and  nuipping  roads  arid 
that  the  next  log  book  of  the  association  would  contain 
additional  logs  not  covered  in  the  last  one.  bringing  the 
total  to  ajiproximately  7,500  ndles. 

"Good  Roads  and  Country  Schools,"  was  the  subject 
of  Dr.  A.  Caswell  Ellis  of  the  Department  of  Education 
State  University  who  urged  the  construction  of  865- 
day  roads  as  not  only  essential  to  education  but  to  ev- 
ery interest  in  the  State. 

"Good  Roads  as  Connnunity  [Guilders."  avms  the  sub- 
ject of  Dr.  J.  H.  Eastland,  president  of  the  Mineral 
Wells  Unit  of  the  State  Association,  who  argued  that 
they  meant  a  better  and  more  contented  people  in  tlie 
rural  districts  and  told  of  a  farmer  who  attending  a 
good  roads  meeting  said:  "yes,  it  does  cost  thousands 
of  dollars  to  build  a  mile  of  good  road  Init  if  each  thous- 
and dollars  keeps  one  first-class  country  boy  at  home 
where  he  will  be  successful  and  coiit(Mited  instead  of 
going  to  town  and  becoming  a  second  class  lawyer, 
doctor  or  business  man,  it  is  well  spent." 

Just  before  adjournment  the  convention  unanimous- 
ly passed  a  resolution  urging  the  Governor  not  to  ap- 
point on  the  commission  any  man  who  applied  for  a  [vi- 
sition,  this  motion  being  made  in  view  of  the  scramble 
already  inaugurated  by  applicants. 


Speedway  for  Salt  Lake  City. 

An  automobile  speedway  e(iual  to  any  in  the  coun- 
try and  with  a  seating  capacity  of  30,000  persons  is 
proposed  by  the  Salt  Lake  Speedway  association,  of 
which  Dr.  H.  R.  AVelch  is  secretary. 

The  immense  speedway  will  be  located  in  the  north- 
west section  of  the  county.  The  track  itself  will  be  of 
boards,  fifty  feet  wide,  banked  at  all  turns  and  two 
miles  in  length.  It  will  cost  approximately  .ii.300.000. 
and  provisions  will  be  made  for  the  necessary  parking 
s])ace  for  automobiles. 

Negotiations  have  been  made  for  250  acres  of  land 
on  the  Bandjerger  tract.  ab:)ut  four  miles  from  the 
city.  The  location  affords  excellent  transportation  fa- 
cilities ,as  it  is  reached  by  l)otli  steam  railroads,  the 
interurluin  and  city  street  railway  lines. 

The  e(|uipment  of  the  proposed  track  will  l)e  similar 
in  construction  to  the  fastest  in  the  LTnited  States — 
such  as  the  Sheep.shead  Bay,  Chicago.  Des  IMoines  and 
Tacoma  speedways. 

It  is  expected  that  the  track  will  be  c  uiipleted  in 
time  to  give  the  people  of  Utah  and  surrouiuling  states 
an  op|)ortunity  to  see  at  least  one  liig  I'ace  by  Septem- 
ber, with  the  most  noted  drivers  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  competing.  Tlie  contest  planned  will  carry 
prizes  of  $25,000  and  the  distance  will  lie  300  miles. 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


March,  1917 


Lessons  From  Wise  County,  Virginia 

Economic  Survey  by  Office  of  Public  Roads  Shoivs  Definite  and  Estimable 
Results  to  Mountain  County  from  Building  of  Improved  Highways 


T~}  OAI)  iiH|ii-iivciii('ii(  ill  Wise  (.'ouiity  wms  1)ok'"ii  '" 
\  imo  llintiifi-li  the  ciiiistnictioii  :)f  4.()  iiiik's  of  in;i- 
(■:i(hiiii  r(i;i(l  iindi'i-  the  supervision  tiic  Stale  hiirinvar 
(lejiarl  iiieiil.  As  was  llic  case  in  (itlier  rdiiiities.  the  lirst 
exaiiiiile  oT  y:()(Kl-r()a(l  eniistrin-lioii  served  as  an  oliject 
lesson  and  created  a  strong  sentiment  for  comprehen- 
sive road  improvement  thronj^hout  the  county.  On 
November  22,  1910,  a  county  bond  issue  of  $700,000  for 
gradinon  and  macadamizing  110  miles  of  road  was  car- 
ried by  a  vote  of  2.ir)6  fur  the  bonds  to  176  against 
them'.  I'nfortunatel.v.  no  preliminary  surveys  or  en- 
gineering advice  were  obtained  upon  which  to  base  the 
program  of  construction  outlined  in  the  order  of  elec- 
tion, and  in  consequence  it  was  found,  after  the  bonds 
had  been  voted  and  surveys  for  actual  (•(instruction 
made,  that  the  routes  set  forth  in  the  order  of  election 
aggregated  125  miles  instead  of  11(1  miles,  and  that  the 
cost  of  gi'adiiig  and  inMcadaini/.iiig  this  mileage  would 
amount  to  m  )re  tliaii  ,$1,(1(111. (100  instead  of  the  $7(10,0(1(1 
which  the  people  had  xoted.  This  naturally  caused 
sonic  dissati.sfact ion  and  iNMiuired  a  cliange  in  policy. 
It  was.  therefore,  decided  to  grade  the  whole  mileage 
and  build  permanent  di'ainage  structures,  utilizing  what 
was  left  of  the  bond  issue  to  macadamize  the  most  im- 
portant  roads. 

Folliwing  the  first  bond  issue,  two  of  the  districts, 
Gladesville  and  Richmond,  voted  .$130,000  each  in  or- 
der to  macadamize  the  roads  which  had  been  graded 
and  to  build  a  few  additional  miles. 

The  economic  conditions  in  Wise  County  are  rather 
exceptional,  as  the  chief  industry  is  coal  mining;  and 
the  mineral  lands,  coal  and  iron,  constitute  aljout  half 
of  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  county.  There  are 
84  coal-mining  plants,  employing  in  the  aggregate 
about  9,000  men.  Agriculture  is  not  extensively  prac- 
ticed, and  the  products,  w^hich  are  principally  corn, 
oats,  hay,  potatoes,  and  sorghum  cane,  are  small  in 
volume.  Some  orchard  fruits  are  produced,  and  dairy- 
ing and  poultry  raising  are  engaged  in  on  a  small  scale. 
The  county  is  well  suiiplied  with  railroads,  and  as  its 
lirincipal  output  is  from  the  mines,  comparatively  little 
tonnage  is  hauled  over  the  public  roads.  The  C(.)unt.v. 
which  has  an  area  of  420  square  miles,  is  quite  moun- 
tainous, and  the  soil  is  not  productive,  except  at  the 
bottom  of  the  narrow  valleys  along  the  streams.  This 
rough  topography  causes  road  construction  to  he  very 
expensive,  on  account  of  heavy  grading.  (See  PL 
XVIII.)  ^Moreover,  a  large  portion  of  the  surfacing 
material  must  be  transported  by  rail  or  by  long  wagon 
haul.  The  mining  interests  are  paying  the  larger  part 
of  the  costs  of  the  road  system,  and  in  judging  of  the 
returns  to  the  county  froin  an  economic  standpoint  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  while  the  value  of  the 
road  system  to  agriculture  is  slight,  the  corresponding 
burden  upon  agricultural  jirojierty,  by  reason  of  the 
help  of  the  mining  interests,  is  also  comparatively  light. 

The  economic  studies  in  AVise  Cuiiity  were  made 
during  the  months  of  March,  1911,  .March,  1912,  May, 
1913,  May,  1914,  and  a  short  study  in  October,  191.'). 

The  issue  of  county  bonds  dated  February  1,  1911, 
brought  a  premium  of  2  per  cent,  while  the  two  dis- 
trict bond  issues  dated  IMarch  1.  1913,  were  sold  at 
par.  Thus  the  total  amount  realize  from  the  bond  is- 
sues  was  $974,000. 


All  the  Imnds  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of  5  [icr  cent, 
and  are  issued  for  30  years  with  options  to  retire  at  the 
end  of  20  years.  The  law  pi'ovides  that  a  levy  of  not 
to  exceed  90  cents  mi  the  hundred  dollars  shall  be  as- 
sessed for  the  purpose  of  paying  interest  and  creating  a 
sinking  fund  to  retire  the  bonds.  The  present  tax  for 
this  purpose  is  45  cents  for  the  $700,0(10  county  bond 
issue  and  20  and  25  cents,  respectively,  for  the  district 
bonds  in  Richmond  and  Gladesville  districts. 

The  board  of  county  supervisors  is  authorized  to 
create  a  sinking  fund  and  to  apply  any  part  or  all  to 
the  purchase  of  any  of  the  bonds  at  any  time.  The 
county  board  is  further  authorized  to  lend  upon  real 
estate  security,  the  loan  not  to  exceed  50  per  cent  of 
the  assessed  value  of  such  real  estate,  or  deposit  in 
iiank  at  interest  all  accumulations  of  money  to  the 
credit  of  the  sinking  fund.  No  sinking  funds  have 
been  so  invested,  as  it  is  difticult  to  lend  iiKiney  on  real 
estate  on  a  50  per  cent  assessment  liasis,  and  for  that 
reason  the  board  of  supervisors  expect  to  purchase  ami 
retire  the  bonds  as  fast  a,s  money  accumulates  in  the 
sinking  fund,  provided  the  bonds  are  on  the  market  at 
a  price  which  would  be  advantage lus  to  the  county. 
This  method  would  be  somewhat  similar  to  the  defer- 
red serial  method. 

It  nmst  be  liorne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  holders 
of  the  bonds  might,  up  to  the  twentieth  year,  refuse  to 
surrender  them,  and  would  thus  force  the  sinking-fund 
method  upon  the  county.  This  element  of  uncertainty 
is  the  weakness  of  the  retirement  method  as  contrasted 
with  a   I'cgular  deferred  serial  method. 

On  the  basis  of  the  1915  assessment  of  $13,500,00(1. 
the  $700, (.)00  of  county  bonds  could  be  paid  off  in  25 
years  by  an  average  tax  rate  of  36.7  cents  per  hundred 
dollai*s  to  be- devoted  to  payment  of  interest  and  re- 
tiring the  bonds  annually,  and  the  total  amount  paid 
out  would  be  about  $1,241,500  if  $35,000  of  the  bonds 
are  purchased  at  par  each  year  after  the  fifth  year  in- 
stead of  establishing  a  sinking  fund.  Under  the  sink- 
ing-fund iilan,  with  sinking  fund  bearing  3  per  cent  and 
running  25  years,  the  total  cost  would  be  $1,354.98S,  ov 
an  average  of  $54,199  per  annum  for  interest  ami  re- 
tirement. The  total  saving  li.\'  paying  off  the  l)onds  in- 
stead of  accumulating  sinking  fund  would  be  $113,488. 
The  tax  rate  for  the  sinking  fund  plan  would  be  40 
cents  on  the  present  valuation  as  com[)ared  with  35.7 
cents  for  the  deferred  serial  jilan,  or  for  luiying  up  the 
bonds  at  par. 

If  the  total  bond  issue  of  $960,000  were  retired  the 
twenty-fifth  year  on  the  sinking-fund  plan,  with  in- 
terest on  sinking  fund  at  3  per  cent,  the  total  cost 
would  be  $1,858,269.  If  the  serial  plan  were  adopted 
with  the  first  payment,  beginning  on  the  sixth  year, 
and  the  last  payment  the  twenty-fifth  year,  the  total 
cost  W(ndd  be  $1,704,000,  thus  showing  a  total  saving 
b.v  the  deferred  sei'ial  plan  of  $154,269.  as  compared 
with  the  sinking-fund  ]il;in.  Even  if  4  per  cent  could 
be  realized  on  the  sinking  fund,  there  would  still  be  a 
saving  of  $72,288. 

The  tax  levies  are  fixed  aiuiually  liy  the  county  board 
of  supervisors,  and  in  order  to  provide  for  the  county 
bond  issue  the  boanl  levied  a  tax  of  30  cents  on  the 
hundred  dollars  in  1910,  but  even  with  this  additional 
burden    the   tax   rate   for  local   purposes   was   only   10 


March,  19]  7 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


11 


ceiils  hiylier  iii  I'JIO  tluiu  in  l!t05.  as  theru  was  a  reduc- 
tion of  5  cents  in  the  tax  for  geueral  county  purposes 
and  a  total  elimination  of  the  tax  of  15  cents  for  dis- 
trict roads.  Thus  the  total  tax  burdens  were  $1.30  in 
1905  and  $1.40  in  1!)10.  In  1915,  however,  the  tax  rate 
had  risen  very  niateriall.v.  as  the  total  tax  averaged 
$l.(i5,  in  addition  t  >  which  a  district  tax  was  levied  in 
Riclunond  and  Gladesville  districts  of  20  and  25  cents, 
respectively,  for  road  ^bonds.  so  that  in  those  two  dis- 
tricts taxpayers  were  paying  a  total  rate  for  all  pur- 
poses, State,  county,  and  district,  of  $1.80  and  $1.90,  re- 
spectively, of  which  the  road  bonds,  the  county  I'oads, 
the  district  roads,  and  the  district  road  lionds  taxes 
formed  55.5  and  57.8  per  cent,  respectively.     It  is  tlius 


A  Fine  Type  or  Macadam,  in  Virginia 

evident  that  the  good  roads  carried  with  them  a  ma- 
terial tax  burden.  Although  about  65  per  cent  of  the 
taxes  are  paid  by  the  public  service  and  mining  cor- 
porations, these  organizations  were  in  favor  of  the  bond 
issues  for  road  improvement.  It  seems  quite  probable 
that  the  highest  point  of  taxation  has,  however,  already 
been  reached  and  that  a  slight  reduction  may  be  ex- 
pected in  the  future.  The  10-cent  special  county  road 
levy  for  1915  was  to  apply  to  the  payment  of  an  ex- 
cess of  about  $57,000  in  the  cost  of  the  roads  over  and 
above  the  amount  obtained  from  the  bond  issue.  A  20- 
eent  tax  was  levied  fur  this  purpose  in  1914,  and  it  is 


expected  that  lliis  1915  levy  will  be  sul'iicicnt  to  retire 
all  of  the  Hoating  del)ts.  Averaging  the  rates  for  all 
purposes  over  the  entire  c  )unty,  it  appears  that  while 
the  average  rate  increased  25.7  per  cent  from  1910  to 
1915  the  receipts  from  taxation  increased  55. .3  per  cent, 
or  fro'm  a  total  of  about  $154,000  in  1910  to  a  t;)tal  of 
about  $240.10(1  in  1915.  The  road  bonds  recpiired  SS.S 
per  cent  of  all  the  receipts  for  local  pur])oses  in  1916. 

Aid  Granted  by  State. 

Under  the  Virginia  law  the  State  pays  one-half  of 
the  cost  of  all  state-aid  r^ads  and  provides  that  if  the 
county  issues  bonds  and  pays  more  than  50  per  cent  of 
the  cost  it  .shall  be  entitled  to  receive  an  annual  ap- 
portionment until  the  receipts  from  the  State  shall 
equal  50  per  cent  of  the  cost  of  improvements.  Wise 
county  is,  therefore,  entitled  1 1  receive  from  the  State 
one-half  the  money  expended  on  this  work,  which  half 
amounts  to  .$515,789.  From  1910  to  1915,  inclusive,  the 
county  received  from  the  State  $40,904. 

The  State  money  aid  is  derived  from  an  annual  ap- 
propriation made  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia 
and  apportioned  among  the  various  counties  on  the 
basis  of  taxes  paid  by  the  counties  to  the  State.  The 
automobile-license  money  is  derived  from  the  State 
automobile-license  fund  and  is  a|)poi-ti med  ;imong  the 
vai'ious  counties  in  tlie  same  niannci'  as  the  State-aid 
money. 

The  funds  derived  from  tliese  sources  may  lie  used 
toward  paying  interest  or  retiring  tiie  bonds,  for  main- 
tenance, or  for  const  i-nct  ion  of  new  i' lads.  it  is  tlie 
present  practice  and  intention  of  tile  county  authorities 
to  use  it  for  the  l)uiiding  of  new  I'oads  and  in  the  main- 
tenance of  roads  alreaily  const  rueted. 

How^  the  Work  Was  Managed. 

From  July,  1911,  when  the  tirst  contracts  were  let, 
to  Septem^ber  30,  1915,  a  total  of  $1,031,578.54  was  ex- 
jiended  in  the  construction  of  the  improved  ro;ids.  ^Yith 
Ihisjimount  144.52  miles  of  road  wei'c  graded,  of  which 
78.4(  miles  were  nuicadamized.  Of  the  macadam  roads. 
24.34  miles  were  surfaced  with  bituminous  matei-iai. 
There  were  also  constructed  30  steel  bridges  and  95 
concrete  culverts.  Of  the  tirst  bond  issue  of  $700,000. 
about  76  per  cent  was  spent  for  grading,  3  per  cent  for 
l)ridges,  and  21  per  cent  for  macadamizing.  Xearly  all 
of  the  two  district  bond  issues,  aggregating  $260,000. 
was  spent  for  macadamizing  roads  pi-eviously  graded. 
The  cost  of  surface  treatment  of  24.34  miles  of  macad.im 
roads  amounted  to  $9.758.,s2,  or  $400.93  per  mile.  The 
roads  were  graded  to  a  width  of  frctm  16  to  18  feet, 
while  the  macadam  surface  varied  from  9  to  12  feet. 

It  is  esti'mated  that  there  are  about  300  miles  of  pub- 
lic road  in  the  county,  of  which  83.07  miles,  or  27.6  per 
cent,     have     been     macadamized.  This       includes 

4.6  miles  of  State-aid  macadam.  In  addition 
to  this,  66.05  miles  have  been  graded  under  the  bond 
issue  and  1.3  miles  with  local  funds,  making  a  total  of 
150.42  miles,  or  48.6  per  cent  of  the  total,  partially  or 
wholly  improved. 

The  State  highway  department  furnished  plans,  spec- 
ifications, and  estimates  for  the  roads  and  supervised 
the  actual  construction  but,  as  has  ,. ^...  pointed  out  in 
connection  with  other  county  studies  the  State  high- 
way department  was  not  called  in  to  maiie  any  exami- 
nation and  estimate  before  the  bonds  were  voted,  and 
this  absence  of  competent  advice  was  decidedlj^  injur- 
ious to  the  county.  T'he  immediate  supervision  of  the 
work  was  intrusted  to  a  county  engineer  appointed  by 
the  board  of  supervisors  with  the  approval  of  the  State 
highway  department.     His  salary  of  $175  to  $200  per 


12 


SOT^TTTERX  GOOD  ROADS 


:\raivli.  1917 


montli  was  paid  by  the  cdnnty  out  nf  tlie  lioiul-issiie 
funils. 

The  roads  were  built  by  contract  awarded  by  the 
State  highway  eominission  and  the  county  board  of  su- 
pervisors under  the  unit-pi'ice  s.xstein.  with  the  excep- 
tion of  some  macadam  surfacing  mider  the  district  boiu! 
issues  where  the  worli  was  done  by  force  account. 

The  regulai-  road  work  of  the  county  is  carried  on  by 
the  district  road  superintendents,  under  the  general  di- 
rection of  the  county  board  of  supervisors.  The  board 
consists  of  four  ineml^ers — one  for  each  district.  They 
are  elected  by  tlie  people  for  -l-year  terms  and  receive 
^4  per  day  for  time  actually  employed,  not  to  exceed 
.'iO  days  per  annum.  Tlic  district  road  superintendents, 
one  for  each  district,  are  aiipointed  by  the  board  of 
county  supervisor-s  for  terms  of  2  years  and  receive 
^B.oO  pel'  day  for  time  actually  i'mpioy(>d.  Thei-o  are 
no  toll  roads. 

How  the  Roads  Are  Maintained. 

Very  little  has  been  done  previous  to  the  present  sea- 
sou  toward  the  maintenance  of  the  roads  improved,  ex- 
cept to  keep  ditches  and  culverts  open.  The  roads 
were  beginning  to  show  signs  of  wear  and.  in  1915.  2-i 
miles  were  surface-treated  witli  bitiuninous  material 
and  stone  ciiips  at  a  cost  of  about  ^-ttltl  per  mile,  pa.id 
ri'om  bond-issue  funds.  About  one-half  gallon  of  bitu- 
minous material  and  21  jiounds  of  screenings  were  useil 
to  the  s(|uare  yard.  The  roads  which  were  treated  are 
the  most  heavily  traveled  roads  of  the  county.  .Tliis 
work  was  done  l)y  the  disti'ict  superintendr'nts  under 
the  general  dii'ection  of  the  board  of  coiuit.v  super\-:s- 
ors. 

The  use  of  bond  issue  funds  for  maintenance  is  ex- 
ceedingly unwise  as  the  delit  outlives  the  temporary  im- 
provement ])>■  nmny  years. 

Effect  of  Road  Improvement  on  Land  Values. 

,\  conipai'ison  of  assessed  \'aluations  brings  tnit  the 
fact  that  in  1910.  the  year  in  which  the  bcuuls  were 
voted,  the  assessed  valuation  was  ."l^n.Ol  1.7SS  and  that 
in  191,')  it  had  increased  to  .'i^i:i.(i29.:iS:l  a  gain  of  !ii2.- 
Iil7,.')9.5.  or  23.7  per  cent.  The  mineral  lands,  which 
formed  43.6  per  cent  of  the  total  value  of  all  property 
in  1915,  showed  a  decrease  of  4:  per  cent  in  value,  as 
some  lands  which  were  assessed  as  mineral  lands  in 
1910  were  assessetl  as  nonmineral  lands  in  1915,  and 
furtliernioi'e.  the  l)uilding  of  the  impi'oved  roads  would 
nalui'ally  have  a  comparatively  sligiit  effect  upon  the 
value  (d'  mineral  lands,  as  the  o|)eration  of  the  nunes 
depends  more  u|)on  railroad  than  public-road  facilities. 
The  nonmineral  lands,  however,  increased  nearly  31 
per  cent  from  1910  to  1915.  It  is  difficult  to  gauge  the 
increase  in  actual  values  by  assessed  valuation  figures, 
as  the  relation  between  assessed  value  and  actual  varies 
from  20  to  90  per  cent,  and  probably  averages  about 
(id  per  cent  of  the  actual  value. 

Personal  investigation,  however,  as  to  sale  values 
bronghl  out  some  convincing  evidence  as  to  the  effect 
of  the  improved  i-oads  upon  sale  values.  Of  the  large 
nnmlicr  of  individual  cases  considered,  eight,  selected 
as  fairly  I'cpresentative,  are  presented  in  this  chapter. 
The  value  of  these  eight  farms  located  on  improved 
roads  in  various  parts  of  tlie  county  increased  61.9  per 
cent,  or  from  an  average  of  $19.06  per  acre  before  the 
roads  were  improved  to  $79.44  after  the  roads  were 
improved,  and  it  is  commonly  accepted  in  the  count.v 
that  the  increased  value  was  due  almost  entirely  to  the 
road  improvement. 

A  farm  near  Rig  Stone  Gap.  containing  100  acres,  was 
valued  in  1910  af  $70  an  acre  and  in  1913  at  .$100  per 
acre. 


A  farm  1  mile  east  of  Coeburn.  containing  100  acres, 
was  valued  at  $60  per  acre  in  1910,  before  the  road  was 
improved,  and  in  1913  at  $90  per  acre. 

A  portion  of  a  farm  between  Big  Stone  Gap  and 
Minton,  containing  -'JO  acres,  was  sold  in  1914.  after  the 
road  was  im])roved.  for  $50  per  acre.  This  whole  farm 
was  purchased  in  190s  for  $10  per  acre. 

A  tract  between  Coeburn  and  Norton,  containing  12 
acres,  was  purchased  in  1910  for  $33  per  i^cre,  and  was 
sold  by  the  purchaser  in  1914  for  $150  per  acre. 

A  portion  of  a  farm  on  the  road  from  Wise  to  the 
Diid\-ens(ui  county  line  originally  contained  80  acres, 
valued  in  1911  at  $30  per  acre,  and  was  sold  in  1912 
for  $50  per  acre. 

On  the  same  road.  35  of  the  KiO  acres  of  a  farai. 
valued  at  .$30  per  acre  in  1911,  sold  in  1912  for  .$40  per 
acre. 

^\  farm  between  Norton  and  Wise,  containing  30 
acres,  was  valued  at  $25  per  aci'c  in  1911.  and  was  sold 
in  1914  for  $33  per  acre. 

Another  tract  located  on  an  improved  r jad,  and  con- 
taining 100  acres,  one-half  of  which  is  cultivated  in 
grain  and  fruit,  was  valued  at  $60  per  acre  in  1910.  ;ind 
had  increased  in  value  to  $100  ]ier  acre  in  191-3. 

Effect  of  Road  Improvement  on  Traffic. 

As  the  ]irincipal  exi)()rts  of  the  county  are  coal  and 
coke,  for  the  tr.insportation  of  which  there  is  an  ex- 
ceptionally large  railroad  mileage  in  the  county,  the 
traffic  conditions  from  tlie  public-roads  standpoint  are 
not  esjiecially  striking.  The  county  does  not  raise 
enough  vegetables  f(U'  its  own  consumption,  and  proli- 
ably  75  per  cent  of  all  the  green  truck  used  in  the  towns 
and  mining  camps  is  shipped  in  from  outside  the  eoun- 
\y.  Not  over  60,000  acres  in  the  entire  county  are  de- 
voted to  agricultural  purposes.  As  nearly  as  can  be 
ascertained,  the  tonnage  hauled  over  the  improved 
roads  in  1915  was  as  shown  in  Table  16. 

;  :;  ■■:  T'ABLE  16. 

Tons. 

Farm   products   10,000 

Forest   lU'oducts    32,000 

Fuel 4,000 

Fertilizers,   groceries,   etc 4.000 

Total 50,000 

The  tonnage  of  farm  products  amounts  to  about  0.16 
ton  per  acre  for  the  (iO.OOO  acres  devoted  to  agriculture. 
Based  upon  information  secured  from  drivers  of 
teams,  it  was  fouiul  that  the  average  loiul  on  the  roads 
Itefore  improvement  was  1,500  pounds,  with  an  average 
haul  of  4  miles.  Estimating  cost  of  driver  and  2-horse 
team  at  $3.50  per  day,  and  that  two  trips  were  made 
per  da.v,  it  follows  that  the  cost  per  ton-mile  was  57 
cents.  After  the  roads  were  improved,  the  average 
load  for  the  whole  improved  roacl  system,  comprising 
not  only  macadam  roads,  but  graded  earth  roads  as 
well,  was  2,500  pounds.  This  increase  in  load  serves 
to  decrease  the  hauling  cost  to  35  cents  per  ton-mile, 
but  on  the  improved  roads  it  is  possible  for  a  2-horse 
team  to  make  three  trips  of  4  miles  each  per  da,\',  which 
still  further  reduces  the  cost  to  about  23  cents  per  ton 
mile,  a  saving  of  34  cents  per  ton  mile,  which,  applied 
to  the  entire  200.000  ton-miles,  would  aggregate  >'fi^S,- 
000  per  aninun.  This  computation  is  not  intended  to 
represent  an  actual  saving  of  that  amount  of  money  to 
the  people  of  the  county,  but  is  rather  intended  to  af- 
ford a  basis  for  estimating  the  loss  of  time  and  energy 
on  the  old  roads.  As  indicating  the  individual  benefits 
of  lowered  hauling  costs,  one  teamster  found  that  he 
would  save  $1,500  in  liMuling  800,000  feet  of  lumber,  as 


Mai 


•ell. 


1117 


SOUTHERN  (i(M)l)  KOADS 


13 


he  would  l)t'  abk'  to  haul  1,"2U0  I'eet  with  each  two-horse 
team  on  tlie  new  roads  as  coinpai'ed  with  800  feet  on 
the  old   I'oads. 

Effect  of  Eoad  Improvement  on  Schools  and  Social 
Conditions. 

Tlu'  ijriiR'ipal  advantage  oi  the  iiii|>rov('d  roads  has 
so  far  been  to  facilitate  travel  from  point  to  point  and 
to  better  seliool  and  social  conditions.  (See  PI.  XIX.) 
The  postmaster  at  Big  Stone  Uap  is  authority  for  the 
statement  that  every  family  on  his  I'ural  delivery  routes 
has  either  a  new  home  or  imipr jved  the  old  one  since  the 
roads  were  finished.  The  sanitary  conditions  in  the 
covmti'v  districts  have  improved,  and  many  conven- 
iences and  comforts  are  now  provided  in  farm  homes 
which  would  have  been  considered  luxuries  when  these 
homes  were  partly  isolated  by  the  bad  roads. 

Tlie  following  information  showing  the  relation  of 
improved  roads  to  the  schools  was  furnished  by  Jajnes 
N.  Hillman,  the  superintendent  of  schools  of  Wise 
County: 

At  least  40  per  cent  of  the  school  population  is  in 
what  is  classed  as  strictly  rural  connnuuities.  Here 
the  average  daily  attendance,  as  well  as  tlie  enrollment, 
has  increased  by  leaps  and  Ijounds  since  the  building  of 
our  roads.  For  example,  the  enrollment  for  the  year 
ending  30,  191.'),  was  more  than  1,000  increase  for  the 
year  over  any  preceding  year.  The  average  daily  at- 
tendance Increased  TOO.  the  greatest  in  the  history  of 
the  county. 

The  past  month  (September,  11)1.")),  we  enrolled  in 
round  numbers  9.000  pupils,  out  of  a  total  school  pop- 
ulation of  11.000,  and  had  an  average  daily  attendance 
of  more  than  8,000,  or  about  90  per  cent.  This  is  the 
greatest  in  the  history  of  the  county,  as  the  yearly  av- 
erage attendance  heretofore  has  been  between  (iO  and 
70  per  cent.  1  might  add  that  we  have  a  form  of  com- 
pulsory attendance  in  effect  this  year,  which,  no  doul)t, 
is  responsible  for  some  of  the  xmusual  increase  in  daily 
attendance. 

We  confidently  expect  our  enrollment  to  reach  10.- 
000  during  the  year.  We  also  expect  to  see  the  aver- 
age attendance  close  to  8,000. 

Schools  that  had  to  close  by  reason  of  failure  in  at- 
tendance previous  to  the  building  of  good  roads  now 
assist  in  supporting  good  consolidated  schools,  at  which 
the  attendance  is  splendid. 

The  4-room  school  known  as  Maple  Grove,  in  the 
Hurricane  District,  is  one  of  these,  ft  supplants  three 
1-room  schools,  each  of  which,  without  exception  al- 
most, failed  every  year  to  keep  up  its  average.  At 
present  there  are  but  two  teachers  in  the  consolidated 
school,  but  they  have  an  enrollment  of  64.  with  an  at- 
tendance last  month  (September,  191.").)  of  59. 

The  Duncan  Gap  School,  a  2-room  Iniilding.  sup- 
l)lanting  two  1-i'oonii  schools,  is  doing  well,  anil  would 
not  have  been  possible  but  for  good  roads,  in  my  opin- 
ion. 

The  above  schools  are  in  the  heart  of  the  country. 

The  percentage  of  population  enrolled  has  increased 
from  about  70  i)er  cent  during  our  bad  roads  to  at  least 
90  per  cent  for  the  last  year,  before  compulsoi'v  attend- 
ance was  enforced,  and  will  be  better  than  that  this 
year,  I  have  no  doubt. 

It  might  be  well  to  add,  also,  that  a  number  of  pa- 
rents who  own  automobiles  and  who  live  in  the  cinni 
ti'y  districts  are  now  bringing  their  children  into  larg- 
er towns,  that  they  may  have  the  benefit  of  a  strictly 
graded,  well-manned  high  school.  Before  our  good 
roads  this  was.  of  course,  absolutely  imopssible. 


Things  That  Destroy  Roads. 

Mr.  Thomas  G.  Mcljcod,  of  Bishopville,  S.  C.  wi-ites 
a  very  pointed  letter  to  the  state  papers,  in  which  he 
p  )ints  out  some  vital  things  heretofore  omitted  from 
the  plans  of  road  building  in  South  Carolina.  Mr. 
Bishop's  letter  follows: 

I  notice  that  a  numiber  of  counties  ai-c  considering 
the  advisability  of  the  issuance  of  bonds  f  ir  the  l)uild- 
ing  of  public  roads,  likewise  the  legislature  has  under 
consideration  the  creation  of  a  highway  commission. 
Without  going  into  the  merits  of  these  respective  meas- 
ures, I  wish  to  make  a  practical  suggestion,  the  result 
of  a  nund)ei'  of  years  observation  upon  the  subject  of 
good  roads.  The  sand-clay  roads  built  in  South  Car- 
olina, particulai"]>-  in  the  lower  counties,  have  been  a 
failure  largely  for  the  reason  that  there  has  been  abso- 
lutely no  system  whereby  the  work  done  has  been  con- 
served, or  the  roads  protected.  It  will  be  an  absolute 
waste  of  money  to  build  roads  and  fail  and  refuse  to 
l)rovide  some  ade(|uate  means  for  the  maintenance  and 
upkeep  thereof.  One  most  effective  cause  of  danuige 
is  the  operation  on  the  roads  of  vehicles  known  as  log 
carts.  These  have  enormous  wheels,  and  the  tongue 
or  coupling  is  kept  balanced  on  the  ground  by  means 
of  a  drag.  The  operation  of  the  drag  is  etiuivalent  to  a 
straight  shovel  in  a  field.  In  wet  or  rainy  weather  it 
|)lows  a  furrow  which  soon  becnm(»s  a  small  gully,  like- 
wise the  weight  of  the  logs  swinging  tlu»rcto  causes  the 
wlu'cis  to  turn  when  coming  in  contact  with  any  ob- 
struction or  when  striking  .soft  or  pliable  ground.  This 
swinging  motion  dishes  out  the  earth,  leaving  a  hole  in 
the  ground.  I  have  noticed  that  the  damage  done  to 
the  public  roads  by  the  operation  of  these  log  carts  is 
sonu4imes  greater  than  the  earnings  from  the  "colfee 
pot  mill"  which  tliey  support.  I  have  particularly  no- 
ticed the  damaging  effect  of  these  vehicles  on  the  roads 
in  Sumter,  Lee  and  Darlington  counties.  I  beg  to  sug- 
gest two  remedies;  first,  that  these  carts  must  only  be 
ojierated  when  connected  with  two  front  wheels  and  the 
log  swung  clear  of  the  ground.  This  does  away  with 
the  drag  and  nnis  the  big  wheels  sti'aight  and  will  work 
no  hardships.  Big  timber  is  sutticiently  scarce  in  South 
Carolina  for  all  logging  to  l)e  done  with  four  wheeled 
vehicles;  second,  that  before  vehicles  of  this  kind  or 
other  character  known  to  be  destructive  to  highways, 
are  operated  thereon,  that  the  owners  shall  enter  into 
bond  to  leave  the  roads  in  the  same  condition  in  which 
they  found  them,  ordinary  wear  and  tear  excepted.  An 
investigation  will  develop  the  fact  that  frequently  the 
sand-clay  road  costing  from  $500  to  $1,000  a  mile,  has 
to  have  expended  on  it  after  one  season's  operation  by 
a  lag  cart,  $250  more  per  mile  to  put  it  in  the  same 
condition  that  it  was  before.  Some  will  say  that  this 
is  discrimination.  It  is  not.  The  rights  of  the  major- 
i1\'  of  the  taxpayers  to  a  comfortable  use  of  the  roads 
entitles  them  to  this  protection,  and  no  one  has  the 
I'ight.  or  shouhl  have,  to  so  utilize  the  public  highway 
for  such  purposes,  as  practically  destroy  its  usefulness 
to  the  vast  majority  of  citizens. 

1  respectfully  beg  to  call  the  attention  of  our  general 
assembly  to  some  needed  legislation  along  this  line. 


Alexander  county.  North  Carolina,  has  now  end)ark- 
cd  on  the  building  of  .$2(M),000  worth  of  topsoil  roads, 
after  a  haril  fight  through  the  courts  over  the  validit.V 
of  the  l)ond  issue.  Jlr.  John  C.  Hicks,  formerly  as- 
sistant engineer  of  Davidson  county,  is  engineer  in 
charge  of  the  Alexander  work,  with  headquarters  at 
Taylorsville. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


March,  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON,  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  State  Geologist  of  N.  C.,  Associate  Editor 

K.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

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LORENZEN,  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
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New  York  Chicago 

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Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roadi  Association 

HENRTi  B  VARN  ER,  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  ^RATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  President.  Chapel  Hill,  N,  C. 
C.  B.  SCOTT.  Secretary,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  black.  Secretary,  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XV. 


MARCH,  1917. 


No.  3. 


FATE  OF  THE  TOPSOIL  ROAD. 

The  topsoil  ami  sand  clay  road  types  are  alisoliite 
failures  in  severe  winter  weather  without  an  adequate 
maintenance  system.  The  past  ■\\dnter  in  the  South  At- 
lantic states,  where  this  type  of  road  has  been  widely 
built,  has  thoroughly  deniiin.strated  this.  Another  fact 
brought  out  is  that  no  uuitter  how  good  the  surfacing 
material  or  how  thortnigh  the  maintenance  work,  the 
shade  of  pine  trees  on  the  road  makes  all  eit'orts  almost 
worthless. 

Many  Southern  c:>unties  have  l)uilt  these  types  of 
roads  and  then  left  them  to  their  fate.  Now  that  they 
have  broken  down  in  places  luuler  severe  M'eather,  the 
"I  told  you  so"  crowd  is  gloating  over  the  seeming 
defeat  of  the  road  advocates.  The  communities  that 
have  built  these  raads  in  most  instances  could  not  stand 
the  cost  of  building  the  more  permanent  types  of  road 
surface.  Thousands  of  miles  of  highways  yet  remain 
where,  from  the  standpoint  of  cost  and  traffic  to  be 
borne,  the  topsoil  and  sand  clay  would  appear  to  be 
the  only  available  types  of  road.  But  the  taxpayers 
want  roads  that  they  can  use  in  the  winter  time  as 
well  as  in  summer.  Without  maintenance  they  eannoV 
get  this  in  the  topsoil  type.  The  road  .iust  simply  must 
be  kept  smooth  on  its  surface;  no  ruts  must  be  allowed 
to  hold  water,  and  the  only  preventive  is  a  maintenance 


system  that  will  nip  the  trouble  in  the  bud.  The  pa- 
trol system,  properly  organized,  appears  to  be  the  most 
adequate  and  sensible  maintenance  method  for  this 
type  of  road.  The  squad  system  would  fail  where  con- 
tinuous bad  weather  prevailed,  because  there  would 
neeessarily  be  many  points  that  could  not  l)e  reached 
early  enough. 

The  future  of  I  lie  topsoil  i-oad  will  lia\c  lo  be  dv- 
termined  by  the  few  Southern  counties  that  have  put 
on  proper  maintenance  following  construction.  Dur- 
ing the  coming  spring  the  places  where  inferior  soil 
was  the  cause  of  breaking  down  will  be  resurfaced 
with  the  kind  of  soil  that  held  up.  Those  counties 
whose  officials  are  wise  will  see  to  it  that  pine  trees 
that  shaded  the  road  during  the  winter  past  will  all 
have  l)ecn  removed  before  another  winter  comes  on. 
The  topsoil  road  should  be  given  a  fair  chance  t;)  dem- 
onstrate its  value  and  it  should  not  be  adjudged  a  fail- 
ure until  it  has  had  this  chance  Davidson  county. 
North  Carolina,  has  pinned  its  faitli  to  the  topsoil  road 
and  now  has  56  patrolmen  and  four  luaintciuincc  and 
repair  s(inads  on  its  roads.  These  men  have  diagnosed 
their  trouble  in  most  cases  and  the  coming  year  in 
their  experience  ought  to  develop  the  usefulness  of 
this  type  for  general  use  in  the  South.  Where  proper 
surfacing  material  was  used  and  no  pine  trees  shade 
the  road,  proper  dragging  has  served  to  keep  the  roads 
in  splendid  shape  through  one  of  the  worst  winters 
ever  experienced  there.  Steps  are  now  being  taken 
to  remove  these  two  troubles  and  when  this  is  done  the 
topsoil  road  will  have  its  chance. 


A  DISTINCTLY  FORWARD  MOVE. 

The  North  Carolina  General  xVssembly  has  more  forc- 
ibly than  ever  placed  itself  on  record  at  the  recent  ses- 
sion as  a  hearty  supporter  of  the  good  roads  cause  in 
that  state.  Bills  that  had  to  do  with  the  construction 
and  maintenance  of  highways  have  had  right  of  way 
from  the  lieginning  of  the  session.  Those  who  would 
dispoil  the  cause  of  better  public  roads  through  the  in- 
jection of  petty  political  intivienee  had  no  chance  what- 
ever, once  their  schemes  were  understood  by  the  legis- 
lators. Several  million  dollars  of  road  bonds  will  be 
issued  as  the  result  of  special  bills  that  were  rushed 
through  the  Assembly  during  its  earlier  days.  How- 
ever, the  most  far-reaching  piece  of  legislation  in  that 
line  is  the  passage  of  the  Clark  bill,  whereby  the  state 
lends  its  credit  to  the  counties  and  townships,  thus 
making  the  financing  of  road  building  a  more  simpli- 
tied  problem.  Its  passage  in  the  House  is  told  of  iu  the 
following  dispatch  from  Raleigh  to  an  outside  daily: 

"David  Clark  triumphed  once  again  Tuesday  when 
his  $400,000  semi-annual  road  fund  to  be  created  out 
of  the  states  credit  went  thnnigh  the  house  with  only 
the  dissent  of  Lloyd,  of  Orange,  iu  the  way  of  unanim- 
ity. 

• '  Such  a  road  bill  has  been  in  part  presented  at  three 
former  general  assemblies  but  no  former  one  saw  clear- 
ly before.  This  measure  provides  that  townships  and 
counties  may  borrow  from  funds  created  by  the  state's 


Marcli.  I!)!? 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


credit,  money  at  5  \wv  eeiit,  tli^  state  enjoying  a  rate 
of  4.  From  this  fund  for  rt)ads  would  be  created  both 
maintenance  and  sinking  features  which  retire  the  loan 
in  41  years  and  maintain  the  system  with  the  interest. 

"No  debate  occurred.  ]\I;iny  ((nestions  were  asked 
but  in  admir;iti(iii  rather  than  criticism  l^y  this  act  the 
state  will  in  41  years  lend  its  credit  to  the  extent  o^ 
+;5L',()0().()00  Itnt  much  ;if  tliat  money  will  have  hcen  paid 
off  l)efore  that  time  aiui  the  general  assembly  will  he 
the  check  to  the  overloading  of  the  state." 

"Speaking  IMurphy  laitl  before  tlie  iiouse  the  bill  i)y 
Clai-k,  of  Pitt.  pro\iding  that  the  state  may  issue  $4()().- 
OOU  road  boiuls  annually  for  counties  tliat  vote  f  )r 
road  bonds,  the  state  bonds  to  carry  four  per  cent,  and 
the  county  subsidiary  bonds  five  per  cent,  that  will 
liquidate  the  bonds  in  the  course  of  41  j-ears.  Mr. 
Clark  explained  the  bill  and  illustrated  the  operation 
and  saving  by  a  bond  incident  from  Mecklenburg. 
There  the  county  borrowed  $800,000  in  1870  for  20 
years;  in  1900  the  bonds  were  due  and  were  merely  re- 
funded, the  county  having  already  paid  out  $3()(),000 
interest  aiul  no  part  of  the  iiriru-ijial  paid.  TIkmi  they 
funded  for  30  years  and  in  1II20  the  bonds  will  be  due 
again  and  the  county  will  'have  paid  out  $1. '200, 000.  of 
which  .$!»00,0()0  willhave  been  interest.  He  said  that 
had  IMecklenburg  had  advantage  of  the  proposed  plan 
in  the  bill  there  wnuld  have  been  a  saving  of  .$585, 00(1 
in  this  transaction  of  borrowing  $800,000  in  1870." 


of  eight,  one  from  each  township,  to  draft  a  bill  for 
presentation  to  the  General  Assembly  in  case  it  is  need- 
ed. 


Catawba  County  Wants  Roads. 

A  special  to  the  daily  papers  from  Newtt)n,  N.  C., 
inider  recent  date,  tells  of  an  inteersting  good  roads 
meeting  held  at  that  place  by  Catawba  county  folks,  in 
the  following  language: 

A  goad  roads  meeting  held  here  today  went  on  rec- 
ord as  favoring  a  bond  issue  of  $400,000  for  good  roads 
in  Catawba  county.  There  was  a  large  attendance  and 
the  conference  was  fruitful  of  many  suggestions,  ideas 
and  debates,  and  was  characterized  liy  the  keenest  sort 
of  interest.  W.  A.  Self  presided  as  chairman,  stimu- 
lated enthusiasm,  promoted  discussion  and  smoothed 
rufHes  that  threatened  to  ruff. 

Debate  as  to  details  of  a  bond  issue  was  carried  on 
with  spirit  but  with  the  realization  that  whatever  ac- 
tion was  taken  would  be  i)robably  useless  because  of 
an  expected  State-wide  bill  jiroviding  for  bond  issues 
by  counties,  local  legislation  being  barred  by  the  new 
amendment.  The  meeting  agreed,  however,  on  a  bond 
issue,  on  a  central  connnission  of  three  men  with  a 
committee  of  three  men  in  each  township  to  act  as  ad- 
visory boards  and  to  have  full  charge  of  maintenance 
after  the  construction  work,  and  to  provide  for  the  re- 
tirement of  the  $50,000  of  bonds  in  Newton  and  the 
same  in  Hickoi-y  townships,  voted  five  years  ago.  The 
outstanding  purposes  and  the  feature  of  the  meeting 
was  that  Catawba  count.v  people  want  roads.  Several 
of  the  older  citizens  proposed  objections  and  pointed 
out  dangers,  but  the  sentiment  of  the  younger  crowd 
was  soulfully  represented  by  Rowe,  a  husky  young 
farmer  with  a  shrill  voice,  who  put  the  big  crowd  in- 
to a  rollicking  roar  for  five  minutes. 

Mr.  Rowe,  in  a  jump  like  the  cow  over  the  moon, 
cleared  all  the  hurdles  the  older  debaters  had  erected 
and  concluded,  amid  long  applause,  with,  "Anything 
is  better  than  what  we  have,  and  what  we  have  ain't 
nothing." 

The  meeting  appreciably  advanced  the  good  roads 
movement  because  it  drew  forth,  developed  and  crys- 
talized  sentiment. 

Chairman  Self  was  instructed  to  name  a  committee 


National  Highways  Association. 

If  the  plans  of  the  National  Highways  Association 
arc  carric^d  out  motorists  of  the  I'nitcd  States  will  with- 
in the  iirxl  few  ycjii's  lir  ahlc  tn  liiiir  frum  north  In 
south  and  from  cast  to  west  o\'er  a  system  :)f  good  roads 
that  will  rival  the  famed  counti'y  thornnghfart's  of  Ku- 
ropc.  The  national  assoi'iat  ion.  wliieh  has  its  head- 
(piarlci's  in  Washington,  with  liriinches  all  over  the 
country,  has  made  gratifying  progress  with  the  plans 
for  building  100,000  miles  of  main  trunk  highways. 

According  to  the  promoters,  there  can  be  no  real 
preparedness  for  war.  for  defense,  or  fm-  peace  without 
national  highways  and  good  roads  everywhei'c.  In 
fact,  "good  r:)ads  everywhere"  is  the  slogan  that  has 
been  adopted  by  the  boosters  for  imi)roved  American 
highways. 

The  work  of  the  National  Highways  Association 
should  not  be  confused  with  the  work  of  the  various 
state  highway  departnu'nts  that  are  to  i)articipate  in 
the  division  of  the  $85,000,000  good  roads  fund  appro- 
priated by  Congress.  The  N.  II.  A.  is  an  independent 
organization  which  has  no  entangling  political  or  com- 
mercial alliances.  Its  funds  are  being  raised  by  po]v 
ular  subscri]itiou  and  by  selling  various  forms  of  mem- 
berships in  tli(^  organization. 

Of  course,  with  the  network  of  roads  contemplated 
many  of  them  naturally  will  follow  several  of  the  routes 
on  which  portions  of  the  appropriation  made  by  Con- 
gre.s.s  will  be  expended.  The  congressional  appropria- 
tion is  to  be  divided  into  five  year  payments,  with  the 
understanding  that  each  state  is  to  furnish  an  equal 
amount. 

The  National  Highways  Association  has  st.vled  itself 
a  membership  corporation  which  exists  to  favor,  foster 
and  further  the  develnpnient  of  national  highways  and 
good  roads  throughout  the  United  States  and  to  secure 
the  benefits — social,  moral,  commercial,  industrial,  ma- 
terial, educational  and  personal,  in  the  progress  and 
uplift  of  the  American  people  which  follow  in  the  train 
of  easy  communication  and  transit  between  the  great 
centers  of  population  and  distribution  and  the  great 
rural  productive  areas  of  the  nation. 

There  are  37  divisions  of  the  National  Highways  As- 
sociation in  the  United  States.  IMany  of  these  divisions 
consist  of  state  organizations  which  promote  the  good 
roads  propaganda  within  the  borders  of  their  own  Com- 
monwealtlis.  The  state  organizations  include  these  of 
Ohio.  North  Carolina.  Pennsylvania.  West  Virginia, 
New  Mexico,  North  Dak-ota,  Alabama,  Kentucky,  In- 
diana, Tennessee,  ^Massachusetts,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Min- 
nesota, Texas  and  Arizona. 

Nineteen  great  highways  have  been  planned  to  tra- 
verse the  United  States  from  north  to  south  and  from 
east  to  west.  ]\Iany  of  them  are  well  under  way,  while 
others  are  to  be  improved  and  sign-boarded  as  soon 
as  possible. 


Idaho  Commission  Asks  $4,000,000. 

If  the  State  Highway  Commission  of  Itlaho  is  granted 
the  legislative  appropriation  it  calls  for  in  a  report 
filed  with  the  Governor,  it  will  have  approximately  $4,- 
000,000  to  spend  during  the  next  two  years.  Among 
recommendations  made  by  the  commission  is  a  revision 
of  the  motor  vehicle  tax  law,  in  order  to  provide  larg- 
er funds  for  the  maintenance  of  state  highways. 


16 


SOI  TIIKKX  (iOOO  ROADS 


Miw 


I'll, 


IIJIT 


Concrete  Pile  Bridges  For  Highways 

By  C.  E.  NAGEL,  Deputy  State  Engineer  of  Minnesota 


i  study  of  tlio  types  of  t'onstriu-tion  that  have  been 
Jr\  use<I  for  highway  bridges  shows  that  they  have 
dc\rlii|)('d  as  new  materials  have  liei'ome  available.  First 
(■Mine  wood  pile  bent  bridges  and  wood  trusses,  whicli 
wei'e  succeeded  by  the  eonibination  trusses  and 
wrouglit  iron  eonstruetioii.  Then  followed  a  long  pe- 
riod in  whieh  steel  l)ridges  were  used  to  a  great  exti'iit. 
and  still  more  recently  concrete  britlges  ha\'e  come  into 
use. 

A  serious  consideration  in  l)uibiing  with  a  matt'rial 
as  permanent  as  e()ncrete  is  the  matter  of  foundations. 
Many  streams  are  continually  cutting  deeper  or  drain- 
age ditches  are  dug  undei'  the  bridges,  and  foundations 
wiiicli  were  carried  well  below  the  lied  of  tiie  stream  at 
thi'  time  of  construction  are  undermined.  Even  though 
piles  iiave  been  used  they  sometimes  rot  off  because  the 
b)w-watei-  level  is  lowered.  It  appears  to  the  writer 
that  we  must  come  back  to  the  old  pile  bent  bridges  in 
a  little  different  form  and  made  of  concrete  instead  of 
wood. 

With  concrete  the  economical  lenglh  of  the  span  be- 
Iween  the  bents  or  ci'oss  rows  of  piles  figures  about  211 
feet,  carrieil  l)y  tliree  [liles  |)er  bent,  each  pile  driven 
until  it  will  carr\-  20  tons.  Should  it  be  tletermined. 
after  one  |)ile  has  been  driven,  that  20  tons  cannot  be 
carried  by  piles  of  the  length  provided,  four  or  even 
five  piles  can  be  di-iven  per  bent  wlii>re  necessary  to 
give  the  required  suiiport. 

A  concrete  cap  i.s  east  across  the  tops  of  the  piles  and 
sei'\es  to  carry  the  ends  of  the  spans.  No  abutments 
arc  used  and  the  bi'idge  is  made  long  enough  to  pro- 
vide sufficient  watei'way  after  allowing  the  1  Jose  nui- 
tei'ial  of  the  a|i|)roacli  at  each  end  of  the  bridge  to  I'un 
llirough  the  end  bent  on  a  1-to-l  slope.  For  the  super- 
structure the  Minnesota  Highway  Commission  has  de- 
signed slabs  with  their  under  side  cored  out  by  means 
of  corrugated  arch  forms,  resulting  in  a  saving  of  one- 
third  the  volume  of  concrete  that  would  be  used  in  ;i 
solid  slab. 

Concrete  pile  trestle  bridges  can  be  built  by  using  a 
multiple  number  of  spans  of  a  standard  length,  render- 
ing it  possible  to  make  repeated  use  of  the  same  metal 
forms  and  metal  falsework.  Intermediate  wood  piles, 
essential  fir  falsework  under  present  conditions,  are 
not  needed.  This  fact,  taken  together  with  the  absence 
of  eott'erdam  work  for  piers  and  abutments,  makes  it 
possible  to  construct  this  t.\'pe  of  bridge  even  when  the 
water  level  is  al)ove  normal,  or  when  freshets  are  like- 
ly to  occur,  so  that  the  working  seasjn  will  be  length- 
ened considerably. 

For  driving  concrete  piles,  more  machinery  and  less 
hand  labor  are  necessar,^•  than  for  constructing  tirdinarv 
substructures,  whieh  is  a  decided  advantage  with  the 
jiresent  unsatisfiU'tory  labor  condititins.  The  labor  that 
is  emjil  lyed  will  necessarily  be  higher  paid  and  more 
reliable.  Much  less  time  will  be  necessary  to  construct 
these  bridges,  for  the  excavation  work  will  be  elimina- 
ted and  the  standard  sets  of  forms  and  falsewoi'k  can 
lie  put  in  ])lace  i'ead.\'  for  concrete  in  a  sliortei-  lime 
than  the  timljer  falsework  for  the  usual  t.vpes  of  con- 
crete bridges.  This  will  cause  less  inconvenience  to 
trattic.  whieh  is  either  det  )ured  or  carried  over  a  tem- 
porai-.\-  bridge  with  the  a|>proaehes  bai'ely  passable. 

In   the   past   there   has  been  a  continued  increase  in 


width  of  roadwa.v  aiul  there  is  likel,\'  to  be  a  demand 
foi-  still  greater  widths  on  main  trunk  lines  as  traflie  in- 
creases in  volume.  Concrete  girder  bridges  cannot  be 
wideiH'ii.  but  with  the  t.vpe  descrilu'd  the  haiul  rail  and 
iMii'b   can    be    i-emoved   Miul    adilitional   wiilth   ol)tained. 


The  "King  of  Trails." 

The  "King  of  Trails,'"  the  new  military  liighwa.v 
frim  Winnipeg  to  Galveston  and  San  Antonio,  has  been 
completel.\-  surveyed  b.v  the  engineers  in  charge. 

I'nited  States  militarv  engineers,  in  compan.v  with 
I).  E.  Colp  of  San  Antonio,  have  been  inspecting  that 
poi'tion  of  the  highwav  between  San  Antonio  and  l)en- 
ison,  Texas,  and  further  inspection  will  be  continued 
as  rapidl.v  as  possible. 

The  official  car  has  been  present  marking  the  liigh- 
wa.v from  Waco  to  San  Antonio  and  (xalveston,  and  as 
weather  conditions  iiermit  will  continue  its  work  on 
northward,  tinishing  at  Winni[)eg  in  the  earl.v  spring 
This  mark  is  a  .vellow  band,  16  inches  in  length,  with 
K-T  stenciled  thereon  in  black,  and  will  be  the  most 
distinetivel.v  marked  highway  in  the  Cnited  States  and 
will  soon  be  ready  for  the  toxirists. 

This  I'oute  is  42  miles  shoi'ter  than  an.\-  I'oute  across 
the  United  States.  The  fillowing  are  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal cities  on  the  highwa.\-:  North  Dakota.  (Irand 
Forks.  Fargo.  AVahpeton  ;  Minnesota.  Wheaton,  Orton- 
ville;  South  Dakota,  Brookings,  Sioux  Falls;  Iowa. 
Sioux  Cit.v,  ilissouri  Valle.v,  Cjuncil  Bluii's :  Nebraska, 
Omaha,  Plattsmouth.  Nebraska  Cit.v.  Auburn  :  Kansas. 
Hiawatha.  Atchison.  Leavenworth.  Kansas  Cit.v;  i\lis- 
souri.  Kansas  City;  Kansas.  Olathe.  Ottawa.  (4arnett. 
lola.  Pai'sons;  Oklahoma.  Vinita.  AVagoner.  .Muskogee. 
McAlester;  Texas.  Dallas,  W^axachie,  Ilillsboro,  Waco, 
Temple,  Austin.  San  Antonio.  Houston  and  Oah'eston. 


Polk  County  Goes  Ahead. 

When  I'olk  Count.w  Florida,  last  fall  \-otcd  a  bond 
issue  for  .tl, 500.000  to  contract  a  s.vstem  of  hard  roads, 
it  was  felt  that  she  had  placed  herself  at  the  head  :)f 
tiu'  procession  as  regards  highwa.\-  improvement  in 
Florida.  Ilowevei'.  at  least  half  as  much  mone.v  will  be 
expended  b.\-  different  sections  of  the  count.v  in  the 
construction  of  roads  to  connect  with  the  nuiin  higli- 
wa.ys.  Onl.v  a  few  weeks  a  special  i-oad  district  in  this 
progressive  count.v  voted  bonds  for  .+;^80,000  with  which 
to  construct  118  additional  miles  of  hard  surfaced  roads. 
The  affirmative  vote  was  .just  a  little  sh.v  of  400.  while 
there  were  less  than  20  negative  ballots  cast. 


A  Rut  Cost  $2,500. 

A  rut  in  the  road  at  the  Santa  Fe  cro.ssing  on  Twcn- 
t.v-seventh  street.  Topeka,  Kans..  was  responsible  for  a 
!l<21,000  damage  suit  against  the  railwa.v  compan.v  in 
the  district  court  b.v  B.  F.  Hunt,  a  farmer.  The  rut 
cost  the  compan.\'  .just  .t2,r)t)0.  for  after  the  hearing  of 
evidence  in  Judge  A.  W.  Dana's  division  of  the  district 
coui't.  attorneys  foi'  the  railroad  off'ered  to  settle  for 
that  amount.  Hunt's  attorne.\s  held  a  consultation  and 
decided  to  take  the  opposition  at  its  wortl.  Hunt  re- 
ceived a  broken  ankle,  when  he  was  thrown  out  of  his 
wagon  on  account  of  the  rut.  one  da.v  last  summer.  The 
^2,500  has  been   paid. 


:\rai'cii.  11)17 


SOUTIIERX  r,(H)\)  ItOADS 


Determination  of  Justifiable  Outlay 

Importance  of  Roads  From  Standpoint  of  Traffic  Borne  Sliould  Be  Found  Before 

Amount  of  Money  is  Fixed 


IN  ANY  given  case,  whatever  the  class  of  i'i>ail  con- 
sidered. Dur  maxiimiiii  |)ossihle  ex|)enditui'e  is  lim- 
ited by  the  means  of  the  road  purchaser — lie  it  private 
individual  or  corporation,  town,  country,  city  or  state 
— and  all  expenditure  beyond  this  limit  however  de- 
sirable, falls  outside  our  consideration  into  the  realms 
:)f  abstract  theory.  Again  we  are  confronted  l)y  what 
may  be  termed  a  nunimum  possible  expenditure  worthy 
of  consideration  whicii  may  be  taken  as  the  value  of 
the  anntial  damage  or  maintenance  caused  by  the  ex- 
isting traffic  in  our  assumed  c<ise.  to  a  road  surface  ad- 
equate to  carry  it.  plus  the  value  of  financing  its  origi- 
nal construction.  Between  these  limits,  if  we  have  a 
positive  difference  there  is  riom  for  engineering  study 
— if  negative  the  engineer  must  await  the  work  of  the 
doctor  of  finance  and  the  end  of  hard  times. 

Our  discussion  must  be  liased  on  the  ass\imption  that 
the  investor  in  roads  is  in  sound  condition  and  able  t  ) 
pay  for  what  he  needs  to  allow  of  the  proper  develop- 
ment of  his  territory.  As  engineers  true  to  our  tradi- 
tions we  must  pi-ovide  that  which  will  d  )  the  work  re- 
quired at  minimum  cost  and  therefore  the  variation 
between  our  assumed  limits  of  range  of  .justitiable  out- 
lay is  actually  zero,  for  no  individual  or  body  how- 
ever rich,  should  afford,  economically  considered,  to 
pa.\'  more  than  actual  value  for  needed  improvements. 

Our  problem,  therefore,  is  in  brief:  What  is  the  road 
which  will  best  serve  conditions  encountered  in  this 
particular  case?  Its  solution  must  be  reached  in  ex- 
actly the  same  way  as  is  done  in  planning  work  in  oth- 
er lines  of  engineering.  Particidarly  does  the  work  of 
the  railway  designer  furnish  a  parallel  for  the  proper 
course  for  the  highway  planner.  On  a  large  railway 
system  when  a  particular  improvement  is  planned  what 
is  the  course  followed  ?  Is  it  like  that  in  many  cases  of 
highway  work  in  onr  counti^'  ?  If  so.  those  in  charge  of 
the  suggested  iirancii  line,  extra  siding,  low  grade  re- 
lief line  or  cut-off  would  study  the  problem  liefore 
them  as  an  original  unit.  They  would  take  a  vote  of 
the  villagers  on  the  type  of  track  construction  to  be 
employed.  Oareful  specifications  for  rails  and  ti;es 
would  be  worked  out  from  original  investigati  )ns  and 
time  would  be  spent  on  the  decision  as  to  ii  suitable 
track  gauge  and  bridge  clearance  based  on  local  traf- 
fic studies.  As  a  matter  of  fact  such  was  often  the  ease 
in  the  early  days  of  the  railroad,  but  as  individual  lines 
gradually  became  parts  of  great  s.vstems  it  was  seen 
that  planning  for  parts  must  be  dme  with  the  whole 
in  view — that  proper  co-ordination  refpiired  a  design 
working  from  the  whole  to  the  jiart  rather  than  in  the 
ivverse  dii'ectiim. 

Plan  for  Systems. 

It  lias  long  been  recogniz<'d  in  tlie  most  progressive 
foreign  countries  and  recently  in  sime  of  our  states 
that  highways  must  be  planned  in  the  same  way  as 
parts  of  a  great  system  properly  co-ordinated  and  in- 
ter-dependent and  not  as  specific  units.  No  matter 
how  small  may  he  the  particular  case  of  highway  im- 
provements under  considei'ation  the  .iustitiable  outlay 
cannot  be  considered  as  having  been  properly  determ- 
ined if  it  is  studied  only  by  itself.  Not  onl.v  is  each 
road  or  street  merely  one  of  the  elements  of  a  large 
system,  but  the  ti-aftic  which  determines  the  type  of  im- 


|ii'oveincnt  aduptcd  may  itself  i)c  altered  by  the  solu- 
tion it  suggested.  Our  problem  is  incapable  of  an  ex- 
act solution,  having  an  excess  of  variables.  To  arrive 
at  the  a[)|)i'oximati  >n  to  exactness  which  is  the  most  wc 
can  hope  for,  there  must  first  l)e  determined  not  only 
the  present  day  traffic  for  the  route  in  question  hut  al- 
so the  probable  traffic  at  the  end  of  a  period  assumed 
to  be  the  useful  life  of  the  surface  wliich  will  be  select- 
ed. In  other  words,  our  result  is  mjy  ofitaiiU'd  iiy  a  se- 
I'ies  of  trial  solutions  with  two  large  unknown  factors 
to  i)e  assumed. 

Our  methods  can  have  little  of  the  exactness  of  the 
bridge  designer  and  use  more  assumptions  than  the 
formulas  of  the  hydraulic  engineer.  Fundamentally 
all  c:irrect  higilwa.^•  designs  must  depend  on  the  old 
economic  principles  which  are  sometimes  forgofti'ii  but 
never  su[)crseded. 

I.  We  can  get  no  more  (though  we  may  have  less) 
tlian  ecinivalcTit  value  for  our  expenditures  great  or 
small. 

'I.  Service  or  life  of  any  human  piece  of  construc- 
tion is  inversely  proportional  to  the  extent  of  its  use. 

'A.  PeU'manent  construction  is  impossible.  Much 
time  and  ingenuity  have  been  expended  unsuccessfull.x' 
in  attempts  to  controvert   these  facts. 

While  the  fact  that  roads  must  be  considered  as  parts 
of  a  s.vstem  is  known  to  those  charged  with  road  de- 
sign and  maintenance,  there  is  less  recognition  that  in 
our  municipalities  the  question  is  essentially  the  same. 
Although  city  planning  gradually  has  been  given  con- 
sideration, the  term  is  restricted  by  most  to  the  actual 
laying  out  of  a  city  map.  with  routes  of  circulation  and 
civic  centres,  and  so-called  cit.y  planners  have  iiased 
large  reputations  on  attempts  to  adopt  the  map  of  Par- 
is or  Washingtin  to  our  towns  and  villages. 

Too  few  thus  far  have  followed  the  matter  further 
but  the  decision  as  to  t.vpe  of  surface  employed  on  any 
city  street  should  be  only  the  last  detail  working  down 
in  regular  sequence  from  the  city  plan.  In  an  ideal  city 
we  would  have  development  districted,  providing  defi- 
nite classes  of  traffic  for  different  streets.  Pipes  and 
othei'  subsurface  structures  would  lie  planned  and  liuilt 
witii  an  orderly  arangement  and  a  future  caiiacity  that 
would  reduce  to  a  mininnun  the  need  of  making  (ipen- 
ings  in  the  pavements  and  hence  would  allow  the  lat- 
ter to  be  planned  with  a  view  to  their  wearing  out  un- 
der wheel  traffic  rather  than  to  suffer  destructim  un- 
der the  pick  and  crow-bar,  and  this  would  mean  that 
foi'  each  street  the  class  of  surface  most  suitalile  for  the 
conditions  to  lie  encountered  wouhl  Im'  jdaiuicd  thi'ongh- 
out  the  entire  mnnicijialit.w  When  the  (|uestion  of  ex- 
penditures for  imprivement  on  a  ]>articular  unit  came 
up  for  solution  the  .justifiable  outlay  would  have  but 
one  varialile  factor — what  is  the  extent  of  surface  we 
wish  to  construct  at  the  present  time.  It  must  be  free- 
ly conceded  not  only  that  tiiis  ideal  exists  nowhere  but 
that   it  pi-obably  never  will. 

Municipal  Highway  Problems. 

Let  us  g:i  to  the  other  extreme  and  briefly  review 
oui-  present  American  ilunicipal  method  of  settling  our 
problems  and  sec  where  it  can  be  improved.  Assume 
a  growing  district  well  within  the  cit.v  limits  but  only 
recently  having  had  its  streets  and  lots  graded  and  tlie 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


March,  1917 


necessary  street  iii;iiii,s  laid.  It  is  well  supplied  with 
iiearhy  puhlic  transit  lines  and  its  real  estate  owners 
are  rapidly  developing  it  for  apartment  houses  and 
stores  so  that  it  will  soon  be  snlidly  built  up  and  re- 
quire that  its  streets  have  a  permanent  pavement  for 
moderate  traffic  which  in  a  few  years  may  be  heavy. 
Let  us  grant  that  instead  of  being-  laid  out  as  best  suits 
the  particular  ilevelniiers  of  the  district  in  question, 
its  plan  has  been  i>ro|>erly  interlocked  with  that  of  the 
city  as  a  whole.  The  necessary  legal  steps  are  then 
taken,  to  start  the  work  of  paving  the  streets  by  the 
Municipal  Authorities  at  the  expense  of  the  properties 
benefitted. 

Here  we  have  our  Munii'i])al  Higliways  Dejiartment 
confronted  with  the  problem  that  forms  the  sub.ject  of 
our  discussion.  But  is  it  solved  by  such  a  diseussion, 
by  those  qualified  by  experience  to  decide  .just  what 
shall  be  the  Justifiable  Outlay  to  be  encountered?  Per- 
haps sometimes.  I\Iore  often  those  paying  the  assess- 
ment claim  the  right  to  decide  what  shall  be  bought. 
Superficially  this  seems  reasonable.  Actually  it  is  ab- 
solutely wrong.  The  taxpayers  foot  the  bills  for  wa- 
ter supply  and  for  sewers  but  assert  no  right  to  voice 
in  the  expert  work  of  design.  Their  ability  is  no 
greater  to  select  a  pavement  with  wisdom,  perhaps  it 
is  less,  but  because  it  is  under  everyone's  foot  and  forms 
his  closest  means  of  contact  wit  hhis  nuuiicipal  govern- 
ment no  citizen  is  ttio  ignorant  in  his  own  estinKition 
to  decide  the  (luestion  of  suitable  sti'cet  wearing  sur- 
faces and  their  relative  values  and  costs.  Xor  does 
presumed  intelligence  and  high  standing  in  the  com- 
munity bring  with  it  either  wisdom  on  this  subject  or 
in  its  place  deference  to  expert  knowledge.  The  elect- 
ed executive  head  of  one  of  our  communities  of  over 
2,0(10.(10(1  inhal)itants  after  ])i-esiding  for  an  h;)nr  over 
a  discussion  between  his  highway  bureau  engineers  and 
reiiresentatives  of  certain  paving  contractors  betrayed 
inadvertently  his  comprehension  of  the  whole  sub.ject 
liy  a  casual  remark  indicating  his  belief  thai  sheet  as- 
phalt pavements  were  rolled  up  like  cai'pets  and  relaid 
as  an  incident  to  maintenance  work.  And.  ignorance 
is  not  the  only  difficult.\-.  One  of  our  nninicipal  suli- 
divisi;)ns  has  for  years  shown  a  fondness  for  one  chiss 
of  pavement  in  its  newly  laid  out  districts  hardly  ex- 
plicable as  due  to  a  deep  seated  conviction  on  the  part 
of  the  community  of  paving  experts.  As  the  surface 
in  question  costs  moic  oi-iginally  and  is  harder  to  main- 
tain s\ibse(iuently  than  anollier  type  seldom  favored 
and  as  i)nly  one  bidder  ever  takes  contracts  on  the  pre- 
ferred material  while  on  the  other  the  field  is  open, 
the  conviction  becomes  strong  that  the  signers  of  the 
petitions  have  been  subject  to  commercial  "accelera- 
tion." 

Exam[)les  like  this  could  be  multiplied  from  the  ex- 
perience of  all  wlio  have  had  to  d  )  with  highway  eon- 
sti'nction.  We  may  not  be  able  nor  might  it  be  desira- 
ble in  a  world  of  oi'dinary  moi'tals,  to  i)i'ing  about  a 
Utopian  municipality  whei'c  everything  is  perfect  and 
there  is  no  further  incentive  for  the  ambitious  striver 
after  the  miattainable.  Wlial  ca  nbe  accomplished  and 
is  :iii  its  way  now  to  accomplishment  is  the  attainment 
of  a  willingness  in  our  coiiniiunities  to  place  expert 
pro'blems  in  the  hands  of  experts  for  solution,  to  con- 
centrate authority  and  with  it  to  demand  I'csponsibili- 
ty,  in  fine  to  take  our  technical  departments  and  their 
workers  out  of  polities. 


It  requires  some  exercise  of  horse-sense  to  regulate 
your  attitude  towards  the  things  you  would  like  to  do 
and  the  things  you  should  do. 


Relief  From   Glaring-  Lights. 

The  problem  of  the  headlights,  at  least  for  the  time 
being,  seems  to  be  best  met,  according  to  Chairman  0. 
I.  Yellott  of  the  A.  A.  A.  Legislative  lioard  by  the  sim- 
ple suggestion  of  the  Society  of  Automobile  Engineers 
that  "no  beam  of  reflected  light  shall  rise  above  42 
inches  at  a  distance  of  75  feet."  This  decision  is  the 
outcome  of  much  study  and  experiments  during  the 
past  year  and  adheres  closely  to  the  California  plan  of 
bending  the  lamp  brackets  in  such  a  way  as  to  divert 
the  rays  to  the  ground. 

In  compiling  an  up-to-date  uniform  motor  vehicle 
ami  traffic  law,  which  is  about  ready  for  circulation, 
the  A.  A.  A.  legislative  chairman  has  thus  covered  the 
headlights  (|uestion  : 

■■  daring  Headlights.  It  shall  be  unlawful  to  use  on 
a  vehicle  of  an.y  kind  operated  on  the  public  highways 
of  this  State  any  lighting-  device  of  over  four  candle- 
power  equipped  with  a  reflector,  unless  the  same  shall 
be  so  designed,  deflected,  or  arranged  that  no  portion 
of  the  beam  of  reflected  light,  when  measured  7")  feet 
or  more  ahead  of  the  lamps,  shall  rise  above  42  inches 
from  the  level  surface  on  which  the  vehicle  stands  un- 
der all  conditions  of  load.  Spot-lights  shall  not  be  used 
except  when  projecting  their  rays  directly  on  the 
ground  and  at  a  distance  not  exceeding  30  feet  in  fi-on1 
of  the   vehicle." 

To  ascertain  when  a  light  is  42  inches  from  the 
ground  at  a  distance  of  75  feet  in  front  of  the  car,  the 
following  instructions  are  given  : 

'■  (a)  Have  the  light  focused  so  that  the  reflected  rays 
will  be  condensed  in  solid  volume  as  nuich  as  possible, 
and  so  as  to  eliminate  stray  rays  as  far  as  possible.  To 
focus  a  light,  place  the  ear  in  fnuit  of  a  building  or 
any  perpendicular  flat  surface  of  sufficient  size  at  a 
distance  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet  and  by  adjusting  the  bull) 
backward  or  forward  reduce  the  area  of  light  as  much 
as  possible,  and  nuike  the  light  from  both  lamps  as 
nearly  uniform  as  jiossible.  This  is  the  most  difticult  of 
the  three  things  necessary  to  ovei'come  obje<-l  ionable 
glai-e. 

"(b)  Place  the  machine  on  the  level  and  mea.sure  a 
distance  of  75  feet  to  the  front. 

"(c)  ;\Iake  a  mark  on  a  board,  broom  handle  or  on 
the  coat  of  an  individual  42  inches  from  the  gr(nuid 
and  see  that  the  upper  circumstances  of  the  solid  vol- 
ume of  reflected  light  does  not  strike  above  that  mark 
at  75  feel  in  front  of  the  light.  I'olice  officers  and  oth- 
ers nuiy  easily  detci-mine  the  distance  fi'om  the  ground 
by  noting  a  certain  button,  pocket,  lapel,  or  any  other 
distance-mark  on  their  wearing-  apparel.  By  stepping 
in  front  of  the  machine  on  the  level  at  a  distance  ap- 
proximating 75  feet  they  may  easily  determine  wheth- 
er or  not  the  lights  are  properly  deflected. 

"There  are  some  reflectors  that  because  of  their  im- 
pi-opiM-  consti-uct  ion  (being  either  too  flat  or  too  deep) 
would  make  it  impossible  to  secure  a  condensation  of 
the  main  rays.  In  such  cases  dift'erent  reflectors  will 
have  to  be  secured." 

Tlie  Society  of  Automobile  Engineers  has  what  is 
known  as  its  committee  on  standai-ds,  and  a  division  of 
the  committee  is  now  working  cm  the  details  of  head- 
lamps, reflectors,  and  bulbs,  with  the  object  of  estab- 
lishing standards  which  shall  make  it  easier  for  manu- 
facturers to  supply  headlamps  in  the  future  that  will 
give  adequate  illumination  and  at  the  same  time  com- 
ply with  the  provision  preventing  the  beam  of  reflect- 
ed light  rising  al)ove  42  inches  at  75  feet  distance. 


IMarfh,  1917 


SOUTIIEKN  GOOD  ROADS 


I'J 


Cheaper  Excavation 

By  J.  E.  STONEKING,  M.  E. 


(^  ON'rKAL'TUKS  ;ui(l  L'iif;in(.H'r.s  y;t'iU'r;illy  are  feoi- 
J  ing  the  acute  labor  slinrtag'e,  especially  of  the 
cheapei'  lalmr  which  is  used  ((uitf-  extensively  in  exca- 
vation woi-ls  Mich  as  hiiildiiig  foundations,  l)aseiuents, 
cellai's,  watei'  storage  reservoirs,  ti'eni'hiug,  and  culs 
in  street,  road  and  railroad  consti'Uclion.  The  num- 
ber af  newly  arrived  ininiigrants  from  whii'h  tlu'  sup- 
ply for  this  class  of  labor  was  lai'gely  drawn  has  been 
very  materially  affected  by  the  European  War.  This 
same  cause  is  largely  responsible  for  the  demand  for 
skilled  labor  like  machinists  and  iron  and  steel  work- 
ers, and  the  interest  shown  by  manufacturers  in  draw- 
ing upon  and  training  the  unskilled  men  to  till  their 
needs.  Also,  the  increased  wages  paid  to  skilled  work- 
ers has  caused  a  general  feeling  of  unrest  in  labor  cir- 
cles, which,  coujiled  with  the  constantly  increasing 
cost  of  living,  Miid  the  insufficient  supply  of  ordinai'y 
labor,  has  caused  the  demand  anil  the  necessity  foi' 
higher  wages. 

In  general  excax'ation  wm'k.  labor  Torms  w  very  im- 
portant part  and  one  of  the  most  varialile  items  of 
cost  entering  into  the  contractors  or  engineers'  esti- 
mates oil  a  "job."  Hence,  they  are  lo.ikiug  for  ano 
quickly  seize  up  in  any  good  method  of  saving  labor, 
frequently  developing  »v  adapting  ways  and  means  to 
their  needs  which  have  Ijeen  very  successful  in  keep- 
ing down  costs  and  enabling  them  to  "bi-eak  even"  ;iu 
their  bids. 

Probably,  the  diiefest  of  tlu>sc  is  the  development 
and  use  of  the  lowei-  grades  of  dynamite,  which  is  rap- 
idly finding  favor  among  men  in  this  line  of  work.  In 
rock,  the  efficiency  and  necessity  of  using  dynamite  has 
long  been  recognized,  but  when  this  high  grade  expln- 
sive  was  used  in  earth  excavation  work,  the  results 
were  far  from  being  satisfactory.  This  is  due  to  the 
character  of  the  material  being  worked,  rock  work 
requiring  a  quick-acting,  shattering  force  to  give  re- 
sults, while  in  earth  a  comparatively  slower-acting  and 
heaving  or  lifting  effect  is  desired.  Recognizing  the 
necessity  for  an  explasive  of  this  kind,  the  manufac- 
turers have  worked  out  a  low-grade,  slow-acting,  heav- 
ing, comparatively  insensitive  and  safe  to  handle,  low- 
freezing  dynamite  which  contractors  have  been  quick  to 
adopt  in  their  search  for  an  efficient  m^eans  of  cutting 
down  labor  costs.  It  is  used  in  conjunctim  and  in 
combination  with  all  tyjies  of  mechanical  excavators  to 
hasten,  aid,  and  cheapen  work.  In  this  connection  the 
method  generally  pursued  is  to  do  the  drilling  or  punch- 
ing of  the  bore  holes,  and  the  firing  at  a  time  when  it 
will  not  interfere  with  the  other  operations. 

On  large  projects,  even  where  the  steam  shovel  is 
used,  it  is  generally  necessary  to  loosen  the  material  by 
blasting  ahead  of  the  shovel  where  large  imbedded 
bouldrs,  compacted  earth,  or  hardpan  are  encountered. 
In  order  to  secure  the  maxinuim  efficiency  of  the  ma- 
dhine,  the  shovel  must  be  tilled  at  every  trip,  hence  it 
is  not  advisable  to  make  the  shovel  do  very  much  dig- 
ging in  hard  material  to  fill  it,  as  the  yardage  handled 
will  be  too  low  for  any  profit.  Often  the  use  of  a  little 
dynamite  on  large  boidders,  old  water  mains,  large 
roots,  stumps,  and  other  obstructions  will  save  a  brok- 
en cable  and  consequent  delays.  On  work  such  as  ex- 
cavations for  bridge  piers  in  dry  ground,  and  founda- 
tions for  large  columns  and  statues  whicli  are  compar- 
atively deep  and  of  small  area,  good  results  can  fre- 
quently be  obtained  toy  loosening  up  the  bottom  with 


blasts  and  rcmoxing  by  means  of  a  chim  shell  or  oi'aiige 
peel  bucket  rig. 

For  smailler  operations  or  on  those  which,  by  their 
natui'c,  do  not  pei'iiiit  ol'  Ihc  use  ij'  the  miu'c  expensive 
large  nuichiiu'i'y,  and  which  de|icnd  more  on  some  sort 
of  plowing  to  loosen  tlir  malci'ial,  the  amount  of  hand 
laboi'  required  is  greater  anil  hence  nnu'e  necessary  fir 
the  use  of  labor  savers.  In  shallow  excavations  where 
the  material  is  not  too  hard  to  plow  successfully  and 
where  ample  room  may  be  had  in  which  to  turn,  the 
horse  or  tractor  drawn  elevator  grader  gives  good  re- 
sults. The  use  of  the  wheeled  scraper,  buck  scraper, 
sli]i,  and  "Fresno"  scrapers  are  limited  to  very  soft 
material,  hence  jilowiiig  to  loosen  same  is  essential. 
in  hard  gi'ound.  or  where  there  are  boulders,  roots, 
stumps,  or  hardpan,  plowing  becomes  very  niis:itisfac- 
tory  and  co.stly,  and  soni-etinies,  impossible.  l>y  the 
proper  use  of  dynamite  the  [ilowing  may  be  dispensed 
with  entirely  at  a  consideralile  saving,  and,  even  in 
easily  ])lowed  ground  where  it  is  desii'ed  to  leave  the 
bunks  and  corners  of  tiu»- excavation  iier])endicubir.  a 
gi'cat  amount  of  hand  picking  and  shoveling  m;iy  be 
saved  by  blasting  out  the  corners  and  sloping  toes. 

Where  the  work  is  very  small  or  the  areas  too  re- 
stricted for  the  use  of  teams  in  plowing,  the  questioji 
of  hand  labor  is  a  very  serious  one.  The  pick  or  mat- 
tox  and  the  shovel  form  the  principal  tools.  At  best, 
this  method  is  a  very  slow  and  costly  operation,  ami  if 
any  other  possible  way  can  be  used  successfully,  it  is 
generally  wise  to  adopt  it.  Low-grade  dynamite  is  the 
salvation  of  the  contractu!'  in  this  case,  and  its  suc- 
cessful and  I'ationai]  use  has  been  the  turning  point  fi-oni 
loss  to  profit. 

If  possible  to  put  it  off.  excavation  work  should  not 
be  done  \yhile  the  gr(nmd  is  frozen,  fm-  the  costs  ai-c 
considerably  increased,  however,  in  some  cases,  tlu' 
work  nuilst  be  prosecuted  vigorously  regardless  of 
weather  conditions,  and  in  working  "frosts"  the  mist 
effi'cient  labor-saver  is  the  low-freezing  dynamite.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  blast  too  far  ahead  of  the  shov- 
el and  scrapers  or  the  material  may  consolidate  again. 


First  National  Forest  Road  Under  Federal  Aid  Act. 

The  Secretary  of  Agriculture  has  authorized  the  lo- 
cation survey  of  a  section  of  the  first  project  in  road 
construction  submitted  under  the  "Xational  Forest 
section"  of  the  Federal  Aitl  Road  Act.  This  section  is 
the  only  one  in  the  law  which  provides  for  actual  con- 
struction of  roads  by  the  Feedral  Government.  Roads 
built  under  authority  of  this  part  of  the  law  are  de- 
signed primarily  to  promote  economic  development  and 
of  the  land  is  in  National  forests.  The  pro]iosed  roail 
'to  serve  public  convenience  in  localities  where  much 
on  which  action  is  taken  is  in  the  Apache  National  For- 
est, Greenlee  County,  Arizona. 

The  preliminary  estimate  of  the  cost  of  construction 
of  the  71  miles  of  road  to  be  surveyed  is  $3-112, 50U. 
Greenlee  county  proposes  to  hold  a  bond  election  to 
raise  the  necessa^ry  funds  to  contribute  fifty  per  cent 
of  this  amount.  An  additional  29  miles  of  road  in 
Apache  county  will  be  necessary  to  complete  the  pro- 
ject, and,  according  to  the  preliminary  estimate,  will 
bring  the  total  cost  to  $420,000. 

Approval  of  the  plans  for  the  survey  was  based  upon 
the  industrial  resources  which  will  be  opened  up  and 


20 


SOl'TUKKX  (;()()!)  I.'OADS 


JMai-oli,   i:ii: 


alsi)  ii|i  III  the  off'ci'  (iT  oiif-liMir  (■i>:i|)('r;i1  inn  by  1  lio  ciiiiii- 
ly.  Tlio  coiistiMii-tiuii  of  tlic  I'oail  will  inaki'  pDssihlc  ;i 
iiiirlh-aiid-soiith  truiik-liiu'  tlirm^i;li  a  rcuion  now  inac- 
i-essihle  and  will  connect  with  existing  east-antl-west 
State  'highways.  In  addition  it  will,  it  is  stated,  make 
possible  the  sale  of  large  bodies  of  timber  for  the  use 
of  coiipei'  urines  in  sonfhei-n  Arizona,  and  will  atford 
means  of  lra\rl  Wty  settlci-s  besides  cliea  pcniiiL;'  t'lc 
cost  if  protei'ling  and  administei'ing  the  Xaliimal  Vnr- 
est.  The  ile\-elopment  of  watei'  [lower  in  I  lie  reiiinn 
will  be  assisted,  and  a  beautiful  recreation  area  will 
be  opened  up  foi'  tourist  travel  ami  for  the  I'esidents  if 
llic   dcserl    cities   during  the  summer  months. 

In  each  case,  inider  the  terms  of  the  hiw.  the  rnail 
funds  must  be  deriveil  p;irtly  from  local  s  lurces.  and 
till-  amount  e.xpemlablc  in  any  county  by  the  govei'u 
ment  is  limited  to  ten  per  ci'nt  of  the  estinuited  value 
of  the  tiniher  and  forage  i-esources  of  tlu'  Xatioiuil  For- 
ests in   that   county. 

Several  other  piMjects  Tor  which  c  loperation  h;is 
been  otfei'ed  arc  jicnding  for  roads  in  ( 'alifoi'uia.  .Mon- 
tana, and  Idaho.  Where  two  projects  have  ecpial  claim 
for  consiilei'ation.  the  decision  will,  it  is  stated,  be 
iiiad<>  in  fa\-or  of  the  nu'  I'm-  which  the  best  oifer  of 
coopei'al  ion   is  nnule. 


Austin  Tandem  Motor  Roller. 

The  Austin-Western  Koad  .Machinery  Co.,  of  tUiicago. 
otfei-  the  jiui-c'liasers  of  road  construction  nnichinery  .1 
new  roller  that  is  worthy  ;)f  more  than  passing  atten- 
tion. T'his  is  the  tandem  motor  roller.  Its  builders  set 
forward  its  motor  control  as  a  very  desirable  quality, 
enabling  them  to  buiUl  so  as  to  properl\'  tlistribute 
weight,  secure  smoothness  in  ipei'ation,  a  minimum  of 
vibration  much  desired  in  laying  of  concrete  or  bitu- 
minous pavements.  'fhere  ;ire  no  ashes  or  coals  to 
di'op  on  the  road  ami  no  sparks  to  endanger  propei'ty 
by  the  I- ladsiile.  The  power  plant  is  declared  simjile 
and  durable,  easy  of  control  and  ready  to  start  at  a 
moment's  notice.  There  is  no  before  ami  after  starting- 
expense.  It  can  be  opei-ated  at  any  s|)ced  desired  and 
the  nicchanisin  is  so  ai'i-angcd  that  it  is  (daimed  it  can 
be  operated  closio-  to  lamp  posts,  curbs,  etc..  than  the 
steam  roller. 


Cobb  County,  Ga.,  to  Build. 

Cobb  c  lunly.  (icorgia.  will  shortly  begin  the  <'on- 
struetijn  of  a  stone  I'oad.  to  cost  approximately  .+  ir)(),- 
(100  fi-om  Mai'ietta  to  the  Chattahoochee  river  at  the 
limits  of  Fulton  county,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles. 

The  i-oad  will  be  a  continuation  of  the  Dixie  high- 
way. No  official  decision  t  )  l)uild  the  road  has  been 
arrived  al  by  the  county  cojuinissioners,  but  that  su(di 
decision  will  come  fornudly  within  a  short  time  can  be 
stated  positi\-ely  after  infoi-mation  which  became  ob- 
tainable i-ecently,  rnofficial  estimates  as  t  1  the  cost 
approximate  .+  10.0(10  a  mile. 


Protection  From  Good  Roads. 

A  new  ai'guiiieni  For  go  id  roads  was  recently  fur- 
nished by  a  severe  tire  at  -lei-sey  Shore.  Pa.  This  fire 
threatened  to  burn  up  the  business  section  of  the  town 
as  the  local  waterworks  furnished  wafer  uiuler  a  i)res- 
snre  inadequate  to  iight  a  real  conflagration.  The  town's 
tire  department.  supi)lemented  by  c  )mpanies  fi-oin 
neighboring  towns,  could  <lo  little  because  of  this  low 
pressui'e. 

II(dp  was  sumnmned  from  the  city  of  Willianisporl. 
sixteen  miles  distant,  and  in  thirty-eight  minutes  aftci- 
the  call   was  received  a  lai'ge  automobile  engine  from 


thaf  place  had  re;n-hed  the  scene,  and  its  powerf\d 
liumps  saved  the  town.  In  the  old  days  of  hirse-drawn 
equipment  il  would  have  been  necessary  to  take  the 
engine  to  the  railroad  yard,  load  it  on  a  ear,  hunt  ui» 
a  loeonmtive,  make  the  run  over  the  railway  as  well  as 
the  ti-ain  service  would  permit,  and  then  unload  the 
equiimu'uf  at  the  jilace  needing  help. 

.\11  this  nnght  possibly  be  dine  in  I  bii'ly-eighl  min- 
nles.  but  lhei-<'  is  very  little  pi-oliability  of  if.  I'mlcr 
Ihc   new   conilitions.   a    I'oad    ma\    be   l!ie   means   of  sa\- 


NORTH  WESTERNat^ESr'R 


CULVERT  FORMS 


STANDARD  SIZES 

Used  by  U.  S.  Government  in  ttie  Reclamation  Service, 
for  Storm  Drainage  and  for  Sanitary  Sewers. 

Write    for    Bulletin     No.     30     descrit^inc     "NORTH- 
WESTERN"     FORMS 
with    full    instructions    for 
making     CONCRETE 
T  II.  E  . 


NORTHWESTERN 
STEEL  &  IRON  WORKS 


Ean  Claire, 


WISCONSIN 


Reinforced  Type 


w^]=^  Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


CEMENT  CLAY  GRAVEL 

The  ideal  material  for  permanent 
streets  and  roads.  Does  not 
ravel  or  wash.  Cheapest  in  first 
cost  and  maintenance. 

CAPE  FEAR  GRAVEL  CO.,  Inc. 


Norfolk,  Va. 


Lillington,  N.  C. 


.^Fi 


ircli. 


i!)r 


S(>l"l'llKi;,\  (JOOI)  K'OADS 


21 


ing-  a  hui'iiing-  IdWii;  if  had,  it  delays  tlic  iict'dcd  liclj). 
and  if  i;o()d  it  iiicaiis  sat'oty.  Jii  the  Pennsylvania  ease 
the  road  was  nut  a  gixid  one.  bnt 'it  was  not  a  had  one 
either.  Ah:)nt  half  a  mile  has  been  improved.  Imt  the 
remainder  is  nothing  but  a  hard  shale  i-oad  kei^t  in  as 
good  condition  as  possible  with  the  materials  at  hand. 
This  maintenance  of  the  road  is  what  saved  Jersey 
Shore  from  greater  loss,  foi'  persons  familiar  with  fire- 
fighting  agree  that  every  minute  saved  in  cheeking  the 
spread  of  a  contiagration  is  eijuivalent  t)  the  saving 
of   a    lai'gc    financial    loss. 


Proposed  Military  Highway. 

What  is  ioiown  as  the  Bankheatl  lligiiway  Associa- 
tion recently  held  a  meeting  in  Atlanta,  at  which  plans 
were  adojited  for  the  promi3tion  of  the  pniposed  mili- 
tary highway  from  New  York  through  I'hiladelphia, 
Washington.  Richmond.  Greensboro.  High  Point.  Tlnnn- 
asville,  Lexington.  Salisbury.  Concord  and  Charlotte 
t)  Atlanta  and  Birmingham,  thence  to  Los  Angeles. 
T'he  fir.st  oliject  will  be  to  indui'c  the  (lovernment  to 
take  the  woi'k  of  construction  in  IimihI.  The  name, 
"Bankhead,"  has  been  given  the  pi'oposed  road  as  a 
tribute  to  Senator  Bankhead  of  Alabama,  who  is  the 
author  of  the  eighty-five  million-dollar  road  bill  passed 
at  the  last  session  of  Congress.  At  the  Atlanta  meet- 
ing a  committee  consisting  of  11.  B.  ^'arner  of  Lexing- 
ton. .1.  C.  Forrester  of  Greensl)i)ro.  James  F.  Hurley  of 
Salisbury  and  Wade  II.  Harris  of  Charlotte,  was  ap- 
pjinted  to  make  arrangements  foi'  a  meeting  it  is  pro- 
]iosed  to  hold  in  Greensboro  some  time  during  the 
month  of  Mai'ch.  at  which  an  eft'ort  will  be  made  to 
thoroughly  oi'ganize  the  States  of  North  Carolina  and 
\'irginia.  and  to  look  after  the  location  of  the  road 
through  this  part  of  the  country.  AVe  are  told  by  ilr. 
\'arner  that  Government  mone>'  will  be  available  for 
the  work,  and  the  plan  is  of  so  practical  a  nature  as 
to  prove  certain  of  Government  endorsement.  The 
"military"  road  idea  is  gaining  in  pojiidai'lty  in  re- 
cent times,  and  the  route  of  the  Bankhead  Highway 
will  be  found  uiion  inve.stigation  to  hold  some  advan- 
tages which  will  appeal  to  the  good  sense  of  the  (i  iv- 
ernniient.  ilr.  J.  A.  Rountree  is  secretary  of  this  as- 
sociation, with  headquarters  at  Birmingham,  and  it 
has  the  suppm-t  of  a  number  of  influential  public  men. 
The  main  point  for  the  consideration  of  the  people  )!' 
this  section,  we  should  think,  would  be  securing  the 
benefits  of  a  pei'manent  highway  built  at  Government 
expense  and  maintained  through  Government  supervis- 
ion. That  the  Federal  Government  is  going  into  the  busi- 
ness of  building  military  highways  there  is  small  room 
for  doubt,  and  the  South  might  just  as  well  be  first  in 
the  field  with  an  advantageous  and  practical  route  as 
any  other  section  of  the  country.  In  this  instance  it 
is  well  for  the  South  to  reverse  the  usual  order  of  pro- 
cedure, and  take  the  lead,  rather  than  tn  follow. 


Virginia  Road  Builders'  Association. 

The  sixth  annual  convention  of  the  Vii'ginia  Hoad 
Buildeis'  Association  was  held  at  Norfcdk,  Va.,  Jan. 
Itith  and  18th.  The  opening  session  on  Tuesda.v,  Jan. 
16.  was  held  at  the  ilonticelbi  Hotel.  President  Otto  L. 
Evans  of  the  Association  presiding.  .Mayor  ilayo  of 
Norfolk  delivered  an  address  of  welcome  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  AV.  S.  Fallis.  Chief  Engineer  of  the  N.  C. 
Ilighwa.v  Commission,  who  spoke  on  "Highway  Con- 
struction in  North  Carolina."  H.  W.  Anderson,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Richmond- Washington  Highway  Associa- 
tion, who  was  exjiected  to  speak,  was  unalile  to  attend. 
In  the  afternoon  the  delegates  made  a  tour  of  the  Nor. 


After 

Economy 

Road 

MakiDfE 

Follows 

EcoDomy 

HanliDg 


MOGUL  AND  TITAN  TRACTORS 
BUILD    ROADS   ON    KEROSENE 

C"OR    years    International    Harvester  tract-rs  have  been  used   in  building 
roads  at  a  great  saving  of    time  and   money.      We  can  refer  you  to  the 
authorities  in  scores  of  localities  who  are  enthusiastic  over  Mogul  and  Titan 
operation. 

Kerosene  — that  is  the  big  reason  This  Company  is  attracting  much 
attention  at  the  this  time  by  guaranteeing  Mogul  and  I  itan  tractors  to 
ivork  salislact'irily  oitkerosene.  These  are  the  sizes  — sizes  for  all 
road  making  needs:  Mogul  8-16-H.  P.;  Titan  1U-20-H.  P.; 
Mogul  12-25-H.  P.;  Titan  15-30-ir.  P.;  and  Titan  30-60-H.  P. 

Where  the  road- work  budge 
is  limited  these  tractors  are  to 
be  recommended  for  maxi- 
mum results,  distributing  the 
cost  over  the  most  miles  possi- 
ble. T  hey  are  of  best  quality 
material  and  construction  and 
use  the  lowest- priced  fuel , 
Write  us  about  at  y  Mogul  rr 
Titan    I  ractor. 

International  Harvester  Company  of  America 

(Incorporated) 
151  Harvester  Building  Chicago  USA 


A-MIX-A-MINUTE 

The  Jaeger 
Big-And-Little  Mixer 

Sizes:    3,  6,  8  and  11  Cubic  Feet  Capacity 

Cost,  the  cheapest.  Strength,  steel 
and  iron  throughout.  Cost  of  opera- 
tion, it  costs  next  door  to  nothing. 
You  look  at  your  mix  all  the  time 
while  mixing.  It  mixes  either  brick 
mortar,  patent  plaster  or  concrete. 
Speed,  The  answer  A-Mix-a-Minute. 
Write  for  catalogue  and  prices. 

C.  F.  LAWRENCE,  General  Agent 

For  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina 
GREENSBORO,  N.  C. 


22 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


March,  1917 


l'f)lk  Xavy  Yard.  |iayinir  a  visit  tn  the  l)attleship  "Ar- 
jvaiisas. " 

The  actual  work  of  the  i-dineiitiou  liegan  (lu  Wed- 
iiesilay.  Jan.  17.  Tlie  principal  speaker  during  the 
morning  was  J.  D.  Egglestoii.  President  of  the  Virginia 
I'dlytechnic  Institute,  the  subject  of  his  address  being 
■"The  Rchitidn  of  the  Public  Scho  )ls  to  Road  Iniprove- 
iMciil."  Otiier  speakei-s  of  the  morning  wei-c  AV.  F. 
Childs.  Resident  Engineer  of  the  Maryland  Iligliwax 
Coniniission,  who  talked  on  conerete  I'oad  constrction 
in  Maryland,  and  W.  B.  Deneen,  Resident  Engineer  of 
the  Virginia  State  Highway  Commi.ssion.  m  "Sand- 
Clay  and  Top  Soil  Construction."  Tlie  program  for 
Wednesday  included  the  appointment  of  committees. 
In  the  afternoon  an  insi)ection  trij)  over  the  new  con- 
crete roads  of  Norfolk  County  was  made  in  automo- 
biles furnished  by  the  Tidewater  Automobile  Associa- 
tion. In  the  evening  the  delegates  attended  a  perform- 
ance at  the  Colonial  theater  as  guests  of  the  automobile 
association. 

Ou  Thui'sday  morning.  Jan.  18.  Geo.  P.  Coleman. 
State  Highway  (' )muiissioner.  spoke  on  "The  Federal 
Aid  Road  Act."  He  was  followed  by  C.  O'Coinior 
Goolrick.  Chairman  of  the  Legislative  Roads  Commit- 
tee, which  held  a  meeting  a,s  a  part  of  the  closing  ses- 
sion of  the  Virginia  Road  Builders'  Association.  Jlr. 
Giiolrick  spoke  on  the  need  for  a  state  system  of  roa+ls. 
E.  W.  James,  of  the  V.  S.  Office  of  Public  Roads  and 
liui'al  Engineering,  presented  a  paper  on  "Highway 
-Maintenance."  the  discussion  of  which  was  led  by  S.  L. 
von  Gemmingen.  Engineer  of  Maintenance  of  the  Vir- 
ginia State  Highway  Commission.  Thursday's  program 
also  included  the  reports  of  officers  and  committees,  the 
election  of  officers  and  the  public  meeting  of  the  State 
TiCgislative   Roads   Committee. 

One  of  the  important  resolutions  passed  at  the  con- 
vention was  the  recommendation  to  the  legislature  for 
the  enactment  of  a  law  for  taxhig  all  vehicles  using  the 
public  highways. 

The  name  of  the  association  was  changed  ti  "The 
Virginia  Good  Roads  Association."  W.  G.  Saunders, 
of  Henrico  County,  was  elected  President,  succeeding 
Otto  L.  Evans:  J.  B.  Wood,  First  Vice  President,  and 
G.  Tayloe  Gwathmey.  Second  Vice  President.  C.  B. 
Scott   was  re-elected   Secretarv-Treasurer. 


Florida  Road  and  Bridge  Laws. 

The  Florida  State  Printery  has  .just  published  Bulle- 
tin No.  :].  Road  and  Bridge  Laws  of  Florida,  compiled 
for  the  State  Road  Department  by  Attorney  General 
T.  F.  West.  The  booklet,  which  is  very  attractive  typo- 
graphically, is  a  most  valuable  work,  as  it  contains  a 
complete  index  of  all  the  general  and  special  road  and 
bridge  laws  of  Florida,  and  is  provided  with  side  notes 
for  the  convenience  of  the  busy  man. 

These  booklets  can  be  had  by  applying  to  the  State 
Road  Department  at  Tallahassee. 


The  Brick  Roads  of  Florida. 

^  Nearly  ^.lOO.OOO  is  being  expended  in  the  DeLand, 
Florida,  districts  in  building  grouted  brick  highways. 
These  roads  lead  from  DeLand  as  a  center  to  Lake 
Helen.  Dayton,  Orange  City  and  DeLand  Junction,  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Railway.  The 
last-mentioned  road  is  to  be  extended  to  Crow's  Bluff, 
on  the  St.  John  River,  and  it  is  stated  the  Clyde  steam- 
ship line  is  planning  to  put  on  a  regular  schedule  of 
motor-trucks,  which  will  give  the  city  of  DeLand  the 
full  benefit  of  ocean  freight  rates,  thereby  emphasizing 
another  great   benefit   that   will   accrue  from   building 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  of  Red  Cross  Explosives  and 
modern  road   machinery,  will,   in  many  cases, 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  "Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
with  modern  road  building  machinery  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 

^  ^      Write  for  'ROAD    CONSTRUCTION 
»j|  and  MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  dn  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


roiss.  i)4xa' 

EXTRA 

40llSTKtN«TH 


^oulliefo  Mm)  %\m 

1358  Miles  Operated  in 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

Serving  Such  Important  Cities  as  Charlotte, 
Asheville,  Winston-Salem,  Raleigh,  Greens- 
boro, Durham,  Salisbury,  Goldsboro,  Hender- 
sonville,  Waynesville,  Sanford,  Lexington, 
Burlington,  Statesville,  Gastonia.  Etc.,  Etc. 

FROM  THE  MOUNTAINS  TO  THE  SEA 
Modern  Equipment.  Steel  Electrically  Lighted 
Pullman  Cars,  Dining  Cars,  Complete  Through 
and  Local  Train  Service. 

THE  MOST  FAMOUS  TRAINS 
IN  THE  SOUTH 

The  New  York  and  New  Orleans  Limited. 
The  Birmingham  Special.  The  Augusta  Special. 
The  United  States  Fast  Mail. 

SOUTHERN  PROSPERITY  IS  ON  THE 

SOUTHERN  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 

Agencies  in  All  the  Principal   Cities  of  the 

United  States. 

W.  H.  TAYLOE,  H.  F.  GARY, 

Pass.  TrafTic  Manager,  Gen'l  Passenger  Agent, 

Washington,  D.  C.  Washington,  D.  C. 


OVtl  p  PV 


March,   1917  SOT'TIIERN  GOOD  ROADS  23 


IF  there  is  anything  about  our  trade  with  your  county  that 
doesn't  exactly  suit  you,  we  are  always  ready  and  willing  to 
do  everything  in  our  power  to  make  it  right.  Unfortunately, 
some  folks  think  because  they  are  dealing  with  a  company 
there  should  never  be  any  mistakes  and  all  things  should  run 
along  in  ship-shape  order  at  all  times.  This  would  be  the  case  if 
what  we  desired  could  be  obtained.  Since,  however,  we  are 
only  human,  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another  will  occur  and  our 
only  recourse  is  to  rectify  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 

"To  err  is  human; 

To  forgive,  divine." 

However,  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  quality  of  our  "GEN- 
UINE OPEN  HEARTH  IRON"  (99.875%  Pure  iron-Copper 
Alloy)  Culverts.  Whether  Black  or  Galvanized  we  stand  back 
of  every  foot  we  make  and  guarantee  it  to  give  more  lasting  ser- 
vice than  any  other  Culvert  Pipe  made,  when  installed  under 
identical  conditions. 

A  postal  card  to  us  or  to  J.  H.  Slaughter,  Yarborough  Hotel, 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  will  result  in  the  merits  of  our  Product  being 
placed  before  you  in  a  courteous,  business-like  manner.  To  deal 
with  us  once  is  to  become  a  life-time  customer. 


The  Newport  Culvert  Co.,  Inc. 

Newport,  Ky. 


24 


SOUTHERX  aoon  ROADS 


March,  1917 


I'Djuls  iiiit  of  iiiMtei'ials  thai  will  slaiid  the  trst  of  tlic 
heaviest  kiiul  of  tratfic 

It  is  predict(>(l  that  the  new  Board  of  Cimnty  Cimi- 
luissioiiers  will  sjon  perfeet  plans  for  an  extension  of 
the  road  system  until  every  seetion  of  the  eounty  is 
pi'ovided  for. 

Following  the  example  of  \'olusia  county,  the  ad- 
joining counties  of  Seniinide  and  Putnam  voted  large 
lund  issues  and  ai'e  now  eonstrueting  an  extensive 
mileage  of  grouted  lirick  hi'iliways.  whii-li.  in  addition 
to  those  ali'ead.v  eonipleted  in  other  eounties,  will  make 
;i  system  of  hriek  lioulevards  south  from  -Jaeksimville 
aggregating  several   hundred  miles. 

'Iliis  aetivity  in  road  building  is  not  i-ontined.  how- 
ever, t  )  the  P]ast  Coast  seetion  of  Florida  as  Ilillshor- 
ough.  ^Tanatee,  DeSoto  an.l  Pinellas  eounties.  on  the 
"West  Coast,  have  also  built  and  have  under  eonstrue- 
tion  several  hundreil  miles  of  l)ri(d<  roads,  while  Osce- 
ola and  Ta.vlor  eounties  will  shortly  let  cuntraets  for 
s  ime  ")()  nules  of  briek  roads. 


System  of  State  Roads  in  Virginia. 

Foi-  several  \ears  pai-t  some  foi'ward  looking  men  of 
Virginia,  fortunatel.v  not  identified  with  ]in!ities,  have 
been  laying  the  f  )uudatiiin  for  a  system  of  State  roads 
to  be  maintained  by  the  State.  Among  these  Virgin- 
ians who.  having  the  best  intire-its  of  the  Commim- 
wealth  at  heart,  have  thus  worked  and  planned.  mii\' 
lie  mentioned  George  P.  Coleman.  St.ate  IIighwa\'  Com- 
missioner,  sa.\'s  a  Bristol   pajiei'. 

At  the  suggestion  ;)f  ]\Ir.  Coleman,  the  Virginia  Leg- 
islature a  \'ear  ago  appointed  a  cunimittee  to  consider 
and  report  a  system  of  State  roads.  This  committee 
has  held  several  meetings  and  doubtless  will  visit 
Southwest  Virginia  before  finally  making  their  rep;(rt. 

From  a  small  beginning  ten  years  ago,  the  State  Iligli- 
way  Department  :)f  Virginia  has  perfected  an  oi'gani- 
zation  among  the  best  in  Amei'ira,  ami  the  methods 
used  and  results  aci-oniplished  in  working  State  con- 
victs and  .jail  ])i'isoners  in  the  c  instruction  of  public 
roads,  u.nder  the  supi'r\'ision  of  this  department,  have 
attracted  the  favor;ihle  attention  of  leaders  of  th  >uglit 
and  action  in  other  States.  The  Virginia  system  often 
is  referred  to  as  a  model  upon  which  to  base  plans  for 
other  States.  With  the  hel]i  of  convict  laljor  and  State 
aid  funds,  connt.\'  and  district  b  md  issues  and  other 
public  and  pri\';ite  funds,  mnie  than  l.oOO  miles  of  im- 
]H'oved  roads  have  been  constructed  in  Virginia  under 
the  supervision  of  the  State  Highway   Department. 


Officers  Kentucky  Engineers. 

Officers  elected  f  )r  the  County  Koad  Engineers'  As- 
sociation of  Kentuck.v  to  serve  in  1918  are  as  follows: 
R.  W.  Davis,  Fayette  Count.\,  pi-esident :  (i.  M.  :\lid- 
•  Ueton,  Shelby  C'ount.\'.  first  vice  ]>resident  ;  •!.  Iv. 
Thomps  )n,  McCracken  count.\',  sei'ond  vice  president; 
Lee  Yoder,  Harlan  Connt.v,  tliird  vice  president;  K.  O. 
Mills,  Kenton  Comity,  fourth  vii'c  pi'csidcnt  ;  doe  S. 
Hoggs,  JMadison  Cornty.  fifth  \-icc  president;  d.  \i. 
Poindexter,  Madison  Coinit.v.  sixth  \-ice  president. 

Executive  and  legislative  committees:  J.  R.  (!;iines, 
W.  P.  Edwards,  W.  P.  Caldwell,  B.  F.  Bedford.  Fred 
Gesling,  H.  P.  Duvulle  and  F.  L.  Duffy. 


Some  Shade  Trees  Undesirable. 

Ob.iection  to  fruit  and  nu.t  trees  being  planted  along 
the  Dixie  Ilighwa.w  which  extends  from  .Alichi,gan  to 
I'M  ii'ida.  are  advam-<'d  by  •).  I\.  ISrirton.  State  Forester, 
of    KentU(dcy.      His   ob.jections   to    fruit    trees   are   that 


.S    last  Iron  Cuhtrt  Vnder  ii  Deili  Fill 
(M  Hdir  i.son  Count/.  Iowa 


UNDER  A  DEEP  FILL— 

the  culvert  must  withstand  the  tremend- 
ous pressure  of  the  earth  upon  it.  A  fill 
of  the  kind  shown  above  is  costly  and 
the  expense  of  replacing  the  pipe  under 
such  a  fill  is  prohibitive. 

For  this  reason  the  authorities  selected 

U.  S.  ^H^cfN^  CULVERTS 

They  selected  them  because  of  the 
ability  of  Cast  Iron  Culverts  to  stand 
heavy  loads  and  also  because  of  the  fact 
that  they  are  not  attacked  by  rust.  The 
first  cast  iron  pipe  ever  made  is  still 
giving  good  service.  Find  out  more 
about  U.  S.  Cast  Iron  Culverts.  Write 
today ! 


UNITED  STATES 

CAST   PTPIT'   AND 
IRON   ririLi    FOUNDRY 

COMPANY 

GENERAL  OFFICES:  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia.  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W  Oliver  Elder 
Chicago.  122  So  Mijh.  Blvd. 

Seattle.  Wa:  h  .  Room  1814,  L.  C.  Smith  Bid?, 


St.  Louis.  Security  Buildinfr 
Birminprham,  Ala.,  Am.  Trust  BIdg. 
San  Francisco.  Monadnock  BIdg. 
Buffalo.  957  E.  Fsrry  St. 


Afcirch,  Ji)17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   KoADS 


tliey  liiive  to  l)e  sprayeil  mul  cafct'iilly  iittciidt'il  in  or- 
der to  liear  fi'iiit.  lie  rilso  l)elieve,s  that  (lepredatioiis 
hy  bo_ys  would  reiidei-  fruit  and  nut  trees  unsi^litly. 
lie  suggests  tliat  native  shade  trees  be  phtnted  ahmg 
the  entire  route.  In  the  far  So\ith  it  woukl  be  possible 
to  have  a  siilendid  i- ladway  of  li\i'  oak.  magnolia  and 
palms.  Further  Xorth,  white  and  red  burr,  blaek  pin, 
scarlet  oak,  red  gum.  sycamore,  sugar  maple,  bciicli, 
elm  and  yellow  |)i)pular  couhl  be  grown.  Still  farthei' 
North  it  would  l)e  i)i)ssilde  to  raise  the  ash  and  bass- 
wood.  He  would  not  reconiinend  the  use  :)f  evergreens 
as  a  main  scheme,  but  suggests  that  evergreens  and 
flowing  ti'ces  could  he  used  as  a  backgi'onnd  foi-  the 
shade   trees. 


Bankers  for  Good  Roads. 


A  bond  issue  of  -ttil  1.(10(1(1(1(1  to  be  ex|)en(leil  on  a  state 
system  of  good  roads,  an  increase  of  automobile  license 
fees  and  the  granting  of  a  sustaining  membership  fee 
of  !|=."0  were  measures  approved  in  a  resolutiim  by  the 
executive  emincil  of  the   Illinois  Bankers'  Association. 

The  resolutions  wei-e  introduced  by  William  G. 
Ivlens.  jiresident  of  the  Illinois  <iood  Roads  Associ;ition. 

"That  the  legislature  be  urged  to  proxide  an  ap|tro- 
priation  from  the  general  funds  of  the  state  sufhcient 
t )  enable  Illinois  to  secure  from  the  national  govern- 
ment the  amount  offered  under  the  federal  aid  road 
act,  which  sum  amounts  to  i|<3. 3(10.000.  covering  a  five 
years'  period  beginning  with  the  year  1917,"  was  part 
of  the  resolution. 

The  legislature  was  also  asked  to  provide  legislation 
permitting  the  people  to  vote  nn  a  $60,000,000  bond  is- 
sue at  the  lU'xt  general  election   in   lOlS,  the  monev  to 


THE  1917 
GOOD  ROADS 
YEAR  BOOK 

Tliorougtily  revised  wiih  the  assistance  of 
over    fifty    leading    liigtiway    engineers,   to 
furnish  the  information  which  road  officials 
and  contractors  ask  for. 
ladispensable  in  the  office  of  any  progres- 
sive Commission  or  Contractor, 
Owmg  to  the  great  increase  in  the   cost  of 
printing,  the  edition  will  be  limited  closely 
to  present  requirements,   and   roadbuilders 
not  entitled  to  free  copies  as  members  of  the 
American     Highway     Association     should 
order  copies  now   to    be   certain    of   having 
them. 
Price  .t^.OO,  payable  on  delivery. 

American  Highway 
Association 

Colorado  Bldg.        Washington,  D.  C. 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  by  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


26 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


:^rarch.  1917 


be  expended  on  a  system  of  roads  covering  about  5,000 
miles,  connecting  every  county  in  the  state  with  every 
town  or  city  of  more  than  2,000  pipulation. 


A  Fine  Good  Road  Offer. 

Tin-  Wilmiiigloii  ( .\'.  ('.)  Star  .sa\s  tliat  recently 
wliilc  ill  Klizabcthtnwii  the  Government  Engineer  •"of- 
fered to  take  three  hours,  nothing  lint  donated  lalmr. 
materials  and  teaiiis.  and  make  any  impassable  scctinii 
of  road  in  the  county  p  issihie.'  lie  cmi verted  one  short 
stretch  into  a  mode]  highway  in  the  three  hours  ami 
created  a  profound  sensatimi.  A  little  matter  of  drain 
age  did  the  trick. 

He  makes  a  similar  offer  to  Smithtield  township  and 
prefers  the  stretch  between  the  River  and  Highland 
bridges  just  west  of  Smithtield  where  there  is  heavy 
travel. 

The  engineer  mcntioiic<l  is  none  other  than  Mr.  1).  II 
Winsbiw,  who  is  well  known  here  as  one  of  the  livest 
road  men  who  passes  this  way.  says  a  Smithtield  paper. 

This  is  too  good  an  offer  to  pass  liy. 


Beautify  California  Roads. 

With  the  object  in  view  of  lieautifying  the  highways 
of  the  three  counties,  the  general  committee  of  the 
State  Arborii'ult  iii-al  association  mi't  at  Riverside,  ('al.. 
recently. 

Riverside.  San  Urniai'ilino  and  Orange  county  each 
have  committee  of  10  engaged  in  this  very  important 
work  of  tree  planting  along  the  highways  of  the  state. 
Other  counties  in  the  state  have  taken  it  up.  and  it  is 
now  a  state-wide  movement. 

Governor  Hiram  Johnson  has  spoken  very  favorably 
of  the  work   of  the  societ\' 


:  i'^;i  (  uKt  [  t  t.ikinu  .  .iif  of  a  drainage  problem 
on  iIr-  l\n.itic  Hi)j;hwa\'.  Urc-gon. 

Making  Good  Everywhere 

WHEREVER  good  roads  are  being 
built  surface  drainage  must  be 
taken  care  of.  This  is  being  suc- 
cessfully done  by  those  who  know  the  all- 
round  value  of 


"ARMCO 


CORRUGATED  CU  LYERTS 


Relists  Rust 


"Armco"  Iron  Culverts  are  built  for  strength 
and  service.  They  stand  up  under  all  weather 
conditions.  They  resist  rust  because  made  of  pure 
iron — "Armco"  Iron. 

The  "Armco"    Triangle  a 
Guarantee  of  Dependability 

For  full  information  on  Rust- Resisting 
"Armco"  Iroti  Culverts,  Flumes,  Siphons, 
Sheets,  Roofingand Formed  Products,  write 

Armco  Iron  Culvert  &  Flume  IMfgrs.  .4ssn. 
CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


RUSSELL  ROAD  MACHINES 

Cut  The  Costs  Of  All  Road  Building  and  Maintenance 


FREE  TRIAL  OFFERED 
ON  ANY  MACHINE 

Our  method  eliminates  guettwoik  in 
the  purchase  of  Road  Macbineiy 

Good  roads  made  and  maintained  by  Rusaell  Machineg  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  U  S.  are  the  best  evidence  obtainab'e  of  the  efficiency  of  this  famou 
line.     Village,  city,  township,  county  ard  elate  officials  whohavehad  experience  with  these  muchines  are  our  be-i^t  boosters.    The  1917  line  is  more  cc'mplete 
than  •ver,  and  includes  the  following  :   Road  Machines,  all  sizes;  Planers,  Scarifiers,  Elevatiny^  Graders,  Dump  Wagons,  Spreader  Wagons,  all  kind?  of  Plows  ; 
all  types  of  Scrapers  ;  Road  Drags; 

Steel  ueam  Bridges;  Corruprated  ^ry. 

Galvanized  Metal  and  Cast  Iron  -  _M^\ 

Culverts  ;  Cutting  Edges,  etc. 

The  Russell  "MOGUL" 

Weifht  7,000  Ibi.     12  (I.  BUde 

This  biK  machine  is  of  too  ^reat 
capacity  to  be  UBtKi  with  horses.  U 
will  stand  the  "Kmff"  from  the 
largest  tractor.  One  of  26  to30H. 
P.  is  ideal  power.  As  Bimple  to 
operate  as  our  small  machines. 
Does  bigKest  work  in  a  hurry 
and  most  economically-  Study  its 
specifications  in  our  catalog  and 
then  see  it  work. 

Bif  1917  Catalog  and  ^^ 
Road  Fact  Book  FREE 
Write  for  it 

Mim  QPIlDtll 

m.  {.mm 

Minneapotia,  Minn. 

Repreaentativea  in  all 
Principal  Cities 


SOUTHErRN 

Good  Roads 


Published  Monthly 
Br  Southern  Good  Roads  Publisblns  Co. 


Lexington.  N.  C.  April,  1917 


Enterod  at  Lexinxton  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


$100,000,000  For  Southern  Roads 

Sixteen  States  South  of  Mason  and  Dixon  Line  Talce  Long  Leap  Forward  in 

Plans  For  Construction  During  This  Year 


SIXTEEN  States  in  the  South  and  Southwestern  sec- 
tions of  the  United  States  have  decided  on  a  good 
I'liads  campaign  involving  the  expenditure  of  ijilDOOOO.- 
000,  much  of  which  will  Ije  provided  by  bond  issues. 
The  present  money  conditions  are  viewed  as  highly  fa- 
vorable for  obtaining  the  needed  money.  Numerous' 
issues  already  have  been  announced. 

In  Alabama  it  is  estimated  j|i], 162,000  will  be  availa- 
ble, in  addition  to  at  least  !};2, 000,000  for  exclusive  coun- 
ty work. 

Arkansas  has  a  three-mill  road  tax,  which  provides 
about  $1,500,000  per  annum,  but,  in  addition,  the  State 
Iligliway  Department  has  made  surveys  and  furnished 
plans  and  specifications  of  2,;^00  miles  of  roads  of  a  per- 
manent character  at  the  estimated  cost  of  $8,650,000. 
practicall.y  one-half  of  which  has  been  constructed  or 
is  now  in  process  of  construction. 

Florida  Among  Leaders. 

The  peojile  of  Florida  have  been  earnestly  at  work 
in  building  highways  through  every  part  of  the  State, 
and  in  recent  years  have  spent  approximately  $17,- 
000,000.  The  annual  revenue  f  )r  road  work  in  the  fif- 
ty-two counties  of  Florida  is  approximately  $1,500,000, 
and  the  counties  of  the  State  have  still  $2,600,000  ot 
work  to  be  constructed  under  existing  contracts.  Ad- 
ditional funds  are  being  provided  through  county  bond 
issues.  -    .. 

In  1916  Georgia  counties  spent  $5,000,000  for  roads 
and  bridges,  and  indications  are  that  1917  will  witness 
great  activities  for  countj'-wide  and  intercounty 
bridge  I'eplacement  and  highway  improvement. 

In  Kentucky  811  miles  of  roads  were  built  in  1916 
at  an  approximate  cost  of  $2,500,000,  while  this  year  it 
is  said  state  contracts  will  be  let  for  between  800  and 
1,000  miles,  constituting  more  road  work  than  in  any 
former  year  and  involving  at  least  $3,000,000,  possibly 
more. 

Louisiana  has  become  the  terminus  of  many  inter- 
.state  highways,  and  this  has  stimulated  improvement 
of  roads  within  the  State.  To  connect  New  Orleans 
with  these  highwa.vs  $500,000  was  spent  on  a  2S-mile 
road  leading  to  the  highlands  of  Mississippi,  and  next 
Legislature  is  expected  to  vote  favorably  upon  a  con- 
stitutional amendment  appropriating  $15,000,000  to 
$25,000,000  for  building  State  highways. 

Maryland,  which  is  looked  upon  as  a  model  in  high- 
way development,  has  expended  $18,000,000  for  State 
roads.  During  1917  it  will  have  available  for  this  work 
$5,350,000.    These  roads  reach  every  corner  of  the  state. 


They  have  been  built  of  permanent  materials,  and  rep- 
resent a  splendid  example  of  the  many  desirable  ad- 
vantages and  possil)ilities  of  centralized  State  work. 

Mississippi  Banner  Year. 

In  Mississippi  1917  promises  to  be  the  banner  year 
for  good  roads,  and  it  is  expected  that  over  $3,000,000 
will  be  expended.  One  county  alone  has  provided 
$9(10,000  in  bonds  to  build  concrete  roads  at  $10,000  per 
mile. 

In  ^Missouri  tliere  are  approximately  200  special  road 
districts  in  the  different  counties  which  have  voted 
bonds,  ranging  from  $25,000  to  $100,000.  Some  coun- 
ties voting  countvwide  bond  issue  are  St.  Louis,  $3.- 
00(1.000:  Jefferson,  $500,000.  and  Clay,  $1,250,000. 

North  Carolina  has  been  one  of  the  most  active  South- 
ern States  in  highway  improvement.  During  1916  $5,- 
100,000  was  spent  for  maintenance  and  new  construc- 
tion, while  in  1917  it  is  expected  at  least  $6,000,000  will 
be  available. 

In  Oklahoma  State  road  .systems  have  been  estab- 
lished and  approved  in  all  seventy-seven  counties,  and 
county  conmidssioners  are  concentrating  efforts  on  con- 
struction of  roads  in  the  order  of  importance,  to  secure 
the  greatest  possible  benefits  to  all  the  people  of  the 
State.  A  number  of  county  bond  issues  have  been  pro- 
vided for  hard-surfaced  roads.  Fees  collected  from 
registration  of  motor  vehicles  amoiuit  to  $750,000,  and 
of  this  $250,000  will  be  devoted  to  maintenance  and 
$500,000  to  new  construction. 

Road  work  in  South  Carolina  has  received  decided 
impetus  and  a  wave  of  public  sentiment  for  better  high- 
ways in  many  counties  has  appeared.  South  Carolina 
is  expected  to  become  verj-  active  in  providing  increas- 
ed funds  for  better  roads. 

Tennessee  Progressive. 

The  counties  throughout  Tennessee  have  for  some 
years  shown  unusual  progressivencss  in  improvement 
of  roads,  and  it  is  stated  that  fift.v-two  counties  are  now 
constructing  roads  by  bond  issues  totaling  $18,000,000, 
with  bond  issues  pending  and  being  expended  during 
this  year  of  $10,0(^0,000,  with  special  county  appropri- 
ations of  $1,000,000  for  roads  and  bridges. 

Texas  during  the  past  year  spent  approximately  $20,- 
000,000  on  road  ocnstruction  and  maintenance,  and  it 
is  stated  that  indications  are  that  this  amount  will  be 
at  least  dovibled  this  year,  making  $40,000,000  for  road 
work  in  1917.  Texas  has  258  counties,  and  of  these  203 
are  active  in  highway  improvement. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April,  1917 


In  Virginia  road  work  was  carried  on  in  191G  in  pran- 
tically  all  eounties,  and  a  little  over  715  miles  were 
uuilt  at  a  cost  of  $1,600,000,  in  addition  to  sixty-seven 
bridges  new  under  contract,  costing  $250,000.  During 
the  past  year  twelve  counties  issued  a  total  of  $1,570.- 
600  in  bonds  for  road  and  bridge  work.  For  1917  it  is 
estimated  total  funds  for  orad  work  will  lie  $2,240,000. 
with  $700,000  additional  available  for  maintenance. 

West  Virginia,  a  typical  mountain  State,  has  thor- 
oughly awakened  to  the  influence  construction  of  good 
roads  will  have  upon  the  broadest  development  of  the 
State's  resources,  and  since  1912  has  voted  a  total  of 
$13,280,000  for  road  work,  while  within  the  next  month 
$2,525,000  in  bonds  will  he  voted  upon.  Last  year 
bonds  were  voted  to  the  extent  of  $7,678,500. 


Big  Winter  Auto  Travel. 

A  conservative  estimate  places  the  amount  of  money 
scattered  along  the  Dixie  Highway  aljng  detours  while 
construction  work  is  going  on,  and  along  the  east  coast 
route  from  the  New  Englatnl  states  en  route  to  Florida 
during  the  season  of  1916-17  to  excess  of  $2.7()(l.00(». 

Appi'oximately  27,t)0(l  tourists  traveling  in  t)9(l()  raivs 
have  made  this  trip  ovei-  I'nads  ranging  from  fair  to 
impassable,  excepting  witli  mule  i>i)\ver,  according  to 
weather   conditions. 

They  have  journeyed  southwai'd  hi  the  face  of  warn- 
ings sent  out  by  the  Dixie  Highway  Association  that 
the  road  improvements  along  the  Dixie  and  other  main 
highways  of  the  South  had  not  progressed  to  the  point 
where  winter  automobile  travel  to  Florida  could  be 
made  without  encountering  miles  of  new  grades  yet  to 
be  surfaced  and  diffiicult  detours. 

Of  the  6900  cars  it  may  be  taken  as  a  fairly  accurate 
division  to  say  that  4400  cars  went  down  the  east  coast 
from  the   Xew  England  .states.       The  remaining  2500 


cars  traveled  the  western  division  of  the  Dixie  High- 
way as  far  as  Nashville.  Some  of  them  braved  the 
Cumberland  ^Mountain  en  route  to  Chattanooga,  others 
came  into  Chattanooga  via  Huntsvile.  and  still  others 
went  from  Huntsville  through  Gadsden  and  Rome  to 
Atlanta,  while  the  Dixie  Highway  between  Nashville 
and  Chattanooga  was  in  course  of  construction. 


Motor  Increase  in  California. 

Old  Dobbin  is  on  the  toboggan  and  is  doomed  to  ex- 
tinction in  Southern  California,  according  to  figures 
compiled  by  the  automobile  editor  of  a  Los  Angeles, 
publication.  The  records  of  the  county  assses  ir's  office 
were  taken  and  these  show  that  there  are  less  than  half 
the  nundier  of  horses  in  the  comity  in  1916  than  there 
were  in  1900,  while  the  number  of  autos  has  increased 
from  six  to  79,146. 

The  growth  of  motor  vehicle  usage  in  this  section 
probably  has  been  faster  than  in  any  other,  owing  to 
there  being  no  closed  season  on  auto  travel  and  the  fact 
that  the  good  roads  system  is  m:)re  highly  developed 
than  anvwhei'e  in  the  world. 

In  1900  there  were  47.000  liorses  valued  at  $5,000,000 
(in  the  county  assessor's  books.  There  were  .just  six 
autos  valued  at  $8,400. 

The  next  ten  years  reduced  the  number  of  horses  to 
81,000,  having  a'value  of  $3,000,000.  The  horse  still  out- 
nundiered  the  autos,  which  in  that  year  numbered  11,- 
000.  having  a  value  of  $15,400,000. 

Dui'ing  the  past  six  years  Old  Dobbin's  family  has 
been  failing  appreciably,  there  being  only  20,000  of 
him  on  the  county  books,  while  nearly  four  times  that 
many  autos,  valued  at  nearly  $100,000,000  are  recorded. 

The  horse  already  is  becoming  somewhat  of  a  curi- 
osity to  Los  Angeles  kiddies,  most  of  whom  can  tell  the 
make  of  a  motor  ear  as  far  as  thev  can  see  it. 


Relocation  Work  in  Mecklenburg  County,  Virginia,  Showing  Old  Road  on  Right 


April,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


The  Universal  Road  Problem 

By  PROF.  R.  L.  MORRISON 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  of  Texas 


IX  i)ur  IVantic  efforts  to  develop  a  type  of  road  which 
will  carry  successfully  the  Inirdeu  of  an  ever  iu- 
creasiug  daily  traffic  of  thousands  of  motor  vehicles, 
and  to  maintain  these  roads  economically  after  they  are 
built,  we  are  apt  to  scorn,  or  at  least  to  overlook,  the 
problem  of  maintaining  the  humble  dirt  road.  The 
proper  care  of  our  hard-surface  roads,  in  the  con- 
struction of  which  we  have  invested  over  a  billion  dol- 
lars, is  an  immense  proljlem.  but  a  still  greater  one  is 
the  maintenance  of  our  earth  roads  which  still  consti- 
tute nearly  90  per  cent  of  our  entire  road  mileage. 
Not  all  sections  of  the  countrj^  have  improved  roads, 
but  there  is  no  community  so  small  or  so  large,  so  poor 
or  so  rich,  that  it  is  not  confronted  with  the  problem 
of  getting  the  best  p.issilile  service  from  the  earth  road. 
Hard-surfaced  roads  can  be  obtained  only  by  spending 
more  money,  but  our  earth  roads  can  be  vastly  im- 
proved simply  by  an  efficient  use  of  the  funds  whieli 
are  now  being  spent  with  such  poor  results. 

To  the  engineer  or  road  superintendent  who  under- 
stands what  should  be  done  to  the  earth  road  the  prob- 
lem is  mainly  one  of  organization,  and  the  greatest  ob- 
stacles are  likely  to  be  legal  rather  than  technical.  The 
old  system  of  wording  out  road  taxes  was  discarded  in 
France  over  lou  yeais  ago  ^ubc  of  its  manifest  in 
efficiency,  but  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States  this 
antiquated  system  is  still  firmly  implanted.  This  makes 
the  situation  discouraging  ut  not  hopeless.  The  work 
can  be  carefully  planned  ahead,  the  road  hands  can  be 
called  out  a  few  at  a  time,  and  can  be  worked  unc^r 
competent  loremen  who  are  continuously  employed. 

In  manj'  states  contracts  are  made  with  the  farmers 
to  drag  the  roads  near  their  farms  at  a  certain  rate  per 
mile  or  per  hour.  If  a  c:iunty  is  divided  into  districts 
in  charge  of  competent  foremen,  the  farmers  in  each 
district  can  be  called  out  by  telephone,  at  the  proper 
time  and  the  work  can  be  inspected  by  the  foreman. 
The  road  dragging  usually  interferes  very  little  with 
the  farmers'  legular  work.  If  the  district  foremen  are 
regularly  employed  and  supplied  with  teams,  tools  and 
extra  helpers  as  required,  their  woi'k  supplemented  by 
tile  dragging  done  by  the  farmers  will  keep  the  roads 
in  excellent  condition  at  a  comparatively  low  cost. 
Each  district  should  include  20  t  >  :iO  miles  of  road. 
To  the  best  of  the  writer's  knowledge,  this  plan  origi- 
nated in  Minnesota  and  is  almost  universally  employed 
in  that  state. 

Another  system  which  seems  to  be  efficient  is  a  part- 
time  patnl  system  under  which  the  roads  are  divided 
into  short  sections,  usually  3  ta  5  miles  in  length,  and 
a  man  supplied  with  the  proper  tools  is  put  in  charge  of 
each  section.  This  differs  from  the  usual  patrol  system 
in  that  the  man  does  not  devote  his  entire  time  to  the 
care  of  the  road,  but  his  other  employment  is  made 
secondary  to  the  road  work.  Many  engineers  claim 
that  the  continuous  patrol  systeaii  is  not  adapted  to  the 
maintenance  of  earth  roads,  but  experiments  by  the 
I".  S.  Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering 
seem  to  indicate  that  this  system  is  at  least  worthy  of 
consideration. 

The  gravel  road  probably  ranks  next  to  the  earth 
road  in  total  mileage.  On  many  trunk  highways,  of 
course,  a  gravel  surface  would  be  entirely  unsatisfac- 
tory, but  we  must  not  overlook  the  fact  that  on  roads 


carrying  comparatively  light  traffic  the  annual  inter- 
est cost  of  a  more  sulistantial  pavement  may  e.xceed 
the  maintenance  cost  of  gravel.  And  particularly  in 
the  more  thinly  populated  sections  of  the  South  and 
West,  with  low  property  valuations,  gravel  will  con- 
tinue for  a  long  tiine  to  be  the  most  widely  used  sur- 
facing material.     This  makes  the  proper  maintenance 


California  Concrete  State  Road 

of  gravel  roads  a  paramount  problem  in  many  states. 
With  this  type  of  road  the  regular  patrol  system 
seems  to  be  the  most  economical  and  efficient,  the  pa- 
trol sections  being  from  5  to  10  miles  in  length.  This 
is  especially  true  because  a  small  hole  in  a  gravel  road, 
unless  immediately  repaired  soon  becomes  a  large  hole. 
A  few  large  holes  mean  a  ruined  road  and  a  large  ex- 
pense for  resurfacing. 


The  pople  of  Tulare  county.  Cal..  are  going  into  the 
business  of  building  good  roads  on  a  large  scale.  Last 
month  they  voted  .+2,200,tX)0  to  pay  for  the  construc- 
tion of  223  miles  of  concrete  highways.  The  serial 
form  of  h:)nds  will  be  issued.  Work  is  expected  to  be- 
gin eitbci'  in  Mav  or  June. 


Chester  county,  S.  C,  is  preparing  to  vote  on  a  bond 
issue  for  $500,000.  A  group  of  leading  citizens,  four  of 
whom  were  against  the  road  program,  recently  visited 
Greenville  county  where  $900,000  has  just  been  spent 
in  building  the  different  types,  and  all  came  away  in 
favor  of  roads.  The  topsoil  roads  will  likely  be  chosen 
by  Chester. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April.  1!)17 


N.  C.  Legislature  Aids  Road  Building 

Highway  Commission  Strengtliened— Sign  Board  Law  Passed— Convicts  Help 
Important  Worlc— Six  MilHons  Will  Be  Expended  During  1917 


1"^  HE  I'ocoiit  scssiiin  iif  tlie  North  Carolina  Legisla- 
ture added  iimch  inoiiieatiim  to  road  building  in 
that  st.ite.  The  Clark  bill  provides  that  the  state  may 
guarantee  county  road  bonds,  furnishing  money 
at  5  per  cent  and  selling  state  bonds  at  4  per  cent,  the 
loans  to  run  40  years  and  the  extra  1  per  cent  to  pr^ 
vide  a  sinking  fund  that  will  retire  the  bonds.  $801, 
000  of  these  bonds  can  'be  issued  each  year  until  the 
amount  reaches  $;52,000,000.  Elections  will  be  held  in 
counties  applying  for  state  funds  the  first  Tuesday  in 
May  of  each  year.  Quite  a  number  of  counties  will 
take  advantage  of  the  law  this  year. 

The  lawmakers  also  granted  special  elections  in 
many  counties  for  road  bonds,  but  the  rule  in  most 
coiuities  is  for  the  commissioners  to  call  road  elections. 


Reconstruction  After  Floods  in  North  Carolina 

Hence  the  list  of  bond  issues  given  in  this  issue  of 
Southern  Good  Roads  means  that  these  bonds  liave  ac- 
tually been  auth;irized.  The  counties  themselves  will 
vote  millions  of  road  bonds  this  year. 

If  the  law  is  complied  with  within  six  months  gulile 
posts  will  be  staniling  at  all  the  principal  cross  roads 
in  every  county  in  the  State  to  speed  the  traveler  on 
his  way  and  in  the  right  direction.  These  posts  are  to 
contain  the  distance  and  direction  to  places  of  import- 
ance within  ten  miles  of  the  post.  This  is  one  of  the 
measures  put  through  by  the  T.  P.  A. 

Resume  by  Colonel  Cameron. 

Col.  Benehan  Cameron,  good  roads  apostle  of  Durham 
county,  e;)vers  the  road  legislation  in  an  extended  in- 
terview for  the  legislative  edition  of  the  News  and  Ob- 
server. 

Colonel  Cameron,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Highway 
Commission,  was  the  author  of  the  bill  that  gives  to  the 
Highway  Commission  supervision  of  the  automobile  li- 
cense tax  and  which  is  to  be  used  by  that  commissiori 
in  the  maintenance  work  that  is  required  in  order  for 
the  State  to  receive  its  proportionate  shares  of  the  Fed- 
eral aid  construction  fund.  Cnder  the  auto  license  tax 
bill,  70  per  cent  of  this  money  will  be  distriliuted  back 
into  counties  from  wliich  it  comes  and  expended  under 
the  direction  of  the  Highway  Commission. 

Concerning  road  legislation,  he  said : 

"I  want  first  to  say  that  in  the  act  of  1915  creating 
the  State  Highway  Commission  it  is  specifically  stated 


that  the  higliway  engineer,  upon  a  written  reijucst 
from  the  I'oatl  officials  (tf  any  county,  will  go  into  that 
count \'  to  do  work.  It  is  not,  as  some  have  thought, 
maiulatory  upon  a  count}'  for  it  to  have  the  advice  and 
aid  of  the  Highway  Commission  but  on  the  other  hand 
it  is  up  t.)  the  county  to  say  whether  they  want  it  or 
not.  The  truth  is  that  there  should  be  a  spirit  of  co- 
operation lietween  the  government  and  the  State  and 
between  the  State  and  the  counties,  f:)r  while  the  gov- 
ernment does  not  recognize  the  counties  the  Highway 
Commission  can  help  them  to  secure  Federal  aid. 

"As  to  the  road  legislation,  I  would  say  that  we  are 
fairly  well  satisfied.  Tlie  bill  to  authorize  the  State 
Highway  Commission  to  deal  with  the  United  States 
Secretary  of  Agriculture,  for  the  purpose  of  adminis- 
tering the  Federal  and  act,  was  duly  enacted.  Those 
interested  in  it  were  disappointed  in  the  amount  of  the 
appropriation  allowed,  which  is  too  small  to  handle  the 
Federal  aid  act,  because  the  government  estimates  that 
the  cost  of  engineering  would  be  10  per  cent  of  the  to- 
tal appropriation,  which  is  $1,700,000  that  North  Car- 
olina is  to  receive  in  five  years.  Of  this  amount  $114,- 
()()()  is  to  be  received  in  HMfi,  $'22S.0(10  in  1!)17.  $348,000 
in  1918,  making  a  total  of  $1)8"), 000  to  be  expended  on 
roads  in  North  Carolina  before  the  next  Legislature 
meets ;  and  we  will  have  to  put  up  the  same  amount,  as 
required  by  the  Federal  aid  law.  Experience  has  shown 
tliat  wc  Avill   liavp  ti  multiply  this  amount    (for  cngi- 


Team  Hauling  900  Feet  Lumber,  2,700  lbs.,  14  Miles,  in 
North  Carolina 

ncering  purposes)  by  three  in  order  to  arrive  at  the  sum 
that  will  be  expended  in  connection  M'ith  the  Federal 
aid  money,  on  each  project ;  as  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions of  the  Secretar_y  of  Agriculture  state  that  'no 
part  of  the  expenses  of  making  surveys,  plans,  specifi- 
cations or  estimates  by,  or  in  l)ehalf  of  the  State,  prior 
to  the  beginning  of  construction  woi'k  shall  be  included 
in  the  estimate  or  paid  by  the  Federal  government,' 
It  will  be  seen  by  this  statement  that  surveys,  plans  and 
specifications  for  pro.jects  costing  three  times  the 
amount  of  $685,000  will  have  to  be  provided  by  or  in 
behalf  of  the  State  before  any  of  the  Federal  money 
can  become  available  for  the  use  of  the  State,  This 
makes  it  necessarv  for  the  State  to  furnish  survev  work 


April,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


estimated  on  6  per  cent  of  the  cost,  c;)stiiig  over  $61,- 
000,  each  year  prior  to  the  meeting  of  the  next  legis- 
lature. It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  appropria- 
tion of  .$20,000  a  year  iflade  by  the  Legislature  for  this 
proposition  will  be  entirely  inadequate  to  enable  the 
State  Highway  Commissian  to  furnish  this  service  to 
the  counties,  and  hence  the  c:iunties  will  have  to  pay 
for  this  themselves — which  is  the  very  thing  that  was 
desired  to  be  avoided,  as  it  seemed  only  just  and  right 
that  the  State  itself  should  bear  this  part  of  the  ex- 
pense. 

"This  limited  appropriation  does  not  accord  with 
what  was  hoped  for  by  many,  as  in  practically  all  the 
states  the  surveys  are  paid  for  by  the  State.  The  fail- 
ure of  the  Legislature  to  nuike  provision  for  this  work 
causes  the  expense  of  preparing  for  Federal  aid  to  fall 
on  the  counties.  The  appropriation  as  made  will  all  be 
needed  to  meet  the  usual  requirements  af  the  road  work 
of  the  State  exclusive  of  Federal  aid. 

"A  misunderstanding  seems  to  prevail  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  State  highway  s.ystem.  Section  8  of  the 
Highway  Commission  law  of  1915.  establishing  the 
Highway  Commission,  provides  the  'A  system  of  roads 
be  laid  out,  connecting  all  of  the  county  seats  and  prin- 
cipal cities  of  the  State,  and  does  not  apply  exclusively 
to  the  Central,  National  or  any  other  special  highway, 
but  includes  all  of  the  main  roads  of  the  State. 

"The  automobile  license  tax  law,  which  takes  effect 
the  1st  of  July,  guarantees  to  the  government  the  main- 
tenance of  the  roads. 

"The  general  road  law,  made  necessary  after  the 
constitutional  amendment  became  effective,  is  in  the 
main  satisfactory;  although  a  numljer  of  provisions 
should  have  been  in  it  and  would  have  been  in  it  had 
there  been  more  time  to  prepare  it. 

"The  Governor's  bill,  which  provided  a  tax  of  not 
less  than  2  per  cent  nor  more  than  4  per  cent  for  the 
nmintenance  of  roads  built  by  bond  issue,  failed  to 
pass.  Tliis  was  a  distinct  disappointment,  for  it  is 
realized  by  everj^  one  who  has  a  real  interest  and 
knowledge  of  road  work  that  the  investments  made  by 
the  counties  are  being  wasted  by  the  almost  universal 
failure  to  properlj'  maintain  the  roads  built.  This  bill 
would  have  rectified  this  evil. 

"The  Hickory  Nut  Gap  road  bill  will  enable  the 
proper  reconstruction  of  this  splendid  road,  and  pro- 
vide a  way  for  the  people  of  Eastern  North  Carolina  to 
go  to  Asheville  and  the  West  over  the  Wilmington- 
Charlotte  and  Asheville  route,  as  well  as  over  the  Cen- 
tral Highway  route  when  that  is  completed. 

"Under  the  Beasley-Doughton  prison  bill  convicts  of 
the  State,  as  well  as  convicts  of  the  counties,  can  be 
used  against  Federal  aid,  under  that  provision  of  the 
Federal  aid  act  which  says  in  effect  that  labor  and  ma- 
terial shall  count  in  current  prices  dollar  for  dollar 
against  government  mone.v. 

"There  were  not  as  many  road  bills  before  the  road 
committee  this  year  as  there  was  two  years  ago,  when 
bills  aggregating  several  million  dolalrs  were  acted 
on.  This  was  due  to  the  limitations  of  the  constitution- 
al amendments,  but  under  the  Federal  aid  act  and  the 
general  road  bil  there  will  perhaps  be  more  money 
available  for  expenditure  on  road  work." 

Rebuild  Hickory  Nut  Gap  Road. 

Notwithstanding  the  strenuous  fight  made  by  some 
members  of  the  General  Assemblj'  against  sending  pris- 
oners from  the  penitentiary  to  construct  county  roads, 
the  bill  for  the  reconstruction  of  a  part  of  the  Hickory 
Nut  Gap  road,  in  Henderson  county,  which  was  destroy- 
ed by  the  fiood  lost  summer  got  through  and  the  di- 
rectors of  the  State's  Prison  are  directed  to  furnish  as 


many  convicts  as  possible,  not  less  than  75,  for  this 
work  for  a  period  of  not  less  than  120  working  days. 
This  act  enables  the  State  to  get  Federal  aid  in  the  re- 
construction of  this  piece  of  highway.  The  work  is  to 
be  done  under  the  supervision  of  the  State  Highway 
Commission  under  the  plans  and  specifications  agreed 
upon  by  the  United  States  Secretary  of  Agriculture  and 
the  State  Highway  Commission. 

The  convicts  are  to  be  furnished  within  30  days  after 
arrangements  have  been  made  by  the  Federal  govern- 
ment and  the  State  Highway  Commission.  The  cost  of 
guarding,  keeping,  clothing  and  equipping  and  all  oth- 
er exi)enses  of  the  convicts  detailed  for  this  work  are 
to  be  paid  for  by  the  penitentiary  authorities. 
Link  of  Dixie  Highway. 

An  act  was  passed  authorizing  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  the  Tennessee-North  Carolina-Georgia 
Scenic  Highway,  a  proposed  link  of  the  Dixie  High- 
way, extending  from  the  Tennessee  line  to  the  Georgia 
line  through  the  counties  of  Swain  and  Macon.  This 
measure  was  gotten  through  by  Senator  Bennett. 

The  State  Highway  Commission  is  to  select  and  des- 
ignate the  route  of  the  proposed  highway,  utilizing  as 
far  as  practicable  roads  already  existing.  The  count.y 
commissioners  of  the  two  counties  through  which  the 
road  is  to  pass  are  empowered  to  appropriate  out  of  the 
general  fund  a  sum  not  to  exceed  $50  a  mile  for  such 
highway  in  their  county  annually  and  each  city  and 
town  through  which  the  road  will  pass  is  also  authoriz- 
ed to  appropriate  $100  annually. 

A  board  of  trustees  is  created  to  be  composed  of 
three  members  from  Swain  county  and  the  highway 
commissioners  of  Cowee,  Smith's  Bridge  and  Franklin 
townships,  in  Macon  county,  who  are  to  serve  for  a  pe- 
riod of  two  years  from  the  first  ilonday  in  Jlay,  1917. 
The  trustees  appointed  are  to  meet  on  April  25  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing. 

Bond  Issues  Authorized. 

The  bond  issued  authorized  by  the  Legislature  are  as 
follows : 

Road  Bonds. 

Caldwell $  125,000 

Western  Wake  Countv  Highway  Dist 130,000 

Person    .' 300,000 

Sampson    200,000 

Currituck    60,000 

Forsvth    50,00 

Surry 3,500 

Howellsville  township  Robeson   $  8,000 

Pamlico    250,000 

Yadkin 140,000 

Alleghanv   100  000 

Robeson 500,000 

Burke 300,000 

Rockford  township,  Surry 20,000 

McDowell    50,000 

Jackson   12,000 

Jerusalem  township,  Davie 40,000 

Elkin  township,  Surry 5,000 

Pilot  township,  Surry   1,500 

$2,295,000 
Bridge  Bonds. 

Forsyth  and  Yadkin  to  construct  bridge  over 

Yadkin   30,000 

Gaston   100,00(1 

Iredell   (bridge  over  Catawba) 40,000 

Pitt 50,000 

Cleveland    80,00 

$300,000 


SOUTHERN  C400D  ROADS 


April,  1917 


A  Road  Washington  Needs 

Washington  and  Richmond  Highway  Leading   Route  For    Motorists    Bound 

For  the  South 


1)  Kl'ORTS  ai'c  <m  hand  to  show  tliat  tln'  early  siiin- 
\  iiiur  will  find  a  jri)od.  travelable  liiglnvay  lietwecii 
Washiniiton  and  RiehuKind,  and  that  the  early  t'idl  will 
fiud  a  I'oadway  leadiii<>'  to  the  southland  from  Wash- 
ington which  will  permit  travel  over  its  entire  length 
at  any  season  of  the  year  and  regardless  of  weather 
conditions,  thus  bringing  through  Washington  this  year 
the  great  army  of  northern  motorists  who  annually 
hike  for  the  sunny  south  at  the  first  sign  of  winter. 

This  is  the  news  that  Secretary  Ullmau  has  to  offer 
callers  these  trying,  war-clouded  days,  and  which  ac- 
counts for  the  presence  of  so  much  mirth  and  .joy  in  his 
offices. 

The  secretary's  statement  finds  its  source  in  recent 
conversations  with  nfticials  of  the  United  States  oiifice 
of  public  roads  and  State  Highway  Commissioner  Cole- 


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■H-^--'- 

On  One  of  the  Maryland  State  Aid  Roads 

man  of  \'irginia,  and  in  the  recent  fre(iuent  and  gener 
ous    eonti-ibutions   to   the    Chopawamsic    swamp    road 
Iniilding  fund,  which  is  being  collected  under  the  aus 
pices  of  the  District's  energetic  and  result-producing- 
organization  of  motor  ear  owners. 

Vccording  to  Mr.  Ullman,  all  of  the  necessary  work 
on  the  roadway  between  Dumfries  and  Chopawamsic 
creek  has  been  completed,  excepting  the  surfacing,  for 
which  funds  have  been  provided  and  which  awaits  only 
fair-weather  conditions.  There  is  another  short  stretch, 
he  says,  north  of  Dumfries,  which  needs  attention,  and 
it  is  for  this  that  money  is  being  collected  at  present. 
However,  this  latter  stretch  is  travelable  in  fair  weath 
er,  the  funds  being  gathered  to  put  it  in  first-class  con- 
dition and  to  construct  a  roadway  that  will  carry  traffic 
under  the  most  adverse  weather  conditions. 


Results  of  the  A.  A.  xV.  Club's  recent  campaign  for 
funds  have  been  extremely  gratifying,  ]\Ir.  Ullman 
states,  and  now  it  seems  that  nothing  short  of  some 
unlooked-for  catastrophe  will  prevent  the  opening  of 
the  Washington-Richmond  highway  within  the  next  few 
weeks. 

To  local  motorists  the  opening  of  this  road  means 
chiefly  a  new  touring  place ;  a  good  direct  route  to 
Richmond  and  the  moimtains  of  North  Carolina;  ac- 
cess to  historic  Virginia  over  toll-free  roads  and  a  mo- 
tor trip  that  re(iuires  only  a  District  license  tag. 
Complete  Alluring  Motor  Route. 

To  a  countless  number  of  motorists  desiding  far 
north  and  far  south  of  Wa.shington  the  completion  of 
this  stretch  means  adding  the  final  link  to  the  Atlantic 
highway,  which  extends  from  Quebec  to  [Miami,  and 
which  oft'ers  tourists  one  of  the  most  alluring  motor 
rides  in  all  the  land. 

To  Washington  business  men — hotel-keepers  partic- 
idarly — a  modern  north-and-south  highway  piercing 
the  National  Capital  means  many  additional  dollars  in 
trade  just  wdien  extra  business  is  needed — in  the  heart 
of  the  summer. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  happiness  which  is  so 
abundant  at  A.  A.  A.  headquarters  is  for  distribution 
among  Washingtonians.  motorists  and  merchants  alike. 

During  the  1916  touring  season,  according  to  the  A. 
A.  A.  touring  bureau,  more  than  12.000  persons,  travel- 
ing bj'  motor  car  between  the  north  and  south,  purpose- 
ly avoided  the  National  Capital  because  of  the  Chopa- 
wamsic swamp.  Approximately  12,000  others,  similar- 
ly bound,  did  come  to  Washington ;  but  each  of  these 
had  the  extra  time  and  money  needed  to  make  a  de- 
tour of  some  200  miles.  Figures  from  the  same  source 
indicate  that  during  the  1917  season  20.000  automobil- 
ists  will  not  make  the  detour. 

Are  20.000  additional  visitors  worth  anything  to 
commercial  Washington?  The  answer  to  this  question 
should  furnish  the  motive  prompting  every  buisness 
man  in  the  city  to  subscribe  a  few  dollars  to  the  fund 
for  the  regeneration  of  the  swampland. 

Traveling  over  long  stretches  of  country  by  motor 
car  still  is.  notwithstanding  statements  to  the  contrary, 
expensive  pastime,  and  those  indulging  the  novelty  us- 
ually are  persons  financially  able,  and  persons  who  cp.n 
afford  to  obtain  the  best  as  they  journey  along.  Again, 
tourists  who  visit  the  National  Capital  for  a  single  day 
are  few  and  far  between.  Therefore,  it  would  seem 
safe  to  estimate  that  these  20.000  visitors  would  re- 
main at  least  two  days,  at  !f5  per  day,  or  at  a  t"tal  of 
.^200, 000  for  board  and  lodging  alone. 

If  the  hotel  expenses  alone  of  these  20.000  toiu'lsts, 
who  will  start  pouring  into  Washington  just  as  ea'-ly 
and  just  as  surely  as  its  metaphorical  gates  are  open- 
ed, total  $200,000,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  they 
should  spend  $200,000  additional  for  tires,  gasoline, 
oils,  car  accessories,  clothing,  maps,  postal  cards,  ci- 
gars, garaging,  newspapers,  nuigazines.  shaves,  sham- 
poos, hair-cuts,  rugs,  souvenirs,  tijis  for  those  in  ser- 
vice who  render  faithful  service,  and  an  innumerable 
variety  of  other  necessaries  and  luxuries.  This  makes  a 
grand  total  of  $400,000.  and  the  estimate  is  ultra-con- 
servative. 

In  a  final  analysis  of  the  entire  situation  it  would 
seem  that  every  person  in  Washington  wdio  has  a  dollar 


April,  1!)17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


or  two  to  spare  should  ^ive  to  make  this  roadway  pos- 
sible at  the  very  earliest  date.        • ' 

Its  construction  means  more  business  for  commercial 
Washington,  a  new  touring  place  for  motoring  Wash- 
ington and  a  link  added  ta  a  great  chain  of  good  roads 
that  must  eventually  cover  the  United  States  if  the 
country's  apparent  desire  for  "preparedness"  is  to  be 
comprehensively  and  effectually  carried  out. 

Giving  an  idea  o£-the  value  some  hotel  owners  place 
on  good  roads  running  into  their  city,  it  is  said  that 
the  Jefferson  Hotel,  Richmond,  gave  .$5,000  to  the  orig- 
inal project  for  a  Richmond-Washington  highwa.v, 
while  two  other  hotels  in  that  city  gave  .'f;2,300  each. 


Rates  to  Birmingham  Meeting. 

Every  eft'ort  is  being  made  to  draw  as  large  a  crowd 
as  possible  to  the  Fifth  Annual  Session  of  the  United 
States  Good  Roads  Association,  which  meets  in  Birm- 
ingham on  April  17-21.  The  Bankhead  Highway  As- 
sociation meets  on  April  19-21st.  The  railroads  will  ad- 
vertise reduced  rates  throughout  the  country. 

The  Southeastern  Passenger  Assoeation,  which  con- 
trols and  arranges  the  rates  for  special  occasions 
throughout  tlic  south,  lias  made  a  special  rate  of  three 
cents  per  mile  round  tri])  plus  .'^oc.  Secretary  J.  A.  Roun- 
tree  is  in  receipt  of  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  How- 
ard. 

SOUTHERN  PASSENGER  ASSOCIATION 

Atlanta,    Ga.    Feb.    26,    1917. 
Mr.  J.  A.  Rountree,  Secy. 
United  States  Good  Roads  Assn., 
Birmingham,  Ala. 
Dear  Sir  :— 

Referring  to   .vours   of  the  22nd  instant. 

It  is  planned  to  issue  one  tariff'  puljlisliing  fares 
jointly  for  the  Biennial  onvention.  National  Federa- 
tion of  Musical  Clubs,  April  12-12;  United  States  Good 
Roads  Association,  April  17-20 ;  and  the  Bankhead 
Highway  Association,  April  19-21,  each  of  these  three 
occasions  to  be  shown  on  the  title  page  of  the  tariff, 
with  respect  to  the  matter  of  selling  dates  and  limit, 
please  advise  if,  in  your  opinion,  the  following  sched- 
ule will  satisfactorily  take  care  of  the  two  meetings  in 
which  you  are  interested : 

On  account  of  the  United  States  Good  Roads  Asso- 
ciation sell  for  all  trains  of  April  1.5,  16,  and  on  account 
of  the  Bankhead  Highway  Association  sell  on  April 
17,  IS  and  for  trains  scheduled  to  reach  Birmingham 
before  noon  of  April  19;  all  tickets  to  bear  final  limit 
good  to  reach  original  starting  points  returning  April 
25. 

You  understand,  of  course,  that  these  dates  are  sug- 
gested as  from  Southeastern  territory  and  that  if  re- 
duced fares  are  published  by  carriers  north  of  the  Ohio 
and  Potomac  and  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  their 
selling  dates  for  the  United  States  Good  Roads  Associa- 
tion convention  would  be  fixed  sufficiently  in  advance 
of  the  Southeastern  selling  dates  to  correspond  with 
the  greater  distances  and  longer  time  involved  in 
reaching  Birmingham.  Very  respectfully, 

W.   H.    HOWARD,    Secretary. 


The  contract  for  a  road  from  Russellville  to  Lewis- 
burg,  Ky..  has  been  let,  the  road  to  be  7  miles  long  and 
cost  $35,000. 


Bankhead  Highway  Tendered. 

The  Bankhead  Highway,  which  traverses  from  AVash- 
ington  via  Atlanta,  Birmingham,  Jlemphis,  Little  Rock 
on  to  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  was  fornnally  and  officially  ten- 
dered to  the  United  States  government  as  a  militar.y 
highway  by  a  committee  that  waited  on  Secretary  of 
War  Newton  R.  Baker,  who  was  in  Birmingham  recent- 
l,y  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  arguments  in  i-egard  to 
the  location  of  the  Government  Nitrate  Plant. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Rountree,  secretary  of  the  Bankhead  Na- 
tional Highway  Association,  was  a  spokesman,  for  the 
connnittee  and  explained  the  object  of  the  committee's 
visit  and  told  of  the  great  Bankhead  Highwa.y's  adapt- 
ability as  a  military  road  and  the  patriotic  desire  of 
the  people  along  the  route  desiring  to  tender  same  to 
the  governniieut.  Secretary  Rountree  closed  his  re- 
marks liy  introducing  Ex-Congressman  Thos.  S.  Plow- 
man, president  of  the  Bankhead  National  Highway  As- 
sociation, who  spoke  of  what  had  been  accomplished  in 
building  this  road  and  how  easily  and  quickly  it  could 
be  put  in  a  condition  for  military  purposes.  He  closed 
his  remarks  by  officially  tendering  this  highway  to  the 
United  States  Government  for  military  purp(.)ses. 

Secretary  of  War  Baker  in  a  most  graceful  heart  to 
heart  talk  expressed  himself  as  being  delighted  to  know 
so  much  about  the  Bankhead  Highway  and  assured  the 
committee  that  if  necessity  should  force  the  use  of  the 
same  it  Avould  'be  gladly  accepted  for  said  purposes.  . 
He  asked  many  questions  about  the  road  and  evinced 
much  interest  in  the  same  and  requested  that  full  de- 
tails and  data  be  sent  him  at  once. 

Congressmen  E.  B.  Almon,  of  Eighth  Congressional 
District;  John  iroft'ett.  private  secretary  of  Governor 
Charles  Henderson  ;  J.  B.  Elliott,  President  of  Jeffer- 
son County  Division  of  Bankhead  Highway  Associa- 
tion; B.  Riggins;  Ex-^Iayor  J.  A.  Van  Hoose  of  Birm- 
ingham; Hon.  W.  T.  Sanders,  Ex-Railroad  Commis.sion-  , 
er  of  Alabama,  together  with  jMessrs.  Plowman  and 
Rountree  composed  the  committee  that  officially  call- 
ed on  Secretary  Baker  and  were  delighted  with  the  : 
cordial  reception  accorded  them  and  the  interest  he 
manifested  in  the  Bankhead  National  Highway. 


Road  Building  in  Alaska. 

Alaska  has  been  building  roads  since  1905.  It  has 
Iniilt  920  miles  of  wagon  road,  629  miles  of  winter  sled 
roads  and  2210  miles  o-f  trails.  None  of  these  roads  was ' 
built  for  motor  car  traffic,  but  more  than  250  trucks 
and  passenger  cars  were  in  use  over  them  at  the  close 
of  the  last  fiscal  year. 

Much  damage  has  been  done  to  the  roads  by  heavy 
narrow  tired  trucks,  and  the  board  of  road  commission- 
ers finds  troubles  of  miaintenanee  with  them  always.  In 
addition,  they  found  it  necessary  to  build  a  five-mile 
road  along  a  hillside  last  summer  by  covering  the  road- 
bed with  willow  corduroy  and  surfacing  the  corduroy 
with  gravel  because  the  material  underlying  the  location 
consisted  of  six  feet  of  gravel  on  the  bed  rock,  forty 
feet  of  clear  ice  on  the  gravel  and  two  feet  of  moss  and 
tundra  on  top. 


Steps  are  being  taken  to  improve  the  Franklin  turn- 
pike out  of  Roanoke,  Va.  Citizens  favor  eliminating 
the  toll  gate  on  the  new  road  and  offers  of  aid  are  be- 
ing given. 


The  county  road  engineer  of  Dallas  county,  Texas, 
recommends  that  $200,000  yearly  be  set  aside  for 
maintenance  of  the  county  roads. 


Lafayette  parish.  La.,  recentl.v  voted  and  sold  $300,- 
000  road  bonds.  Standard  gravel  roads  are  the  type  to 
be  built. 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April,  1917 


A  Proper  Maintenance  System 

By  R.  T.  BROWN 
Engineer-Superintendent  of  Davidson  County,  North  Carolina 


17^  OR  PROPER  maintenance  a  systematic  organiza- 
tion is  iieoessary  to  .secure  satisfactory  results. 
On  a  system  of  top-soil  or  sand-clay  roads  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  the  needed  repairs  be  done  at  the  proper 
time,  and  this  proper  time  may  be  the  same  time  for 
several  sections  oi  road.  Hnce  it  is  necessary  to  have 
men  in  cliarge  of  short  sections,  about  four  to  six  miles 
each,  so  that  tliey  can  cover  their  respective  sections 
while  in  proper  condition.  These  men  usually  need  be 
employed  for  only  a  part  of  their  time,  as  there  will  be 
much  time  that  no  work  is  needed  on  the  road.  They 
should  be  farmers  or  men  who  are  interested  in  their  re- 
spective sections  of  road.     That  is,  they  should  be  us- 


ROY  T.  BROWN 
Resident  Engineer,  Davidson  County,  N.  C. 

ers  of  the  road  they  keep  uji.  The  chief  objection  to 
employing  farmers  for  this  work  is  that  they  will  us- 
ually neglect  the  road  when  they  are  working  in  their 
crops.  For  this  reason  maintenance  men  should  be  se- 
lected, when  possible,  who  have  boys  large  enough  to 
do  the  farm  work  or  the  road  work.  A  man  who  has  an 
automobile  will  ordinarily  keep  a  lietter  road  than  one 
who  has  not.  He  may.  however,  have  to  lie  restrained 
from  spending  too  much  on  his  section. 

The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  Road  Jlaiutenance 
system  in  use  in  Davidson  County,  N.  C.  It  comprises 
patrolmen  for  the  roads  that  have  been  improved,  both 
the  top-soil  roads  and  those  that  have  been  only  grad- 
ed, and  also  small  "maintenance  gangs"  for  working 
tlie  iniiinprovcd  roads. 

Patrol  System. 

As  soon  as  a  road  is  finished  for  some  distance  it  is 
divided  into  sections  and  a  man  assigned  to  each  sec- 
tion. He  is  furnished  with  a  drag,  slip  scraper,  or 
"scoop,"  and  a  shovel.       He  is  also  provided  with 


blanks  like  the  one  .shown,  headed  Road  ^Maintenance 
Report,  and  addressed  envelopes  to  mail  same  in.  His 
instructions  are ;  to  drag  the  road  every  time  that  it 
needs  it ;  fill  up  holes ;  keep  the  ditches  clean  and  th » 
drain  pipes  open :  have  trees  cut  that  in.i'uriously  .shade 
the  road;  call  on  the  engineer  at  any  time  he  has  necil 
of  his  assistance. 

The  engineer,  who  is  also  Superintendent  of  Mainte- 
nance, goes  over  the  i-oads  at  frecpient  intervals,  and 
gives  instructions  to  the  patrolmen  as  to  what  addi- 
tional work  he  wishes  done,  or  what  work  he  wants  dis. 
continued.  The  Superintendent  carries  an  ordinary  du- 
plicating order  book  and  a  supply  of  postal  cards.  If 
he  wishes  to  leave  a  message  at  the  patrolman's  resi- 
dence he  writes  it  in  the  order  book,  leaving  one  copy 
for  the  patrolman  and  keeping  one.  If  he  does  not 
pass  by  the  residence  or  see  the  patrolman  on  the  road 
he  inserts  a  postal  card  under  the  carbon  slieet  and 
writes  the  message  in  th  book,  as  before,  thus  retaining 
a  copy.  This  card  is  mailed  at  any  rural  box.  This  ob- 
viates the  common  tronlile  of  forgetting  what  he  want- 
ed to  write  or  foregetting  to  write  at  all. 

From  time  to  time  circular  instructions  are  mailed  to 
the  patrolmen,  iluch  of  this  can  be  done  by  using  an 
ordinary  gelatine  "duplicator"  and  printing  on  postal 
cards. 

The  expenditures  on  each  section  are  classified  and 
entered  on  the  sheet  headed  Quarterly  ]\Iainte- 
nance  Cost  Report.  At  the  end  of  the  cjuarter  the  av- 
erages are  filled  in  on  the  postal  card  summary  with 
the  individurd  averages  for  the  various  sections,  and 
mailed  to  tlie  respective  patrolmen.  The.v 
are  thereby  enabled  to  compare  their  costs 
with  the  average  for  the  same  class  of  road.  When 
any  one  of  the  patrolmen  originates  an  improvement 
in  his  ecjuipment  or  in  his  method  of  handling  the  work 
the  superintendent  carries  the  idea  to  the  other  men. 
giving  credit  for  the  improvement  to  the  one  who 
though  it  out.  in  case  it  can  be  illustrated  by  photo- 
graph, a  picture  is  made  to  show  to  the  other  patrolmen. 

For  resurfacing  the  weak  places  on  the  surfaced 
roads  two  motor  trucks  have  been  purchased.  Arrange- 
ments are  being  made  to  secure  suitable  soil  on  the  dif- 
ferent roads,  so  that  it  will  be  available  at  any  time. 
Each  truclv  will  be  in  charge  of  a  competent  man  who 
will  work  under  the  directions  of  the  superintendent, 
going  from  one  road  to  another  as  may  suit  the  con- 
venience of  the  road  and  the  patrolmen.  The  patrol- 
man will  have  charge  of  hauling  the  soil  on  his  section, 
since  he  will  know  better  than  the  truck  foremen  just 
where  resurfacing  is  needed. 

A  traffic  census  is  being  taken  on  various  sections  of 
road.  The  data  will  be  taken  at  intervals  of  four  weeks 
and  one  day  for  example,  if  the  first  report  is  made  on 
ilonday  the  next  will  be  taken  on  Tuesda.v.  In  this 
way  each  day  of  the  week  will  be  covered  during  a 
six  months  period.  The  traffic  is  classified  according 
to  the  schedule  shown  on  the  sheet  headed  Traffic  Cen- 
sus Report.  By  this  means  we  will  be  able  to  eventuall.v 
adjust  the  maintenance  cost  practicall.v  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  traffic. 

These  gangs  consist  of  three  or  four  men  each  and 
four  or  six  mules.    They  are  equipped  with :  drag  sera- 


April,   1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOi:)  ROADS 


11 


pi'Ts ;    pliiw;    hilllllHcrs    Jllld    dl'ills;    Jticks    Mild    slliivels; 

one  wagnii  eaoh ;  one  riad  iiutc^iine  for  four  horses. 
The  county  is  divided  into  four  sections  and  one  gang 
placed  in  each  division.  During  the  winter  months 
when  it  has  been  impracticable  to  work  on  any  travel- 
led roads  these  forces  have  been  engaged  in  grading 
on  new  locati  ins  of  tlie  unimproved  roads.  The  farm- 
ers in  the  various  sections  have  given  much  free  lalior 


111  llicsc  I'lircps  to  aid  in  grading  aniund  llic  bad  hills. 
In  this  way  the  work  is  put  on  a  more  permanent  basis, 
so  that  future  work  on  these  sections  will  be  toward  im- 
proving the  surface  instead  of  filling  up  the  same  ohi 
washes  that  have  lieen  I'cpeatodly  tilled  foi'  the  past 
forty  years. 

As  soon  as  spring  ni^ens  and  the  weather  is  suitable 
for  working  on  I'oads  that  are  being  used  these  forces 


FOHSYTH  Co- 


Que/ 


t-S^lerrr 


-Koadi  iroO^a  onff  or  ^arU/  St":   —-^ 

Ifo^dy   F it) t til* 4 

■Ra\troad.i 

CreeMs 


TioaJs  sAof/rf  are  a// Bridged 


3-r/=rtvi.yCa. 


.a 
The  accompanying  map  shows  the  distribution  of   improved    roads   in   the   county.     It   will   be    seen   that   the    patrolmen    are 
necessarily  scattered  over  a  wide  territory.     As  a  result  the  men  in  different  sections  see   very   little    of   each    others'    work.     This 
makes  it  important  that  the  superintendent  cover  all  the  county  at  frequent  intervals  to  standardize  the    work   and    to   carry   from 
one  patrolman  to  another  plans  and  methods  for  doing  more  effective  work. 


]2 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April.  WIT 


will  he  sent  over  all  the  roads  ia  their  seetious  to  crown 
them  and  open  ditches  and  drains.  The  r;)ads  will  thus 
be  put  ii)  good  shape  for  the  summer,  and  one  more 
going  over  toward  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  will 
leave  them  ready  for  the  winter.  There  will  be  another 
period  after  ci'ops  are  laid  \iy  in  whii'h  the  farmers  can 
give  more  free  labor.  The  principle  we  go  on  is  this. 
We  shall  have  to  do  some  repair  work  on  a  certain  sec- 
tion of  road.  "We  could  put  it  in  pretty  good  temporary 
condition  for  ai)OUt  so  nuich.  If.  however,  the  citizens 
ou  said  road  want  it  relocated  at  the  worst  places  and 
work  of  a  more  permanent  nature  done  on  it  we  will 
spend  a  larger  amount  and  relocate  it  if  they  will  help 
do  the  additional  work.  luey  pay  their  ta.x  it  is  true, 
but  that  is  for  the  ordinary  repaii's  and  for  the  use  of 
the  improved  main  highways.  The  free  wor.c  the.\' 
give  is  to  get  more  done  in  their  particular  community. 
The  citizens  have  been  very  liberal  in  this  sort  of  work. 
There  are  now  numerous  applications  for  this  sort  rf 
co-operation  1).\-  the  county  that  we  are  not  in  position 
to  sup  pi, v. 

We  are  n  )w  waging  a  campaign  for  the  removal  of 
shade  from  the  roads.  That  has  been  the  source  of 
greatest  damage  to  our  top-soil  roads  this  winter.  The 
citizens  are  co-operating  nii-cly  in  this  matter,  and  bad 
spots  due  to  shaded  roads  will  soon  l)e  a  thing  of  the 
p;ist    in    l)a\'idsiin   coiuit.x'. 


A  Typical  Country  Road  Problem. 

By   Prof.   VAmo  (!.   Ilari'is.    rni\('rsity  of   .Missouri. 

The  roail  problems  if  sparsely  settled,  r\ig- 
ged  p  irtions  of  the  Ozark  Hills  are  not  understood  by 
I'esidents  of  the  region  or  li\'  lecturers  on  road  improve- 
ments who  address  go:id  r>iads  meetings.  The  region 
embraces  about  one-fourth  of  ilissouri  and  the  first  fac- 
tor anion"  its  road  problems  is  its  very  limited  financial 
ability.  A  non-resident  lecturer  was  telling  a  road 
meeting  how  a  highway  was  built  where  he  came  from, 
when  one  of  the  audience  asked,  ■'What  did  that  road 
cost  per  mile?"  The  answer  was,  '•$12,000  to  $15,000." 
The  point  will  be  clear  when  the  reader  is  told  that  tlie 
total  annual  road  tax  of  the  county  in  which  the  meet- 
ing was  held  scarcely  exceeds  $1.5,000.  The  p  ipulation 
of  the  region  is  from  10  to  25  per  square  mile,  the  tax- 
able valuation  per  scpiare  mile  is  $-t,000  to  $(i.500,  the 
annual  property  tax  for  roads  is  $5  to  $8  per  sciuare 
mile,  and  thei-e  are  1  to  l'^  niib's  of  road  |iei'  sipiare 
mile. 

The  tojiography  of  the  Ozarks  is  intricatr  aiol  led  t  i 
an  intricate  s.vstem  of  roails.  The  pioneer  in  his  ox- 
cart almost  necessarily  followed  the  ridges  as  long  a:^ 
he  could.  Then  came  the  settlers  into  the  valle.^'s.  Since 
it  was  impracticable  for  them  to  nmke  roads  on  the 
spurs  and  hillsides,  their  roads  had  to  lie  along  tlie 
streams.  Then  the  settlers  went  anywhere  and  every- 
where, with  the  necessity  for  more  roads.  These  were 
laid  out  accoi-ding  to  the  exigencies  of  the  case  or  as 
prompted  by  individual  interests.  Finally  ai'ose  the 
deplorable  custom  of  locating  new  roads  on  land  sub- 
division lines,  and  worse  and  mure  unpardonable.  mii\-- 
ing  the  old  ridge  roads  on  to  the  neai'by  section  lines 
regardless  of  hills  and  hollows.  The  result  is  the  most 
deplorably  located  roads  on   earth. 

On  most  of  the  i- jads  in  the  Ozark  Hills,  the  tirst  and 
greatest  need  is  proper  location.  .Aloncy  thus  spent 
will  do  more  good  than  in  any  other  wa.\'.  Now  is  the 
time  to  correct  the  blniders  of  the  past  and  do  away 
with  the  int  )lera'olc  conditions  that  the  ])ioneers  had  t  ) 
endure.  ]>ridges  and  culverts  ai-e  being  built  and 
grax'cl  being  placed  on   road-,  with  ulai-iim'  errors  in  lo- 


cation. Thus,  in  a  laudable  effort  to  serve  the  pulilic.  a 
lasting  in.jury  may  be  done  by  fixing  more  tirmly  the 
faulty  locations.  The  cost  of  a  moderate-size  culvert 
will  ecpial  that  of  crowning  up  a  mile  of  new  road  with 
a  machine.  We  all  know  that  gravel  cannot  be  held 
on  such  steep  grades  as  many  of  the  roads  have.  There 
is  no  reason  why  the  cost  of  relocation  should  be  feared. 
Engineering  difficulties  are  small  but  the  need  of  engi- 
neering .judgment  is  of  first  importance.  Better  loca- 
tion will  reduce  the  cost  of  maintenance  and  thereby 
leave  more  funds  for  culverts,  drains  and  graveling. 

Past  practice  in  the  matter  of  changing  roads  and  the 
location  of  new  roads  has  been  to  leave  it  entirely  to 
the  initiative  of  some  individual  or  of  a  few  people  re- 
siding near  the  proposed  change,  who  are  usually 
prompted  by  selfish  inteersts.  Petitions  originating  in 
sui'h  sources  are  seldom  re.jected  by  the  eount.v  courts, 
for  reasons  inherent  in  the  present  system.  To  control 
this  phase  of  the  sub.ject.  and  for  many  other  reasons, 
every  county  should  have  a  competent  highway  engi- 


Maintenance  of  State  Aid  Good  Roads  in  Maine 

neer.  lie  should  have  initiative,  slioukl  be  backed  bv 
clearly  defined  statutes  giving  him  authority,  and 
should  be  encoui'aged  by  the  approval  of  the  public. 

At  this  time,  and  for  indefinite  years  hence,  a  careful 
and  conscientious  engineer  will  not  recommend  build- 
ing with  public  funds  what  would  be  styled  first-class 
highways,  for  the  cost  of  a  few  miles  of  such  road 
would  use  up  all  the  funds  of  a  county  aiul  lienefit  only 
a  small  fraction  of  the  populati  m.  For  like  reasons  the 
i'ngine<'rs  will  not  recommend.  exce|tt  in  I'are  cases,  any 
extensive  cuts  antl  fills  in  proposed  improvements  to 
be  made  from  county  funds.  The  expenditure  would 
be  too  localized  and  the  need  of  such  work  can  often 
be  avoided  and  a  better  I'oad  obtained  by  a  detours, 
that  is.  by  relocation.  Similarly  the  building  of  the 
larger  bridges  should  be  deferred  where  fords  are  pas- 
sable, until  the  roads  are  properly  located,  widened  ti) 
full  width,  crowned  and  drained.  If  a  conununity  is 
determined  to  have  a  stretch  of  first-class  iMad,  it 
should  organize  a  special  road  district  and  let  the  peo- 
ple dii'cctly  beiu>fitted  pay  the  cost. 


The  boaid  of  road  commissioners  of  Washington 
eount.v,  ^liss..  have  decided  upon  the  construction  of 
158  miles  of  concrete  highways,  to  be  built  without 
shoulders,  b\it  with  a  six-foot  graveled  shmdder  to  be 
added  later. 


The  county  commissioners  )f  Potter  county,  Texas 
have  authorized  the  issuance  of  $50,000  bonds  for  im- 
mediat(>  roati   construction. 


Api-il,   1!)17  SOI'TIIEKN  (JOOI)   K'OADS  13 

Oklahoma  Good  Roads  Week 

First  Meeting  at  ttie  State  University  So  Beneficial  That  It  Was  Decided  to  Malie 

It  An  Annual  Affair 


1 


"^  IIK  lii'sl  iiiimiiil  (iiioil  lioiids  Wi'i'k  .-it  llic  I'liiversi- 
ty  i)f  ( )kl;ili(iiiia  closed  iiiion  SMtiirday,  Jan.  6th. 
The  C  )Uiity  Engineers  in  attendance  jiresented  resolu- 
tion.s  expressing  to  the  President  and  faculty  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  splendid  progress,  demonstrations  and 
special  instruction  which  they  had  received. 

With  hut  few  exceptions  the  program  was  rendered 
as  published,  and  in  part  was  as  follows: 

On  ^Monday  afternoon  ]Mr.  C.  W.  Shannon,  director 
of  the  Geohigical  Survey  State  of  (Oklahoma,  gave  a 
very  valualile  discussion  of  the  distribution  of  road  ma- 
terials in  the  State  of  Oklahoma  illustrated  with  charts. 
maps,  and  statistics  plates  as  to  the  quantit.y.  quality, 
and  accessibility  of  material  for  road  construction.  On 
;\ronday  night  an  illustrated  lecture  by  Professor  James 
I.  Tuck'ei'  using  ph  itographs  of  road  construction,  il- 
lustrations from  road  articles  of  special  interest  to 
the  members,  and  also  pictures  by  the  engineers  present 
of  their  own  work,  served  as  a  miiiiue  feature  in  the 
progress. 

8:30  to  9:4:5  a.  m.  each  morning,  a  recitation  on  spec- 
ial topics  from  the  "American  Road"  was  conducted  by 
•James  I.  Tucker. 

On  Tuesday  morning  I\Ir.  ;\Iax  L.  ("uiuiingham.  state 
engineer,  took  up  I'oad  surveys.  In  the  afternoon  ilr. 
W.  S.  Gearhart,  state  engineer  of  Kansas,  addressed 
the  meeting  on  the  subject  of  bridges.  Each  afternoon 
during  the  entire  week  Professor  ^I.  0.  ^lohl.  Profes- 
sor of  Geology,  Ihiiversity  of  Oklahoma,  discussed  in 
detail  materials.  Special  problems  and  instruction  in 
surveying  was  also  presented  during  the  entire  week. 

Professor  IT.  Ij.  Whittemore.  associate  professor  of 
mechanics  University  of  Oklahoma,  ran  test  of  mate- 
rials on  concrete,  steel  and  brick  each  afternoon.  ;\Iany 
of  the  specimens  tested  were  prepared  by  those  attend- 
ing the  scho;)l  frt)m  their  local  materials. 

At  the  night  session  on  Tuesday,  Jan.  2nd,  Mr.  Geo. 
A.  Ricker  representing  the  Portland  Cement  Associa- 
tion, gave  a  s])lcndid  talk  on  the  construction  of  con- 
crete roads. 

On  Wednesday  Jan.  3rd  in  addition  to  his  class  work 
Professor  James  I.  Tucker  took  up  sand-clay  roads, 
their  construction,  maintenance,  and  examination  of 
materials  for  them.  In  the  afternoon  ^Ir.  W.  P.  Dan- 
ford,  assistant  State  Highway  Engineer,  spoke  on  the 
accomplishments  of  the  State  Highway  Department 
and  at  the  close  of  his  talk  was  questioned  by  the  Com- 
missioners and  Engineers  present  for  nearly  an  hour 
relative  to  the  policy  of  the  Department  and  the  opera- 
tions of  the  new  law. 

In  the  evening  a  special  demonstration  of  surveying 
instruments  was  given  at  the  Varsity  Shop.  This  was 
followed  by  a  lecture  on  bituminous  road  construction 
and  road  machinery,  illustrated  by  motion  picture.  Also 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  T.  F.  Gafford.  secretary  of 
the  County  Commissioners  Association,  the  audience 
was  much  enlightened  by  an  illustrated  lecture  on  the 
road  construction  in  ^Murray  County. 

On  Thursday,  Jan  4th,  Robert  C.  Terrell,  former  Com- 
missioner of  Public  Roads  of  Kentucky,  discussed  ma- 
cadam roads.  In  the  afternoon  H.  C.  Hammond,  assis- 
tant State  Pjxaminer  and  Inspector,  covered  the  ac- 
counting for  state  road  funds.  The  commissioners  ad- 
journed their  business  meeting  in  order  to  hear  him. 


He  was  closely  <|uestioncd  on  iiiaii\-  points  and  a  sten- 
ographic report  of  his  lecture  prepart'd  for  the  enlight- 
enment of  the  Commissioners  iind  p]ngineers.  Thurs- 
day evening  was  taken  up  with  two  reels  of  Kentucky 
road  pictures,  presented  by  ]\Ir.  Terrell,  formerly  of 
Kentucky,  and  two  reels  of  road  machinery  pictures, 
with  one  reel  illustrating  the  concrete  road  construc- 
tion on  the  Ohio  Post  road,  given  under  the  direction 
of  Jlr.  L.  L.  Winans.  Juni(n-  Highway  Engineer  of  the 
Department  of  Public  Roads. 

Friday  morning  in  addition  to  an  interesting  dis- 
cussion on  Highway  legislation,  ;\Ir.  J.  D.  Fauutleroy, 
division  engineer  in  charge  of  the  Federal  Aid  con- 
struction for  the  states  of  Texas,  Oklahoma.  Louisiana 
and  Arkansas,  gave  an  interesting  talk  on  Highway 
Construction  at  a  ni>on  luncheon. 

On  Thursday  and  Friday  a  buffet  luncheon  was  giv- 
en by  the  Methodist  ladies  in  the  gymnasium  at  the  Un- 
iversity, and  many  interesting  talks  were  a   specialty 


16-foot  Clear  Span  Keintorced  Concrete  Slab  Bridge  on  Shel- 
byville  to  Louisville  Road,  Shelby  County,  Ky. 

of  the  noon  hour.  Friday  afternoon  a  road  oil  demon- 
stration was  given  on  the  cemetery  road  north  of  town, 
and  some  dragging  done  on  a  road  near  the  campus. 

Saturday  was  devoted  to  special  instruction  for  the 
engineer  candidates  for  the  State  Highway  Examina- 
tion, held  at  the  University  Jan.  8th  and  9th. 

The  meeting  was  regarded  as  a  considerable  success 
and  the  attendance  was  large  for  the  first  of  such  meet- 
ings. The  enthusiasm  displayed  by  those  in  attend- 
ance assures  a  repetition  of  the  meeting  for  next  year, 
and  causes  the  University  to  feel  that  it  has  found  an- 
other direct  way  to  benefit  the  state,  as  increasingly 
large  sums  of  road  money  will  be  spent  in  Oklahoma 
each  year. 

The  registration  which  totaled  104  for  the  short 
course,  Jan.  1st,  to  6th,  shows  that  thirt.y-eight  of  the 
seventy-seven  counties  were  represented  either  by  their 
commissioner  or  engineer.  Woodward  county  was  rep 
re.'-ented  by  its  county  engineer  and  three  commission- 
ers. Lincoln  was  represented  by  its  three  conunission- 
ers. 

There  were  twenty  commissioners  representing  thir- 
teen counties.      Thirty   counties   were   represented   by 
their  county  engineers  and  there  were  present  six  conn 
ty  surveyors. 


u 


SOUTHER X  GOOD  ROADS 


April.  I'.ll' 


Published  Monthly  by  SOUTHERN  GOOD  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON,  Nobth  Cabouna 

a.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Genl  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HTDE  PR.^TT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C  .  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 

Sonthem  Representative :    GEO.  M.  KOHN 

lOM  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta.  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORENZEN.  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
22-5  Fifth  Avenue.  60.5  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 

Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  shonld  be  in  oar  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Orgeui  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENRI  B   V-A.RNER.  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  ""R.iTT.  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PR  \TT.  President.  Chapel  Hill,  K.  C. 
C.  B.  SCOTT.  Secretary.  Lynchburg,  Va. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Colombia.  S.  C. 
FIN  GAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary,  Colnmbia.  S.  C. 


/OL.   XV. 


.\PRIL,   1917. 


No.    4. 


CAEE  SHOULD  BE  EXERCISED. 

Tile  day  of  hit  or  miss  in  road  construftion  has  pass- 
ed. Too  mauy  eommunities  have  gone  into  the  work 
on  this  plan,  hoping  that  the  chosen  type  would  pan 
out  well,  but  with  no  definite  proof  that  it  was  the 
thing  adapted  to  climatic  and  traffic  eonditijns.  Millions 
of  dollars  have  been  wasted  that  way  and  there  comes 
a  time  to  call  a  halt.  "We  realize,  however,  that  in 
many  instances  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  type,  but 
the  lack  of  maintenance  that  brought  about  the  waste. 
Who  w  (uld  expect  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road  to  stand 
up  without  proper  drainage,  dragging  and  necessary 
patching,  or  if  it  is  shaded  in  winter  time  by  pine  trees  ? 
That  would  seem  to  be  a  question  that  need  not  be 
asked:  but  it  is  a  fact  that  many  of  our  communities 
have  gone  along  building  those  types  and  leaving 
them  alone. 

Today  traffic  cjnditious  have  changed  vastly  from 
ten  years  ago.  or  even  five  years.  The  automobile  has 
tran.sfornied  this  factor  and  roads  must  be  built  to  stan.l 
present  day  conditions.  Only  the  types  that  arc  of 
known  value  should  be  built,  and  where  there  are  no 
provisijns  for  maintenance,  the  people  should  see  to  it 
that  the  authorities  move  not  a  peg  until  the  have  pro- 
vided that  the  investment  will  be  safeguarded,  ileck- 
leuburg  county.  North  Carolina,  was  a  pioneer  in  road 


building  in  the  South,  but  that  reputation  was  gained 
before  the  automobiles  in  ever  increasing  numbers 
sought  the  open  country.  There  was  no  maintenance 
and  now  the  lesson  is  being  learned.  There  was  prob- 
ably also  a  mistake  in  types  chosen  as  is  evidenced  by 
the  followiiiir  editorial  from  the  Charlotte  News: 

'"It  is  sincerely  to  be  ^^■^shed  that  the  board  of  coun- 
ty conimissiiiiers  ju.st  returned  from  an  inspection  of 
good  roads  around  Atlanta  have  found  some  practical 
and  at  the  same  time  economical  type  of  road  that  can 
be  utilized  in  this  county  in  the  future.  The  strange 
discovery  has  been  made,  we  are  told,  that  the  sand-elay 
road  ^^^ll  not  work  in  Mecklenburg,  that  the  peculari- 
ty  of  the  soil,  or  rather  the  prevalence  of  the  clay,  makes 
it  impractical  to  follow  out  this  sj-stem  to  any  great 
extent.  And  it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that 
the  macadam  type  of  r  >adbed  is  too  expensive  for  the 
amount  of  service  it  gives. 

■"ilecklenburg.  a  pioneer  in  roadbuilding  and  for 
many  years  prominent  in  the  annals  of  tourists  because 
of  the  splendid  character  of  its  roads,  has  recently 
lapsed  into  eclipse  in  this  particular.  Something  must 
be  done  to  reclaim  the  reputati  m  we  oni-e  had.  The 
authorities  despair  of  the  sandclay  and  they  are  afraid 
to  continue  on  the  same  old  scale  of  extravagance  with 
the  building  of  macadam  roads.  These  are  entireh"  too 
expensive.  They  average  a  cost  of  $4,000  a  mile  and 
the  road  is  nut  lasting  now  more  than  four  or  five  years 
rntil  it  needs  repairing.  Formerly,  or  before  the  era  of 
automobile  traffic,  the  county  could  afford  this  expen- 
sive type  of  road  solely  because  of  the  duration  of  ser- 
vice. The  wear  and  tear  occasioned  by  automobiles 
has  so  greatly  reduced  the  life  of  the.-e  roads  that  a 
c  iunty  that  does  not  operate  a  mint  can  not  afford  to 
build  them. 

■"The  community  is  greatly  interested  in  the  effort 
being  made  by  the  board  of  commissioners  tj  find  a 
new  type  of  road  that  will  serve  the  purpose  of  the 
future.  We  are  determined  to  have  good  roads  but 
we  would  like  to  have  our  money's  worth  while  we  are 
getting  them  and  this  is  about  all  that  can  be  asked, 
about  all  that  anybody  in  Mecklenburg  does  ask." 


Southern  Road  Expenditures  Increase, 

The  total  annual  public  revenues  spent  for  road  and 
bridge  construction  in  the  16  Southern  States  increased 
from  slightly  more  than  21ij  million  dollars  in  1904  to 
approximately  5'2io  million  dollars  in  1914.  according 
to  statistics  .just  published  by  the  Office  of  Public  Roads 
and  Rural  Engineering  of  the  F.  S,  Department  of  Ag- 
riculture, Bulletin  Xo.  387.  This  was  an  increase  of 
143  per  cent. 

The  road  mileage  at  the  close  of  1914  was  814. .o67. 
The  surfaced  mileage  was  approximately  73,600,  whicii 
was  9.03  per  cent  of  the  total.  In  1909  the  percentage 
of  surfaced  road  was  6,08  per  cent  of  the  total.  The 
greatest  road  development  in  1914  was  in  Kentucky, 
where  21.4  per  cent  of  the  total  road  mileage  was  sur- 
faced. The  lowest  percentage  of  road  mileage  surfac- 
ed 0.11 — was  in  Oklahoma.  The  greatest  percentage 
of  the  improved  roads  in  the  South  in  1914^ — approxi- 
mately 40  per  cent  was  surfaced  with  sand-cla>'.     Ma- 


April,  i;il7 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


fadam  was  used  mi  29  per  eeut  i>f  the  surfaced  mileage, 
and  gravel  ou  approximately  24  per  cent.  Over  rela- 
tively sh  )rt  lengths  of  road  bituminous  macadam,  brick, 
concrete,  and  other  materials  were  used  for  surfacing. 

Though  in  most  of  the  Southern  states  the  great  bulk 
of  road  work  still  is  done  under  the  direction  if  county 
autliorities.  the  bulletin  points  out  that  11  states  had 
highway  departments  in  101-1.  and  3  states  added  such 
departments  later.  At  the  time  the  bulletin  was  pub- 
lished only  Texas  and  South  Carolina  remained  without 
state  liighway  departments. 

The  bulletin  shows  that  on  January  1,  1915,  there 
were  outstanding  in  the  16  Southern  states  more  than 
77  niilli  m  dollars  in  road  and  bridge  bonds,  state  and 
local,  made  up  of  .$64,600,000  of  local  bonds  in  the  six- 
teen Southern  states  and  •fr2.-100.000  of  state  bonds  of 
the  State  of  ilarvland. 


How  Highway  Paid  One  County. 

A  return  .)f  .-{;.500.000  on  an  invcNtment  of  ^59.000  is 
the  answer  Hardin  county.  Kentucky,  is  giving  to  oth- 
er counties  along  the  Dixie  highway  or  any  through 
national  thoroughfare  to  the  query,  ""does  the  con- 
struction of  through  highways  pay.'""  The  financial 
profit  is  definite  and  uuderstjod  by  every  citizen  of 
the  county.  The  residents  of  the  county  are  also  ap- 
preciative of  the  further  value  in  the  construction  of 
forty-four  miles  of  the  Dixie  highway  through  the  coun- 
ty, in  that  the  residents  can  travel  in  ease  and  comfort 
in  any  weather  to  market,  to  church  and  to  amuse- 
ments with  certainty  that  the  journey  there  and  back 
again  will  not  be  barricaded  by  mud  holes  produced  by 
a  few  hours"  rain. 

Of  the  $.500,000  of  profit  from  the  construction  of 
the  Dixie  highway  through  the  eoimty  at  least  $21,000 
is  traceable  to  new  money  left  by  the  tourist.  A  caunt 
was  kept  of  the  cars  bearing  license  tags  of  other  states 
than  that  of  Kentucky  which  furnished  the  basis  of  a 
conservative  estimate  that  in  the  seven  months  of  the 
touring  season  of  1916.  21.000  foreign  cars  traveled  ov- 
er the  Dixie  highway  through  the  c  ninty.  Although 
each  car  averaged  four  tourists,  making  a  total  of  84.- 
000  visitors,  the  estimate  of  the  money  these  tourists 
left  in  the  county  has  been  placed  at  the  small  amount 
of  2.5  cents  each.  The  proprietors  of  the  hotels  and 
garages  of  Elizabetht  iwn.  the  county  seat,  state  that 
this  estimate  is  too  low. 

It  is  an  accepted  fact  in  Hardin  county  that  every 
farm  in  the  county  along  the  Dixie  highway  has  in- 
creased in  value  over  $10  per  acre.  There  are  approx- 
imately 240  farms  which  have  as  much  as  2.000  feet  of 
frontage  on  the  highway  on  either  side.  These  farms 
alone  will  average  200  acres  if  extended  back  for  a 
distance  of  one  mile,  and  a  farm  is  comparatively  lo- 
cated if  it  is  within  the  distance  of  two  miles  of  a  "first- 
class  turnpike,  so  this  statement  is  declared  reasonable. 
Then  the  increased  value  of  all  these  farms  in  Hardin 
county  in  the  last  two  years  is  more  than  $480,000.  The 
entire  county  is  benefitted  by  its  proportional  part  of 
the  increa.sed  wealth. 

X3  consideration  is  taken  of  the  saving  to  the  farm- 
ers in  cost  of  transportation  of  their  products  to  mar- 
ket. Two  years  ago  it  was  an  all-day  trip  in  an  auto- 
mobile from  Elizabethtown  to  Louisville,  a  distance  of 
forty-five  miles.  Neither  does  it  consider  the  increase 
in  real  estate  values  and  in  business  to  Elizabethtown. 
Two  years  ago  Elizabethtown  had  one  hotel  catering 
only  to  the  commercial  trade.  Today  there  are  two  ex- 
cellent ho.stelries  doing  a  flourishing  tourist  business 
and  featuring  in  the  balmy  days  jf  spring,  summer  and 


fall,  chicken  dinners,  which  brings  thousands  of  mo- 
torists from  Louisville.  The  value  in  dollars  and 
cents  to  Elizabethtown  and  Hardin  county  of  the  con- 
struction of  the  Dixie  highway  does  not  measure  the 
pleasure  which  the  highway  affords  in  enabling  the  citi- 
zens if  the  county  to  motor  into  Louisville  and  attend 
the  theater  or  concert  and  return  the  same  night,  which 
was  an  imi>o.ssibilitv  before  the  highwav  was  construct- 
ed. 

All  these  benefits  were  secured  by  the  expenditure 
of  $50,000  in  the  construction  of  forty-four  miles  of 
the  Dixie  highway  in  a  period  of  two  years,  and  in  co- 
operating with  the  other  counties  between  Louisville 
and  Nashville  in  the  improvement  of  this  important  di- 
■vision  of  the  highwav. 


Evidence  of  Narrow  Tire  Damage. 

In  writing  to  Southern  Good  Roads,  ilr.  C.  Q.  ^Ic 

Williams,  of  Shamikin.  Pa  .  makes  the  following  ob- 
servations on  the  damage  to  roads  from  narrow  vehicle 
tires: 

■"I  motored  from  Richmond  to  Salisbury  last  month, 
and  foimd  luiiversally  good  riads.  except  near  the 
Lunenberg  operations,  and  if  you  will  permit  a  sugges- 
tive. I  think  those  rutted  roads  would  have  been  a^^'oid- 
ed  if  broad  tires  were  compulsory.  The  road  through 
Davidson  county  was  especially  good,  and  it  seems  a 
waste  of  miney  to  allow  them  to  be  cut  into  ruts  by 
the  narrow  tires  I  noticed,  many  being  worn  almost 
to  a  knife  edge  by  the  ruts.  We  have  the  same  prob- 
lem up  North  because  the  farmers,  through  their  or- 
ganization, the  Grange,  always  defeat  broad  tire  legis- 
lation. If  they  were  more  progressive  they  would 
learn  that  they  could  have  more  on  broad  tires  and 
save  taxes  in  road  repairs." 


Road  Builders  in  Army. 

Enlisted  men  with  a  knowledge  of  roadbuilding  are 
being  recruited  in  the  English  reserve  corps  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  army.  This  is  the  corps  of  experienced  men 
which  is  being  organized  as  a  reserve  of  thorough- 
ly trained  specialists  in  every  branch  af  construction 
work.  The  officers  are  engineers  of  distinction  in  civil 
life  and  it  is  proposed  to  enlist  only  men  of  an  equally 
high  standard  for  the  ranks.  There  are  109  men  in  a 
pioneer  company.  In  addition  to  experienced  road- 
builders,  bridge  carpenters  and  quarrymen.  each  com- 
pany will  contain  miners,  electricians,  masons,  team- 
sters, saddlers,  riggers,  boatmen,  surveyors,  blacksmiths 
and  others  too  numerous  to  mention  here.  The  high- 
est grade  of  enlisted  men  in  a  company  is  that  of  mas- 
ter engineer,  to  which  draftsmen,  surveyors,  construc- 
tion superintendents  and  foremen  machinists  are  eligi- 
ble. Road  foremen  are  eligible  to  several  grades  above 
that  of  sergeant.  The  enlisted  men  must  serve  an  an- 
nual training  period  of  15  days.  Transportation  dur- 
ing: service  will  lie  furnished  bv  the  grovernment. 


An  Unusual  Help  for  Boad  Officials. 
During  the  last  nine  mouths  over  fifty  of  the  leading 
highway  engineers  of  the  country  have  been  cooperat- 
ing in  the  preparation  of  a  detailed  description  of  the 
methods  of  building  and  maintaining  all  types  of  ru- 
ral roads.  This  really  great  task  was  undertaken  to 
furnish  to  road  oiKcials.  not  engineers,  as  well  as  to  the 
public,  a  non-technical  account  of  the  way  their  money 
should  be  spent  to  obtain  the  greatest  value  in  road  im- 
provements. This  manual  fills  about  200  of  the  500 
pages  of  the  Good  Roads  Tear  Book  of  the  American 
Highway  Association,  which  is  now  in  press. 


SOl'TIIEKN  GOOD   IJOADS 


April.  11117 


GOOD  ROADS  IVC^ES 

GATHERED  HERE  «^«j*>^rtERE 


Alabama. 

It  is  aiiiKiiiiiccil  IV  )iii  tlu'  Stiilf  Ilii;'li\\;iy  Dcpiii'liiiciit 
that  the  following  projects  have  been  suhiiiitted  to  thai 
department   by  eoiinty  authorities: 

In  Barbour  county.  Jliddle  Fort  Browder,  Eufaula 
to  Batesville;  Bullock  county,  Unim  Springs  to  Moiit- 
goiiu'ry  highway,  Tnion  Springs  to  Bruceville;  Cal- 
houn county,  Anniston  to  near  JTcFall;  Clarke  cnunt.v. 
Grove  Hill  to  Gainestown  ;  Ct)osa  county.  R  ickf'ord  via 
Speed  to  the  Elmore  county  line,  forming  part  of  the 
Montgomery-Ann istm  liighwa.y ;  Cullman  county, 
Hanceville  to  Garden  City  via  abandoned  railroad  right 
of  way;  Dale  county.  Ozark  via  Ariton  to  Cotfee  coun 
ty  line,  on  the  Ozark-^Montgomery  highway;  Escambia 
county.  Brewton  to  Andalusia  m  the  Forest  Highway; 
Etowah  county,  the  Hake  Bluff  Road.  Hake's  Bluff  to 
(Jadsden:  Geneva  county,  on  the  (/otfee  Springs-Ono- 
ma  highway.  Coffee  Springs  via  Hartford  to  near  Noma. 
Fla. ;  Greene  county,  on  the  Eutaw-Tuscaloosa  high- 
way.. Eutaw  via  Springfield  to  Tuscaloosa;  Laudei'- 
dale  county,  on  t\\v  Huutsville  road,  Killen  to  Rogers- 
ville;  Lee  county,  Opclika-Loacdiaiioka  highway,  Opeli- 
ka  via  Aubiu'ii  to  Loachapoka;  ^larengo  county,  Lin- 
dou-Demo]iolis.  Linden  via  Spring  Hill  to  Demopolis; 
Montgomery  county.  Orion  and  Dulilin  Road.  Dublin 
via  Lenora  to  Orion  ;  Pike  county,  Ozark  and  Orion 
highway ;  Coffee  county,  line  via  Troy  to  Orion  ;  Rus- 
sell county.  Wire  Road.  Girai-d  via  Jlarvyn  to  Tuske- 
gee  ;  Walker  county.  I'iriniugham  road,  Jasper  to  Birm- 
ingham, 

California. 

If  pi'o])osrd  county  b  iiul  issues  all  arc  carried,  Cal- 
ifoiMiiji  will  have  ai)pro]ii-iatcd  .^Kn. 0(10. 0(10  foi-  improv- 
ed highways  in  1918.  Of  this  enormous  sum,  ^f^l.'j.OOO.- 
000  of  state  funds  now  is  being  expended  completing  the 
two  great  trunk  state  roads  and  laterals  running  north 
and  south.  Eight  counties  are  spending  local  funds 
ranging  from  $800,000  to  $2,200,000. 

California  was  the  first  .state  to  apply  for  funds  un- 
der the  federal  aid  road  act  and  has  been  awarded  $o02, 
127  for  the  construction  of  rural  i):)st  roads  and  will 
receive  its  quota  of  the  $1,000,000  annually  appropria- 
ted l)y  the  United  States  govcrnnuMit  for  the  develop- 
ment of  trails  and  highways  in  national  forests.  The 
-Vutomobile  CUub  of  Southern  California,  with  its  10,20:? 
nuMnbers,  which  claims  to  be  the  largest  organization 
of  the  kind  in  the  world,  declares  that  California  is  lead- 
ing all  states  in  highway  devi^l  ipment. 

Kentucky, 

The  principal  arteries  of  mot  >r  ti-av(>l  through  Ken 
tucky  are : 

Midland  Trail,  which  cro.sses  the  continent  from  San 
Fraiu-isco  to  Washington,  The  length  of  the  Midland 
'i'rail  from  Washington  to  San  Francisco  is  29:30  miles 
whereas  the  distance  by  railroad  is  :},110  miles.  This 
highway,  which  is  practically  completed  through,  en- 
ters Kentucky  at  Louisville,  passes  through  Frankfort, 
'cxington.  ^It.  Sterling  and  Cattlettsburg  into  We.st 
\'irginia. 

The  Dixie  Highway,  witii  two  routes  running  n(U'tli 


and  south  thr(nigh  the  State.  The  Eastern  route  enters 
Kentuid\y  at  Covington  and  runs  through  to  iliddles- 
bor  ),  connection  with  the  Bixuie  Wa.v.  The  western 
route  enters  Kentucky  at  Louisville  and  runs  through 
Russellville  into  Tennessee.  The  Dixie  Highway  con- 
nects with  the  Midland  Trail  and  the  Lincoln  Highway, 
linking  the  Ntorth  and  South  with  the  East  and  West 
aiul  traversing  J:,206  luiles. 

The  two  routes  of  the  Jackson  Highway  connecting 
Chicago  aiul  Buffalo  with  New  Orleans,  another  route 
of  national  importance  running  through  Louisville. 

The  Dixie  Bee  Line,  from  Chicago  to  Nashville,  en- 
ters Kentucky  at  Henderson  and  passes  through  IIop- 
kinsville  into  Tennessee,  traversing  the  trail  blazed  in- 
to the  wilderness  by  Daniel  Boane. 

The  Boone  Way.  an  historic  highway,  enters  Ken- 
tucky at  Cumberland  Gap.  Tenn.,  and  passes  thrcuigh 
Middlesboro.  Corbin,  ]\It.  Vernon,  Danville  and  Shelby- 
ville  to  Louisville,  a  distance  of  2;j0  miles. 

Missouri. 

The  Hawes  good  roads  bill  was  signed  by  Gov.  Gard- 
ner in  the  presence  of  the  House  Committee  on  Roads 
and  Highways.  Moving  pictures  of  the  scene  were  tak- 
en by  the  Federated  Roads  A.ssociation  and  will  be 
shown  throughout  the  State. 

Gov.  Gardner  addressed  the  couunittee  as  follows: 

"This  constructive  measure  will  bring  at)out  an  eri 
of  agricultural  aiul  industrial  deevlopment  unexampled 
in  the  history  of  the  State,  "Sir.  Hawes,  the  father  of 
good  roads  in  ]\Iissouri,  and  you  gentlemen  associated 
with  him  in  this  work,  have  labored  unceasingly  and 
unselfishly  to  perfect  a  lueasure  that  will  advance  the 
good-roads  movement  in  Misstmri.  and  it  is  witli  pro- 
found pleasure  that  I  now  sign  my  name  to  this  impor- 
tant document." 

Harry  B.  Hawes,  who  introduced  the  Federal-aid 
road  bill,  said ; 

"The  signing  of  House  bill  No.  5  creates  a  system  of 
State  i-oads  for  ^Missouri  for  the  first  time  in  its  history, 
^lissouri  in  the  past  has  spent  her  money  on  roads  in 
counties  without  system  or  consecutive  plan.  House 
bill  No.  5  will  change  all  of  this  ami  put  Missoui-i  in  the 
front  ranks  of  the  progressive  states  in  the  Union.  The 
plan  of  having  tlu^  counties  pay  one-half  is  to  lie  com- 
mended. 

"If  the  people  of  a  county  are  aroused  on  the  rpies- 
tion  of  good  roads  they  will  not  be  content  with  con- 
tributing nuM'ely  their  one-half  for  the  State  highway, 
but  will  spend  large  sums  of  numey  on  the  country 
roads." 

The  pen  used  by  the  governor  in  signing  the  bill  was 
given  to  Mr.  Hawes,  who,  in  turn,  presented  it  to  Oscar 
W.  Hackworth,  a  member  of  the  Roads  Committee. 

West  Virginia. 

State  Road  Engineer  A.  Deiuiis  Williams,  in  address- 
ing recently  the  progress  of  road  work  and  the  prepa- 
rations for  federal  and  state  aid  stated : 

"A  preliminary  map  showing  the  roads  connecting 
the  county  seats  such  as  will  be  required  under  the  pro- 
visions of  Senate  Bill   No.   284,   passed   by  the   recent 


April,  11)17 


SOUTHERN  riOOD  ROADS 


17 


legislature,  has  been  prepared.  Copies  showing  the 
county  seats  eonueeti((ns  with  the  adjoining  counties 
have  been  mailed  to  all  county  courts.  Thirty-nine 
counties  have  checked  up  and  returned  the  preliminary 
drafts.  Reports  are  lacking  from  the  counties  of  Brax- 
ton, Cabell,  Hampshire,  Kanawha,  Logan,  Mason,  Mer- 
cer, Mineral,  I\[ingo,  Putnam,  Webster,  "Wirt,  Wood, 
and  Wyoming.  Without  the  co-operation  of  those  coun- 
ties the  work  cannot  be  made  a  success  and  under  the 
terms  of  lioth  state  and  federal  law  these  counties  can- 
not participate  in  aid  distribution. 

"Co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  counties  during 
the  next  few  weeks  will  enable  the  preliminary  work 
required  under  the  recent  legislation  to  be  completed 
so  that  aid  projects  and  distribution  of  aid  will  be  made 
possible  by  the  beginning  of  the  tiseal  year.  There 
should  be  no  hesitance  on  the  part  of  county  officials  in 
checking  and  returning  the  preliminarj-  drafts,  when 
by  doing  so  they  will  be  benetitting  themselves.  The 
state  department  has  no  appropriation  with  which  to 
go  into  the  field  and  gather  this,  information  and  un- 
less furni.shed  toy  the  counties  it  cannot  be  obtained,  and 
if  delayed  until  July  the  season  will  be  lost. 

"The  new  road  law  is  the  basis  of  a  real  road  system 
in  West  Virginia.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
the  state,  the  counties,  state,  antl  federal  government 
become  partners.  The  new  law  is  fair,  scientific  and 
free  from  the  'pork  barrel'  shadows.  It  is  good  and 
workable  if  we  wish  to  work." 


In  Southern  California. 


This  is  "finishing-up  year"  in  Smthern  California's 
general  highway  construction  work. 

Highway  links  for  short  distances  which  interrupt 
long  tours  are  going  to  be  imshed  to  completion  by  the 
various  counties. 

Practically  every  count.v  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state  is  planning  some  kind  of  good  roads  activity,  ac- 
cording to  a  report  issued  by  the  Automobile  Club  of 
Southern  California,  and  long  scenic  tours  which  are 
now  interrupted  here  and  there  by  short  uncompleted 
stretches  of  highway  will  be  made  available  before 
1918  by  the  completion  of  these  stretches. 

Although  the  majority  of  the  counties  have  provid- 
ed the  main  scheduled  highway  systems,  each  expects 
to  continue,  whenever  funds  are  available,  to  give  the 
motorists  and  agriculturists  new  laterals  and  connect- 
ing links  and  to  maintain  those  already  built  in  their 
present  excellent  shape. 

Past  activity  in  San  Hernardin  >  and  Riverside  coun- 
ties has  given  the  world  some  winiderful  boulevards, 
and  according  to  the  automol)ile  club's  report,  secured 
for  the  purpose  of  inducing  touring  through  Southern 
California,  they  will  rest  pretty  much  as  at  present. 
However,  in  San  Bernardino  county  six  miles  of  pave- 
ment will  be  laid  in  Colton.  Chino,  Ontario  and  ITpland, 
and  the  four  miles  of  mountain  road  will  be  completed 
through  Lytic  Creek  canyon  to  Gien  ranch. 

Riverside  county  will  concentrate  principally  upon 
repair  work  on  the  route  between  r^ainiing  and  Palm 
Springs.  Also  six  miles  of  roadway  will  be  tinished  be- 
tween Corona  and  Glen  Ivy  through  Temescal  canyon, 
this  being  paved. 

Kern  county  expects  to  complete  aliout  100  miles  of 
good  road,  fifty  miles  of  which  will  be  paved  and  the 
other  fifty  graded  and  macadamized. 

This  cor,nt.-\'  has  already  provided  forty-two  miles  of 
macadamized  highway  and  ninety-two  miles  of  paved 
road,  while  sixty-five  miles  have  been  constructed  hv 
t':e  state. 


One  of  the  most  active  counties,  according  to  pres- 
ent plans,  will  be  San  Diego.  In  the  event  that  fuiuls 
are  forthcoming,  a  nineteen-mile  stretch  of  boulevard 
will  be  built  between  Del  Mar  and  Escondido,  giving 
another  lateral  to  the  coast.  There  is  little  doubt  but 
that  the  road  from  the  top  of  the  Torrey  Pines  graded 
into  San  Diego  will  be  completely  paved,  this  being 
seventeen  miles  in  length.  A  five-mile  stretch  of  new 
highway  is  contemplated  between  Pala  and  Temecula. 

San  Diego  county  is  also  planning  to  pave  sixteen 
miles  of  highway  leading  out  of  the  city  of  Tia  Juana 
and  a  thii-ty-fi\'e  mile  length  of  boulevard  from  Escon- 
dido to  the  Riverside  county  line,  which  is  also  to  be 
paved.  State  highway  work  in  that  county  will  con- 
sist principally  of  the  sixty-five  miles  of  construction 
from  San  Diego  to  ]\Iountain  Springs  near  Descanso, 
in  the  mountains  of  the  back  country,  affording  a  great 
great  scenic  tour. 

Orange  county  has  just  completed  the  connecting 
link  between  Richfield  and  Yorba,  two  miles  in  length, 
which  has  been  paved.  Pavement  will  also  be  com- 
pleted this  year  between  Brea  and  Olinda,  which  is  ex- 
tremel.v  important,  and  this  piece  connects  Carbon  and 
Brea  canyons.  Within  two  months  the  road  three  miles 
in  length  between  Seal  and  Huntington  iteaches.  now 
under  construction,  will  be  finished.  Tlie  work  in  San- 
ta Anna  ean.von  is  being  rushed  to  completion.  This  re- 
port was  secured  by  the  Automobile  club  from  (bounty 
Surveyor   McBride. 

In  Santa  Barbara  county  there  is  a  tireless  activity  to 
secure  many  miles  of  new  roads,  the  most  important  of 
which  include  the  route  from  a  point  near  Santa  jMaria 
to  Bakersfield,  known  as  the  Cuyama  project,  for  which 
the  county  stands  ready  to  give  .toO.OdO  if  the  state  will 
furnish  .>f^2r)0,000.  This  would  provide  still  another  im- 
portant lateral  between  the  coast  and  inland  routes. 
The  road  between  Harris  station  and  Lompoc  over  the 
Purissima  grade  is  soon  to  be,  completed,  as  is  the  route 
between  Santa  Maria  and  Gnadalupe. 

Imperial  county  will  maintain  its  present  road  sys- 
tem and  some  plans  are  contemplated  for  securing  funds 
for  new  roads  as  they  are  needed. 

Having  passed  its  good  roads  bond  issue  for  $2,200,- 
')0n,  Tulare  county  is  planning  great  activity,  and  thi ; 
year  will  probabl.y  see  the  completion  of  the  most  im- 
l)ortant  main  laterals.  Of  these,  seventy-one  miles  are 
expected  to  be  built.  Work  will  then  he  continued  on 
the  22:?  miles  of  concrete  highway  and  the  fifty-eight 
miles  of  oil  and  macadamized  boulevard. 

Ventura  county,  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  of  roaii 
builders,  is  forging  ahead  in  providing  excellent  high- 
ways, and  motorists  will  find  touring  there  a  treat. 

Los  Angeles  county,  the  pioneer  of  roadbuilders.  has 
no  definite  plans  for  the  immediate  future,  according 
to  Highway  Commissioner  Jovner.  for  1917. 


A  New  Southern  Highway. 


To  build  a  highway  from  ilemphis  to  iluscle  Shoals, 
Ala.,  on  the  Tennessee  river,  the  proposed  site  of  the 
government  air-nitrate  plant,  is  the  object  of  th  Muscle 
Shoals  Highway  Association,  recently  formed  at  IMem- 
phis.  The  highway  will  pass  through  Tennessee,  Mis- 
sissippi and  Alabama. 

It  is  planned  to  build  an  extension  east  to  Chattanoo- 
ga, which  will  provide  a  far  better  route  than  the  pres- 
ent one  between  Memphis  ami  Chattanooga,  and  give 
Memphis  direct  road  connection  to  Asheville.  New  York 
and  Florida  and  would  cross  the  Dixie  highway,  the 
^leridian  North  and  South  road-,andthe  -Jp.ckso.i' high- 


IS 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April.  1917 


James  Mcrct  on  Texas  Highways 

President  of  Boone  Highway  Writes  Interestingly  of    Road    Problems    and 

Accomplishments  in  the  Lone  Star  State 


I  have  been  down  in  Dixie  for  nearly  tw  i  mouths,  vis- 
iting brothers  and  sisters  whom  I  had  not  seen  for 
the  past  41  years.  "While  here  I  have  motored  over 
some  of  the  Texas  good  road.s  at  and  aroimd  Corpus 
Christi.  Roekport  and  Aransas  Pass,  on  Gulf  coast, 
thence  through  Taft.  (where  Charles  P.  Taft  owns  an 
80.0(10  acre  ranch  >  Sinton.  Kenued.v.  Floresville  and 
other  towns  and  cities,  to  San  Antonio.  Have  also  been 
over  the  roads  from  Richmond.  60  miles  northwest  of 
Galveston,  through  ilissouri  City  to  Houston  and  Gal- 
veston. Between  the  coast  and  San  Antonio  is  found  a 
splendid  highway  most  jf  the  distance.  This  is  on  the 
route  of  the  Puget  Sound  to  Gulf  Highway.  Shell  is 
used  on  the  road  for  some  distance  out  from  the  coast : 
the  remainder  is  gravel,  oiled  in  some  places  and  a 
small  portion  is  tarviated.  Bexar  county.  )f  which 
San  Antonio  is  the  county  seat,  has  more  than  500 
miles  of  good  roads  and  mnre  than  two  hundred  bridges, 
many  of  them  constructed  of  concrete  and  steel.  The 
city,  alone,  has  f  jrty-five  crossing  San  Antonio  River, 
which  winds  out  nine  miles  in  its  meanderings  across 
the  six-mile  corporation. 

Fort  Bend  coimty  has  a  good  number  of  ""  double 
roads.""  graded  double  width,  one-half  being  macad- 
amized, the  other  half  left  as  a  dirt  road,  which  is  prov 
ing  quite  satisfactory.  In  dry  weather  all  traffic  and 
travel  use  the  hard,  smooth  dirt  portion,  and  when  it 
rains  "switch""  on  the  "pike.""  which  is  quite  a  saving, 
in  the  long  run.  to  the  macadamized  surface  and  easier 
on  unshod  horses,  whose  number  is  about  nine-tenths 
of  the  animals  in  use  by  Texans. 

Houston's  and  Galve-ston"s  county  roads  are  fine,  es- 
pecially the  highway  between  these  cities,  fifty-five 
miles  in  length.  It  is  made  of  shell  from  Galveston  Bay. 
laat  portion  l.ving  nearest  Houston,  over  which  a  very 
heavy  traffic  Ls  carried,  co.sts  .fl.dOO  per  mUe  yearly  for 
maintenance. 

Gravel  is  most  generally  used  in  counties  which  are 
located  out  from  coast.  This  material  runs  in  size  fro:n 
a  pebble  up  tj  three  inches,  is  spread  up;>n  the  road 
and  rolled  after  a  rain :  and  the  intervals  between 
showers  d  >wn  here  are  s^>metinies  disheartening  tn 
good  road  buildei-s.  In  some  instances  water  is  hauled 
for  this  purpose  where  the  haul  isn"t  too  great. 

Owing  to  high  freight  rates  at  present,  it  costs  many 


counties  #4.0(10  per  mile  to  build  roads  though  the  gra- 
ding, ordinarily,  costs  less  than  $400. 

The  State  Highway  Bill,  recently  passed,  it  is  ex- 
pected will  add  much  greater  impulse  to  road  building 
m  the  state,  although,  be  it  said,  the  people  here  are 
already  awake  to  the  great  importance  of  good  high- 
ways and  are  making  great  progres. 

This  portion  of  Texas,  during  the  past  three  years, 
has  suffered  greatly  from  drouth,  storms  and  floods. 
I  didn"t  rain  at  the  right  time)  tho  crops  did  fairly  well 
in  some  portions  of  the  territory  mentioned,  and  with 
high  prices  ruling  for  cotton,  many  planters  were  ""ptill- 
ed  out  of  the  hole."  The  weather  has  been  quite  se- 
vere here,  at  times,  this  winter.  Many  cattle  have  died. 
Some  days  the  thermometer  shows  81,  followed  by  a 
norther  and  a  drop  of  50  degrees,  though  it  doesn't 
last  more  than  a  day  or  so  before  the  mercury  jumps 
back  to  the  60s  and  70s.  These  sudden  changes  affect 
us  northern  "snow  diggers."'  (as  the  Texans  call  tour- 
ists) abiut  as  much  or  more  than  the  natives. 

Columbus.  Texas. 


Roads  Help  the  Consumer. 

Better  roads  would  save  the  ultimate  consumer  in 
.American  cities  $280,000,000  a  year,  according  to  J.  E. 
Pennybacker.  highway  economist  in  the  United  States 
office  of  good  niads.  'Sir.  Penn.vbacker  explains  that 
public  roads  constitute  the  primary  means  of  transpor- 
tation for  all  agricultural  products,  and  for  many  mil- 
lions of  forest,  mine  and  manufactured  products.  This 
annual  haulage  amounts  to  350.000.000  tons  .the  aver- 
age haul  being  about  eight  miles. 

According  to  this  authority  the  cost  per  ton  of  pri- 
mary haidiug  for  each  mile  is  23  cents,  luider  present 
conditiins.  while  the  cost  per  ton  on  hard  surfaced 
roads  would  not  exceed  13  cents  a  mile.  The  good 
road  saving  per  ton  on  the  average  primary  haul  would 
tlni*  ll^■  s2'^n  nrid  nr;n  i„.i-  ;iii!nMii. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


A    MILLION    DOLLAR    CONCERN    SPECLALIZING    ON    ROAD    MAKING    AND    MAINTAINING    MACHINERY 
MANUFACTURING  A  COMPLETE  LINE—FROM  THE   ROAD   DRAG  TO  THE  RUSSELL  ELEVATING  GRADER 

RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

Minneapolis,  .Minn. 
Dear  Sirs :— Send  for  my  BUSINESS  LIBRARY  your  new 
1917  C.\TALOG  of  Earth  Handling  and  Road  Building  and 
Maintaining  Machinerj-,  Culverts  and  Steel  Beam  Bridges. 

NAME 


P.  O STATE . 


April,  1917 


SOUTHERX  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


Southern  Carolina  Highway  Commission. 

Charles  0.  Hearon.  editor  of  The  Spartanburg  Her- 
ald, and  J.  ilonroe  Johnson,  of  Marion,  a  civil  engineer 
of  wide  experience,  have  been  appointed  members  of 
the  state  highway  commission  by  Gov.  ilanning  of 
South  Carolina,  ilr.  Hearon  is  a  newspaper  editor  of 
wide  reputation  in  the  State  and  was  in  the  front  rank 
of  the  fight  for  the  million  dollar  bond  issue  for  Spar- 
tanburg county  which  the  General  Assembly  recently 
authorized.  5Ir.  Johnson  is  a  civil  engineer  by  profes- 
sion and  has  been  active  in  railroad  c  instruction  and 
land  reclamation  pro.jeets  of  much  magnitude.  Upon 
mobilization  of  the  military  forces  last  summer.  Mr. 
Johnson  upon  his  own  initiative  organized  a  company 
of  efficient  engineers,  which  bears  his  name  and  which 
was  enlisted  as  Company  A.  South  Carolina  engineers. 

The  three  other  members  of  the  commission,  as  pro- 
vided by  statute,  are  the  heads  of  the  engineering  de- 
partments af  the  three  State  institutions  for  young  men  : 
il.  Goode  Homes,  of  the  University  of  South  Carolina : 
Haile  Houston.  Clemson  College,  and  ^lajor  Robert  G. 
Thomas,  the  Citadel.  Charleston.  The  term  of  office  is 
two  years.  The  members  of  the  commission  serve  with- 
out pay.  but  receive  their  "" actual  and  necessary  ex- 
penses, incurred  in  the  discharge  of  duties."  A  com- 
petent eivU  engineer  is  to  be  elected  by  the  commission 
at  a  salary  not  to  exceed  $3,000. 

Tlie  objects  Df  the  commission  are  to  instruct,  a.ssist 
and  cooperate  with  the  road  authorities  in  the  various 
counties  of  the  State  in  the  improveicent  and  construc- 
tion of  highways  and  to  study  systems  of  road  building 
and  maintenance  in  other  states:  to  make  investigations 
and  experiments  to  determine  the  methods  and  mate- 
rials best  suited  to  road  construction  and  improvement 


in  this  state ;  and  to  prepare,  publish  and  distribute  bul- 
letins and  reports,  giving  results  of  such  investigations. 

Creation  of  the  highway  commission  by  the  General 
Assembly  was  induced  by  the  action  of  Congress  in  ap- 
propriating large  funds  for  the  construction  of  post 
roads,  contingent  upon  provision  of  equal  amounts  by 
the  .state's  statute  and  the  creation  of  machinery  tj 
direct  the  expenditure  of  the  fimds.  .South  Carolina's 
apportionment  is  in  exce.ss  of  .ll.OOO.OOlJ.  to  be  procured 
in  installments  over  five  years.  The  amount  now  ready 
for  disbursement  is  approximately  ^liS.(MM).  The  state 
will  qualify"  for  federal  aid  by  the  levying  >f  a  State 
automobile  license,  to  be  collected  in  lieu  of  county  or 
city  license.  SO  per  cent  of  which  Ls  to  be  expended  i;i 
the  county  from  which  collected.  The  section  relati>'e 
to  the  amount  to  be  paid  reads: 

■"Everj-  resident  owner  of  a  motor  vehicle  in  the 
State  of  South  Carolina  shall  pay  to  the  State  high- 
way engineer,  in  lieu  of  all  other  State,  mimieipal  and 
county  licenses  an  annual  license  of  2.5  cents  per  horse- 
power, said  horsepower  to  be  determined  by  the  rating 
establishment  of  the  association  of  licensed  automobile 
manufacturers,  and  known  as  the  standard  horsepower 
formula  of  the  society  of  automobile  engineers.  Ev.  vy 
dealer  in  motor  vehicles  in  this  State,  before  operating 
any  such  motor  vehicle  upon  the  highways  of  this  state 
for  the  purpose  of  demonstration  and  sale,  shall  pay  to 
the  State  engineer  of  this  State,  in  lieu  of  all  other 
State  and  county  licenses  an  annual  license  of  f  1-5  for 
each  and  every  make  of  motor  vehicle  sold  by  such  deal- 
er. All  licenses  shall  expire  on  the  31.st  day  of  De- 
cember following  the  date  of  issue.  Annual  licenses 
.shall  hereafter  be  issued  between  the  first  day  of  Jau- 
uary  and  the  first  day  of  February  of  each  year.  Ju 
case  of  motor  vehicles  registering  for  the  first  time,  the 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  hy  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 


POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annua/  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


20 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  IWADS 


April.  lOli 


full  annual  fees  shall  be  paid  for  licenses  issued  be- 
tween January  1  and  ^larch  31 ;  three-fourths  of  the 
annual  fees  for  licenses  issued  between  April  1  and  Jmie 
V-i:  one-half  of  the  annual  fees  f,ir  licenses  issued  be- 
tween July  1  and  September  13:  and  one-fourtli  of  the 
annual  fees  for  licenses  issued  between  ctolier  1  and  De- 
cember 31.  The  highway  engineer  shall  transmit  to 
the  clerk  of  court  of  the  respective  counties  the  name-; 
of  the  owners  and  registration  uuml)ers  of  all  nrnt  ir 
vehicles  registered  and  licensed  in  tlie  res|)ective  coun- 
ties: and  the  clerks  of  court  shall  keep  on  file  a  copy 
of  said  list  for  public  inspection." 


Great  Plans  For  Road  Biulding. 

With  the  opening  of  the  spring  of  UrtlT.  road  con- 
struction in  the  United  States  will,  from  present  indi- 
cations, be  carried  on  more  extensively  than  ever  be- 
fore. There  will  probably  be  less  pro.ieetion  than  for- 
merly, for  schemes  enough  have  been  organized,  and 
work  enough  has  been  planned,  to  absorb  all  the  capi- 
tal that  is  likel.v  to  be  available  in  the  next  decade.  The 
development  of  existing  ]>rospects  will,  at  all  events, 
call  for  the  greatest  share  of  attention.  At  the  end  :)f 
the  fiscal  year  of  1916  there  were  altogether  in  the 
United  States  2.-151,600  mile  of  rural  roads,  only  11.3 
per  cent  of  which  were  surfaced. 

Improving  old  roads,  if  new  highway  pro.iccts  be  left 
out  of  the  account,  will  demand  vast  expenditures  this 
year  and  this  work  will  be  encouraged  by  the  operation 
of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act,  apjjroved  on  July  11  last. 
This  act  gives  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  anthorit.v 
to  co-operate  with  the  several  states  in  the  construction 
and  maintenance  of  roads  which  may  be  used  to  facili- 
tate the  movement  of  the  mails.  Each  state  to  come 
under  the  benefits  of  the  law  must  appropriate  at  least 
dollar  for  dollar  the  amount  allotted  to  it  under  the 
Federal  apportionment  of  the  funds.  The  duty  of  main- 
taining the  roads  is  placed  up  in  the  states,  or  their  civil 
subdivisions,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  respec- 
tive states.  Tliere  are  conditions  under  which  accept- 
ance, by  the  governor  of  a  state  of  the  terms  of  federal 
aid  will  be  sutficient  as  a  formality  but.  since  adequate 
funds  for  cou.struction  and  maintenance  must  be  avail- 
able, and  the  state  must  have  a  highway  department 
with  which  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  can  co- operate, 
no  authorit.v  being  given  him  to  co-operate  in  any  oth- 
er manner,  acceptance  by  the  governor  alone  will  not 
make  operations  possible. 

Presumably  all  of  the  states  will  take  steps  as 
promptly  as  may  be  to  avail  themselves  of  the  govern- 
ment funds.  Some  have  done  so  already,  ilany  of  the 
legislatures  recently  in  session,  will  claim  their  several 
allotments  of  the  .$4,850,000  available  in  1917.  This 
sum  is  to  be  increased  annually  by  $5,000,000  for  each 
of  the  following  years  until  1921.  when  the  amount  to 
be  appropriated  will  reach  $25,000,000.  One  very  di- 
rect result  of  Federal  aid  will  be.  almost  certainly, 
greater  activity  in  .state  and  local  highway  improve- 
ment. Not  only  will  the  government  help  be  an  in- 
centive, but  it  is  a  recognized  fact  that,  when  the  peo- 
ple of  any  particular  locality  once  get  a  taste  of  the 
comfort  and  economic  value  of  good  roads  the  popular 
demand  for  them  increases. 

Counting  all  local  highway  improvements,  those  not 
under  state  highway  departments  included,  there  is  now 
expended,  on  an  average,  in  the  I'nited  States  annual- 
ly for  pulilic  works  of  this  character,  something  like 
.$30(1.000.0011.  This,  of  course,  covers  bridge  construc- 
tion, boulevards,  and  sa  on.  One  point  that  should  not 
be  overlooked  in  this  connection  is  that,  while  a  con- 


NORTH  WESTERN  atv^E^T-FoRMs 


STANDARD  SIZES 

Used  by  U.  S.  Government  in  the  Reclamation  Service, 
for  Storm  Drainage  and  for  Sanitary  Sewers. 

Write    for    Bulletin     No.     30    describing     "NORTH- 
WESTERN"     FORMS 
with    full    instructions    for 
making     CONCRETE 
TILE. 

We  are  manufacturers  of  Concrete 
Mixers  and  Engines. 

NORTHWESTERN 
STEEL  &  IRON  WORKS 


Ean  Claire. 


WISCONSIN 


ReinJorccd  Type 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusivel) 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


Does  your  work  require  a  strong 
explosive  or  a  weak  one? 

A  dense  or  a  bulky  one  ? 

A  shattering  or  a  spreading  and 
lifting  one  ? 

The  blasting  in  some  places  is 
costing  twice  as  much  as  it  could 
be  done  for   with    the    proper 


''^^oi\-J'^' 


ATLAS  POWDER  COMPANY 

NA^ILMINGTON.  DEL 

ALLEN  TOWN  JOPLIN  NASHVILLE  PITTSBURGH 

BIRMINGHAM  KANSAS    CITY  NEWORLEANS  POTTSVILLC 

BOSTON  KNOXVILLE  NEW    YORK  ST     LOUIS 

HOUGHTON  MEMPHIS  PHILADELPHIA  WILKESSARRE 


April,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


21 


siderable  portion  of  the  aniimiit  named  is  still  expended 
unwisely,  or  on  work  that,  in  the  very  nature  of  things, 
must  soLiner  or  later  be  done  over  again,  more  and  more 
attention  is  being  given  to  concrete  and  other  forms  of 
construction,  which  although  more  costly  at  first,  give 
greater  promise  of  permanency. 


Why  Road  Taxes  Are  Wasted. 

For  these  many  years  economists  have  been  talking 
to  American  people  about  their  wasteful  habits  as 
compared  with  those  of  the  people  of  other  countries. 
T'he  scalding  has  done  very  little  good,  we  all  know. 
, In  spite  of  the  soaring  cost  of  living,  which  has  mount- 
ed as  fast  as  wages  have  risen,  we  still  spend  our  mon- 
ey like  drunken  sailoi"s.  according  to  these  economists. 
If  we  do  these  things  in  our  homes,  we  naturally  do 
them  in  our  community  work,  for  the  habit  of  waste- 
fulness persists.  We  do  not  keep  household  accoimts, 
and  so  we  do  not  really  know  how  we  can  eifect  eco- 
nimies  in  our  personal  affairs,  and  it  is  only  oecasion- 
lly  that  we  expect  our  fellow  citizens,  saddled  with  the 
responsibility  of  direction  of  our  public  works,  to  he  any 
better  managers  than  we  are  ourselves.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  out  of  the  $300,000,000  spent  on  road  work 
last  year  probably  a  third  was  wasted  and  another 
third  did  not  produce  as  large  real  returns  as  it  sliould. 
Tliis  condition  is  the  fault  of  the  taxpayers  primarily. 
They  have  not  called  for  business-like  administration 
and  they  have  not  received  it.  They  have  been  con- 
tented with  the  same  lax  methods  which  they  practiced 
in  their  own  affairs,  methods  they  have  been  besought 
in  vain  to  improve.  It  is  this  popular  contentment  with 
slipshod  methods  that  is  the  greatest  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  rational  road  improvements  today,  and  not  lack 
of  money  for  the  work.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
imin-ove  our  methods  of  administering  our  road  affairs 
by  local  authorities  in  many  cases,  before  it  is  wise  to 
undertake  large  expenditures.  It  is  particularly  nec- 
essary to  introduce  proper  accounting  systems  on  all 
road  work,  not  because  any  large  sums  are  being  graft- 
ed but  because  without  such  accounting  no  work  can 
be  carried  on  economically.  We  should  have  more  re- 
sults from  the  money  we  are  spending  through  local 
officials,  and  we  cannot  obtain  them  until  the  account- 
ing methods  which  are  shown  to  be  necessary  to  cheek 
waste  in  every  successful  business  are  adopted  by  these 
local  authorities.  Everybody  interested  in  road  work 
knows  that  the  waste  exists,  but  the  lack  of  proper 
records  makes  it  impossible  in  most  eases  to  point  with 
certainty  to  specific  causes  of  it.  The  pressing  road 
problem  of  the  country  today  is  not  so  much  to  provide 
money  for  our  highways  and  byways  as  it  is  to  awaken 
the  average  taxpayer  to  a  knowledge  of  the  business 
side  of  the  work  for  which  he  is  contributing  si  liber- 
ally, so  that  he  will  enlist  the  help  of  the  ablest  busi- 
ness men  and  the  services  of  competent  engineers  and 
supervisors  in  carrying  it  on.  The  cost  of  road  con- 
struction has  been  increasing  rapidly  during  the  last 
two  yeai"s.  and  it  is  more  important  than  ever  before 
to  develop  an  enlightened  public  opinion  in  favor  of  a 
business-like  administration  of  road  aft'airs.  such  as  al- 
ready exists  in  some  localities  where  the  people  have 
given  the  sub.ject  the  attention  it  deserves. 


Steep  Concrete  Roads. 

When  the  State  of  New  York  began  to  build  con- 
crete roads  this  type  of  construction  was  not  used  on 
grades  exceeding  5  feet  rise  in  a  distance  of  100  feet. 
Experience  has  shown,  however,  that  this  limitation 
was  unnecessarv  and  concrete  roadwavs  having  grades 


ffllPOE 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  coinbincd  use  of  Red  Cross  Explosives  and 
modern  road  machinery,  will,  in  many  cases. 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  "Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
with  modem  road  building  machineiy  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for  "ROAD   CONSTRUCTION 
and  M.MNTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


EXTRA 

40r;t  STTOD«T« 


ARMCO  CORRUGATED 


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CULVERTS 


WHEREVER  installed  "Armco"  Iron  Cor- 
*'    rugated  Culverts  (Full  and  Part  Circle) 
have  always  proven  their  strength,  adaptability 
and  lasting  quality. 

"Armco"  Iron  Culverts  are  good  for  lifetime  service  because 
made  of  pure  iron  which  resists  rust. 

For  information  as  to  rust-resisting  "Armco"  Iron  Cul- 
verts, Siphons,  Flumes.  Sheets,  Roofing  and  Formed  Pro- 
ducts, write  to 


ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  &  FLUME 
MFRS.  ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


22 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


April,  1917 


of  S  feet  rise  in  a  distance  of  100  feet,  or  8  per  cent. 
have  been  bnilt.  These  grades  are  steeper  than  road 
builders  like  to  have  on  highways  carrying  more  thaji 
a  light  traffic,  no  matter  what  kind  of  construction  is 
employed.  H.  Eltinge  Breed,  first  deputy  eimmission- 
er  of  the  New  York  Highway  Department,  recently  sta- 
ted that  the  grade  of  concrete  roads  seems  to  be  limit- 
ed only  by  the  character  of  the  mixture  forming  the 
concrete,  the  ability  nf  the  wet  concrete  to  stay  in  place 
until  it  hardens,  and  the  nature  of  the  traffic  on  the 
road.  He  reports  that  even  on  steep  grades  the  use  of 
coarse  sand  in  the  concrete  prevents  the  surface  from 
being  slippery,  and  he  advocates  brooming  the  wet 
concrete  so  that  the  very  minute  particles  which  make 
the  surface  smooth  will  be  dislodged  before  the  mass 
hardens.  As  a  matter  of  fact  concrete  pavements  have 
been  laid  in  a  number  of  cities  on  slopes  steeper  than 
those  of  the  New  York  highways.  Dale  Place  in  Little 
Falls,  N.  Y.,  has  a  pavement  of  this  kind  on  an  IS  per 
cent  grade,  as  has  Twenty-Second  Street,  in  Kansas 
City,  Mo.  The  pavement  on  Baxter  Street,  Los  Ange- 
les, is  on  a  grade  of  29  per  cent  and  holds  the  record 
at  jiresent.  Seattle  has  concrete  jiavements  with 
grades  of  10  and  22  per  cent,  there  is  one  of  16  per 
cent  in  Sioux  City,  15  per  cent  is  found  in  West  Union. 
W.  Va..  and  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  and  there  is  a  quite  long 
list  of  such  roadways  nearly  as  steep  in  other  cities. 


Texas  Highway  Commission. 

There  will  become  etfective  July  1.  1917.  the  bill  re- 
cently passed  by  the  Texas  legislature  known  as  the 
state  highway  bill.  This  measure  establishes  the  state 
highway  department  and  creates  the  state  highway 
commission. 

The  bill  provides  for  the  appointment  of  three  com- 
missioners by  the  governor,  to  serve  for  a  term  of  two 
years  each,  one  of  the  commissioners  to  be  designated  as 
chairman.  These  are  to  serve  without  compensation, 
excejit  they  are  allowed  $10  per  diem  when  engaged 
with  their  official  duties,  and  they  are  also  allowed  their 
ti'Mveling  expenses.  The  per  diem  of  no  one  member 
of  the  connnission  is  allowed  to  exceed  .$1,000  per  an- 
num. 

After  their  appointment,  the  commissioners  shall  meet 
and  appoint  a  state  highway  engineer,  who  becomes 
the  administrative  head  of  the  commission,  his  compen- 
sation to  be  fixed  by  the  commission. 

It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  state  highway  commission 
to  lay  out  and  plan  a  system  of  state  highways,  in  co- 
operation with  the  various  county  commissioners'  courts 
of  the  state,  these  to  have  preference  of  state  and  fed- 
eral aid  in  the  building  of  said  highways.  The  bill  pro- 
vides for  the  working  of  state  prisoners  on  these  roads, 
under  the  direction  of  the  state  highway  department. 
The  federal  government  has  appropriated  .$85,000,000, 
to  be  used  in  assisting  the  various  states  in  the  country 
in  the  building  of  good  roads,  and  it  is  estimated  that  of 
this  sum  Texas  will  receive  about  $5,000,000  as  her  pro 
rata  share.  The  county  receiving  state  and  federal  aid 
is  obliged  to  maintain  the  roads  built. 


Florida  Good  Roads  Association. 

The  Florida  Good  Roads  Association  held  its  annual 
meeting  in  Tallahassee,  April  11  and  12.  There  was  an 
interesting  program,  which  included  addresses  by  high- 
way officials  from  various  parts  of  the  country  as  well 
as  from  Florida,  says  Di-.  J.  R.  lienton,  of  the  University 
of  Florida  college  of  engineering. 

The  Florida  Good  Roads  Association  is  the  parent 
organization  of  all  good  nads  and  highways  associa- 


Afler 

Economy 

Road 

Making 

Follows 

EcoDomy 

Hauling 


MOGUL  AND  TITAN  TRACTORS 
BUILD    ROADS   ON    KEROSENE 

prOR  years  International  Harvester  tractors  have  been  used  in  building 
*■  roads  at  a  great  saving  of  time  and  money.  We  can  refer  you  to  the 
authorities  in  scores  of  localities  who  are  enthusiastic  over  Mogul  and  Titan 
operation. 

Kerosene  — that  is  the  big  reason.  This  Company  is  attracting  much 
attention  at  the  this  time  by  guaranteeing  Mogul  and  1  itan  tractors  to 
work  satisfactorily  onkerosene.  These  are  the  sizes— sizes  for  all 
road  making  needs:  Mogul  8-16-H  P.;  Titan  ie-20-H.  P.; 
Mogul  12-25-H.  P.;  Titan  15-30-ir.  P.;  and  Titan  30-60-H.  P. 

Where  the  road-v^iork  budge 
is  limited  these  tractors  are  to 
be  recommended  for  maxi- 
mum results,  distributing  the 
cost  over  the  most  miles  possi- 
ble. They  are  of  best  quality 
material  and  construction  and 
use  the  lowest -priced  fuel. 
Write  us  about  any  Mogul  or 
Titan    Tractor. 

International  Harvester  Company  of  America 

(Incorporated) 
151  Harvester  Building  Chicago  USA 


A-MIX-A-MINUTE 

The  Jaeger 
Big-And-Little  Mixer 

Sizes  :    3,  6,  8  and  11  Cubic  Feet  Capacity 

Cost,  the  cheapest.  Strength,  steel 
and  iron  throughout.  Cost  of  opera- 
tion, it  costs  next  door  to  nothing. 
You  look  at  your  mix  all  the  time 
while  mixing.  It  mixes  either  brick 
mortar,  patent  plaster  or  concrete. 
Speed.  The  answer  A-Mix-a-Minute. 
Write  for  catalogue  and  prices. 

C.  F.  LAWRENCE,  General  Agent 

For  Virgiaia,  North  and  South  Carolina 
GREENSBORO,  N.  C. 


April,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


23 


tions  in  Horida.  This  association  is  not  committed  to 
advance  the  interests  of  any  one  routg  or  highway  over 
those  of  another,  but  fosters  the  improving  of  high- 
ways anywhere  in  the  State  as  a  great  civic  movement 
of  inestimable  benefit  to  the  entire  population,  but  es- 
pecially to  the  farmers. 

It  was  through  the  efforts  of  this  association  that  the 
present  State  Road  Department  was  founded,  and  that 
the  State  is  in  position  t:i  receive  its  share  of  Federal 
aid  for  highway  building,  which  amounts  to  $56,000  the 
first  year  and  more  than  $110,000  the  next. 


GOOD  ROADS  NOTES  •^BRIEF 

Moimt  Gilead  township,  Montgomery  county,  N.  C, 
last  month  voted  $30,000  for  the  construction  of  roads 
to  connect  with  systems  in  adjoining  counties.  The 
majority  was  overwhelming. 

The  Guilford  county,  N.  C,  commissioners  have  pro- 
vided nine  maintenance  and  repair  gangs  and  have  di- 
vided the  county  into  districts  to  the  same  number. 
From  $15,000  to  $20,000  per  year  will  be  devoted  to 
upkeep.  Last  year  about  $10,000  was  devoted  to  re- 
pair and  maintenance. 

A¥ork  on  construction  of  two  of  the  main  highways 
in  Rockingham  county,  N.  C,  was  begun  several  weeks 
ago.  J.  T.  Plott  is  the  contractor  in  charge.  When 
stretches  are  built  in  this  count.y  there  will  be  a  com- 
pleted highway  from  the  Virginia  to  the  vSouth  Carolina 
line  in  a  bee  line  across  the  piedmont  section  of  Narth 
Carolina. 

Caldwell  county,  North  Carolina,  will  vote  May  8 
on  the  is.suance  of  $250,000  bonds  for  the  construction 
of  a  system  of  giod  roads.  T'Jiis  is  one  of  the  counties 
stricken  by  the  floods  of  last  summer.  It  is  adjacent  to 
the  great  resort  country  and  its  roads  would  be  in  great 
demand  by  tourists. 

The  freight  transportation  problem  is  being  solved  in 
one  locality  by  what  is  prabablj^  the  first  separate  road 
for  motor  trucking.  It  is  now  being  built  by  Los  An- 
geles county,  California.  The  road  is  13.3  miles  long 
from  Los  Angeles  to  the  harbor  at  San  Pedro.  It  con- 
sists of  a  five  inch  base  of  disintegrated  granite,  forty 
feet  wide,  forming  a  water  bound  macadam,  on  the  cen- 
ter of  which  is  laid  eight  inches  of  concrete,  twenty- 
four  feet  wide.  A  bituminous  carpet  covers  the  con- 
crete. 

A  movement  to  abolish  the  convict  leasing  system 
in  Florida,  placing  the  convicts  at  work  on  highways 
under  the  direction  of  the  state  highway  department, 
has  been  started  by  the  Tallahassee  Boosters'  Club. 

Steps  have  been  taken  by  the  board  of  supervisors  of 
Dinwiddie  coiinty,  Va.,  far  permanent  improvement  of 
the  county  roads  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  pres- 
ent good  roads  of  the  county.  Application  has  been 
made  by  the  county  for  federal  aid  in  maintaining  the 
'  White  Oak  and  Grubby  roads  and  one  of  the  county 
forces  will  be  put  to  wnrk  on  the  Cox  road  immediate- 
ly with  a  view  of  reljuilding  it  from  Ritchie's  store 
'through  Namozine  and  Darville's  districts.  Other 
forces  will  be  created. 

Road  district  No.  2,  Wheeler  county,  Texas,  receutl.v 
voted  $35,000  for  the  construction  of  a  link  of  the  Dal- 
las-Canadian-Denver Highway.  An  adjoining  district 
has  voted  $50,000. 

The  recent  North  Carolina  Legislature  authorized  a 
bond  issue  of  $300,000  for  Burke  county,  but  dissatis- 
fied citizens  are  contesting  the  matter  through  the 
courts. 


Demand  the  Use 
of  Permanent 
Culverts 


Don't  allow  Road  Money  to  be  wasted ! 
Make  every  penny  count  toward  the 
construction  of  a  permanent  highway 
through  your  section. 

A  poor  culvert  can  make  the  best 
road  bed  impassable.  Cast  iron  cul- 
vert pipe  is  inexpensive  compared  to 
the  cost  of  the  highway  itself ;  but  it 
is  permanent. 


u.  s. 


CAST 
IRON 


CULVERTS 


No  lateral  joints  to  weaken  the  cul- 
vert and  be  attacked  by  frost.  Our 
solid,  permanent  cylinder  of  cast  iron, 
that  is  not  weakened  by  rust.  U.  S. 
Cast  Iron  Culvert  Pipe  retains  its 
original  strength  for  decades.  Elimi- 
nate costly  repairs  and  replacements. 

Learn  by  the  experience  of  others.  It's 
explained  in  "THE  CULVERT— The 
very  heart  of  Highway  Construction." 

Send  for  a  copy  today. 


UNITED  STATES 


IRON 


PIPE 


FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 

GENERAL  OFFICES:  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 


SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St, 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittshurph.  Henry  W  Oliver  Bldg-. 
Chicago,  122  So  Mioh.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  Buildirp 
Birminirham,  Ala.,  Am  Trust  Bld^r- 
San  Francisco,  MonaHnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo.  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


Seattle,  Wai  h  ,  Room  1814,  L.  C.  Smith  Bldp. 


24  SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS  April.  1917 


IF  there  is  anything  about  our  trade  with  your  county  that 
doesn't  exactly  suit  you,  we  are  always  ready  and  willing  to 
do  everything  in  our  pow^er  to  make  it  right.  Uniortunately, 
some  folks  think  because  they  are  dealing  with  a  company 
there  should  never  be  any  mistakes  and  all  things  should  run 
along  in  ship-shape  order  at  all  times.  This  would  be  the  case  if 
what  we  desired  could  be  obtained.  Since,  however,  we  are 
only  human,  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another  will  occur  and  our 
only  recourse  is  to  rectify  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 

"To  err  is  human; 

To  forgive,  divine." 

However,  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  quality  of  our  "GEN- 
UINE OPEN  HEARTH  IRON"  (99.875'X  Pure  Iron-Copper 
Alloy)  Culverts.  Whether  Black  or  Galvanized  we  stand  back 
of  every  foot  we  make  and  guarantee  it  to  give  more  lasting  ser- 
vice than  any  other  Culvert  Pipe  made,  when  installed  under 
identical  conditions. 

A  postal  card  to  us  or  to  J.  H.  Slaughter,  Yarborough  Hotel, 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  will  result  m  the  merits  of  our  Product  being 
placed  before  you  in  a  courteous,  business-like  manner.  To  deal 
vv^ith  us  once  is  to  become  a  life-time  customer. 


The  Newport  Culvert  Co.,  Inc. 

Newport,  Ky. 


^ouIherni, 

GooDR5g^s 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishinn  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C.  May,  1917 


Bnterwl  at  Lezinston  Poet  Office  at 
second  elasa  matter 


Wide  Tires  Are  More  Economical 

Good  Roads  Office  Gives  Figures  Ttiat  Prove  Farmer  is  ttie  Gainer  by  Using 

Wider  Tired  Veliicles  on  Public  Roads 


THE  United  States  Office  of  Public  Koads  and  Ru- 
ral Eugineeriug  has  recently  made  some  very  in- 
teresting tests  and  investigations  as  to  the  results  ob- 
tained through  the  use  of  the  different  widths  of  wag- 
on tires,  both  to  the  road  and  the  user  of  the  wagon. 
Their  conclusions  are  aptly  stated  in  the  following  re- 
i)ort : 

"For  many  years  advocates  of  good  roads  have  urg- 
ed the  use  of  wide  tires  on  wagons  as  a  means  of  re- 
ducing the  needless  wear  of  road  surfaces.  For  as 
many  years  the  average  farmer  has  shown  little  incli- 
nation to  adopt  such  tires.  He  pays  taxes  for  the  main- 
tenance of  roads  and  claims  that  they  should  be  kept 
in  good  enough  condition  for  him  to  use  any  width  tire 
he  prefers.  He  objects  to  being  taxed  for  something 
which  he  must  pamper  to  the  extent  of  foregoing  what 
he  regards  as  one  of  his  inalienable  rights  to  the  slight- 
est degree.  His  point  of  view  is  so  buttressed  by  firm 
c  nivictions  that  it  is  difficult  to  persuade  him  to  change 


it. 


Convincing  Argximent. 


"The  most   convincing  argument  in   his   case  is  us- 
ually one  that  presents  a  prospect  of  tinaneial  advan- 


On   the   Colorado    to   the   Gulf    Highway,     Between 
Springs  and  Pueblo,  Colorado 


Colorado 


tage,  and  there  is  a  good  argument  for  wide  tires  based 
on  their  saving  to  the  farmer.  In  fact,  it  is  a  better 
argument  for  such  tires  than  their  service  in  protecting 
roads.     It  is  based  on  facts  ascertained  by  experiments 


made  by  the  United  States  office  of  public  r^ads  and 
rural  engineering,  under  the  direction  of  E.  B  McCor- 
mick,  chief  of  its  division  of  rural  engineering. 

"An  earth  road  was  plowed  up,  graded  and  then  roll- 
ed with  a  ten-ton  roller  weighing  450  pounds  per  inch 
of  width  rim  of  the  wheels.  A  wagon  was  then  Ltad- 
ed  until  the  total  weight  on  the  wheels  was  5,000 
pounds,  and  the  pull  in  pounds  required  to  haul  it 
along  the  road  as  measured.  The  wagon  was  equipped 
with  11/.,  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6-inch  tires,  and  the  weight  of 
the  loaded  wagon  was  883,  625,  417,  313,  250  and  208 
pounds  per  inch  width  of  tire  for  these  different 
widths.  It  will  be  noticed  that  with  V/^  and  2-inch 
tires  the  wheels  produced  greater  loads  on  the  roads, 
per  inch  of  width  of  tire,  than  did  the  road  roller  used 
in  constructing  the  road,  so  that  it  is  self-evident  that 
such  tires  will  cut  iiita  a  new  road  somewhat  and  are 
therefore  undesirable. 

"After  each  test  and  before  the  beginning  of  the 
next,  the  road  was  replowed,  graded  and  again  rolled, 
so  as  to  leave  the  conditions  at  the  beginning  of  each 
test  as  uniform  as  possible  with  an  earth  road.  The 
tests  selected  for  comparison  were  those  in  which  mois- 
ture and  weather  conditions  were  identical. 

Advantages  are  Showoi. 

"The  results  of  all  these  tests  show  that  it  takes  a 
pull  of  about  91  pounds  per  ton  of  gross  load  when 
11/.  inch  tires  are  used,  82  pounds  with  2-inch  tires,  74 
pounds  with  3-inch,  69  p  lunds  with  4-inch  and  G() 
pounds  with  5-incli. 

"With  6-inch  tires  the  pull  increases  somewhat  above 
that  with  5-ineh  tires.  Indicating  that  for  such  a  wag- 
on and  load  there  is  no  advantage  in  increasing  the 
widtli  of  tire  al)ove  5  inches.  From  these  figures  it 
will  be  seen  that  a  horse  must  exert  itself  about  23  per 
cent,  more  to  pull  the  same  load  with  lV-;-inch  tires 
than  with  3-inch  tires,  and  over  10  per  cent,  more  with 
2-inch  than  with  3-inch  tires. 

"Any  such  steady,  needless  strain  on  the  strengtli 
o:  horses,  avoidable  by  substituting  vritlc  for  narrow 
tiros,  IS  a  waste  of  the  farmer's  assers  which  he  will  be 
quick  to  see  when  pointed  out. 

Widths  Recommended. 

"The  Avidth  of  tires  recommended  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  is  as  follows:  One-horse  wagon 
weighing  2,000  pounds  loaded,  2-inch;  light  two-horse 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1917 


wagon  weighiug  3,500  puuiuls  loaded,  2I/2  inches;  me- 
dium two-horse  wagou  weighing  4,500  pounds  loaded, 
3  inches;  standard  two-horse  wagon,  weighing  6,800 
pounds,  4  inches;  heavy  two-liorse  wagon,  weighing  7,- 
500  pounds  loaded.  5  inches. 

■■"Witli  such  tires  not  only  will  the  farmer  work  his 
horses  to  the  best  advantage,  l)ut  he  will  also  reduce 
the  amount  of  money  that  must  be  spent  to  keep  the 
roads  in  a  condition  for  easy  use.  He  will  be  a  gainer 
in  every  way.  He  can  haul  heavier  loads  with  the 
same  team,  he  can  haul  the  same  load  with  less  exer- 
tion than  with  narrow  tires,  and  every  time  his  wide- 
tired  wagon  goes  over  an  cai-tli  road  it  will  roll  it  in- 
stead of  i-utting  it." 


Interesting  Characters  On  Boone  Trail. 

Discussing  tlie  garnering  of  material  for  stories, 
Opie  Read,  the  novelist,  once  said: 

■'You  don't  find  cliaracter  in  the  plain  states;  you 
must  go  to  the  hills.  In  the  flat  country  people  par- 
take more  or  less  of  their  surroundings,  but  in  the 
broken,  undulating  regions  you  find  folks  who  do 
things  in  ways  they  have  thought  up  themselves;  who 
are  original  and  have  constructive  abilit.v.  They  may 
work  in  the  right  or  wrong  direction,  but  they  will 
be  doing  something;  tliey  won't  sit  down  and  wait. 
That  is  my  experience  in  the  quest  of  character  for 
my  writings." 

Novelist  Read's  remarks  were  addressed  to  a  brother 
writer.  Edgar  White,  who  treasured,  and  in  time  made 
use  of  the  wisdom  delivered  l)y  the  successful  author 
of  "A  Tennessee  Judge,"'  "The  Jucklins."  and  a  score 
of  other  "best  sellers''  of  twenty  years  ago. 

Not  long  ago  the  whirligig  of  chance  took  ]Mr.  White 
on  an  automobile  ride  over  the  Daniel  Boane  Trail  in 
ilissouri.  through  the  country  where  Mark  Twain  dis- 
covered Huckleberry  Finn,  Becky  Thatcher,  Slade  "the 
raw  head  and  bloody  bones"  of  a  stage  superintendent. 
Calvin  Highbie.  and  a  host  of  others,  good  and  bad 
whom  their  every-day  c  mipanions  thought  were  quite 
hum-drum,  common-place  fellows  until  the  artist  came 
along  and  saw  the  rich  vein  of  character  in  tliem.  Here 
'Sir.  White  found  several  new  types,  and  in  the  April 
number  of  American  Motorist  he  tells  of  them  under 
the  caption,  "Characters  On  the   Trail." 

Among  "Sir.  White's  characters  are  Isaiah  Lewis,  who 
foi'  more  than  fifty  years  has  been  fighting  for  the  re- 
turn of  the  couut.v  seat  to  his  beloved  Bloiunington ; 
George  Jackson,  who  for  thirt.y-five  years  has  been  sec- 
retary of  the  Jacksonville  Fair  Association,  and  who 
claims  the  Jacksonville  fair  is  the  world's  greatest  be- 
cause of  the  people  who  attend  it.  pointing  out  that 
people  always  have  been  and  always  will  be  more  in- 
teresting than  scenery:  Alex  Rector,  who,  while  drill- 
ing a  well,  struck  coal,  and  then  sold  his  land  with 
that  "hard,  black  stuff"  on  it;  Professor  Jones,  the 
"champion  speller"  i)f  .Alissoui-i.  and  "Diamond 
Billy"  Tlidl.  who  conducts  a  wild  animal  bai'gaiti  conn- 
Ici-.' 

.Mr.  White  deals  at  length  with  oddities  of  the  char- 
acters he  met,  and  has  evolved  one  of  the  most  human 
documents  ever  prepared  to  entice  the  motor  way- 
farer to  choose  the  Daniel  Boone  Trail  for  pleasure, 
studv  and  comfort. 


twenty  years  for  non  profit.  Its  purposes  are  to  foster 
the  construction  and  use  of  a  highway  from  Savannah, 
Georgia,  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  through  eight 
states,  seventy-four  counties  and  nearly  two  hundred 
towns  and  villages;  to  strive  for  uniform,  wise  and 
equitable  road  legislation  in  the  States  of  Georgia. 
Alabama.  ^Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas,  New  ^lexico. 
Arizona  and  California ;  to  aid  in  bringing  about  effi- 
cent  road  administration  ;  to  seek  continuous  and  sys- 
tematic maintenance  of  all  roads  and  their  classifica- 
tion according  to  traffic  requirements ;  to  promote  co- 
operation in  "units"  or  "locals"  on  the  parts  of  towns 
cities,  communities,  precincts  and  other  political  sub- 
divisions; to  mark  the  highway;  to  give  publicity  to  its 
historical  character,  by  monuments,  guide-books,  bul- 
letins and  other  printed  matter;  to  affiliate  and  co- 
operate with  other  good  roads  associations. 

Officers  were  elected  as  follows : — Frank  G.  Lumpkin, 
Honorary  President.  Columbus,  Georgia;  John  S. 
Bleecker.  President,  Columbus,  Georgia;  Harvey 
Granger.  Vice-President  at  Large.  Savannah,  Georgia; 
Leland  J.  Henderson.  Secretary-Treasiu-er.  Columbus, 
Georgia.  Executive  Committee :  John  S.  Bleecker, 
R.  Curtis  Jordan,  Leland  J.  Henderson,  all  of  Colum- 
bus. Georgia ;  F.  B.  Waterman,  Hawkinsville,  Georgia, 
and  J.  H.  Drakeford.  Tuskegee,  Alabama.  Vice-Pres- 
dents:  Georgia — II.  C.  Spence,  Cohunbus;  Alabama — 
W.  S.  Keller.  .Alontgomery. ;  ^Mississippi — Cliff  Williams, 
^leridian  ;  Texas — E.  T.  Peter,  Dallas  ;  California — Ed 
Fletcher,  San  Diego.  County  Organizers:  Bullock 
County,  Georgia — Dr.  A.  J.  Mooney,  Statesboro;  Eman- 
ual  County,  Georgia — V.  II.  Thompson.  Swainsboro ; 
Johnson  County,  Georgia — J.  B.  Williams.  Wrights- 
ville;  Laurens  County,  Georgia — R.  Y.  Beckham.  Dub- 
lin; Bleckley  County,  Georgia — J.  II.  ^Mulliis.  Jr.,  Coch- 
ran; Pulaski  County,  Georgia — ^F.  B.  Waterman. 
Hawkinsville:  Dooly  Count.v,  Georgia — ilayor  C.  B. 
ilorgan.  Unadilla :  ^lacon  Count.v.  Georgia — A.  II. 
Perry,  Oglethorpe;  Schley  County,  Georgia — J.  B. 
Williamson,  Ellaville;  Marion  County,  Georgia — Chas. 
W.   Lowe.   Buena  Vista. 

Tbe  main  office  of  the  Association  is  at  Columbus. 
Georgia.  i)ranches  may  be  esta..^..j..ed  in  other  places 
and  othei-  states. 

The  officers  of  this  Association  believe  it  is  a  fraud 
to  advocate  a  highway  until  it  is  one.  It  has  been 
organized  for  nearly  three  years,  but  not  incorporated. 
Since  its  organization  it  has  been  chiefly  engaged  iii 
getting  the  county  road  i)uiK1ing  authorities  iiit  1  an 
agreement  to  maintain  a  practical  year  round  automo- 
bile highway  for  the  Dixie  Overland.  Fourteen  of  the 
fifteen  counties  in  Georgia  have  made  this  agreement. 
A  total  of  thirty-one  of  the  seventy-four  counties 
through  which  the  highway  runs  are  now  under  eon- 
tract  with  the  Association.  The  highway  will  not  be 
opened  in  Georgia  or  to  the  west  until  it  is  a  practical 
and  safe  thoroughfare  throughout  the  year. 

The  Log  p,(i(ik  of  the  (Jeirgia  Section  of  the  highway 
\\ill   be  i-ca(l\-  for  distribution  in  about   ten  ilavs. 


Dixie  Overland  Incorporated. 

Articles  having  been  prepared  therefor,  the  Dixie 
Overland  Highway  Association  was  dul.y  incorporated 
on  April  3,  11)17.  luider  the  laws  of  the  State  of  (Georgia. 

The     Association     is    incorporated   for   a    period    of 


Million  for  South  Carolina  County. 

John  A.  Law,  banker  and  mill  president,  has  been 
elected  president  of  the  Spartanburg  County  Highway 
Commission  which  will  spend  a  millicui  dollars  for  im- 
provement of  roads  in  this  count,^•,  T,  Wright  Cox.  a 
merchant  of  Woodruit".  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
c  unmi.ssion  to  take  the  place  of  C.  M.  Drununond.  who 
resigned  because  of  other  duties.  Matters  of  nft'ering 
bonds  to  the  market  and  election  of  an  engineer  and 
other  such  matters  will  be  taken  up  at  an  early  meeting. 


May.  1917 


SOITTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Texas  Roads  Lead  the  South 

By  J.  P.  NASH 
Testing  Engineer  Road  Materials  Laboratory,  University  of  Texas 


NO  OTHER  state  in  the  riiioii  has  made  the  pro- 
gress e(iual  to  that  oi  Texas  during  the  last  few 
years  in  road  improvements.  A  ghince  at  the  daily  pa- 
pers will  give  assuranee  of  this  fact,  as  there  is  seldom 
a  day  in  whieh  there  is  nut  a  news  item  regarding  the 
beginning  or  completion  of  some  road  work.  With 

this  rapid  [irogress  eome  many  mistakes  in  the  spend- 
ing of  the  road  fniuls,  but  with  the  vast  imi)ruvement 
that  can  be  noted  on  every  hand,  it  is  felt  that  some 
of  these  mistakes  may  be  overlooked. 

The  field  of  good  road  work  in  Texas  is  almost  un- 
limited. There  are  approximately  150,000  miles  of 
i':)ads  in  this  State,  of  whieh  but  a  small  per  cent  are 
improved.  I\Iany  roads  that  have  been  improved  in  the 
last  few  years  are  now  in  condition  that  will  need  com- 
plete resurfacing.  About  6.5  per  cent  of  the  total  mile- 
age has  some  type  of  coustructiim  as  good  as,  or  bet- 
ter than,  sand  clay.  While  this  figure  seems  rather 
small,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  is  about  6  per 
cent  more  than  it  was  ten  years  ago. 

It  is  a  fact  however,  that  approximately  15  to  120  per 
cent  of  all  the  roads  in  a  community  carry  from  80  to 
!)0  per  cent  nf  the  traffic.  In  other  words  there  is  only 
a  small  percentage  of  roads  that  needs  tn  be  improved 
with  anything  like  permanent  surfaces,  and  for  the 
great  mileage  of  side  roads  and  laterals  an  improved 
earth  surface  is  highly  satisfactory  and  economical. 

In  almost  every  county  is  found  a  through  road, 
which  is  so  situated  that  it  will  carry  as  much  as  50 
to  60  per  cent  of  the  traffic.  It  is  decidedly  economical 
to  place  sonu'  permanent  road  surface  upon  such  a 
road  as  this.  There  is  a  type  of  construction  suitable 
f(n-  every  r(]ad  in  the  commnnity  and  it  is  only  a  ques- 
tion of  knowing  .just  what  kind  of  traffic  the  road  will 
be  reipiired  to  cari-y  and  \\liat  resistance  the  various 
materials  will  have  to  this  kind  of  traffic.  While  this 
is  a  definite  enough  principle,  its  correct  execution  pre- 
sents numerous  difficulties  and  needs  considerable 
knowledge  and  experience. 

Progress  in  Road  Improvement. 

In  many  ways  Texas  shows  marketl  progress  in  road 
improvement  during  the  last  five  years,  not  only  in  the 
sentiment  of  the  people,  but  also  in  the  methods  and 
materials  adopted.  In  1911  the  total  bonds  approved 
by  the  Attorney  General  for  roads  amounted  to  ap- 
proximately $3,500,000;  while  in  1916  the  sum  had  in- 
creased to  $5,757,000.  The  amount  of  road  taxes  and 
warrants  for  road  work  has  correspondingly  increased. 
There  is  no  better  indication  of  the  active  intere.st 
shown  in  the  road  movenu-nt  tlian  the  voting  of  bonds. 
While  this  method  of  raising  money  for  road  constrnc- 
1ion  is  highly  satisfactory,  the  stamp  of  approval  can 
not  always  be  given  to  the  methods  of  execution. 

Gradually  the  public  is  awaking  to  the  unsoiuidness 
of  the  principle  of  issuing  forty-year  bonds  to  construct 
roads  that  will  not  last  five  years.  Enlightenment  up- 
on this  matter  seems  to  lie  somewhat  slower  than  could 
be  desired,  but  an  encouraging  feature  is  that  it  is  real- 
ly making  its  infiuence  felt  and  gaining  headway. 

Five  years  ago  a  sand-clay  or  gravel  road  was  con- 
sidered a  first-class  road,  and  nothing  better  was  ask- 
ed; biit  with  the  increase  of  traffic,  whieh  is  sure  to  de- 
velop on   a  good  road,  and  the  increased  numbers  of 


automobiles,  the  public  began  to  see  their  good  road 
transpoi't  itself  hi  cloiuls  of  dust  to  the  neighboring 
farm,  and  they  Ijegan  to  wonder  where  the  road  would 
be  when  the  bond  issue  expired.  The  more  progres- 
sive communities  decided  that  something  should  he 
done,  and  when  the  method  of  treating  the  road  sur- 
face with  a  waterproof  coating  thai  would  also  keep 
it  frinn  becoming  dusty  in  dry  weather  was  first  pr  >- 
[tosed,  it  was  readil.v  grasped  as  a  satisfactiu'y  solution 
to  such  troubles.  Other  communities  decided  that  the 
gravel  road  in  any  description  was  not  satisfactoiy  for 
their  hea\y  traffic  highways,  and  they  built  the  macad- 
am road. 

Bexar  county  was  the  first  to  treat  its  gravel  r  lads 
with  a  surface  application.  Both  the  officials  and  the 
public  of  this  count.v  became  great  boosters  for  this 
method  of  handling  the  road  problem.  Harris  county, 
Travis  county  and  many  others  have  since  treated  e  )n- 
sideral)le  mileage  of  road  liy  this  nietliod. 

Advantages  Over  Grravel. 

However,  the  crushed  stone  I'oads  have  numerous  ad- 
vantages over  the  gravel  ones,  chief  of  which  are  the 
interlocking  action  and  the  unif(n'mit.y  of  the  stones. 
When  treated  with  a  bitiunin  )ns  binder,  crushed  stone 


First  Course  of  Oyster  Shells  on  Road  Near  Ntw  Oi leans 

makes  an  excellent  road  for  heaxy  modern  traffic,  pro- 
vided, of  course,  that  the  construction  is  good.  The 
initial  cost  of  this  t,\pe  of  road  is  somewhat  higher 
than  for  gravel,  but  its  permanence  is  greater  and 
maintenance  cost  lower;  and  it  has  the  great  ailvau- 
tages  of  a  first-<-lass  road  at  all  limes. 

The  greatest  mileage  of  this  type  of  road  has  been 
laid  in  Dallas,  .Mcijcnnan.  Tai'rant  and  Taylor  coun- 
ties. Along  the  same  lines,  El  Paso  county  has  laid 
twent.v  miles  of  road  surface  made  b.v  mixing  crushed 
stone  with  asphalt  in  a  drum,  and  then  placing  it  iipon 
the  road.  This  special  method  is.  however,  patented. 
Coincident  with  the  construction  of  the  above  types  of 
road  come  the  Hunt  county  concrete  roads.  These  were 
laid  in  1915  and  represent  the  first  considerable  mile- 
age of  concrete  roads  in  the  State,  and  are  are  proving 
very  satisfactory.  Sixteen  miles  of  concrete  roads  with 
gravel  shoulders  wei'c  laid,  i-adiating  from  Greenville. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1917 


Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  nuuDber  of  miles  built 
in  other  counties.  McLennan  county  has  about  five 
miles  of  concrete  road,  and  Navarro  about  two  miles. 
El  Paso  county  lias  completed  about  twenty  miles.  Many 
other  counties  have  considerable  amounts  of  this  type 
of  construction  in  overflow  sections. 

Recently  a  new  method  of  treating  roads  has  been 
developed.  That  is  to  place  a  wearing  surface  of  road 
asphalt  upon  a  good  fDundation.  A  number  of  miles 
of  this  road  has  been  laid  around  Beaumont. 

Demand  for  Superior  Materials. 

All  of  this  shows  progress  in  the  quality  of  road  con- 
struction. A  growing  demand  for  superior  materials 
in  these  various  classes  of  roads  is  evident  and  superior 
mctiiods  and  more  careful  use  of  materials  are  requir- 
ed. 

Up  to  date  methods  and  more  logical  reasoning  is  be- 
ing applied  to  the  road  problem.  ^lany  counties  are 
employing  county  engineers  and  all  of  them  have  found 
such  help  a  good  iudvestment.  Formerly  an  engineei' 
was  considered  a  luxury  and  if  one  was  employed  it 
was  only  for  the  new  construction,  but  in  the  last  year 
or  two  there  is  a  growing  tendency  to  keep  the  engi- 
neer to  look  after  the  roads  after  they  are  built  and 
keep  them  in  good  condition,  which  is  a  job  of  consid- 
erable magnitude  itself. 

Five  years  ago  it  was  considered  the  proper  thing  to 
spread  the  money  right  and  left  on  all  of  tlie  roads,  and 
when  it  was  spread  to  exhaustion  it  was  found  that  the 
hiyer  was  too  thin  to  stand  the  traffic.  Now  the  logic  of 
building  a  smaller  numiber  of  miles  of  first-class  road  is 
seen  and  the  improvement  for  the  whole  community  is 
recognized.  Just  because  the  road  does  not  pass  Far- 
jucr  Jones'  front  door  it  doesn't  mean  that  it  will  do 
him  no  good,  for  he  receives  many  indirect  benefits 
from  the  road.  Then  perhaps  the  next  road  will  pass 
his  door.  Farmer  Jones  is  awakening  to  the  fact  that 
this  is  the  correct  Avay  of  handling  the  matter,  even  if 


he  can't  always  see  just  where  his  own  profit  lies. 

Five  years  ago  systematic  maintenance  was  not  tak- 
en seriously  and  provision  for  it  was  seldom  made.  If 
a  road  became  too  bad  and  all  the  farmers  kicked  about 
it,  the  Commissioner  saw  to  it  that  the  bad  spot  was 
fixed.  Such  thing  as  the  patrol  system  or  the  inter- 
mittent repair  gang  was  not  thought  of.  Recently  sev- 
eral counties  have  adopted  either  one  or  the  other  of 
these  systems.  The  patrol  system  is  one  in  which  a 
man  with  a  team  is  regularly  employed,  and  given  a 
definite  length  of  road — say,  ten  miles — to  attend  to. 
He  is  expected  to  keep  this  section  in  good  condition 
hy  making  repairs  as  the\'  are  called  for,  and  while  the 
damage  is  small.  The  intermittent  repair  gang  is  one 
in  which  the  road  is  kept  in  good  condition  by  gangs 
who  are  sent  out  to  repair  the  road  when  it  needs  it,  or 
at  stated  times,  as  every  three  or  four  months.  These 
systems,  at  one  time,  were  considered  an  unueecssary 
extravagance,  but  now  the  public  realizes  that  such 
maintenance  is  both  necessary  and  economical. 

With  the  advent  of  good  roads  comes  the  heavy  au- 
tomobile traffic.  Almost  every  town  situated  upon 
good  roads  has  its  automobile  transfer  service,  giving 
daily  service  throughout  the  year.  T'his  is  only  pos- 
sible on  good  roads.  ilotor  trucks  soon  make  their 
appearance,  also  heavily  loaded  vehicles.  The  tax^  y 
ing  public  is  beginning  to  recognize  the  increased  use 
of  the  public  road,  when  improved,  and  is  demand'ng 
nwn-e  permanent  r;.)ads  to  be  constructed  from  their 
liond  issues. 

All  of  this  progressive  attitude  toward  good  roads  is 
\-,.i-y  gi'jitfviug  to  the  old-time  good  roads  advocate, 
whii  has  liccn  working  for  just  such  things. 

Mileage  of  Good  Roads. 

The  mileage  of  improved  roads  in  Texas  is  not  well 
known.  No  figures  are  obtainable  that  are  exact,  as 
we  have  had  no  highway  commission  to  collect  n;id 
record  such  iiiformati(ui.     A  beginning  to  gather  s.ieh 


Carrying  Twenty  Children  Six  Miles  to  Consolidated  School  in  Dinwiddie  County,  Virginia 


May,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


data  has  recently  been  made  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Udden,  tho.  di-  portation  on  well  managed  work  is  so  arranged  that 
rector  of  the  Bureau  of  Economic  Geology  and  Tech-  the  cost  of  placing  the  materials  on  the  roadway  is 
nology  of  the  University  of  Te:^as,  and  he  has  placed  taken  of  the  best  methods  of  hauling  and  handling  such 
these  at  my  disposal.  I  have  also  secured  reports  frfim  supplies.  This  efficiency  has  been  carried  so  far  that 
various  county  engineers,  fronii  GeDrge  ^Marshall,  a  on  some  recent  concrete  road  work  the  materials  are 
Federal  highway  engineer,  and  from  other  engineers  loaded  in  their  proper  proportions  for  the  concrete  into 
and  conli-actors  who  are  in  positions  to  know  the  con-  narr:)W-gauge  cars  which  discharge  their  contents  di- 
ditions  accurately.  These  data  are  not  complete,  or  rectly  into  the  concrete  mixer,  the  entire  transportation 
up  to  date,  but  they  are  believed  to  be  sufficiently  re  system  requiring  practically  no  shoveling  for  either 
liable  for  a  general  statement  concerning  road  work  in  loading  or  unloading  the  cars.  On  extensive  bitumi- 
the  State  and  for  a  comparison  of  what  has  been  ac-  nous  road  work  it  is  usual  to  find  a  large  number  of 
complished  in  different  parts  of  the  State.  ti'ucks  running  continuously  from  the  plant  where  the 

Up  to  Jan.  1,  1917,  the  following  nnndier  of  miles  of      materials   are  mixed   and   discharged   by   gravity  into 
roads  has  been  constructed  in  Texas:  the  trucks  to  the  place  where  the  work  is  in  progress, 

so  that  the  only  labor  in   this  s.ystem  of  operation   is 

Concrete '4      ^j^^j.  ^j  shoveling  the  materials  from  the  trucks  to  the 

Bituminous   construction    1<L      roadway.     It  cannot  be  dumped  directly  on  the  road 

VV  aterhoiind  macadam    ^4o       .^^^^  ^j^^^^  ^^^^  ^j^^  ^^^^j  shoveling,  because  this  produces 

^^^'^Z"    ion      'i<ii''^  cores  in  the  center  of  such  a  heap  and  it  is  prac- 

Tj^'^  i    '  '  ' ,. o  onn       ticallv  impossible  to  spread  the  material  properly  from 

Hard   .surtace    -..200      ^^^^,^^  -^  ^jj^      rpj^^  inspection  of  such  features  of  road 

Sand-ciay i^n^t      «''>'•!<  is  usually  welcomed  bv  the  contractor,  and  the 

improved  earth Ib.J.J (       jj^^.  ]iige„t  taxpayer  will  derive  from  such  a  visit  some 

V^^      understanding  of  the  executive  skill  recjuired  to  build 

-b,48J      ^j.g^  ^,]gj.^,  j.^ajg  economically  and  well. 

Most  of  the  higher  types  of  construction,  such  as  the  

bituminous   macadam,    concrete    and    waterbound    nui- 

cadam,  are  confined  to  those  counties  in  which  a  larger  South  Carolina  Engineers  Chosen. 

city  is  located.       There  are  two  reasons  for  this,  one  The  South  Carolina  Highway  Commission  has  elected 

lieing  that  the  heavy  traffic  close  to  the  city  demands  a  J.  R.  Pennell,  of  Beltou,  State  highway  engineer  at 
higher  type  of  road,  and  furtlier,  the  amount  of  money  .>|!3,000  the  year.  Capt.  Pennell  is  a  graduate  in  civil  eu- 
that  can  be  raised  in  such  a  county  permits  higher  gineering  of  the  University  of  South  Carolina  and  com- 
first-cost  roads.  This  does  not,  however,  mean  that  mands  Company  A,  South  Carolina  engineers,  recently 
these  particular  counties  have  more  improved  roads  in       returned  from  the  border. 

proportion  to  their  wealth  than  those  ir.t  having  larger  j^  member  of  the   comission   said   that   possibly  the 

cities,  for  m  many  cases  the  reverse  of  this^is  true.  .^^^^  important  thing  for  the  public  to  bear  in  mind  at 

With  the  creation  of  the  State  Highway  Commission  ^i^j^  ^jj^g  j^  that  the  owners  of  motor  vehicles  in  the 
the  good  roads  movement  in  this  state  is  certain  to  .^t^te  of  South  Carolina  may  secure  their  license  tags 
gather  greater  impetus  than  ever  before,  and  soon  Tex-  ,„.  pi^^^p,  f^.^j^  tlie  office  of  the  State  highway  engineer 
as  will  be  classed  as  the  good  roads  State  of  the  Union.      ^j^^^,  j^^^.-^  7      p^j.^  operated  in  South  Carolina  after 

July  1  without  State  license  tags  will  subject  their 
oA^niers  to  a  fine  of  ^25  for  each  appearance  on  a  public 
highwa.y.  Cars  owned  outside  of  South  Carolina  need 
not  be  registered  in  the  State  unless  they  remain  for 
more  than  30  days. 

Interest  in  the  matter  of  securing  federal  aid  through 
the  State  highway  commission  was  indicated  by  the  re- 
ceipt of  several  letters  from  widely  separated  districts 
of  the  State,  asking  for  information  as  to  how  coun- 
ties may  proceed  to  receive  the  benefits  of  money  ap- 
propriated by  the  federal  government  for  the  con- 
struction of  roads  in  South  Carolina.  Georgetown,  Mc- 
Corinack  and  Spartanburg  were  among  the  counties 
seeking  such  information. 


Transporting  Road  Materials. 

In  a  few  mouths  wagons,  truclts  and  light  railways 
loaded  with  road  materials  will  again  l)ecome  a  famil- 
iar sight  in  those  districts  where  highway  improve- 
ments are  carried  on  extensively,  and  the  taxpayer 
whose  money  pays  for  the  work  will  take  a  natural  in- 
terest in  this  evidence  of  progress  for  which  he  is  con- 
tributing so  generously.  His  interest  will  be  greater 
if  he  understands  how  much  thought  must  be  given 
to  planning  the  method  of  transportation  and  how  much 
attention  must  be  given  its  supervision  in  order  to  save 
needless  expense.  Road  building  is  not  concentrated 
work  like  the  operatimi  in  a  shop,  but  is  scattered  along 
a  strip  of  land  that  is  sometimes  man.y  miles  long  from 
the  railway  siding  and  quarries  where  the  materials  are 
procured  to  the  place  where  they  are  laid  in  the  road. 
In  order  that  the  construction  may  proceed  steadily  the 
materials  must  be  at  hand  when  they  are  needed.  In 
order  that  the  work  may  be  done  at  the  lowest  possible 
cost  the  materials  must  be  rehandled  as  few  times  as 
possible.  This  is  particularly  true  of  broken  stone  and 
gravel  when  they  must  be  shoveled,  for  .shoveling  such 
materials  is  hard,  slow  work.  The  problem  of  the 
road  builder  is  to  do  away  with  all  labor  charges  in- 
volved in  needless  rehandling.  It  makes  no  difference 
whether  this  labor  is  used  at  the  quarry  or  siding  in 
shoveling  materials  into  wagon  or  cars,  or  alongthe 
road  in  shoveling  the  materials  from  storage  piles  there 
upon  the  roadway.     Accordingly  the  system  of  trans- 


Laurens  County  Votes  Bonds. 

Laurens  county,  South  Carolina,  voted  by  an  over- 
whelming majority  in  favor  of  the  bond  is.sue  of  .^--SOO  - 
000  for  road  improvement.  Twenty  eight  boxes  out  of 
a  total  of  63  gave  1,299  for  and  446  against.  There 
is  great  satisfaction  over  the  result  of  the  issue  as  a 
very  strenuous  campaign  has  been  conducted  in  behalf 
of  the  bond  proposition.  County  Supevisor  H.  R.  Hum- 
bert, together  with  four  members  who  are  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  will  compose  the  highway 
commission.  The  members  to  be  named  have  been  se- 
lected by  the  legislative  delegation  and  are  as  follows: 
Rev.  L.  N.  Kennery,  Geo.  M.  Wright,  William  R.  Put- 
nam and  Henry  Simms. 


SOUTIIEIJX  (lOOl)  KOADS 


Mmv,  11)17 


United  States  Good  Roads  Association 

One  of  the  Greatest  Road  Meetings  Ever  Held  in  Soutti  Met 
in  Birminghani  Last  Month 


MORE  THAN  'iJO  delegates  were  present  when  the 
fifth  anmuil  session  of  the  United  States  Gond 
Roads  iVssoeiation  began  in  Birniingham,  April  17.  and 
the  total  attendani-e  was  more  tliaii  500. 

It  is  said  to  l)e  the  greatest  good  r  )ads  meeting  ever 
held  in  the  South.  Praetieally  every  State  in  the  I'n- 
iou  was  represented,  five  governors  took  part  in  the 
proceedings  and  the  I'resident  of  the  National  High- 
way Association  and  President  of  the  American  Auto- 
mobile Association  delivered  addresses.  The  sessions 
were  held  in  the  exhiliit  hall  in  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce IJnilding. 

Features  of  tlie  upeniug  session  were  adtlrosses  by 
(ioveriior  Ilenderso]!.  John  W.  O'Xeill.  vice  president 
of  the  Cnited  States  (Tood  oRatIs  Association,  and  the 
address  of  Charles  11.  Davis.  :)f  Camln-iilge,  ]\[ass.,  which 
was  read  to  the  delegates  by  Captain  John  Craft,  pres- 
ident of  the  Alabama  Good  Roads  Association,  and  the 
address  of  W.  K.  Phillips,  iletropolis.  111.,  who  repre- 
sented Governor  Prank  Lowden.  of  that  State. 

Addresses  of  welcome  were  delivered  by  Commission- 
er J.   I).  Ti-uss  on   behalf  of  the  Citv  of  IJirmingham: 


At  the  New  Birmingliam  Speedway 

Governoi'  Charles  Henderson,  on  liclialf  of  the  State 
of  Alaljama  ;  Jerry  Gwin,  on  behalf  of  the  County  Poard 
of  Revi'iiue;  Judge  W.  I.  Gnibb.  on  behalf  of  the  gind 
roads  oi'ganizations  of  Jefferson  county;  James  '\Ve:ith- 
erly  on  behalf  of  the  Birmingham  Civic  Association, 
and  Charles  DeBardclcben.  on  behalf  of  tlie  ]>inning- 
ham  Chamber  of  Cimmerce, 

After  the  delivery  of  tlic  addresses  of  wejennie  a 
short  bnsincss  session  was  lield,  at  whieli  the  rcp.)rl  of 
Secretary  J.  A.  Rountree  was  read.  Committees  on 
credentials,  resolntions,  national  highways  and  nomi- 
nations were  named. 

Telegrams  were  received  by  the  associati,)n  fr  im 
Governor  JIartin  G.  Brund)augh.  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pell  ^1.  Potter,  Clifton.  Ariz.,  vice-president  of  United 
States  Good  Roads  Association;  Judge  J.  G.  Thweatt. 
DuValPs  Bluff.  Ark.,  and  Fred  Houser.  of  Atlanta, 
secretary  of  the  Atlanta   Convention  liureau. 

Vice-President  Potter  had  already  started  for  the 
convention.  Iiut  was  called  bacdv  by  the  sudden  death  of 
his  wife.  Resolutions  of  symi)athy  were  adopted  and 
were  telegraphed  to  ]Mr.  Potter. 

Governor   Charles  Henderson    arrived    on   an    earlv 


train  from  ^fontgomer}-  and  was  escorted  to  the  con- 
vention hall  by  the  governor's  reception  committee, 
headed  by  John  W.  Sibley.  Captain  John  Craft,  of  Mo- 
bile;  Walter  ilc Williams,  examiner  of  public  accounts; 
James  11.  Nunnelee.  editor  of  tlie  ilontgomcry  Times; 
Enunet  A.  Jones,  chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration 
and  ^Markets,  and  Thomas  II.  Plowman,  president  of 
the  Bankhead  Highway  Association,  were  others  who 
were  among  the  first  to  register. 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture  Watson  was  unable  to 
come  to  the  meeting  because  his  physicians  advised 
agauist  making  the  trip,  but  he  sent  a  telegram  con- 
gratidafing  the  association  on  its  work  and  lauding 
Senator  l:5aid<head  for  his  Iiyal  service  in  behalf  of 
good  roads. 

"The  State  of  ,\l;d)aiua  and  its  counties  spent  a,  total 
sum  of  .+:4,0-l:7.:54O  for  roads  during  1915,"  said  Gov- 
ernor Charles  Henderson  in  his  address  of  welcome  to 
the  delegates  to  the  United  States  Good  Roads  associa- 
tion at  the  opening  session  of  the  convention  in  the 
Chamber  of  C  junnerce  auditorium  Tuesday  morning. 

During  191o  a  total  of  ISIO  miles  of  improved  high- 
ways and  lO.^is;^  lineal  feet  of  concrete  culverts  and 
bridges  were  constructed  in  the  state.  T'he  governor 
stated  that  on  January  1.  1916.  it  was  estimated  that 
there  were  in  the  state  of  Alabama  .o5.746  miles  of 
road,  of  which  mileage  -17,133  miles  is  unimproved. 

Governor  Henderson  extended  a  warm  welcome  to 
the  delegates  to  the  convention.  He  stated  that  he  be- 
lieved it  pai-ticularly  fitting  that  this  gathering  of  good 
roads  advocates  should  meet  in  Alabama  the  first  year 
that  federal  funds  are  available  for  road  building,  as 
the  law  authorizing  this  federal  aid  was  passed  througii 
the  efforts  of  Senator  John  H.  Bankhead,  Alabama's 
senior  senator.  Governor  Henderson  congratulated 
Senator  Banlvhead  and  the  people,  both  of  the  state  and 
nation  on  Scnat:ir  Bankhead 's  achievement  in  this  road 
legislation. 

The  Secretary's  Report. 

A  feature  of  the  oi>ening  was  the  [treseutation  of  the 
annual  report  of  J.  A.  Rountree,  secretary  of  the  asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Rorntree  reviewed  the  activities  of  the 
association,  and  declared  that  at  present  the  associa- 
tion was  in  a  most  tl  lurishing  condition. 

"The  associatii)n  has  assisted  in  se/uring  legislation 
ill  12  states  and  in  establishing  highway  commissions, 
go  )d  roads  days,  state  and  local  good  roads  laws,  anil 
has  assisted  in  organizing  and  estal)lishing  the  Jackson 
.Vational  highway,  the  Jeff  Davis  Xatimial  highway,  the 
Jefferson  highway,  the  Bankhco.l  National  highway 
and  the  North  and  South  highway,"  says  the  report. 
"  It  has  affiliated  and  worked  with  U)  other  national  and 
state  highway  associations;  it  has  sent  literature  and 
speakers  to  g  lod  roads  meetings  in  over  36  states,  and 
over  100,000  pieces  of  literature  have  been  distributed. 

"Probably  the  greatest  achievement  that  has  been 
accomplished  liy  the  United  States  Good  Roads  associa- 
tion is  the  passage  of  the  .4;75. 000.000  good  roads  ap- 
jtropriafion  liill  at  the  last  session  of  congress.  This 
association  has  the  honor  and  priority  of  being  the  first 
to  begin  definite  work  for  this  measure." 

Charles  Henry  Davis,  president  of  the  National  High- 
wav  Association,  sent  an  informative  address  on  "How 


Miiv,   1!)17 


SOI'TIIKl.'X  (iooi)  I.'OADS 


till'.  Siiutli  iiiul  Wcsl  (';in  (id  (.IodcI  HumiIs  Kvci-ywlnTc." 
whifh  wan  read  by  Ciiptaiii  Craft,  lie  showed  where 
the  New  England  States  and  some  Df  the  Middle  xUlan- 
tic  States  are  the  only  States  in  the  Union  opposing  the 
National  highway  niiovement,  and  cited  faets  and  fig- 
nres  to  sh;)w  that  this  opposition  rises  from  selfish  rea- 
sons. He  says  the  Easterner  looks  at  a  map  and  says 
"the  .sparsely  settled  section  of  the  Sonth,  and  West, 
will  get  the  roads  and  the  East  Avill  have  to  pay  for 
them  if  Federal  aid  is  given." 

John  W.  O'Neill,  vice  president  of  the  United  States 
Good  Koads  Association,  made  a  shjrt  talk. 

"As  Chaii'man  of  the  Arrangement  Committee  and 
vice  president  of  the  United  States  Good  Koads  Asso- 
ciation I  have  been  requested  to  introduce  the  local 
speakers  who  will  welcome  yon. 

"There  are  2. .300,000  miles  of  roads  in  the  United 
States,  of  which  more  than  2,000,000  miles  are  nnim- 
proved. 

"More  than  00  per  cent  of  the  traffic  on  these  roads 
is  confined  to  less  than  20  per  cent  of  their  length. 

"In  the  course  of  our  national  existence  the  total  ex- 
penditure of  the  national  governmient  on  public  build- 
ings, canals,  rivers,  harbors  and  the  Panama  Canal  has 
been  several  thousand  millions  of  dollars. 

Appropriation  by  Congress. 

"The  annual  appropriation  by  Congress  now  ap- 
proaches one  thousand  million  dollars,  and  yet  substan- 
tially nothing  f(n"  roads,  excej^t  for  a  few  in  our  de- 
pendencies and  our  national  parks  and  reservations. 

"I  believe  good  roads  everywhere  to  be  more  essen- 
lial  and  more  important  in  the  social,  in  the  commer- 
cial and  in  the  iiTternational  sense  and  well  being  of 
our  country  and  its  people  than  any  one  thing  now  be- 


I'di-c  the  nation.  I<'rancc  was  defeated  in  1870  liecause 
she  w;is  lacking  in  transjiorlation  facilities,  railr:)ads 
and  highways.  IIci-  national  system  of  roads  annnnit- 
ing  lo  G  ])er  cent  plus  of  her  total  mileage  has  been  de- 
veloped since  that  time.  It  is  this  development  that 
has  enabled  her  to  put  up  the  defense  against  Germany 
which  she  has  maintained  since  the  first  German  drive 
in  the  fall  of  lOl-l.  It  was  these  transportation  facili- 
ties, particularly  riads.  that  enabkHl  Gei-many  to  make 
her  initial  drive.  It  was  these  same  transportation  fa- 
cilities, and  especially  the  higliways,  that  enabled  Ger- 
many to  defeat  Russia.  It  has  been  lack  of  the.se  high- 
ways in  Russia  that  has  caused  her  the  greatest  and 
most  serious  losses.  Troops  held  for  days  where  they 
are  not  supposed  to  be,  without  support  of  supplies  and 
food,  become  mobs  and  mobs  cannot  fight.  We  should 
learn  the  lesson  and  we  .should  know  that  we  cannot 
attain  these  good  roads  everywhere  excepting  by  and 
through  the  building  of  a  system  of  national  highways 
by  our  national  government.  In  other  words,  the  four- 
fold system,  national  liigliwa>s,  state  highways,  county 
roads  and  town  or  township  roads."  Cyrus  Kehr,  of 
Knoxville  slated  that  much  constructive  work  was  ac- 
complished in  the  many  discussions  at  this  meeting  cov- 
ering the  probl(>m  of  road  building  in  different  parts  of 
the  sonth. 

In  an  address  befm-e  the  convention  ]\Ir.  Kehr  gave 
his  views  on  the  necessity  for  a  project  comprising 
trunk  liiu'  highways  whii-li  would  sjiread  to  all  parts  of 
the  coinitry  and  provide  connecting  links  for  every  city 
and  town  throughout  tlw  United  States.  lie  stated 
how  advantageous  such  a  nation-wide  road  building 
])r  )gi'am  would  be.  esjiiMMally  in  event  of  war  when 
quick  transportation  is  essential  and  pointed  out  the 
advantages  gained  in   peaceful  times  by     joining     the 


Maintenance  Man  Watching  State  Aid  Road  of  Bituminous  Macadam 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1917 


north  and  the  soutli  and  the  east  and  west  into  closer 
accord. 

There  was  great  interest  among  many  of  the  dele- 
gates for  tlie  proposed  Bankhead  higliway  wliieh  is  to 
be  bnilt  from  Birmingham  to  Atlanta  and  named  aftei' 
Senator  J.  H.  Bankhead.  of  Alabama  who  fathered  the 
highway  project.  Tliere  Avas  much  "wire  pulling"  to 
have  the  highwa.y  run  by  different  property  to  suit  the 
owners,  and  mwch  of  the  time  was  taken  up  in  discus- 
sions on  the  route  of  the  highway,  said  Mr.  Kehr. 

In  a  talk  before  the  convention  United  States  Sena- 
tor John  IT.  Bankhead,  president  of  the  organization, 
stated  that  America  needs  good  roads  almost  as  bad  as 
she  needs  soldiers  and  guns,  and  in  five  years  the  Unit- 
ed States  government  will  be  appropriating  $50,000,000 
annually  to  aid  in  construction  of  trunk  highways. 

A  parade  in  which  one  thousand  automobiles  partici- 
pated headed  by  Govs.  Henderson  of  Alabama,  and 
Brough  of  Arkansas,  featured  the  activities  of  the  dele- 
gates to  the    convention  at  Thursday's  session. 

Little  Rock  was  chosen  as  the  1918  meeting  place  oP 
the  organization. 

A  Problem  of  Maintenance. 

"Permanent  highways  arc  llio  only  solution  of  Jef- 
ferson county's  road  problem,"  was  the  declaration  of 
J.  W.  Gwin, "  president  of  the  board  of  revenue,  in  his 
address  of  welcome  to  the  delegates.  ' '  We  know  of  the 
solution  of  the  problem,  but  the  method  of  working 
this  out  we  have  not  solved.  It  will  take  two  boiul  is- 
sues of  .+1.000,000  each  and  a  bond  i.ssue  of  .+500,000 
for  maintenance  purposes.  With  this  .sum  260  miles  of 
permanent  highways  can  be  constructed  and  nutiutaiu- 
ed. 

" Aiiliinioliib'  (iMllic  (in  llie  r  lads  of  Jetf(M'siiii  cdnnly 
has  increased  4n(l  per  cenf  in  the  lasf  I'dur  years.""  said 
Jlr.  Gwin. 

"AVhen  you  get  out  on  our  roads  you  will  tiiid  thiif 
some  of  them  are  good  and  some  of  them  arc  not  si 
good.  We  have  300  miles  of  macadamized  roads  and 
1000  miles  of  dirt  roads.  Four  years  ago  tlu>re  were 
registered  in  Jefferson  coimty  .just  100  aut  imobiles.  To- 
day there  are  registered  in  this  county  500  ears.  Four 
years  ago  the  maximum  load  was  about  two  tons.  To- 
day it  is  aI)out  10  tons. 

"On  eight  main  road,s  leadhig  into  Birmingham  from 
various  parts  of  the  county  we  reecntly  took  a  vehicle 
cen.sus  and  found  that  outside  of  the  city  limits  on  these 
various  parts  of  the  county  we  reecntly  took  a  vehicle 
traveling  the  highway  each  day.  Inside  the  city  it  was 
estimated  that  this  traffic  amounted  to  between  1500 
and  200  vehicles  a  day."" 

Mr.  Gwin  then  spoke  of  the  rapid  deterioration  of 
r:iads  under  these  conditions  and  stated  that  the  con- 
struction of  permanent  highways  is  the  onlv  solution. 


An  Aid  to  Florida  Tourists. 

A  big  help  to  auto  tourists  coming  to  Florida  this 
fall  will  be  the  Hotel  and  Garage  Bureau,  inaugurated 
by  the  Florida  State  Good  Roads  A.ssociation,  the  old- 
est good  roads  organization  in  the  State. 

Jn  each  of  tlie  towns  on  the  most  traveled  highways 
this  oi-ganization  will  select  at  least  one  hotel  and  one 
garage,  to  be  designated  as  the  official  F.  S.  G.  R.  A. 
hotel  or  garage,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Each  Intel  so  selected  must  be  a  member  of  the  F.  S. 
G.  R.  A.  and  nuist  lie  vouched  for  by  at  least  two  mem- 
bers of  this  organization  or  kindred  organization.  It 
must  furnish  the  F.  S.  G.  R.  A.  with  information,  which 
will  be  printed  in  an  official  guide  which  will  be  fur- 


nished tourists  upon  request  and  which  may  be  pro- 
cured at  each  of  the  official  hotels  and  garages. 

Ijach  garage  so  selected  must  also  be  a  member  of  the 
association  on  the  same  conditions  as  the  hotels,  and 
will  be  required  to  furnish  information  regarding 
charges. 

Each  hotel  or  garage  will  be  fui'nished  with  an  offi- 
cial sign  designating  its  official  nature. 

The  F.  S.  G.  R.  A.  being  the  oldest  and  having  the 
most  "State-wide"  mendjership,  is  fathering  this  prop- 
osition because  it  feels  that  many  auto  tourists  will  be 
glad  to  have  this  information  and  will  travel  around 
the  State  more  than  they  have  done  in  the  past. 

In  any  city  where  the  representation  of  the  Florida 
Auto  Clubs,  the  Central  Hig->hway  Association,  the  Dixie 
Highway  Association  ,the  Old  Spanish  Trail  Association 
or  the  North  and  Sovxth  Bee  Line  Highway  Association 
have  greater  representation  than  the  F.  S.  G.  R.  A.,  the 
wishes  of  the  organization  having  the  largest  represen- 
tation will  lie  deferred  to  at  all  times,  as  tlie  F,  S.  G.  R. 
A.  feels  a  real  and  decided  interest  in  every  organiza- 
tion in  the  State  that  has  for  its  aims  better  roads  in 
Florida.  The  official  signs  furnished  the  hotels  and 
garages  will  be  issued  only  with  monthly  permits  and 
if  any  complaints  of  unfair  treatment  are  proved  to  be 
just  and  true,  the  title  of  "official""  will  l)e  revoked  and 
another  hotel  or  garage  will  lie  selected  to  take  its 
place. 

In  this  way  the  tourist  will  be  given  confidence  in  the 
hotel  or  garage  whicli  is  designated  as  the  "official  F. 
S.  G.  R.  A."  and  the  benefit  to  the  hotel  or  garage  will 
lie  greatly  increased. 

An  equable  fee  will  be  charged  by  the  F.  S.  (J.  R.  A. 
to  cover  the  expense  of  making  the'  official  signs,  issu- 
ing of  permits  and  pidilishing  of  the  official  guide. 


New  Scheme  for  Filling  Holes. 

What  is  regai'ded  as  an  excellent  scheme  for  improv 
ing  a  highway  was  formally  ado]ited  by  Dixie  high- 
way bodies  at  Waycross,  Ga.,  with  the  recommenda- 
tion that  other  organizations  along  the  highway  use 
the  same  metliod.  The  plan  provides  for  a  eontinous 
"bagging  party"  for  the  highway.  Sacks  of  gravel 
and  clay  Avill  be  stacked  at  the  citj^  limits,  where  auto- 
ists  can  get  them  easily,  and  each  car  having  room  will 
take  one  or  nuire  sacks  to  some  spot  on  the  road  need- 
ing attention.  Frequently  one  sack  of  clay  on  a  road 
will  fill  a  hole  and  eliminate  a  rough  spot.  Bridge  ap- 
proaches, nearly  ahvays  more  or  less  washed,  can  by 
this  method  be  kept  in  splendid  condition  at  no  ex- 
pense other  than  that  incident  to  filling  the  sacks.  Sack 
stations  will  be  estalilished  not  only  at  Waycross,  but 
at  Folkston.  Douglas,  Fizgerald  and  other  points  along 
the  highwav. 


Autos  Help  Missouri  Roads. 

There  arc  111,098  licensed  automobiles  in  Alissouri 
and  1075  dealers.  In  license  fees,  the  collections 
amount  to  sf'415,545.  All  of  this  money  will  go  into  the 
good  road  fund  and  be  expended  under  the  provisions 
of  the  Ilawes  good  roads  bill,  passed  by  the  last  Leg- 
islature. 

Under  the  new  automobile  law,  the  licenses  fees  will 
be  double  what  they  are  at  present,  and  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  next  year  there  will  be  even  more  than  $1,000,- 
000  collected  from  this  source  alone  for  the  construction 
of  permanently  improved  highways.  The  increased 
license  on  automobiles  will  not  be  collected  until  next 
year.  By  that  time,  too.  the  number  of  vehicles  will 
have   greatlv   increased. 


May,  1917 


SOTTTIIERN  noon  PvOADS 


11 


Florida  Good  Roads  Association 

Twentieth  Annual  Convention  Was  Held  in  Tallahassee  on  April  11th  and  12th 


THE  twentieth  annual  convention  of  the  Florida 
Good  Roads  Assoeiation  convened  in  Tallahassee, 
Apr.  11.  It  was  called  to  order  bj'  Dr.  J.  R.  Benton,  vice 
president ;  welcoming  addresses  by  Gov.  Catts,  G.  I.  S. 
Watt  and  Mayor  Lory,  of  Tallahassee,  were  responded 
to  l)y  II.  G.  Aird  of  the  association. 

After  the  annual  address,  the  Year's  Work,  liy  Dr. 
Benton,  the  nienibei's  and  visitors  were  taken  for  an 
automobile  ride  by  Tallahassee  people  over  the  old 
Spanish  Trail  and  Dixie  highwaj^  and  other  roads, 
amid  the  red  hills  of  old  Leon. 

Again  at  8  o'clock  the  convention  was  assembled  in 
liouse  of  representatives  at  the  capital  with  Hon.  Gary 
A.  Hardee,  speaker  of  the  house,  presiding  during  the 
evening  session.  Mr.  Hardee  spoke  in  favor  of  better 
legislation  for  the  eucouragemient  of  road  building, 
suggesting  that  nothing  better  could  be  done  by  this 
legislature  than  to  make  into  law  the  recommendations 
of  the  road  department  to  increase  the  power  and  effi- 
ciency of  the  department,  created  by  the  last  legisla- 
ture. 

Hon.  George  P.  Coleman,  state  highway  commission- 
er of  Virginia,  was  the  first  speaker  of  the  evening  ses- 
sion, on  the  sub.ject  of  Convict  Labor  on  Road  Work. 
Mr.  Coleman  explained  the  system  as  it  has  been  in 
successful  operation  in  his  state  for  several  years,  and 
recommended  a  similar  system  for  the  working  of  con- 
victs on  Florida  highways.  He  stated  that  certain 
classes  of  convicts  are  paid  wages  from  5  to  15  cents 
per  day,  half  being  paid  at  end  of  each  month,  and  oth- 
er half  accumulating  and  paid  at  end  of  his  penal  ser- 
vice. This  has  proven  an  incentive  for  better  service 
by  the  convict  land  the  accumulation  has  given  him 
something  to  start  with  when  he  becomes  a  free  man. 

F.  0.  Miller,  member  of  the  Florida  road  department, 
made  a  talk  on  the  necessity  of  a  s.vstem  of  state  and 
interstate  roads  and  a  system  of  maintenance  that  will 
instire  their  permanency. 

Hon.  W.  S.  Keller,  chief  engineer  of  Alabama,  state 
highway  department,  spoke  on  the  sub.iect  of  State  Aid 
in  Road  Building. 

He  said:  "I  can  say  that  our  road  department  has 
been  kept  out  of  politics  and  for  that  reason  has  work- 
ed to  success.  The  greatest  Work  we  have  done  has 
been  educational,  showing  how  to  build  roads  for  per- 
manence. ' ' 

He  said,  however,  that  some  counties  have  gone  wild 
in  the  building  of  roads,  that  such  counties  have  spent 
all  they  have  and  can  get  to  build  roads  and  pay  inter- 
'est  on  bonds  and  have  nothing  left  to  paj'  for  mainte- 
nance. 

Hon.  Ed  Scott,  chairman  of  the  state  road  depart- 
ment, spoke  of  the  necessity  of  completed  through 
roads.  Hon.  J.  T.  BuUen,  district  engineer,  LInited 
States  office  of  public  roads  and  rural  engineering,  ex- 
plained the  manner  by  which  a  state  may  receive  bene- 
fit under  the  federal  aid  for  public  roads.  As  it  is  at 
present,  Florida  cannot  get  its  proportion  of  the  feder- 
al aid.  It  is  expected  this  session  of  the  legislature 
will  pass  such  legislation  as  to  put  it  in  line  to  get  the 
federal  aid.  Mr.  Bullen  explained  the  method  by  which 
the  federal  aid  may  be  obtained. 

The  best  part  of  the  closing  session  was  that  conduct- 
ed by  the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  The 
papers  read  by  the  several  ladies  were  splendid.     Mrs. 


O.  E.  Hawkins,  of  Brooksville,  read  a  paper  on  good 
I'oads  and  beautification  by  Florida  federation  and 
handled  her  subject  in  a  way  as  to  give  valuable  and 
practical  suggestions. 

iliss  Agnes  Ellen  Harris  made  a  gooil  talk  on  good 
I'oads  as  a  help  to  the  fanner  woman. 

Kesolntions  wei'e  adopted  as  follows: 

llpoii  rei'omiiu'ndation  of  the  committee  on  resolu- 
tions the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a  unan- 
imous vote  at  the  twentieth  annual  convention  of  the 
Florida  State  Good  Roads  Association,  held  in  the  city 
of  Tallahassee,  and  the  secretary  was  instructed  to 
transmit  coiiies  to  the  organizations  in(Mitioiied  therein  : 

Courtesies  Appreciated. 

Re.solved,  T'hat  the  Florida  State  Good  Roads  Asso- 
ciation appreciates  most  highly  the  many  courtesies  ex- 
tended by  the  city  and  citizens  of  Tallahassee  and  the 
thanks  of  the  association  are  tendered  esioecially  to  the 
Tallahassee  Boosters'  club  for  the  valuable  assistance 
rendered  by  its  efficient  secretary,  Mrs.  F.  B.  B.  Phil- 
lips; to  the  school  authorities  for  the  use  of  the  audi- 
torium of  the  Leon  High  School;  to  the  Elks'  club  for 
the  use  of  its  auditorium;  to  the  ma_yor  of  the  city  and 
the  president  of  the  Tallahassee  J>oosters'  club  foi' 
their  cordial  and  hearty  welcome,  and  to  the  newspa- 
l)ei's  for  their  liberality  in  announcing  the  meetings; 
and  be  it  further. 

Resolved,  That  to  the  Florida  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs  we  desire  to  express  our  most  hearty  apprecia- 
tion for  the  valuable  co-operation  and  assistance  ren- 
dered us  in  taking  charge  of  the  special  session  of  the 
convention  and  for  the  able  ami  interesting  addresses 
delivered  by  the  mendiers  of  the  Florida  federatiitn  on 
this  occasion. 
(Signed.)       R.  T.  ARNOLD,  Secretary  of  the  Florida 

State  Good  Roads  Association. 

Officers  Elected. 

Officei-s  elected  for  1U17: 

President,  H.  G.  Aird,  Jacksonville. 

Vice  president,  Joe  Ilinely,   Madison. 

Secretary,  R.  T.  Arnold,  Jacksonville. 

Treasurer,  J.  P.  Clarks;)n,  Tallahassee. 

Chairman  board  of  governors.  Dr.  J.  R.  Bent(m, 
Gainesville. 

Executive  Committee — The  above  officers  and  Judge 
H.  B.  Phillips,  Jacksonville ;  Major  A,  B.  Small,  Lake 
City;  Hon.  Frank  A.  Wood,  St,  Petersburg. 

Resolutions  adopted  on  death  of  J.  D,  Rooney,  of 
Ocala,  former  treasurer. 


Another  Way  in  Which  Automobile  Owners  Can  "Do 
Their  Bit." 

A  very  interesting  anncninccment  is  made  by  the 
Climax  Shock  Absorber  Company  of  Bentar  Harbor. 
Michigan  who  announce  that  they  will  contribute,  to 
the  Red  Cross  or  other  approved  fund,  the  sum  of  five 
dollars  on  e.very  set  of  Climax  Shock  Absarbers  sold  by 
them  to  car  owners  on  or  before  June  30tli. 

Contributions  will  go  direct  to  the  treasurer  of  the 
fund  in  the  locality  in  whieh  the  Shock  Absorbers  are 
sold. 

We  understand  that  this  company  sell  their  shock 
absorbers  direct  to  the  ear  owner  on  a  trial  and  raone,y- 
back  basis  if  not  satisfactory  in   every  way. 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1911 


Making  the  Way  Smooth  for  the  Tourist  in  Florida 


New  Mexico  Creates  Commission. 

A  new  road  law,  which  makes  radical  changes  in 
the  road  legislation  now  on  the  statute  books,  was  pass- 
ed by  the  senate  just  prior  to  adjournment  of  the  leg- 
islature. 

Creation  of  a  state  highway  commission  of  three 
members,  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor,  bj'  and  witli 
the  advice  and  consent  of  the  senate,  no  two  of  whom 
shall  be  residents  of  the  same  judicial  district,  and  uo 
more  than  two  shall  be  of  the  same  political  party.  No 
state  or  county  official  is  eligilile  for  appointment.  Mem- 
bers to  receive  $8  a  day  for  not  to  exceed  90  days- 
while  actually  engaged  in  connnission  work. 

Creation  of  office  of  state  highway  engineer,  occu- 
pant to  be  appointed  by  the  commission,  and  to  give 
bond  of  .^50,000.  Salary  to  be  fixed  by  the  commission. 
Commission  is  given  discretion  to  designate  the  state 
engineer  as  state  highway  engineer,  in  which  event 
he  shall  receive  annually  .^1.000  in  addition  to  the  com- 
pensation allowed  the  state  engineer  by  Section  5657  of 
the  codification,  which  is  $2,000.  Bill  does  not  affect 
office  of  state  highway  engineer,  but  in  event  he  is  not 
designated  as  state  highway  engineer,  he  will  be  only 
the  "water  Ijoss"  of  the  state,  and  will  receive  only 
;t=2,000  annually.  State  highway  engineer  is  given  right 
to  name  assistants. 

For  all  work  costing  over  .$1,000  the  state  highwaj 
engineer  must  call  for  bids,  letting  contracts  therefor. 
It  is  specified,  however,  that  if  no  satisfactory  bid  is 
received  the  work  may  be  di.ne  without  letting  a  con- 
tract. 

Maintenance  of  state  roads  is  made  a  50-50  proposi- 
tion between  state  and  county.  Not  less  than  20  per 
cent  of  state  road  funds  to  be  expended  for  mainte- 
nance. 

Tax  lexy  of  not  to  exceed  one  mill  is  authorized  to 
provide  road  funds. 

State  highwav   commission    is   authorized   to   antici- 


pate levies  for  road  funds  Ijv  the  issuance   of  certifi- 
cates of  indelifedness. 

Boards  of  coimty  commissioiiers  are  given  general 
control  and  nmnagement  of  all  roads  and  bridges  in 
their  coimties.  Provision  is  made  for  the  appointment 
b,v  the  state  highway  commission  of  a  county  highway 
superintendent  for  each  county  or  for  two  or  mure 
counties  acting  jointly,  such  superintendent  to  receive 
not  to  exceed  166  a  month,  and  to  supervies  the  ex- 
penditure of  all  county  road  and  bridge  cunds.  All 
county  work  )nnst  be  let  by  contracts.  All  county  ex- 
penditures must  be  nuide  in  accordance  with  a  unifoini 
system  of  accounting  to  be  prescribed  by  the  state  high- 
"\i\n.v  commission. 


Goethals  Now  Road  Engineer. 

It  is  fitting  that  the  nuui  who  helped  to  create  one 
of  the  world's  greatest  water  highways  sliould  have  lieen 
asked  to  engage  in  the  task  of  improving  the  country's 
facilities  for  transportation  on  land.  Better  highways 
are  one  of  the  great  needs  of  the  nation  and  Gen.  Goe- 
thals by  his  superior  methods  lu)  doubt  will  do  much 
to  supply  that  need. 

The  notew(n'thy  fact  is  that  an  engineer  of  such  high 
standing  has  been  called  to  engage  in  civilian  tasks. 
Cities  should  follow  the  example  of  New  Jersey,  draw- 
i)ig  men  of  the  Goethals  type  into  their  employ.  What 
a  great  commissioner  of  public  works  Gen.  Goethals 
would  have  made  for  New  York,  Chicago,  Philadelphia 
or  any  other  city  Avhicli  might  have  been  able  to  secure 
his  services!  The  engineering  and  administrative  prob- 
lems of  great  cities  should  appeal  to  men  like  Goethals 
even  more  than  does  road  building  for  a  state. 


A  Coming  Meeting. 

May  8-9 — Institute  of  Paving  Brick  ;Manufacturers. 
Convention,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Secretary,  TI.  II.  :\racDonald,  830  B.  of  L.  E.  Bldg., 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 


May,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


Arkansas. 

Pei'inaneiit  organization  of  the  Maniniotli  Spring- 
Morrilton-Hot  (Springs  proposed  fiighway  was  perfect- 
ed at  a  meeting  in  tlie  Senate  chamber,  which  was  at- 
tended by  40  delegates  from  the  counties  through  which 
the  road  will   pass. 

Tlie  proposed  road  will  extend  from  Hot  Spring 
through  Perry villo.  Morrilton,  Clinton,  Mountain  View, 
Blelbourne,  Salem  and  Mammoth  Spring,  and  connci'l 
with  the  ^lammoth  Spring-to-St.  Louis  highway.  The 
road  will  touch  the  county  seat  of  each  county  in  the 
district.  At  Morrilton  the  road  will  cross  the  Arkan- 
sas river  over  the  $1.50,000  bridge  Avhich  is  to  be  '  nilt. 
The  road  will  be  about  200  miles  long,  and  is  one  of 
the  largest  highway  projects  proposed. 

Each  county  will  organize  as  a  separate  road  district, 
and  work  will  be  begun  on  the  survey  fr  )m  Hollis,  Oar- 
land  county,  and  continue  north.  Perry  county  has 
completed  its  .survey  and  has  filed  the  blue  [rints  with 
the  State  Tlighway  Commission.  Xone  of  the  towns 
between  ]\Iammoth  Spring  and  ilorrilton  have  fiutlet 
through  the  railroads,  and  a  large  seoi'i'n  of  country 
will  be  opeTicd  up  by  the  proposed  road 

During  the  current  year  the  new  a-vlsory  boai'i/  to 
State  Highway  Commission  will  have  $-19o,000,  ap- 
proximately, to  apportion.  It  will  be  within  jurisdic- 
tion of  tiie  board  to  determine  what  road  projects  shall 
receive  aid   and  to  fix  the  amounl.      .\1ei^tinc;'s   of  (he 


board  to  make  apportionments   probaljly  will  be  held 
after  July  1,  when  the  appropriations  will  be  availal)le 


Movies  Boost  Maintenance. 

The  motion  picture  houses  of  Frankfort,  at  the  re- 
quest of  Commissioner  of  Public  Roads  Rodman  Wiley 
and  Secretary  C.  P.  Dunn,  of  the  Kentucky  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  have  launched  a  campaign  for  better  main- 
tenance and  preservation  of  roads  in  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky by  the  adoption  of  the  patrol  system. 

The  movement  taken  up  liy  tlu>  theaters  is  the  in- 
troduction to  a  general  campaign,  to  be  conducted  by 
the  Kentucky  Chamber  of  Commerce,  to  educate  the 
the  people  in  every  county  in  the  state  to  the  value 
and  economy  of  maintaining  a  patrol  system  on  its 
roads.  Such  a  system  operating  in  every  community 
according  to  tlie  State  Road  Department,  would  not 
only  mean  a  saving  to  the  county,  but  would  result 
in  better  roads  the  year  round. 

Tlie  State  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  preparing  to  ad- 
dress an  appeal  to  the  moving  picture  houses  in  each 
community  to  exhibit  slides  pointing  out  the  value  of 
applying  the  patrol  system  of  i-oad  maintenance  to 
their  county,  with  a  view  to  reducing  the  enormou.s 
expenditure  required  for  road  construction  where  this 
system  is  not  ad  ipted,  and  get  the  people  in  every  sec- 
tion interested  as  a  matter  of  public  pride  in  the  main- 
tenance of  their  roads. 


Finished  Macadam  Before  Bituminous  Treatment,  Near  Rocltville.  Maryland 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1917 


Old  Spanish  Trail  Convention. 

The  01(1  Spanish  Trail  coiiveiitiou  will  be  held  in 
Tallahassee,  Fla..  ]May  18  and  1!1.  Good  roads  build- 
ers and  enthusiasts  are  expected  from  many  states. 
Several  prominent  men  and  officials  have  been  invited, 
in  addition  to  the  two  thousand  invitations  that  will  be 
sent  out  to  other  cities  along  the  route  of  the  trail  from 
Florida  to  California.  Those  especially  invited  are 
President  Woodrow  Wilson,  David  P.  Houston,  secre- 
tary of  agriculture;  Gov.  Sidney  J.  Catts;  W.  A.  llc- 
Rae,  commissioner  of  agriculture  of  Florida;  Senator 
John  II.  Bankhead  of  Alabama;  "W.  S.  Keller,  .state 
highway  engineer  of  Alabama  ;  W.  F.  Cocke,  state  high- 
way commissioner  of  Florida  :  Logan  Waller  Page,  Uni- 
ted States  department  of  roads  and  engineering; 
Charles  Henry  Davis,  jiresident  of  National  lligliway 
Association;  Henry  Ford,  Detroit. 

Tlie  Old  Spani.sh  Trail  highway,  lieing  on  the  south- 
ern border  of  the  United  States,  from  ocean  to  ocean,  is 
likely  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  military  high- 
ways of  the  country,  and  it  is  the  desire  to  make  this 
eonventi  ui  the  most  enthusiastic  ever  held  in  the  South 


to  stimulate  interest  in  hastening  the  completion  of  the 
highway  and  necessary  bridges  along  the  roiite.  It  is 
expected  that  President  Wilson  will  send  a  pei^sonal 
representative.  The  scout  car  boosting  and  advertis- 
ing the  convention  and  the  Old  Spanish  Trail  started 
westward  on  the  trip  to  Houston.  Tex.,  April  23,  stop- 
ping at  principal  cities  and  to^^^ls  for  meetings  in  the 
interest  of  the  project. 


Poor  Roads  Hurt  Schools. 

Because  there  are  approximately  2,000,000  miles  of 
impassable  roads  in  the  rural  districts  of  the  United 
States,  about  12.000.000  of  the  30.000,000  children  of 
school  age  are  unable  to  attend  school  with  any  regular- 
ity. A  15  per  cent  increase  in  school  attendance  fol- 
lowed highway  improvements  in  eight  counties  studied 
recently  by  the  federal  department  of  public  roads  and 
I'ui'nl   engineering. 


Several  miles  of  lirick  roads  will  soon  be  completed 
in  Craven  county.  North  Carolina,  ]e;tdiiig  into  the 
citv  of  New  Bern. 


Cjurtesy  American  Automobile  Association 


Touring  Map  of  North  Carolina.     Showing  I 


May,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


Good  Roads  in  South  America. 

Colombia  is  tlie  latest  Sauth^  Ameriean  country  to 
work  out  a  comprehensive  road  system  intended  to  faci- 
litate highway  traffic  and  to  connect  interior  points 
with  railways,  ports,  and  commercial  centres,  sa3'.s  a 
Consular  report.  Much  interest  in  road  construction 
has  been  shown  recently  in  the  neighboring  countries 
of  Venezuela  and  there  is  a  certain  similarity  l)etween 
the  completeness  of  the  Peruvian  plan  and  that  of  the 
project  passed  by  the  C!ok)mbian  Congress  and  pro- 
mulgated in  the  Diario  Official  of  Dec.  22.  No  provi- 
sion has  been  overlooked  for  the  extension  of  roads 
over  practically  the  whole  of  Colombia,  as  Avell  as  for 
the  selection  of  the  best  routes,  and  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  roads  when  completed.  Important  measures 
have  been  adopted  for  the  financing  of  this  project  and 
for  the  execution  of  the  plan  in  all  its  details. 

An  annual  appropriation  of  $700,000  is  to  be  included 
in  the  national  budget  for  work  on  these  most  needed 
roads  and  certain  others,  nearly  one-third  of  the  whole 
amount  to  be  used  for  the  great  central  highway  of 
the  north.     Careful  si^rveys  of  all  proposed  roads  must 


l)e  made  and  the  most  practicable  routes  selected,  with 
the  approval  of  the  Ministry  of  Public  Works,  before 
construction  is  begun.  The  Government  may  authorize 
local  l)oards  to  construct  and  maintain  roads  for  which 
plans  and  estimates  have  been  made  by  authorized  en- 
gineers, under  the  direction  of  a  Inireau  of  national 
roads,  created  bv  this  law. 


Pennsylvania  Asks  $21,000,000  for  Roads. 

The  Peuns\'lvania  State  Highway  Department  will 
ask  the  Legislautre  to  appropriate  $21,000,000  for  the 
construction  of  new  roads,  repairing  and  maintenance 
of  old  ones  and  purchase  of  toll  roads  during  the  next 
two  years,  according  to  the  budget  read  at  a  conference 
in  Ilarrisburg,  Pa.  Members  of  the  State  Highway  De- 
partment, State  Motor  Federation  and  State  Grange 
were  present.  The  money  will  lie  asked  for  in  install- 
ments of  $10,.500.000  eacii. 


Fifty  prisoners  from  the  State  Reformatory  have 
been  sent  to  w(irl<  on  tlie  pid)lic  roads  of  Bell  county, 
Kentuckv. 


outes,  Connhctions  and  Condition  of  Roads 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Mav,  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  NoETH  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C.  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON.  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative :    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta.  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORENZEN.  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
225  Fifth  Avenue.  605  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 


Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENRY  B  VARNER.  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  ^RATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary.  Bristol.  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia.  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary,  Columbia.  S.  C. 


Vol.  XV. 


MAY,  1917. 


No.  5. 


SHOULD  WAR  AFFECT  BUILDING? 

Whctlier  the  great  war  should  he  pennitted  to  have 
the  effect  of  hi)]diiig  up  road  huilding  projects  is  some- 
what agitating  certain  ejuimunities.  In  widely  scat- 
tered instances  we  have  noticed  where  bond  elections 
have  Ijeen  postponed  until  the  end  of  the  war.  We  be- 
lieve this  iinlicy  to  be  unwise,  for  it  is  necessary  that  the 
production  of  this  country  be  increased  in  agricultural 
products  especially.  At  the  same  time  it  is  necessary 
that  di.strihution  be  as  efficient  as  possible.  Pood  and 
feedstuifs  must  lie  quickly  conveyed  to  the  world  to 
prevent  suffering  in  the  case  of  world  food  shortage. 
Bad  roads  will  imprison  the  products  of  the  farm  right 
at  the  time  they  ought  t  >  be  released  to  the  market, 
thus  working  in.jury  to  both  consumer  and  producer. 
for  the  farmer  ought  to  he  able  to  market  his  product 
when  prices  are  good.  His  ability  to  do  this  will  pi-e- 
vent  food  speculators  from  preying  on  the  consumer 
while  the  farm  granaries  are  mud  bound. 

Not  only  are  good  roads  a  vital  economic  necessity 
in  both  war  and  peace,  but  they  are  vital  to  the  na- 
tion's military  defense.  .Nothing  will  go  so  far  to  pre- 
vent a  tielip  ill  railway  I  rathe  A'  disastrous  projiortioiis 
as  a  well-iiuilf  and  eorrehilcd  g  lod  roads  .syslem  in  llie 
nation.  Then,  for  the  nation's  safety,  let  the  work  ol' 
road  construction  go  forward. 


THE  TRUCK  IN  ROAD  BUILDING. 

'Slore  and  more  in  the  industrial  and  commercial 
World  motorpower  is  replacing  horsepower,  because  of 
the  concentration  of  power  energy  into  mare  compact 
working  form.  One  of  the  last  strongholds  of  the  faith- 
ful mule  has  been  in  road  building.  However,  the  day 
now  approaches  when  'Slv.  ^lule  must  be  crowded  back 
From  his  seat  of  power  here.  The  mighty  advance  in 
the  construction  of  motor  vehicles  on  lines  of  wider  and 
wider  adaptability  is  bringing  the  road  truck  to  the 
forefront  in  road  construction  and  maintenance.  Not 
only  is  this  true  with  regard  to  the  regular  road  build- 
ing types,  but  now  the  commercial  types  are  coming 
into  wide  use  in  certain  sections  for  the  rapid  trans- 
portation of  materials.  In  the  work  of  maintenance  of 
the  topsoil  and  gravel  roads  where  material  must  be 
hauled  f  )r  any  considerable  distance  and  deposited  is 
small  (luantities,  tiie  light  truck  is  proving  very  valua- 
ble. It  hauls  bigger  loads  and  at  higher  speed  and  is 
really  proving  in  many  instances  quite  the  most  eco- 
nomical method  of  conveyance. 


Highways  and  National  Defense. 

Nuinercnis  instances  might  be  cited  to  show  the  ef- 
fect roads  or  their  absence  had  on  camp'iigns  in  the 
Civil  "War.  altiiough  their  import.-jnce  was  infinitely 
less  tiian  now  when  the  automo!)ile  threatens  to  iirive 
even  the  world-famous  army  mule  into  oblivion.  It  is 
the  automobile  with  its  speed  and  carrying  p..A\'er  and 
the  wonderful  flexibility  of  an  army  using  it  that  'iiakc 
roads  so  vitally  important  in  war  toda;.\  A  railroad 
must  be  provided  with  side  tracks,  turntables  and  yards 
wliicii.  foi'  huge  business  such  as  wai',  iiinst  be  vei',^' 
lai'ge  and  take  time  and  great  (|uantities  ot'  material  iii 
building.  Not  so  with  automobiles,  whei--;  e\'ery  foot 
of  a  highway,  unless  in  a  deep  cut  or  fill,  [^  a  ^ije  track 
where  machines  may  unload  and  turn  around.  Furth- 
ermore, in  dry  weather,  almost  any  fieL^  can  be  nseil 
for  unloading  and  loading  t!ie  machines,  so  as  not  to 
congest  the  roads  at  the  place  where  men  and  mate- 
rials are  needed.  The  answer  to  the  (luestion  \\  here 
roads  should  l)e  constructed  to  be  of  miiitaiy  value  is: 
Everywhere  that  a  considerable  poj^ulatioii --agricul- 
tural, manufacturing,  trading  or  mining — exists.  In 
any  great  war  we  shall  have  to  inarslial  all  of  our  re- 
sources .just  as  the  European  nati-ns  are  doing  at  the 
present  time.  Everv  product  of  our  soil  or  factories 
will  be  called  upon  for  use,  and  roads  •.vill  then  be  re- 
quired on  which  to  carry  them  to  the  j)laces  where 
needed.  Fine  roads  along  our  coa^sts  and  land  boun- 
daries Avill  be  of  the  most  immediate  benefit,  and  should 
be  of  the  best  and  widest,  since  they  will  have  to  bear 
the  heaviest  and  most  concentrated  traffic.  There  are 
a  number  of  roads  ]>roposed  or  actually  under  construc- 
tion that  come  under  this  head.  Such  are  the  Pacific 
llig-hway  along  or  near  the  Pacific  coast  from  Seattle 
to  San  Diego,  the  Yellowstone  Trail  along  the  north- 
ern boundary  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Great  Lakes  to 
the  Columbia  river,  and  the  Lincoln  Highway  across 
the  central  part  of  the  United  States. 

While  highways  intended  primarily  foi-  military  pur- 
]ioses  should  be  located  near  our  boundaries,  they  must 
not  lie  so  near  that  liie.v  can  be  easily  raided  or  cap- 
tured by  small  bodies  of  the  enemy  and  thus  likely  to 
be  of  use  only  to  him  and  not  to  ivs.  All  roads  further 
inland  and  parallel  to  the  boi'der  roads  will  be  of  very 


May,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


17 


great  value  as  feeders  to  those  near  the  borders.  Along 
the  interior  roads  men  and  supplies  may  be  moved  long 
distances  without  fear  of  intenliption  or  observation 
by  the  enemy,  and  thus  contribute  greatly  to  the  ele- 
nient  of  surprise  so  essential  to  victory  in  nearly  all 
cases.  There  must  be  cross  roads  at  reasonalily  close 
intervals  to  enable  the  traffic  on  interior  lines  to  leave 
them  and  cross  those  places  near  the  border  where 
needed. 


"Hogging"  the  Road. 

As  the  luimber  of  the  autoiiiobiJes  of  the  higinvays  is 
nuiltiplied  by  the  price  reductions  of  the  past  year  or 
two,  the  complaints  became  more  than  ever  numer(nis 
of  the  people  who  ""hog"  the  whole  road. 

The  OM-ner  of  his  own  car,  in  the  great  majority  of 
eases,  is  rcasoiuil)ly  careful.  It  costs  him  his  good  m  )n- 
ey,  and  he  has  no  liking  for  repair  lulls. 

With  hired  chautt'eurs  the  case  is  frequently  differ- 
ent. They  are  young  fellows  who  have  often  acciuired 
little  prudence  of  their  own.  They  would  not  have  to 
pay  for  a  new  car  if  their  machine  was  smashed  . 

Also  they  acquire  a  great  deal  of  skill,  so  that  they 
can  turn  out  the  least  possible  distance,  and  make  the 
turn  at  the  last  possible  moment  before  collision.  They 
come  tearing  down  the  middle  of  tue  street.  Other 
cars  go  away  out  on  the  side.  The  speeder  keeps  re- 
joicing along  in  the  center  of  tlie  road,  thus  aliandoued 
to  his  sole  use,  and  congratulates  himself  that  his  dar- 
ing operation  saved  hun  from  losing  two  seconds  by 
making  a  curve. 

Owners  of  a  car  that  is  operated  in  such  a  fashion 
should  realize  what  a  coarse  and  brutal  appearance 
such  manners  make. 

With  a  great  many  men,  the  line  up  at  the  bar  of 
some  road  home  along  the  route  is  more  than  half  the 
fun  of  the  trip.  A  dry  run  without  any  wayside  irri- 
gation is  a  fruitless  excursion  to  them.  One  treat  leads 
to  another  and  by  the  time  the  party  is  on  the  way  home 
the  driver  is  treading  on  air  and  his  confidence  in  his 
own  accuracy  and  nerve  is  vastly  eidmnced.  lie  also  will 
not  turn  out  until  the  last  second,  and  then  for  the  few- 
est possible  inches. 

The  social  end  of  a  great  motor  trip  lies  in  the  hand 
of  the  women  of  the  party.  If  they  can  be  made  to 
realize  that  liquor  and  automobile  operation  do  not 
work  well  together  and  imipress  this  feeling  on  their 
men  friends,  a  good  many  trips  would  not  end  up  in 
the  ditch. 


Road  Officials  Tender  for  War. 

Official  notice  has  been  given  to  the  effect  that  the 
American  Association  of  state  highway  officials  has 
tendered  its  services  to  the  secretary  of  war. 

This  association  is  composed  of  the  state  highway 
engineers,  state  highway  commissioners  and  officials  of 
the  state  road  departments  and  highway  commissions 
of  the  various  states. 

Dr.  Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  secretary  of  the  State  High- 
way Commission  of  North  Carolina,  is  secretary  of  the 
Association  and  in  a  letter  asks  that  the  newspapers  be 
furnished  with  the  information  concerning  the  asso- 
ciation's action.  He  says  that  the  executive  committee 
of  the  association  held  a  meeting  with  Colonel  Wins- 
low,  of  the  war  department,  and  worked  out  a  plan 
whereby  the  association  can  serve  the  war  department 
by  furnishing  engineers,  making  available  road  ma- 
cliiuery,  and  co-operating  in  the  construction  of  roads 
that  will  be  of  strategic  value  as  military  roads. 

Carrying  out  the  plans  agreed  upon  the  State  Road 


Department  have  sent  out  to  the  proper  officials  of 
every  county  and  a  nundjer  of  cities  and  towns  and  al- 
so to  a  number  of  contracting  firms,  a  blank  form  upon 
which  they  are  requested  to  list  all  of  the  available 
road  building  machinery  owned  and  which  could  be 
turned  over  to  the  war  department. 

Included  in  the  articles  covered  by  this  list  are  the 
following :  Steam  shovels,  trench  machines,  steam  and 
gasoline  rollers,  tractors,  trucks,  concrete  mixers,  gra- 
ders, rock  crushers,  wagons,  water  wagon  portable 
pumps,  drills,  derricks,  oil  wagons  hoisting  engines, 
asplialt  mixing  plants,  asphalt  distributors,  scoops, 
scrapers,  industrial  railroads  with  portable  equipment 
for  road  building,  industrial  IdcoiiiIoI  ives,  motorcycles, 
wheelbarrows,  lioi'ses,  mules,  etc. 

Accompanying  tiie  list  is  a  letter  urging  tiiat  tiiis  iu- 
fornuitioii  be  fiu'oished  the  state  road  department  as 
(piickly  as  possible.  The  information  has  been  tabu- 
lated and  forwarded  to  the  American  Association  of 
State  Highway  officials  for  transmission  to  the  war  de- 
partment. 

Dr.  Joseph  Hyde  I'ratt,  the  secretary  of  the  associa- 
tion, advises  that  the  executive  committee  decided  upon 
Richmond,  Va..  a,s  the  place  for  holding  the  1917  meet- 
ing of  the  association.  The  dates  selected  are  Decem- 
ber 4  to  7.  The  invitation  of  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  was 
given  careful  consideration,  but  it  was  deemed  that 
Richmond,  Va.,  was  the  proper  place.  Other  cities  ex- 
tending invitations  were  Chicago.  Grand  Rapids,  To- 
ledo, Butfalo.  New  York  city.  New  Haven,  Asbury 
Park,  Washington.  D.  C,  Raleigh,  and  Pinehurst,  N.  C. 
The  invitation  from  Jacksonville  was  strongly  endors- 
ed by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Jacksonville,  also 
by  the  State  Road  Department  of  Florida. 


In  Matter  of  Roads  America  is  Lucky. 

]\lotorists  who  are  inclined  to  complain  about  road 
conilitious  in  this  country  and  to  say  that  they  regret 
it  so  much  that  they  cannot  run  over  to  Europe  and 
have  some  real  roads,  should  give  the  following  statis- 
tics some  careful  consideration:  The  United  States  has 
2.30,000  miles  of  what  may  be  called  improved  roads; 
Germany  has  70,000  miles;  England  and  Wales,  28,000; 
France,  23,000;  Austria  and  Hungary,  15,000,  and  lit- 
tle S\vitzerland,  7,000  miles. 

It  isn't  only  in  the  matter  of  roads  that  the  American 
motorist  is  lucky.  Take  registration  fees.  Here  we 
pay  from  $5  to  $25  per  car,  at  least  that  is  about  the 
average  registration  fee.  The  British  motorist,  who 
operates  a  light  ear  paj's  an  annual  tax  of  $21,  while 
the  man  with  a  big  car,  one  having  an  engine  devel- 
oping 60  or  more  horsepower,  is  called  upon  to  pay 
$210  per  annum. 

We  are  also  complaining  about  the  price  of  gasoline. 
On  the  other  side,  in  France  and  English,  the  motorist 
is  lucky  if  he  gets  fuel  at  all.  In  the  first  place,  he 
mu.st  file  an  application  with  a  government  board,  beg- 
ging to  be  allowed  to  purchase  what  he  considers  an 
absolute  minimum  of  gasoline  that  will  meet  his  actu.d. 
needs.  He  may  have  to  ■wait  as  long  as  six  weeks  for 
a  permit  granting  him  the  privilege  of  buying  about 
one-third  of  the  amount  asked  for  and  at  a  high  price. 


Arizona  Provides  Fund. 

Arizona  will  have  about  $575,000  in  the  state  road 
fund  this  year  as  a  result  of  the  passage  by  the  legisla- 
ture of  the  bill  carrying  ten  cents  on  each  $100  valua- 
tion for  the  state  road  fund.  The  new  law  will  al- 
most double  the  present  levy  for  good  roads. 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


May,  1917 


Mobilizing  Our  Road  Biiilders. 

Highway  authorities  are  facing  a  new  public  demaud 
which  must  receive  at  ouce  the  most  careful  study. 
f^very  resource  of  the  country  must  be  utilized  to  the 
utnijst  and  all  unproductive  expenditure  of  money  aud 
energy  must  be  stopped.  The  etfieiency  of  the  Ameri- 
can army  aud  navy  will  be  fostered  by  greater  etfieien- 
cy among  those  called  upon  to  bear  the  financial  strain 
on  our  resources  aud  to  furnish  the  labor  and  materials 
needed  to  supply  our  armed  forces.  The  products  of 
the  f  irest.  miue.  farm  and  factory  must  lie  supplied  to 
l)Otli  nation  and  private  consumer  at  the  lowest  rea- 
sonable cost,  in  order  that  all  may  contribvite  their  ut- 
most, whether  it  be  small  or  large,  to  the  national  de- 
fense. The  transportation  of  raw  materials  and  finish- 
ed products  becomes  far  mjre  important  than  ever  be- 
fore, for  transpi)rtatitiu  charges  form  a  large  part  of  the 
cost  of  many  essentials.  So  the  roadbuilders  of  the 
United  States  must  see  to  it  that  the  largest  return  in 
I)ubli(_-  service  is  obtained  from  the  funds  they  are  au- 
thorized t3  spend. 

Utility  must  be  given  more  weight  than  heretofore  in 
reaching  decisions  as  to  road  improvements,  and  mere 
enjoyment,  ordinarily  a  legitimate  object  for  some  ex- 
penditure of  public  funds,  must  be  relegated  to  the 
background  for  a  time.  Our  rjads  have  acciuired  an 
importance  as  agencies  in  national  preparedness  which 
calls  for  a  mobilization  of  our  road  builders  for  the 
greatest  etfieiency  in  the  broad  transportation  prob- 
lems of  the  coiuatry.  Highway  programs  developed 
Mith  more  regard  to  the  pleasure-giving  capabilities  oi 
the  proposed  improvements  than  their  value  as  a  part 
of  our  combined  carrying  agencies,  must  l:>e  revised  so 
that  taxpayers  will  contribute  to  public  works  of  real 
utility  in  the  country's  plans  for  maximum  etfieiency. 
Highway,  railways  and  waterways  must  be  considered 
collectively,  not  as  unrelated  agencies,  to  the  end  that 
transportation  shall  be  conducted  at  the  lowest  cost. 


The  Present  Status  of  Federal  Aid. 

Cooperative  road  building  by  the  nation  and  the 
states,  under  the  federal-aid  road  law  which  went  into 
efliect  last  July,  is  now  rapidly  emerging  from  the  pre- 
liminary formative  stage  during  which  the  states  must 
adjust  their  r  lad  laws  and  certain  of  their  road  pro- 
jects to  the  requirements  of  Congress.  It  has  been  a 
sjmewhat  tedious  work  because  legislative  action  has 
been  required  in  most  states,  and  such  action  is  rare- 
ly possible  without  long  delays.  It  has  been  necessary 
for  Indiana.  Nevada,  South  Carolina  and  Texas  to  pass 
laws  creating  states  highway  departments,  and  for  a 
number  of  states  having  highway  departments  to  mod- 
ify their  laws,  in  order  to  take  part  in  this  co-opera- 
tive work.  At  the  end  of  ilarch  the  highway  depart- 
ments of  most  states  were  declared  to  comply  with  the 
federal  requirements  by  the  Department  of  Agricultui-e. 
and  only  twelve  states  had  failed  to  give  formal  assent 
to  the  provisions  if  the  federal  act.  This  failure  has 
been  due  to  inadequate  authority  to  assent  or  to  the 
governor's  disposition  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  legis 
lature,   as  in  New  York  and  Vermont. 

]\Iany  of  the  states  have  submitted  plans  for  the  use 
of  part  or  all  of  their  present  allotments  of  federal  ai'l 
funds.  The  congressional  requirements  concerning  the 
use  of  federal  funds  by  the  states  are  stated  in  lan- 
guage which  has  made  nece.s.sary  a  particularly  careful 
scrutiny  of  these  early  projects  in  order  to  avoid  fu- 
ture legal  questions,  and  on  this  account  it  has  been 
practicable  to  give  final  approval  to  projects  submitted 
by  only  two  states,  California  and  Pennsylvania,   but 


it  is  now  expected  that  projects  in  Washington,  Con 
uecticut,  ^liuuesota.  North  Carolina  and  Georgia  will 
be  approved  at  an  early  date,  leaving  the  further  pro- 
gress on  the  roads  with  their  highway  departments, 
working  in  conjunction  with  the  U.  S.  Office  of  Public 
Roads. 


France  Will  Have  to  Rebuild  Roads. 

To  understand  the  niagnitiule  of  the  road  proldem 
that  France  will  face  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war.  one 
must  realize  the  extent  to  which  shell  fire  has  been 
concentrated  on  improved  highways  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  portions  of  the  landscape. 

A  returned  member  of  the  American  Aml)ulauce 
Corps,  who  drove  an  ambulance  for  moi'e  than  a  year 
in  the  vii-inity  of  Verdun,  thus  describes  the  difficulty : 

"It  is  impossible  to  station  big  guns  at  any  great 
distance  from  an  improved  road,  because  the  road  is 
necessary  in  transporting  the  gun.  These  guns  are 
usually  in  concealed  situations,  but  the  enemy,  by 
means  of  aerial  observation,  soon  locates  them  and 
commences  to  shell  them.  Perhaps  the  fire  gets  so  hot 
that  they  must  be  moved,  in  the  night.  The  process 
of  moving  means  recourse  to  the  highway  again  in 
most  cases. 

■"The  result  is  that  the  highway  and  its  vicinity  is 
under  a  continual  shellfire.  even  where  the  prime  ob- 
ject is  not  to  damage  the  road.  However,  the  latter 
motive  usually  enters  into  the  calculation.  I  have  seen 
details  of  sokliers  hard  at  work  patching  shell  holes  in 
the  road,  wlide  aeroplanes  passing  overhead  made 
them  a  target  for  hand  grenades.  Tlmt  is  road  work 
under  difficulties." 


A  dispatch  from  Silver  City.  N.  IM.,  says  the  Grant 
county  commissioners  have  determined  to  build  the 
best  county  system  of  highways  in  that  state  and  will 
begin  construction  at  once.  State  aud  Federal  aid  are 
expei-ted  to  supplement  local  funds. 


Greenville  county.  S.  C.  has  completed  the  road  from 
Greenville  to  the  Laurens  coimty  line,  a  distance  of  18 
miles.  Laurens  county  will  shortly  begin  the  building 
of  a  connecting  link  of  17  miles  in  the  direction  of  the 
state  capital. 


NORTH  WESTERN  at^^T^^oRMs 


STANDARD  SIZES 

Used  by  U.  S.  Government  in  the  Reclamation  Service, 
for  Storm  Drainage  and  for  Sanitary  Sewers. 

Write    for    Bulletin     No.     30     describing     "NORTH- 
WESTERN"     FORMS 
with    full    instructions    for 
making     CONCRETE 
TILE. 

We  are  manufacturers  of  Concrete 
Mixers  and  Engines. 


NORTHWESTERN 
STEEL  &  IRON  WORKS 

Eao  Claire,  WISCONSIN 


Reinlorcd  Type 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


May,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


Good  Roads  Expand  Auto  Industry 

By  R.  C.  MORSE 
Vice-President  and  General  Manger,  Ctialnters  Motor  Company 


PERHAPS  not  one  motorist  in  fifty  realizes  that  the 
year  just  closed  has  seen  the  biggest  accomplish- 
ments in  the  cause  of  Good  Roads  since  the  RevolutiDn- 
ary  War. 

When  President  Wilson  on  July  11  placed  his  signa- 
ture to  the  Baukhead-Shackleford  Good  Roads  bill. 
$85,000,000  of  federal  funds  and  a  like  amount  to  come 
from  the  various  states  treasuries  was  dedicated  to  the 
cause  of  better  American  highways.  This  means  that 
for  the  next  five  years  $34,000,000  will  be  spent  an- 
nually in  making  the  road  system  of  the  United  States 
comparable  or  superior  ti  the  present  fine  roads  of 
Europe. 

Xo  more  splendid  tribute  to  the  educational  valve 
of  the  automobile  could  be  paid  by  this  action  on  the 
part  of  Congress.  Until  the  coming  of  the  motor  car. 
the  good  roads  issue  possessed  little  vitality.  For  sev- 
enty-five years  the  government  exercised  a  passive 
policy  toward  building  permanent  highways.  Rail- 
roads pushed  into  virgin  territory,  cities  sprang  up 
along  the  right  of  way.  but  the  rural  arteries  of  travel 
remained  in  the  same  hopeless  condition  as  when  the 
pioneers  ploughed  through  them  afoot  or  on  horse- 
back. 

With  the  first  motor  cars,  came  the  first  feeble  im- 
pulse to  the  good  roads  movement.  The  first  cars  were 
sold  to  city  men  who  very  quickly  found  out  that  where 
city  pavements  ended,  there  ended  all  hopes  of  further 
travel.  Pneumatic  tires  availed  nothing  against  track- 
less stretches  of  gumbo  mud  or  corduroy  roads.  With 
the  mechanical  improvements  in  motor  cars,  the  own- 
er chafed  at  his  limitations  and  demanded  be++  '.r  state 
roads.  Many  states  have  been  active  toward  promoting 
their  ov^ii  road  systems  as  a  result  of  this  agitation  an^l 
quite  a  little  has  been  accomplished  in  some  loealitie.'?. 
But  it  has  remained  for  government  co-operation  to 
open  up  the  full  possibilities  of  the  country  by  appro- 
priating this  huge  sum  for  road  improvement. 

Just  what  the  federal  aid  bill  will  briug  to  business 
in  general  can  only  be  conjectured.  That  it  will  vastly 
benefit  the  farmer  in  transporting  his  goods  to  market 
is  well  known.  And  it  should  work  to  reduce  the  high 
cost  of  living  by  bringing  food  stuffs,  heretofore  de- 
stroyed or  wasted  because  of  lack  of  communication 
with  marketable  points,  to  city  markets  where  the  de- 
mand is  great.  One  thing  we  are  certain  of  that  is  a  re- 
markable expansion  in  the  business  of  American  auto- 
mobile manufacturers. 

People  who  have  shaken  their  heads  over  the  future 
of  the  automobile  industry,  have  failed  to  appreciate 
the  magnitude  of  American  wealth.  As  President  Wil- 
son said  in  his  address  on  Good  Roads  at  Inctianapo- 
lis.  '"You  cannot  know  what  the  resources  of  the  coiui- 
try  are  unless  the  country  is  covered  over  with  a  net- 
work of  roads  which  will  release  all  the  locked  up 
riches  of  all  countrysides. ""  Those  of  us  who  have  been 
connected  with  sales  distribution  of  motor  cars  in  the 
past  ten  years  know  that  this  statement  is  true.  We 
know  that  vast  stretches  of  territory  practically  isola- 
ted by  lack  of  transportation  facilities,  will  be  opened 
up  with  new  roads  and  that  the  development  of  the 
rich  farming  or  mining  territory  will  create  wealth  for 
a  new  class  of  pioneers.     . 

I  venture  to  say  that  the  automobile  will  prove  one 


of  the  biggest  factors  toward  this  development  and  that 
shipments  of  cars  will  follow  new  highways  as  fast  as 
they  are  ojjened.  With  Uncle  Sam  firmly  backing  up 
a  national  highways  program,  the  automobile  manufac- 
turer has  less  reason  than  ever  for  believing  in  the  ex- 
istence of  a  ""saturation"'  point  for  the  motor  car  in- 
dustry. Expansion  and  increased  sales  will  be  the  slo- 
gan for  this  giant  of  American  industries  for  years  to 
come. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


This  is  the  part  that  does  the  work  :  it  is 
the  one  important  feature  in  everyjroad  ma- 
chine— the  blade  and  the  adjustable  devices  to 
hold  the  blade  at  the  desired  angle  and  pitch. 


The   picture   shown    is 
ium  weight  machine — 
Special."     For   the 
chines  the  part  is  more 
smaller  machines,  light 
but  the  Rus- 
principle  is  on 
s  i  V  e   Russell 
blade    pitch 


from  the  med- 
t  h  e  ■  ■  Russell 
heavier  ma- 
massive  :  for 
erinproponion. 
sell  high  frame 
all  —  an  exclu- 
feature.  The 
adjustment 
range  is  18  de- 
grees. 

Featare  No.  1 


Send  for  1917  Catalog. 

RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN. 
Representatives  in  Principal  Cities 


I'D 


S()i'i'iii-:i;.\'  cool)  i;o.\i)s 


M; 


lillT 


The  Year's  Program  For  Dallas 

Texas  County  Will  Spend  $700,000  in  Construction  and  Maintenance  Work  On 

Highway  System  During  the  Year 


13  1!E1'AKEDXKS8  fur  good  roads  work  pnniiises  to 
liavc  o])ci'atioiis  luidei-  way  in  all  parts  of  Dallas 
('oui]t\'.  Texas,  under  the  .■jioUO.nui i  i-oad  liond  issue  by 
the  end  of  this  month. 

Full  plans  fur  expenditure  if  the  fund  were  made 
by  County  Engineer  J.  F.  Witt  prior  to  the  issuance  ol 
the  bonds.  Commissioners  sa.v  they  will  be  ready  t  > 
start  in  their  districts  as  quickly  as  the  bonds  are  de- 
livered and  the  fund  made  available. 

They  plan  to  supplement  the  comparativel.\'  small 
bond  issue  by  corelated  expenditure  of  the  regular 
road  and  bridge  fund  which  amounts  tj  $200,000  a 
.vear.  A  complete  plan  for  its  expenditure  for  mainte- 
nance with  a  patrol  s.vstem  form  a  part  of  the  good 
roads  i)rei)aredness.  Probald.v  the  must  important  sin- 
gle improvement  planned  is  that  for  the  road  lietween 
Fort  Worth  and  Dallas. 

Approximately  $75,500  of  the  bond  issue  is  to  go  to 
this  road  to  provide  a  concrete  pavement  from  the 
end  of  the  new  Commerce  Street  Viaduct  approach  to 
the  foot  )f  Obeneehain  Hill  in  West  Dallas,  a  distance 
of  a  mile  and  a  half.  The  mile  and  a  half  of  the  road 
in  ^Mountain  Creek  bottom  is  to  be  provided  for  sinii- 
lai'ly.  Comniissioner  G.  W.  Ledbetter.  in  whose  dis- 
trict the  i-oad  lies,  announces  it  also  t  >  be  his  inten- 
tion to  supplement  this  work  with  either  concrete  road- 
wa.v  or  dustjiroof  surfaced  road  between  these  places 
and  to  the  coinit.v  line  connecting  with  the  inipi'oved 
roadwav  i-nnning  fr  mi  Fort  Worth  to  Arlington.    The 


Fort  Wortli  terminus  of  this  I'oadway  now  is  being 
paved  with  brick.  There  will  be  three  routes  from 
Dallas  to  the  roadwa.v.  One  will  be  over  the  new  Com- 
merce Street  Viaduct,  beyond  which  lights  are  to  be 
placed,  and  the  other  two  by  wa,\'  of  the  Oak  Cliff  Via- 
duct, plans  having  been  made  by  c  )-operation  with  the 
city  to  connect  direct  to  the  Fort  Worth  road  b.v  way 
of  Kidd  Springs,  ottering  that  route  in  addition  to  the 
route  by  Tenth  street,  now  used  principally.  All 
bridges  on  the  road  are  to  be  made  permanent  as  a  part 
of  the  wirk. 

The  largest  single  expenditure  under  the  bond  issue 
is  that  mapped  out  for  the  Dallas-Co]>pell  road.  It  will 
have  an  eighteen-foot  wide  concrete  roadwa.v  from  its 
iidi-rseidion  with  the  West  Dallas  i)ike  to  the  foot  of 
Hasty  Hill,  two  miles  distant.  A  little  iver  a  mile  of 
the  road,  including  that  portion  from  its  intersection 
with  the  Eagle  Ford  road  to  the  foot  of  Britain  Hill 
will  he  raised  above  high  water  by  a  combination  of 
earth  embaid-;ment  and  a  tliousand  feet  of  concrete 
bridging.  Particular  interest  attaches  to  this  work  in 
view  of  the  high  cost  of  living  and  the  campaign  for 
gro\\ing  of  table  supplies.  The  roadwa.v  leads  int') 
one  of  the  principal  trucking  sections  about  Dallas.  In 
the  past  the  su])]dies  from  this  section  have  been  cut 
iff  for  a  week  at  a  time  b.\'  high  water  niak'ing  the 
road  impassable. 

Tlie  Dallas-Seagoville  road.  also,  is  to  be  raised  above 
\nish   watei-  niai'k   }iv  a   eondiination   of  earth   embank- 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  hy  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


yh>v.  1!M7 


SOT'TIIEKX  G()(^l)  ROADS 


21 


iiu'ut  ;ii](l  ciiiii-rfti'  hriilgiii^.  K\|ifiulil  un-  on  this  rnjul 
will  he  nppruxiiiiately  .>f;8o.(l()n.  The  siiiiic  jihiii  is  to  he 
folhiwed  111  the  Millers  Fcrr\-  liojul  where  the  expen- 
diture will  lie  ^-44.500. 

Concrete  paving  eighteen  feet  t\"ide  through  Rowlett 
Creek  bottom  are  to  be  provided  on  the  Garland  road 
and  the  iluddy  Creek  bottom  is  to  be  crossed  by  a 
raised  embankment.  The  expenditure  will  be  $58,258 
according  tii  estimates  made  by  Cnniity  Engineer  J.  F. 
Witt  for  the  work. 

A  change  in  the  alignment  of  the  Lancaster  road  at 
its  crossing  with  the  Katy  Railroad  at  Ten-ilile  Creek 
is  another  improvement  for  which  the  bonds  were  vo- 
ted. Under  the  proposed  plan  the  road  will  pass  under 
the  railway. 

Hand-iu-haiid  with  this  campaign  to  make  the  Dallas 
County  Cardinal  rjads  free  from  flood  interruption 
and  the  ilood  damage  which  has  proven  so  costly  in 
the  past,  there  Avill  be  a  campaign  to  do  away  with  all 
timber  bridging.  Provision  is  made  for  the  substitu- 
tion of  steel  or  concrete  bridging.  Timber  culverts  al- 
so are  to  be  replaced  by  concrete  over  the  twelve  prin- 
cipal road's. 

More  Extensive  Plan. 

All  this  work  has  been  planned  with  a  view  to  fitting 
into  a  still  more  extensive  good  roads  campaign.  Plans 
for  that  also  have  been  mapi)ed  out  by  Coiuity  Engineer 
Witt  ready  for  the  declaration  of  war  against  inade- 
quate roads  when  the  Commissioners'  Court  and  the 
people  shall  vote  to  take  the  step. 

This  plan  provides  for  surfacing  of  the  remaining 
195  miles  of  the  twelve  principal  roads.  The  total 
length  of  these  rjads  is  '2\0  miles.  Fifteen  miles  will 
be  cared  for  in  the  expenditure  of  the  $500,000,  that 
fifteen  miles  being  the  part  subject  to  overflow  and 
consequently  the  part  requiring  greatest  cost  per  mile. 

This  preparedness  plan  for  surfacing  calls  for  100 
miles  of  waterbound  macadam  with  an  asphaltic  top 
at  an  estimated  cost  of  .$7,000  a  mile,  ten  miles  of  ein- 
crete  paving  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $14,000  a  mile  and 
eighty-five  miles  of  gravel  surfacing,  Tlie  plan  in- 
cludes also  an  expenditure  of  $37,500  for  elimination 
of  bad  corners  and  correction  of  alignments  and  such 
work.  R.iad  signs,  said  to  be  rock  and  shot-proof,  are 
now  being  placed  on  the  roads,  mounted  on  concrete 
posts, 

A  maintenance  plan  also  has  been  mapped  out.  Brief- 
ly, it  calls  for  establishment  of  three  classes  of  traflic 
districts  on  the  roads.  On  the  part  nearest  the  city, 
where  traffic  is  greatest  patrols  are  proposed,  each  man 
having  five  miles  to  care  for;  farther  out  in  the  le.ss 
heavy  traffic  zone,  each  patrol  will  have  eight  and  a 
third  miles  to  maintain.  In  the  light  traffic  zone,  one 
patrol  will  be  expected  to  care  for  twelve  and  a  half 
miles  and  still  lighter  traffic  roads  are  to  be  cared  for 
by  eight-team  gangs,  one  jf  whjch  is  proposed  for  each 
Commissioner's  district.  Uirt  roads,  as  distinguished 
from  the  surfaced  ones,  are  to  be  maintained  by  the 
convict  camps  under  the  plan. 

The  combined  plans  provide  for  the  total  roadway 
mileage  of  the  county  consisting  of  600  miles  of  sur- 
faced roads  and  800  miles  of  dirt  roads. 


The  Louisville  Automobile  Club  is  setting  out  a  thou- 
sand silver  maple  trees  this  spring  along  the  Dixie 
Highway  and  Jackson  Highway,  to  give  summer  shade 
and  beauty.  Boy  Scouts  ^od  sgUool  pupils  assisted  in 
the  planting. 


Contract  Let  for  Brick  Roads. 

The  Board  of  Comity  Commission ei"s  of  Craven  coun- 
ty. X.  C.  have  awarded  the  contract  for  the  construc- 
tion of  twenty-seven  mile.s  of  brick  roads.  The  meet- 
ing was  attended  by  prominent  farmers  from  all  parts 
if  the  c;)unty  and  a  great  many  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  New  Bern.  Those  in  attendance  were  ab.iut  equally 
divided  for  and  against  awarding  the  contracts,  and 
the  general  discission  lasted  until  late  in  the  afternoon 
when  the  Board  ad.journed  and  reconvened  in  a  private 
session.  Just  how  the  vote  was  has  not  been  announc- 
ed, but  it  is  generally  believed  that  all  members  voted 
in  fav  >r  of  letting  the  contract. 

It  was  the  original  intention  of  the  board  to  award 
contracts  for  fifty  miles,  but  as  there  was  so  much  op- 
position to  the  expenditure  of  such  a  large  sum  for 
road  construction  wjrk,  it  was  decided  to  contract  for 
only  twenty-seven  miles.  A  Georgia  concern  which  is 
engaged  in  building  a  nine-mile  contract,  were  the  suc- 
cessful bidders,  the  price  being  $9,250  per  mile  for  the 
nine-foot  pavement  and  $17,500  for  the  eighteen-foot 
pavement.  There  will  be  mily  about  two  miles  of  the 
eighteen-faot  road,  this  being  between  the  National 
cemeterv  and  the  fair  grounds. 


Colorado  Busy  on  Roads. 

More  than  $1,000,000  will  be  spent  this  year  to  im- 
prove and  extend  Colorado's  system  of  State  highways. 
The  cimmission  has  apportioned  $600,000  from  the 
State  road  fund  for  this  work,  and  about  $500,000  has 
been  pledged  by  several  counties  to  use  jointly  with 
their  respective  sliarcs  of  this  State  money. 


Installation  Under  a  Great  Western  Highway 

Chosen  for  Permanence 

THE  great  transcontinental  highways  are  being  built  by 
men  who  know  permanent  construction  values.  They 
are    using     materials     of     the      recognized     highest 
standards.     For  the  surface  drainage  problem  they  specify 

These  are  chosen  because  of  their  strength  and  the  life 
time  of  service  they  give. 

Armco  Iron  Corrugated  Culverts  resist  rust  because  made 
of  pure  iron.  They  last  like  the  iron  roof,  bolts  and  nails 
of  our  grandfather's  time.  Look  for  the  Armco  triangle 
trade  mark. 


For  full  information  as  to  rust 
resisting  'Armco"  Iron  Culverts. 
(Full  and  Part  Circle),  Flume, 
Sheets,  Roofing  and  Formed  Pro- 
ducts, write  to 


ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  &  FLUME  MFRS. 
ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


22 


SOr'I'llKlxX  (iOOl)  HOADS 


May,   191' 


A.  A.  A.  Will  Meet  in  Cleveland. 

JFay  '27->  is  the  ilato  dee-iiletl  upon  by  the  A.  A.  A.  ox- 
ocutivi'  hoard  for  tlu'  hoklintr  if  tlu'  aiimial  niei'tiiiy  o*" 
(he  hoard  of  directors,  to  take  ]ihii-o  in  ('h'vrland  at 
the  rioUeudeii  Hotel. 

■"This  year's  gatlieriiiir  will  have  a  deeided  hiisiiiess 
atmosphere.  Iieeaiise  of  existiiii;-  war  ennditioiis  and  the 
fiirthei'  fai-t  thai  the  motor  x'ehii'le  and  the'  lii^'hways 
may  i>la\'  prominent  and  \ital  parts  in  near  I'utnre  dr- 
velo|imenls. "  aim  mnees  President  11.  M.  Howe  wlm 
thns  connnents  on   tlio  present  situation: 

'■  Never  hefore  in  the  history  of  the  eouiitry  has  lliere 
lieen  a  more  urtzent  time  for  tlie  improvement  of  the 
hitrhways  and  the  linkini^  t'U'ether  of  these  arteries,  for 
never  bef  n-e  were  ag'rieulture  and  military  necessities 
so  closely  interrelated.  "We  nuist  raise  more  foodstuffs 
and  we  must  get  these  products  to  the  nearest  market 
in  the  most  economical  manner.  AVe  must  prepare  the 
most  nsed  roads  for  the  hardest  possilile  kind  of  usage. 
This  is  the  moment  to  weld  nirselves  into  a  real  na- 
tion and  to  recognize  the  evident  fact  that  the  good  of 
any  one  section  is  of  concern  to  all  other  parts  of  tlie 
country.  (1ne  cannot  measure  nati  nial  benefits  with  a 
yard  stick.  Init  we  are  starting  in  to  think  in  the  big- 
gest nnit,  and  it  is  the  motor  driven  vehicU^  and  the 
travelahle  highway  which  jointly  are  accelerating  this 
conntr\-wide   mulerstanding  and  relationship." 

STATEMENT 

of  the  OwTievship,  Management,  Circulation.  Etc.,  Re- 
quired by  the  Act  of  Congxess  of  Angiist  24,  1912, 
(>f   Southern    tnuul   Koails   published    monthly   at    Lex- 
ington. X.  ('..  for  April  1.  IIHT. 
State  of  North  (."arolina — (';uuity  of   Davidson,  ss : 

l>efcn-e  me,  a  Notary  Pulilir  in  and  for  the. State 
and  county  aforesaid,  persmially  appeared  Fred  0.  Sink, 
who,  having  lieen  duly  sworn  according  to  law,  depos- 
es and  says  that  he  is  the  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the 
Southern  Good  Koads  and  that  the  following  is.  to  the 
best  of  his  knowledge  and  belief,  a  true  statement  of 
the  >wuership,  management  of  the  aforesaid  publica- 
tion for  the  date  shown  in  the  above  caption,  required 
by  the  Act  of  August  24,  1911',  embodied  in  section  44:1, 
P(xstal  Laws  and  Kegulations.  printed  on  the  reverse  of 
this  form,  to  wit : 

1,  That  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  publisher, 
editor,  managing  editor,  and  Inisiness  nuuiagers  are : 

Publisher  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co.,  Lex- 
ington. X.  V. 

Editor — IL  B,  ^■arner,  Lexington,  N.  C. 

^lanaging  Editor — E.  E.  Witherspoon.  Lexington.  \. 
C, 

Secretary-Treasurei- — Fred  0.  Sink,  Lexington,  X.  G. 

2,  That  the  owners  are:  ^Give  names  and  addresses 
of  individual  owners,  or,  if  a  corporation,  give  its 
name  and  the  names  and  addresses  of  stockholders 
owning  or  holding  1  per  cent  or  more  of  the  total 
amount  of  stock.  ~i 

H.  B,  Varner,  Lexington,  N.  C. 
Fred  0.  Sink,  Lexington,  X,  C. 
Gerald  Johnson,  Greensboro,  X,  C. 

3,  That  the  known  bondholders,  mortgagees,  and 
other  securit.v  holders  owning  or  holding  1  per  cent  or 
more  of  total  amount  of  bonds,  mortgaes,  or  other  se- 
curities are :  Xonc. 

FKKD    O.    SINK,    See.-Treas. 
Sworn  to  and  ,subseribed  before  me  this  ITth  dav  of 
April.  1917. 

J,    F,    Deaderick,    Notary    Public, 
(^I.v  commission  expires  2-20  1919,) 


A-MIX-A-MINUTE 

The  Jaeger 
Big-And-Little  Mixer 

Sizes  :    3,  6,  S  and  11  Cubic  Feet  Capacity 

Cost,  the  cheapest.  Strength,  steel 
and  iron  throughout.  Cost  of  opera- 
tion, it  costs  next  door  to  nothing. 
You  look  at  your  mix  all  the  time 
while  mixing.  It  mixes  either  brick 
mortar,  patent  plaster  or  concrete. 
Speed,  The  answer  A-Mix-a-Minute, 
Write  for  catalogue  and  prices. 

C.  F.  LAWRENCE,  General  Agent 

For  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina 
GREENSBORO,  N.  C. 


^oulliern  naihai  %\m 

1358  Miles  Operated  in 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

Serving  Such  Important  Cities  as  Charlotte, 
Asheville,  Winston-Salem,  Raleigh,  Greens- 
boro, Durham,  Salisbury,  Goldsboro,  Hender- 
sonville,  Waynesville,  Sanford,  Lexington, 
Burlington,  Statesville,  Gastonia.  Etc,  Etc. 

FROM  THE  MOUNTAINS  TO  THE  SEA 

Modern  Equipment,  Steel  Electrically  Lighted 
Pullman  Cars,  Dining  Cars,  Complete  Through 
and  Local  Train  Service, 

THE  MOST  FAMOUS  TRAINS 
IN  THE  SOUTH 

The  New  York  and  New  Orleans  Limited. 
The  Birmingham  Special.  The  Augusta  Special. 
The  United  States  Fast  Mail, 

SOUTHERN  PROSPERITY  IS  ON  THE 

SOUTHERN  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 

Agencies  in  All  the  Principal   Cities  of  the 

United  States, 

W,  H.  TAYLOE,  H.  F,  GARY, 

Pass.  Traffic  Manager,  Gen'l  Passenger  Agent, 

Washington,  D.  C.  Washington,  D,  C. 


I  >     i    • »-      JJ)>>      >. 


:\r;iv.  imT 


SOUTHERX  GOOD  ROADS 


23 


Laws  Florida  Men  Desire. 

The  legislative  eoinmittee  ol'  tlie  Ceutral  Florida 
Highvvaj-  Association,  which  held  Us  anuual  session  at 
Orlando  recently,  recommended  the  following  program 
of  road  legislation  for  that  state : 

1.  Providing  for  the  regulation  of  speed  and  dim- 
ming of  lights  on  vehicles  ai)proaching  other  vehicles 
traveling  in  opposite  directimis  on  the  public  higli- 
ways. 

2.  Providing  for  the  carrying  of  lights  on  all  vehicles 
traveling  on  public  highways  for  the  protection  of  such 
vehicles  against  accidents. 

3.  Providing  for  rigid  regulation  of  traffic  with 
reference  to  tonnage  to  be  hauled  over  jJaved  high- 
ways. 

4.  Providing  against  closing  public  highways  in  any 
manner  whatsoever,  without  po.sting  proper  notices 
of  such  closing  and  providing  for  penalties  against 
the  violation  of  .such  law. 

5.  Providing  for  single  license  tax  and  tags  on  auto- 
mobiles. 

6.  Providing  for  the  employment  of  state  convicts  on 
the  public  highways  to  the  fullest  extent  that  is  prac- 
ticable. 

7.  Providing  for  state  aid  in  the  building  of  inter- 
county  intra-state  highways  along  the  lines  of  federal 
aid  now  available. 

8.  Providing  for  the  fixing  of  a  standard  of  the  qual- 
ity of  gasoline  that  may  be  sold  in  the  state. 

0.  Your  committee  further  recommends  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  members  of  this  association  and  the 
public  the  advisability  of  enacting  a  law  requiring  all 
vehicles  commonly  used  on  the  highways  to  he  of  the 
standard  gauge  in  use  in  other  states. 


Bankhead  Highway  Tendered. 

Several  weeks  ;igo  tlie  I  nited  States  (jood  Roads  As- 
sociation through  its  executive  officers  wrote  Secretary 
of  War.  Newton  D.  Baker,  tendering  the  services  of  tlie 
organization  in  thirty-.six  states  where  it  has  life  mem- 
bers, branch  organizations,  etc..  to  help  to  put  the  high- 
ways in  a  condition  to  mobolize  the  troops,  supplies, 
amnuuiition  and  guns,  in  order  to  effectively  help  in 
the  great  world  wide  war.  The  association  immediately 
took  up  the  matter  with  the  various  organizations  to 
be  ready  for  any  emergency  that  might  be  demanded  of 
them  by  the  I'nited  States  government  in  case  of  war. 

^Ir.  J.  A.  Rountree.  Secretary  of  the  I'nited  States 
Crood  Roads  Association,  is  in  receipt  of  the  foil  )wing 
letter: 

■"War  Department.  Washington.  D.  C.  Ajiril  2-t.  IDIT. 
;\rr.  J.  A.  Rountree, 
Birmingham,  Ala. 

Dear  Sir: — I  Ijeg  leave  to  acknowledge  receipt  of 
your  communication  of  recent  date  tendering  the  ser- 
vices of  the  United  States  Good  Roads  Association  in 
putting  the  highways  in  condition  for  war  purposes  and 
to  tliank  y  )u  for  the  ot^'er  to  the  government.  It  has 
been  made  a  mattei-  of  oftieial  record  for  such  reference 
as  the  Jieeds  of  the  services  mav  requiie. 

(Signed)    Wm.    IXGRA:\I. 

As.st.    Sec.    War." 

The  United  States  Good  Roads  Association  has  the 
distinction  and  honor  of  being  the  first  good  roads  or- 
ganization in  the  country  to  tender  its  services  to  the 
government  for  military  purposes.  United  States  Sen- 
ator Bankhead,  who  is  president  of  the  organization, 
has  repeatedly  stated  that  if  we  have  peace  we  need 
good  roads,  and  if  we  have  war  we  need  roads.  Roads 
are  a.s  badly  needed  in  time  of  war  as  men,  hence  we 
must  have  them. 


Reduce  the  Cost 

of  Good  Roads 

by  using  culvert  pipe  that  is  not  de- 
stroyed by  rust  or  cracked  by  frost. 
The  only  iron  with  a  record  of  250 
years  of  constant  service  is  cast  iron. 
The  culvert  pipe  that  makes  your 
first  investment  a  permanent  invest- 
ment is 


u.  s.  PrI^'n"  culverts 

"ThePipe  thatOutlasts  the  Ages" 

It  eliminates  repairs  and  gives  you  a 
culvert  that  will  last  for  centuries. 
The  story  of  U.  S,  Cast  Iron  Culvert 
Pipe  and  its  relation  to  modern  high- 
way construction  is  well  told  in  our 
new  booklet  entitled  "Reducing  Ulti- 
mate Culvert  Costs."  Send  for  your 
copy  today. 

UNITED  STATES 


IRON 


PIPE 


FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 


GENERAL  OFFICES:  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W  Oliver  Bldg-. 
Chicago,  122  So  Mijh.  Blvd. 

Seattle,  Wash  .  Room 


St.  Louis,  Security  Buildinfr 
Birmingham,  Ala.,  Am.  Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo,  957  E.  Ferry  St. 
8U,  L.  C.  Smith  Bldg. 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Mav,  1917 


GOOD  ROADS  NOTES  ^BRIEF 

The  North  Cajviliua  hit;'h\vay  r  )iiiinissii>u  tiiuls  itself 
ill  a  quandary  on  aeeount  of  the  errcir  of  a  clerk  in  the 
legislature,  which  iirevented  the  ratification  of  a  bill 
providing  $10,000  extra  funds  needed  to  carry  on  the 
eonmiiission's  work. 

The  action  of  the  i)enple  of  Johnson  county,  Tenii.. 
in  voting  .$200,000  g  lod  roads  lionds  has  Ijeen  ratified 
by  the  county  court.  Aiiplicatiou  has  been  made  for 
$S().(IOO  for  the  construction  of  a  highway  across  the 
cor,iit\-,  through  ilonntain  City  to  the  North  Carolina 
line. 

.ilay  5th  was  observed  thrjughout  the  commonwealth 
of  Virginia  as  good  roads  day,  in  aeeordanee  with  a 
proelaination  liy  Governor  Stuart.  This  occasion  has 
been  celebrated  for  several  years  in  Virginia  and  has 
proven  of  much  value  to  the  cause. 

Iowa  spent  nearly  fifteen  millijn  dollars  in  road  and 
bridge  r-nnstruction  during  the  year  IDKi.  according  to 
complete  report.  There  were  109  people  killed  and  2. 
574  persons  injured  in  aiit:imobile  wrecks  during  the 
year.  If  the  railroads  of  the  state  had  made  that  bad 
a  record  there  would  have  been  a  tremendous  howl. 

M  )ntgomery  county.  Kentucky,  has  just  awarded 
Clint racts  for  road  construction  amonuting  to  .$25,000. 

A  leading  automobile  concern  has  just  conducted  ai. 
investigation  in  ditfeient  states  to  determine  the  eon- 
sumpiion  of  gas  and  the  wear  of  tires.  Calif  >rnia  gets 
tiie  palm  on  both,  tiiere  Ijeing  5,000  motor  cars  found 
averaging  (i280  miles  to  the  set  of  tires.  Auto  owners 
are  getting  back  their  taxes  for  good  roads  in  the  sav- 
ing in  gasoline  and  tires. 

In  listing  the  ounty's  road  e(iuipment  at  the  re- 
que.st  of  the  government  it  was  brought  out  that  Bun- 
combe county,  N.  C.,  owns  two  granite  quarries  witli 
combined  capacity  of  350  cul)ie  yards  per  day,  the  out- 
put of  both  being  for  road  building. 

Citizens  of  I'ima  connt>-.  Ariz  )na,  ai'e  demanding 
that  a  change  be  made  in  tlie  method  of  constructing 
the  T'ues;ni-Ajo  road,  whidi  they  (daiin  is  going  t^i 
pieces  after  a  month's  tratfir.  The  r:)ad  is  costing  the 
county  $4,000  per  mile.  The  wrong  sizes  of  stone  are 
held  partially  resji  msible. 

Important  road  building  operations  are  under  way 
in  Lowndes  county,  Ga.,  lending  to  the  city  of  Valdosta. 
Convicts  are  being  used  on  two  important  roads.  The 
roads  of  the  conntx'  are  als  i  bi'iiig  ]iriiperl\'  maintain- 
ed. 

J.  Roy  Pennell,  state  highway  engineer  of  South  Car- 
olina, is  giving  notice  that  all  automobiles  in  the  state 
must  be  registered  before  July  1st.  Auto  license  fee-; 
are  being  applied  to  highway  work  in  that  state. 

Greenville  county,  S.  ('..  has  already  spent  $000,000 
of  road  funds  and  n:)W  has  available  $800.0(10  nnire.  As 
saon  as  the  specific  mads  for  this  expenditure  ari'  de- 
termined the  work  will  be  resumed. 

Potter  county,  Texas,  has  just  awarded  llic  contrai-l 

for  the  eoustruction  of  about  fifty  miles  of  earth  roatls, 

with   concrete   culverts  where   needed.      The   estimated 

cost   is  $33,000.      ().   C.    McElrath.   of  Gilmer,    was   the 

,  lowest  bidder. 

Road  District  3,  Wlieeler  county.  Texas,  has  called 
an  election  to  vote  $15,000  more  bonds  to  com|)letc 
specified  roads. 

The  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  a  $400,000  bond  issue 
are  naw  in  hand  of  the  board  of  .supervisors  at  Ilat- 
tiesburg,  Miss.,  and  contracts  are  being  awarded  for  the 
construction  of  good  roads  in  that  comity. 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  of  Red  Cross  Ex  plosives  and 
modern  road  machinery,  will,  in  many  cases, 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  "Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
with  modern  road  building  machmery  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for   'ROAD   CONSTRUCTION 
and  MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


IBS.  VMS 

EXTRA 

40f,  STRCJstfiTH 


MOGUL  AND  TITAN  TRACTORS 
BUILD    ROADS   ON    KEROSENE 

rOR  years  International  Harvester  tractors  have  been  used  in  building 
^  roads  at  a  great  saving  of  time  and  money.  We  can  refer  you  to  the 
authorities  in  scores  of  localities  who  are  enthusiastic  over  Mogul  and  Titan 
operation. 

Kerosene— that  is  the  big  reason  This  Company  is  attracting  much 
allention  at  the  this  time  by  guaranteeing  Mogul  and  1  itan  tractors  to 
work  salislactorily  onKerosene.  These  are  the  sizes  -sizes  for  all 
road  making  needs  Mogul  8-16-H.  P.;  Titan  ie-20-H.  P.; 
Mogul  t2-25-H.  P.;  Titan  15-30-H.  P.;  and  Titan  30-60-H.  P. 

Where  the  road-work  budge 
is  limited  these  tractors  are  to 
be  recommended  for  maxi- 
mum results,  distributing  the 
cost  over  the  most  miles  possi- 
ble. They  are  of  best  quality 
material  and  construction  and 
use  the  lowest-priced  fuel. 
Write  us  about  any  Mogul  or 
Titan  Tractor. 

laternational  Harvester  Company  of  America 

(Incorporated) 
151  Harvester  Building  Chicago  USA 


Mav.  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Arizona  Active  in  Road  Building 

Three  to  Four  Millions  Involved  in  Construction 
Projects  in  Soutliern  Border  State 


LTNDER  the  stiimilus  of  Arizona's  new  road  law 
J  wliich  provides  for  hi)iid  issues  for  county  roads 
to  be  built  under  the  supervision  of  a  special  highway 
commission,  Arizona  has  gone  into  the  business  of  road 
construction  in  earnest,  and  in  a  big  way.  It  is  one  of 
the  best  enterprises  tlic  [n'0|"ile  of  the  st>ate  have  ever 
undertake}!. 

At  I'hoenix  petitions  were  laid  before  the  board  d' 
supervisors  for  a  bond  issue  of  $1, .300, 000  to  provide 
funds  for  the  construction  of  some  county  roads,  the 
grading  of  all  others  needing  it,  and  for  the  macadam- 
izing of  such  highways  as  will  best  serve  to  furnish 
easy  travel  across  the  county  in  all  directions. 

It  is  the  intention  that  wherever  a  road  from  anothei' 
county  may  reach  i\Iaricopa  county's  borders,  it  shall 
there  join  a  macadamized  highway  leading  to  Phoenix. 

It  is  further  intended  that  every  farmer  in  the  Salt 
River  valley  shall  have  a  macadamized  road  cljse  to  his 
farm  in  most  instances  and  not  more  than  three  miles 
in  any  case. 

At  present  Phoenix  suffers  from  tlie  lack  of  depend- 
ably good  roads  radiating  into  the  fertile  and  highly 
populous  valle\-  roundahdut.  That  is  to  say,  there  is  a 
g,)od  system  of  county  roads  which  are  easy  of  travel 
unless  tlie  dust  or  the  mud  is  too  deep.  None  of  the 
roads  are  good  all  the  time.  Automobilists  have  com- 
]ilained  that  in  driving  across  Arizona  they  encounter- 
ed their  worst  riads  in  IMaricopa  comity,  from  Buckeye 
to  Arlington  and  thence  on  in  the  direction  of  Yuma. 
It  is  this  condition  which  the  road  construction,  made 
possible  liy   liond  issue,  will  remedy. 

Road  l)uilding  in  Pima  county  has  also  liccii  under- 
taken since  the  passage  of  the  law.  and  a  first  class 
highway  with  tx  foundation  of  crushed  rock  is  l)eing 
built  from  Tucson  to  Ajo,  a  distance,  by  present  roads, 
of  about  120  miles.  The  intention  is  to  furnish  a  lietter 
trade  route  lietween  the  two  tov\'ns  and  provide  also 
for  the  tra\el  to  and  from  mines  and  i-anches  t.ving  in 
between. 

The  C'lunty  Taxpayers'  Association  of  Cochise  coun- 
ty is  advocating  a  bond  issue,  for  a  road  from  the  New 
;\[exico  state  line  near  Rodeo  and  extending  through 
Douglas,  Bisbee,  Tombstone,  St.  David,  Benson  and 
thence  west  to  the  Pima  county  line,  together  with  oth- 
er road  building  throughout  the  county  to  be  determ- 
ined eithei'  1)>-  election  or  by  the  highway  commission. 
This  is  to  form  the  nucleus  of  permanent  road  build- 
ing in  Cochise  county  and  will  include  the  paving  of 
the  highway  between  Bisbee  and  Douglas.  It  will  leave 
for  the  benefit  of  the  communities  not  directly  on  the 
trunk  line  tiic  general  cimnty  road  fund  nf  .-^12.').()00  a 
yeai'  for  the  construction  of  lateral  roads  to  connect  all 
i-animunities  with  the  county  highway  system.  This 
means  also  that  with  the  eonstnicti m  of  the  road  from 
Vail  to  the  Pima  county  line,  the  Borderland  route  will 
he  diverted  from  Davidson  canyon  to  the  route  by  way 
of  Benuson  and  St.  David,  thus  cutting  down  tlie  dis- 
tance considerably. 

An  agreement  is  to  be  made  between  the  lioard  of 
supervisors  of  Greenlee  county  and  the  management  of 
the  Socorro  Mining  and  ]\Iilling  company  and  the  Mo- 
goUon  Mines  company,  of  IMogollon,  New  Mexico,  for 
the  building  of  a  cut-off  road  between  Greenlee  coun- 
ty, Arizona,  and  the  JFogollon  district  of  New  :\Fexico. 


The  boards  of  directors  of  both  companies  ha\'e  author 
ized  their  general  managers  to  (>nter  into  the  neessary 
arrangements  with  the  Greenlee  county  suprvisors  and 
have  set  aside  appropriations  for  the  purpose.  It  is  novi' 
proposed  to  survey  a  road  from  Clifton  to  the  Greenlee 
county  line  where  it  would  join  a  road  into  the  Mog- 
ollon  district.  This  road  would  he  paid  for  by  a  bond 
issue  which  would  also  include  the  cost  of  a  highway 
which  is  being  surve.^'ed  to  extend  from  Clifton  to 
Springervdle.  Apache  county,  120  miles  north.  The 
cost  of  these  ambitious  road  projects  will  not  be  esti- 
mated until  the  surveys  have  been  completed. 

Looking  over  all  these  Arizona  projects,  it  is  evident 
that  the  people  of  the  state  will  soon  liave  invested  .$3,- 
(100.000  to  .i<4.000.000  in  good  roads. 


Safe  Rules  of  the  Road. 

Rules  for  the  road  once  ni'oi-e  stand  out  in  interest 
^^^th  the  coming  of  the  touring  season.  The  set  which 
follows  has  been  prepared  for  distributidn  by  the  Chi- 
cago Motor  Club. 

Be  master  of  your  car  at  all  times. 

When  approaching  another  antiinnil)ilc  at  night,  com- 
ing from  the  opposite  direction,  slow  down  am!  turn 
down  or  turn  o\it  your  glaring  headlights. 

Use  caution  when  driving  off  of  the  main  I'oad  into 
the  grass.  Bad  cnlvei'ts  or  loose  sand  and  dirt  will 
cause  an  accident. 

Don't  attempt  to  turn  out  of  ruts  while  under  speed. 

Kemembei-,  at  the  b:)ttom  of  each  hill  you  will  u.s- 
nally  find  a  culvci-t.  some  good  ami  some  bad.  don't 
take  a  chance. 

Be  considerate  at  all  times.  Other  users  of  the  road 
have   equal   rights    with   you. 

Freshly  oiled  roads  are  dangerous — drive  slowly. 

AVhen  appi'oaching  a  fractious  horse  stop  your  car, 
kill  your  motor,  get  out  and  offer  to  assist  in  leading 
the  horse  by. 

Never  under  any  circu;ii'stances  drive  fast  approacli- 
ing  or  passing  a  school. 

Upon  signal  from  another  driver  approaching  from 
the  real-,  pull  ovci-  to  the  extreme  right  and  allow  him 
to  pass.  'I'hc  law  compels  you;  coui'tesy  demands  it  of 
you. 

Spasmodic  spurts  of  speed  ai-e  dangerous.  Hold  the 
speed  of  your  car  steady  ground  twenty  nules  an  lionr 
and  you  will  get  there  more  quickly,  safely,  pleasantly 
and  at  less  expense. 

Speed  means  serious  and  f;ital  accidents,  increased 
tire  and  repair  expense,  nervous  prosti'ation,  loss  of  ap- 
|)etite,  loss  of  money,  time  and  jileasant  disposition. 

In  case  of  accidents  get  the  name  of  every  witness 
and  iiii'mediately  draw  a  diagram  of  the  position  of  the 
car  with  reference  to  all  suri'ounding  objects  as  well 
as  the  curb  lines.  This  information  might  save  you  an- 
noyance, time  and  money  later  on. 

Go  Slow — Passing  schools,  children,  vehicles,  around 
corners,  approaching  crossings. 

Stop When  in  doubt — at  railroad  ci'ossings,  be- 
hind street  cars  taking  on  or  discharging  passengers. 
Better  to  cause  a  delay  than  an  accident. 

Drive  moderately  on  strange  roads — you  never  can 
tell. 

Always  safetv  first. 


26  SOUTHERX  GOOD  ROADS  May.  1917 


IF  there  is  anything  about  our  trade  with  your  county  that 
doesn't  exactly  suit  you,  w^e  are  always  ready  and  willing  to 
do  everything  in  our  power  to  make  it  right.  Unfortunately, 
some  folks  think  because  they  are  dealing  with  a  company 
there  should  never  be  any  mistakes  and  all  things  should  run 
along  in  ship-shape  order  at  all  times.  This  would  be  the  case  if 
what  we  desired  could  be  obtained.  Since,  however,  w^e  are 
only  human,  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another  w^ill  occur  and  our 
only  recourse  is  to  rectify  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 

"To  err  is  human; 

To  forgive,  divine. " 

However,  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  quality  of  our  "GEN- 
UINE OPEN  HEARTH  IRON"  (99.875 7^  Pure  Iron-Copper 
Alloy)  Culverts.  Whether  Black  or  Galvanized  we  stand  back 
of  every  foot  w^e  make  and  guarantee  it  to  give  more  lasting  ser- 
vice than  any  other  Culvert  Pipe  made,  w^hen  installed  under 
identical  conditions. 

A  postal  card  to  us  or  to  J.  H.  Slaughter,  Yarborough  Hotel, 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  will  result  in  the  merits  of  our  Product  being 
placed  before  you  in  a  courteous,  business-like  manner.  To  deal 
with  us  once  is  to  become  a  life-time  customer. 


The  Newport  Culvert  Co.,  Inc. 

Newport,  Ky. 


GOOnl^Q^S 


Publiahed  Monthly 
By  Soathem  Good  Roads  PablishiiiK  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  June,  1917 


Batend  *t  Lcxinston  Post  Office  ai 
KcondelaH  matter 


Sand  Clay  and  Top  Soil  Roads 

Sould  They  Be  Built  in  Southern  Appalachian  Regions  ?    Has  the 
Past  Winter  Proved  They  Are  a  Failure  ? 

By  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT 
State  Geologist  and  Secretary  ot  tbe  North  Carolina  Highway  Commission 


Dl'RlNG  the  past  winter  the  saiul-elay  aud  topsoil 
roads  of  the  Southern  Appalachian  region  have 
been  subjected  to  a  most  severe  test  as  to  their  dura- 
bilit J'  From  many  sections  complaints  have  come  in 
that  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  roads  have  not  been  sat- 
isfactory, and  have  gone  to  pieces  during  the  whiter 
nijuths.  Several  things  must  be  taken  into  account, 
however,  in  passing  judgment  upon  the  durability  antl 
practicability  of  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  road.  In 
the  first  place  the  past  winter  has  been  the  most  severe 
on  roads  of  any  perhaps  in  the  past  twenty  years,  and 
roads  which  have  remained  with  a  hard  firm  surface 
for  several  years  have  broken  through  and  have  be- 
come almost  impassable  during  the  past  winter.  On 
the  other  hand  there  are  stretches  of  sand-clay  and  top 
soil  roads  in  many  sections  of  the  South  that  have  re- 
mained throughout  this  winter  with  a  hard  surface 
where  thej-  have  been  subjected  to  the  same  climatic 
conditions  aud  traffic  as  other  sections  of  the  same  type 
of  road  that  have  gone  to  pieces.  This  would  answer 
the  question  that  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road  can  be 
constructed  that  will  withstand  as  severe  winter  as  we 
have  just  past  through ;  aud  that  where  the  road  has 
gone  to  pieces  aud  become  almost  impassable,  we  must 
look  further  than  simply  the  bad  weather  as  the  cause 
of  the  roads'  going  to  pieces. 

There  is  no  question  in  the  mind  of  the  writer,  but 
what  the  main  cause  Oj.  the  bad  condition  of  so  many  of 
the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  roads  toda.v  is  the  fact  that 
they  have  not  beeu  properly  maintained. 

It  is  believed  that  it  will  be  of  considerable  interest 
at  this  time  to  give  a  description  of  what  a  sand-clay 
or  topsoil  road  is,  its  methods  of  construction,  and  its 
maintenance. 

The  sand-clay  and  topsoil  road  are  being  used  in  the 
South  miore  extensivelj-  than  in  any  other  section  of  tlie 
country.  The  Southern  people  have  learned  the  value 
of  good  roads,  and  have  realized  that  if  the  mileage  of 
roads  to  be  built  is  to  be  considered,  serious  considera- 
tion must  be  given  to  determining  the  surface  material 
to  be  used.  In  this  connection  consideration  must  al- 
so be  given  to  the  amount  of  traffic  that  is  to  pass  over 
the  road,  for  this  in  the  end  is  the  controlling  factor  in 
determining  what   surfacing   material   to     use.       Tlie 


greatest  dilfereiiee  to  be  uoted  in  the  cost  of  any  por- 
tion of  tlie  construction  of  our  roads  is  in  the  surfacing 
material.  It  can  be  readily  seen,  however,  that  natural 
soils  and  such  surfaemg  materials  as  sand  and  clay 
have  a  very  distinct  economic  advantage  in  road  sur- 
facing: First,  on  account  of  being  both  cheap  and 
abundant ;  second,  on  account  of  their  physical  condi- 
tion;  third,  their  general  proximity  to  the  road  to  be 
built ;  fourth,  the  minimum  expense  and  maximum  sim- 
plicitj'  of  the  outfit  needed  for  construction  work  when 
sand  and  clay  are  the  surfacing  materials. 

The  exact  proportions  of  sand  and  clay  for  making 
the  best  sand-clay  road  cannot  be  stated,  as  the  pro- 
portions vary  with  the  character  of  the  sand,  according 
to  its  sharpness,  percentage  of  foreign  material,  and 
size  of  grain ;  and  also  in  the  character  of  the  clay,  ac- 
cording to  its  plasticity,  freedom  from  grit,  etc.  It 
will  be  found  that  the  percentage  of  sand  in  these  va- 
rious mixtures  used  in  making  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil 
road  surface  will  vary  from  70  to  90  per  cent,  and  that 
the  clay  will  vary  from  10  to  30  per  cent. 

There  are  many  natural  soils  which  can  be  used  for 
surfacing  materials,  often  without  the  addition  of  any 
other  material.  These  soils  are  made  up  largely  of 
clay  and  sand,  having  properties  similar  to  the  artificial 
mixture  of  sand  and  clay.  In  many  sections  it  has  been 
found  that  these  materials  are  in  the  right  proportion 
to  give  a  hai\l  surface  similar  as  the  artificially  mixed 
sand  and  clays,  and  they  are  being  used  to  a  very  large 
extent  for  this  purpose.  These  soils  are  called  topsoils. 
and  the  roads  surfaced  with  them  are  known  as  topsoil 
roads. 

The  field  and  laboratory  experiments  which  have 
been  made  would  seem  to  justify  the  following  conclu- 
sions : 

1.  That  60  to  SO  per  cent  of  sand  is  necessary  to  ob- 
tain a  hard  surface,  and  that  the  best  soils  ^nll  contain 
45  to  50  per  cent  of  sand  coarser  than  No.  60. 

2.  That  sand  between  No.  100  and  No.  200  has  little 
hardening  value  to  the  road  surface,  but  does  aid  in 
filling  the  voids  between  the  larger  grain  of  sands ;  and 
that  roads  constructed  only  of  sand  of  this  fineness  will 
not  be  satisfactory. 

3.  That  when  these  is  less  than  40  per  cent  of  sand 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June.  Wr, 


above  No.  60.  the  resulting  road  surface  is  very  notice- 
ably softer  than  where  the  coarser  sand  is  used. 

4.  That  if  there  can  be  10  to  15  per  cent  of  gravel, 
varying  from  tliat  which  would  be  caught  on  a  No.  10 
sieve  to  not  over  one  inch  in  diameter,  it  has  a  verj-  de- 
cided effect  in  increasing  the  hardness  and  efficiency  of 
the  road. 

5.  For  the  best  results  the  clay  will  vary  from  10  to 
20  per  cent. 

6.  An  excess  of  30  per  cent  of  clay  in  the  soil  will 
give  a  soft  surface  that  will  get  very  maiddy  in  wet 
weather. 

In  the  following  table  there  is  given  the  quantity  of 
clay  and  sand  necessary  to  use  per  mile  in  making  a 
sand-clay  road.  In  these  estimates  the  sand  is  sup- 
posed to  be  pure  and  the  clay  is  supposed  to  lie  free 
from  sand  : 

Cubic  Yardage  of  Sand,  and  Topsoil. 


Width  of  Road 
Surfaced 

Clay   Subsoil 
Sand 

Sand  Subsoil 
Clay 

Topsoil 

8" 
deep 

10" 
deep 

1  1-2" 
deep 

3" 
deep 

10" 
deep 

12" 
deep 

9  feet   .. 

Cu.Yd. 
1,173 
1,564 

2,085 

Cu.Yd. 
1,466 
1,954 
2,606 

Cu.Yd, 

220 
293 
391 

Cu.Yd. 
440 

586 

782 

Cu.Yd. 
1,466 
1,955 
2,606 

Cu  Yd. 
1,760 

12  feet 

2,346 

16  feet 

3,128 

Surfacing  With  Topsoil. 

When  tlie  grading  has  been  prepared  the  topsoil 
should  then  be  spread  on  to  a  depth  of  10  to  12  inches 
in  the  center  of  the  portion  of  the  road  to  be  surfaced. 
If  this  is  16  feet  wide,  the  surfacing  material  should  be 
spread  tj  a  depth  of  at  least  5  to  6  inches  on  the  out- 
side of  this  width.  This  will  compact  to  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  thickness  of  the  loose  material.  Thus  the 
compact  road  would  have  a  depth  of  7  to  8  inches  in 
the  center  and  o\-_>  to  4  inches  on  the  edges,  which 
would  make  a  crown  of  one-half  inch  to  the  foot.  Af- 
ter the  surfacing  material  has  been  laid,  the  ditches 
should  be  constructed  and  the  material  obtained  from 
these  should  be  thri)wn  up  to  form  tlu'  shoulders  against 
the  surfacing  material. 

As  the  siu'face  compacts  it  can  readily  be  brought 
into  shape  with  the  drag,  so  that  it  has  an  even  crown 
from  the  center  of  the  road  to  the  ditches.  Whethei' 
the  material  excavated  from  the  ditch  will  balance  the 
till  necessary  to  inake  the  shoulder  and  give  the  right 
slope  from  tliis  to  the  ditch  will  depend  upm  the  width 
of  the  surfaced  poi'tions  and  the  total  widtli  of  the 
road.  Thus  it  may  be  necessary  to  borrow  a  certain 
amount  of  material  to  complete  the  fill;  or  to  excavate 
the  center  of  the  road  sufficiently  to  compensate  the 
addition  of  the  topsoil.  This  w;iuld  lie  necessary  where 
the  grade  has  been  made  by  side-hill  cutting. 

I  believe  many  mistake  have  arisen  in  topsoil  sur- 
facing by  trying  to  use  too  thin  layers  of  surfacing 
aiiiaterial.  ]\Iany  such  roads  have  been  made  where  the 
topsoil  has  only  been  laid  to  a  depth  of  4  or  5  inches, 
which,  when  it  becomes  compact,  is  only  about  2%  to 
3%  inches  thick.  This  is  'merely  a  crust  over  the  sub- 
soil, which  is  easil.y  broken  and  cut  through,  this  be- 
ing especially  true  when  the  traffic  is  at  all  heavy.  All 
toijsoil  r jads  soften  a  little  under  excessive  traffic. 


Too  much  consideration  cannot  be  given  to  the  im- 
portance of  depositing  the  topsoil  on  the  road  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  will  compact  as  one  layer.  This  is  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  obtain  the  best  results.  The  re- 
quired amount  can  perhaps  be  best  deposited  on  the 
grade  by  means  of  a  spreader.  If  this  is  not  used,  and 
the  topsoil  is  deposited  on  the  road  by  means  of  wheel 
scrapes,  dump  Avagons,  :ir  otherwise,  it  should  be  im- 
mediately shoveled  and  raked  into  position,  so  that 
.iust  as  soon  as  travel  begins  to  go  over  it  the  material 
will  be  compact  as  one  layer  from  the  bottom  upwards. 
The  running  of  a  plow  through  the  topsoil  after  it  is 
spread  and  then  harrowing  it  will  benefit  the  resulting 
surface  very  materially,  as  it  makes  a  more  even,  ho- 
mogeneous layer  and  overcomes  the  uneven  packing 
that  otherwise  would  take  place,  due  to  the  dumping 
of  the  topsoil  on  the  road. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  surfacing  material  be  pack- 
ed from  the  bottom  upwai-ds,  for  unless  this  is  done  we 
have  a  compact  crust  on  top,  with  loose  material  be- 
low, and  there  is  a  constant  tendency  for  this  crust  to 
break  through  and  let  water  down  into  the  soft  mate- 
rial. 

Surfacing  With  Sand-Clay. 

The  method  of  making  a  sand-clay  road  depends  on 
the  character  of  the  subsoil.  If  the  subsoil  is  a  clay,  the 
roadbed,  after  it  has  been  graded  and  made  ready  for 
the  surfacing  material,  should  be  plowed  to  a  depth  of 
2  to  3  inches,  according  to  the  character  of  the  clay  sub- 
soil and  the  character  of  the  sand  to  be  added  to  it. 

It  should  be  plowed  to  a  sufficient  depth  so  that 
when  the  clay  plowed  up  is  worked  up  and  thoroughly 
mixed  with  the  sand  there  -iAall  be  a  sufficient  amount  of 
clay  to  act  as  a  binder.  If  the  clay  breaks  up  into  too 
big  clods,  these  should  be  broken  up  \\ith  a  disc  har- 
row. Pour  niches  of  sand  should  then  be  spread  even- 
ly over  the  surface  and  thoroughly  worked  in  with  a 
disc  harrow;  then  four  additional  inches  of  sand  should 
be  added,  and  the  harrowing  repeated.  The  harrow  in 
this  last  mixing  can  be  so  set  as  to  work  sufficient  of 
the  material  toward  the  center  to  enable  it  to  be  read- 
ily dragged  into  shape  with  the  right  cro\ra. 

It  has  been  found  that  better  results  can  be  obtained 
if  the  following  plan  is  carried  out: 

After  plowing  the  road  surface  to  a  depth  of  2  or  :i 
inches,  pile  the  clay  thus  turned  up  over  on  the  shoul- 
der of  the  road;  then  spread  4  inches  of  sand  over  the 
excavated  portion  of  the  road.  Spread  over  this  sand 
1  to  li'i;  inches  of  the  clay  which  has  been  piled  on  the 
shoulder  of  the  road.  Thoroughly  harrow  these  layers 
of  sand  and  clay  together  ,then  add  another  4-inch  lay 
er  of  sand  to  the  top  of  this  mixture ;  to  this  add  a  lay- 
er of  clay  i/o  to  1  inch.  Have  all  these  layers  thorough- 
ly plowed  and  harrowed  so  as  tt)  obtain  a  complete 
mixture.  While  this  is  a  more  expensive  method,  yet 
the  excellent  results  obtained  are  believed  to  warrant 
the  expense. 

The  road  is  now  ready  for  a  thorough  wetting,  and 
the  only  practical  method  is  to  wait  for  a  rain.  A 
slight  crust  will  form  on  the  surface  and  it  will  appear 
as  though  the  clay  was  cenkenting  the  grains  of  .sand 
together  and  makhig  a  firm  road;  but.^after  the  first 
rain,  traffic  will  break  through  this,  for  the  mixed  sand 
and  clay  beneath  have  not  cemented,  and  are  .still  loose 
particles. 

As  has  already  been  stated,  it  is  necessarv  that  all 
parts  of  the  sand-clay  mixture  be  thorough'lv  wet  so 
that  the  mixture  can  be  well  puddled.  Therefore,  the 
best  results  are  obtained  if  during  the  rain  the  surface 


June,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


5 


is  harrowed,   permitting   the   water   to   penetrate   the 
lowest  portions  of  the  road. 

After  the  rain  the  road  shouhi  be  dragged  into  shape, 
when  it  will  harden  and  set.  It  will  also  be  found  that 
doing  the  thorough  wetting  of  the  surface  a  more  com 
plete  and  sati.sfaetory  mixture  has  been  obtained  when 
the  addition  of  the  sand  and  clay  has  been  made  liy  the 
second  method  given  above,  for  it  is  much  easier  to 
carry  the  clay  down  into  the  sand  than  it  is  the  sand 
into  the  clay. 

In  many  instances,  after  the  roadbed  has  been  pre- 
pared for  the  sand,  the  total  amount  of  sand  is  spread 
over  the  road  and  it  is  left  for  trafiic  to  mix  the  clay 
and  the  sand  together.  This  means  that  until  there  is 
a  rain  there  will  be  little  or  no  mixing  of  the  two  ma- 
terials, and  that  traffic  has  to  pull  through  heavj',  loose 
sand.  Then,  again,  it  takes  a  long  time  for  the  traffic 
to  thoroughly  mix  the  sand  and  clay  together,  and  the 
final  result  is  not  nearly  as  good  a  mixture  as  Ijy  the 
method  given  above.  The  harrowing  of  the  mixture 
during  the  rain  is  not  essential,  and  this  can,  if  desired, 
be  left  to  traffic;  but  here  again  better  residts  will  be 
obtained  if  the  harrowing  is  done. 

When  the  roadbed  is  composed  of  sand  as  a  subsoil, 
and  such  conditions  will  be  found  principally  in  the 
Coastal  Plain  region,  the  sand  roadbed  should  he  left 
tlat  and  a  layer  of  clay  spread  over  it  as  evenly  as  pos- 
sible, to  a  thickness  of  2  to  4  inches,  according  to  the 
quality  of  clay  and  the  amount  of  sand  which  it  con- 
tains. If  the  clay  used  is  a  very  pure  plastic  one  it  will 
take  a  much  smaller  amount  than  if  it  is  a  very  lean  or 
sandy  clay.  There  should  then  be  spread  over  the  clay 
a  layer  of  clean  sand  and  the  road  thoroughly  harrow- 
ed. The  road  tlien  should  be  shaped  up  with  the  drag 
and  left  until  it  rains,  when  it  should  again  be  harrow- 
ed similarly  as  described  above.       There  is  usuallv  a 


tendency  to  use  too  miueh  clay  in  making  a  sand-clay 
road  where  the  sand  is  the  subsoil.  If  the  clay  to  be 
used  is  a  very  plastic  one,  there  will  be  a  tendency  for 
it  to  ball  and  cake  to  such  an  extent  that  a  plow  can 
be  very  often  used  to  advantage  in  breaking  up  the 
lumps. 

While  the  haulage  charge  for  clay,  in  making  a  sand- 
clay  road  on  a  sand  sul)soil,  is  considerably  less  than  the 
haulage  charge  for  the  sand  in  making  a  road  on  a  clay 
subsoil,  yet  the  cost  i)f  obtaining  a  tliorough  mixture  of 
the  clay  on  sand  is  much  greater  than  of  sand  on  clay. 
Then,  again,  the  resultant  road  is  not  as  apt  to  be  as 
good,  usually  because  the  sand  of  the  subsoil  is  not  as 
a  rule  as  sharp  and  coarse  as  can  be  obtained  from 
creek  bottoms  when  added  to  a  clay  subsoil. 

During  the  packing  and  consolidation  of  either  a  top- 
soil  or  an  artificial  mixture  of  sand  and  clay  it  is  a 
gi'eat  advantage  to  liave  several  rains  fall  almost  ini- 
mediatelj'  after  the  surfacing  material  has  been  placed 
on  the  road;  for  the  puddling  that  results,  due  to  the 
travel  through  the  deep  mud.  gives  in  the  end  a  much 
deiaser  packing  as  the  road  dries  out  and  thus  makes 
the  surface  itself  much  more  durable  and  waterproof. 
At  such  time  the  road  of  course  has  the  appearance  of 
going  all  to  pieces ;  but  it  is  simply  a  step  in  the  pro- 
cess of  construction  which  has  to  be  gone  through  eith- 
er at  one  time  or  another  before  the  road  will  thor- 
oughly compact  a2id  liecome  impervious  to  water. 

The  clay  cannot  cement  the  grains  of  sand  together 
until  it  has  become  thoroughly  wet,  and  it  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  have  the  upper  portion  of  the  mixture  wet,  but 
it  must  be  wet  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  mix- 
ed materials.  Otherwise,  a  hard  crust  will  be  formed 
over  loose  material,  the  traffic  will  break  through  it, 
resulting  in  a  surface  rough  and  hlled  witii  holes.  It 
is  just  as  important  to  have  all   portions  of  the  sand 


Sand  Clay  Road  in  Lee  County,  North  Carolina,  That  Suffered  No  Harm  From  Winter  Weather 


6 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  191' 


and  clay  tlioroughly  wet  and  mixed  before  the  mixture 
sets  as  it  is  to  thoroughly  mix  and  wet  a  concrete 
mixture  before  permitting  it  to  set. 

It  is  very  essential  that  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road 
be  so  located  that  it  can  have  at  least  several  hours  of 
sunshine  on  the  surface  of  the  road  each  day.  If  a  road 
is  located  on  the  southern  or  western  exposure  of  hill- 
sides it  will  readily  obtain  a  sufficient  amount  of  sun- 
shine luiless  the  trees  and  brush  are  permitted  to  grow 
too  close  to  the  road.  Care  should  be  taken  in  every 
case  to  remove  underbrush  and  trees  a  sufficient  dis 
tanee  to  permit  the  sun's  rays  to  strike  the  surface  of 
the  road  and  assist  in  quickly  drying  it  out  after  a 
rain. 

Tlie  general  proposition  of  constructing  sand-clay 
and  topsoil  roads  has  seemed  so  simple  that  proper  at- 
tention has  not  been  given  to  the  selection  of  mater- 
ials, and  the  construction  work  has  not  been  done  as 
tlioroughly  as  it  should  have  been;  consequently  many 
mixtures  have  been  made  and  many  natural  soils  used 
that  have  not  given  well  surfaced  roads,  with  the  result 
that  in  manj'  localities  this  type  of  surfaced  road  has 
been  condemned.  There  is  no  reason  \vhy  such  errors 
should  occur,  as  they  can  readily  be  avoided  by  a  field 
examination  of  the  soils,  and  when  results  are  at  all 
doubtful  a  laboratory  test  should  follow  which  will 
give  definite  information  regarding  whether  the  mate- 
rial will  or  will  not  give  good  results  when  used  for  a 
road-surfacing  material.  A  great  deal  depends  on  the 
personal  equation  of  the  man  in  charge  of  the  selection 
of  the  road  materials,  and  also  on  the  personal  equation 
of  the  man  in  charge  of  the  construction  work. 

As  is  seen  from  the  above,  considerable  care  has  to 
be  exercised  in  the  construction  of  a  topsoil  or  sand- 
clay  road,  in  order  to  insure  good  results.  There  is  an- 
other i^hase  of  the  road  work  that  is  extremely  impor- 
tant in  connection  with  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  road, 
and  that  is  systematic  maintenance. 
Maintenance. 

There  seems  to  be  some  misapprehension  as  to  how 
to  maintain  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road.  Some  have 
suggested  that  the  only  way  to  maintain  a  sand-clay 
road  is  by  use  of  a  road  roller  and  that  the  road  drag 
is  not  of  any  value.  There  is  also  a  misunderstanding 
as  to  the  difference  between  the  maintenance  of  a  road 
and  the  repair  of  a  road.  When  a  road  has  been  neg- 
lected and  not  maintained,  it  then  needs  repair.  If  a 
road  becomes  filled  with  holes  and  deep  ruts  it  is  an 
evidence  that  it  has  not  been  maintained.  Then  again, 
people  do  not  realize  that  a  road  surface  wears  away 
and  that  constant  travel  over  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil 
road  will  gradually  wear  awaj'  the  surfacing  material 
and  that  the  rate  of  wear  per  year  can  actually  be  meas- 
ured. This  means  that  every  so  often  the  surfacing 
material  must  be  replaced  on  the  road  to  take  the  place 
of  that  which  is  worn  and  blown  away. 

The  maintenance  of  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  road 
consists  in  doing  what  is  necessary  to  keep  the  surface 
smooth  and  hard ;  and  the  greater  the  amount  of  traffic 
over  the  road,  the  more  continuous  and  costly  will  he 
this  maintenance.  The  road  must  not  be  permitted  to 
be  cut  into  ruts  or  have  holes  developed.  The  best 
machine  for  maintaining  this  type  of  road  is  the  road 
drag,  and  this  can  be  used  to  advantage  only  when  the 
road  is  wet.  It  should  be  used  after  every  heavy  raiii 
if  the  road  surface  shows  any  tendency  at  all  to  devel- 
op even  incipient  ruts.  The  drag_should  go  over  the 
road  before  it  dries  out,  to  smiooth  and  smear  over  the 
surface.  The  principle  is  not  to  bring  any  quantity  of 
material  from  one  part  of  the  road  to  another,  but  it 
is  to  smear  back  into  place  and  mash  down  while  it  is 


wet  or  moist  the  road  surfacing  material  that  has  been 
displaced  by  traffic.  If  the  road  has  become  rutted 
and  filled  with  holes,  these  should  be  filled  up  either  by 
a  road  machine  or  by  scrapes  or  by  shovels  and  then, 
after  the  first  rain,  the  road  should  be  thoroughly  drag- 
ged again.  As  the  principle  of  the  sand-clay  road  is 
one  of  cementing  and  setting  of  the  bonding  material, 
the  main  thing  is  to  have  this  bonding  material  wet  be- 
fore it  can  cement.  It  is  similar  in  principle  to  mix- 
ing cement  with  sand  in  concrete.  There  is  no  advan- 
tage in  rolling  the  cement  after  it  has  been  put  down.  It 
does  not  become  hard  until  it  dries  out  and  the  bond- 
ing material  sets.  This  is  also  true  of  sand-clay  and 
topsoil  roads,  where  the  clay  is  the  cementing  or  bond- 
ing nuiterial. 

In  maintaining  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road  no  mate- 
rial should  ever  be  dragged  from  the  ditches  on  to  the 
surface  portions  of  the  road.  All  such  scrapings  as 
these  usually  contain  more  or  less  organic  matter  which 
will  cause  the  road  to  distintegrate  and  finiilly  destroy 
it.  After  the  ditches  have  been  brought  into  the  right 
grade  they  should  be  disturbed  just  as  little  as  possi- 
ble. The  grass  should  be  permitted  to  grow  from  the 
ditches  to  the  surfaced  portion  of  the  road,  whenever  it 
is  possible,   and  one  of  the  expenses  of  maintenance 


Sand  Clay  Road  in  Orange  County,  Nortfi  Carolina,   That  Stood 
Up  Under  Winter  Traffic 

should  be  the  keeping  of  this  grass  mowed.  Before 
any  material  is  needed  to  repair  these  roads  provisions 
should  be  made  to  obtain  such  suitable  material  to  be 
added  to  a  sand-clay  or  topsoil  road  in  filling  up  any 
depressions  or  holes  that  may  have  formed,  and  holes 
which  are  too  large  to  be  remedied  by  the  use  of  the 
road  drag,  and  in  replacing  material  that  has  been 
worn  out  or  blown  away.  Care  should  be  taken  that  the 
material  used  for  this  purpose  is  of  the  same  character 
and  qualitj'  as  the  original  topsoil.  or  sand  clay  mix- 
ture. If  necessary,  such  materials  should  be  purchas- 
ed ahead  of  time  at  various  points  along  the  road,  so 
that  the  road  supervisor  will  know  where  he  can  obtain 
suitable  material  with  ^vhich  to  make  his  repairs.  In 
adding  this  material  to  a  sand-clay  surface,  the  sand 
and  clay,  which  should  be  of  approximately  the  same 
character  as  the  original  surface,  should  be  thorough- 
ly mixed  together  and  tamped  into  the  holes  and  then 
the  surface  dragged.  If  the  road  drag  has  been  used 
systematically  and  consistently  on  the  road  from  the 
time  it  was  Iniilt,  it  will  be  found  that  it  is  only  very 
rarely  that  holes  develop  which  have  to  be  filled  in  this 
way.  When  it  does  become  necessary,  however,  to 
fill  ruts  and  holes  with  sand-clay  or  topsoil  mixtures, 
or  to  add  these  materials  to  the  surface  of  the  road,  it  is 


June,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


absolutely  necessary  tliat  the  holes  be  thoroughly 
cleaned  of  all  dead  material  and  tlie  bottom  material 
loosened  bef :)re  any  new  material  is  added.  It  is  of 
great  i'lniportance  also  that  the  surface  of  the  road  be 
swept  clean  of  loose,  dead  material  and  harrowed  with 
a  spiked  tooth  harrow  before  the  layer  of  the  new  ma- 
terial is  added.  If  this  is  not  done  the  new  material 
will  not  become  firmly  attached  and  incorporated  with 
the  old  material. 

It  is  very  necessary  to  have  some  special  system  of 
maintenance  for  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil  road,  if  you 
hope  to  keep  it  up  to  its  highest  efficiency,  and  the  pa- 
trol system  has  proven  very  satisfactory.  The  Lee 
county  roads  were  maintained  by  such  a  system. 

General  Instructions  to  Patrolmen. 

1.  Insiiect  your  road  for  its  entire  length  during  a 
rainy  day  and  locate  all  holes,  which  will  be  easily  no- 
ted as  they  will  be  filled  with  water. 

2.  Use  the  road  drag  immediately  after  a  rain,  lie- 
fore  the  water  drains  off  or  penetrates  the  surface  of 
the  road. 

■i.  Pill  all  holes  and  depressions  that  cannot  be  eren- 
ed  up  with  the  drag,  using  good  'iniaterial  of  the  same 
class  of  which  the  surrounding  surface  is  made,  and 
then  go  over  the  section  again  with  a  drag. 

4.  Never  use  worn  out  material,  sod  or  sand  from 
the  side  ditches,  but  ontain  fresh  material  of  the  same 
character  as  the  balance  of  the  road. 

5.  If  the  road  surface  is  very  rough,  run  a  spiked 
tooth  harrow  over  it  while  the  road  is  still  wet  and  this 
will  very  materially  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  drag. 

6.  In  dragging  the  road,  drag  from  the  edges  of  the 
surfaced  portion  of  the  road  toward  the  center.  Be 
careful  never  to  drag  any  mateial  from  the  misurfaced 
portion  of  the  road  on  to  the  surfaced  part. 

7.  Be  sure  after  dragging  the  road  that  no  ridge  has 


been  left  between  any  portion  of  the  road  and  the  ditch. 
At  times  a  one-horse  cultivator  can  be  used  to  advan- 
tage in  removing  the  ridge  that  may  have  formed  be- 
tween the  wheel  rut  and  the  ditch.  The  drag  should  be 
used  immediately  afterwards  to  bring  the  surface  of  the 
road  back  into  shape. 

8.  Remove  all  glass,  tin  cans,  nails  and  rubbish  of 
whatever  character  that  you  may  find  on  the  roadbed. 

9.  See  that  all  culverts  are  clear,  with  outlets  and 
inlets  in  good  order,  and  that  the  water  can  ri;n  freely 
in  the  ditches. 

10.  The  old  surface  of  the  r  vad  must  be  cleaned  and 
roughened  before  new  material  is  added. 

Cost  of  Maintenance. 

The  eost  of  maintaining  the  sand-clay  and  topsoil 
road  as  outlined  above  will  vary  from  $50  to  $150  per 
mile  per  year,  aci'ording  1 1  the  width  of  the  road  and 
the  amount  of  traffic  that  the  road  has  to  sustain. 

The  sand-clay  or  topsoil  surfacing  can  be  used  eco- 
nomically with  increased  traffic  until  the  cost  of  their 
maintenance,  plus  the  interest  charge  on  the  cost  of 
constructing  the  surfaced  portion  of  the  road  is  less 
than  the  interest  charge  on  the  cost  of  the  harder  sur- 
face, plus  the  cost  of  maintaining  this  harder  surface. 
With  increased  traffic  the  time  will  come  when  under 
that  traffic  it  will  cost  more  to  maintain  a  topsoil  or 
sand-clay  road  than  it  will  to  pay  the  interest  and  sink- 
ing fund  charges,  and  a  sxifficient  amount  to  build  and 
maintain  the  harder  surfaced  road.  At  .such  times  it 
is  not  economical  to  retain  the  topsoil  and  sand-clay 
road. 

Summary. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  the  sand-clay  or  topsoil 
road,  if  it  had  been  surfaced  with  the  right  kind  of 
materials,   been   constructed   properly   and   maintained 


Lee  County,  North  (Carolina,  Soil  Road  That  Bore  Winter  Traffic  Without  Harm 


8 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Jnne,  1917 


economically  and  efficiently,  that  this  type  of  road 
would  have  been  a  hard  road  even  during  the  past  win- 
ter. There  was,  liowever,  a  general  lack  of  mainte- 
nance of  this  type  of  road,  as  well  as  fault}'  coustrue- 


tion.  Then  again  those  in  charge  of  the  road  do  not 
.seem  to  realize  that  with  the  increased  traffic  they  miist 
do  more  maintenance  and  provide  a  greater  amount  of 
revenue  for  this  purpose. 


A  New  Era  For  West  Virginia 

The  Mountain  State  Enacts  New  Progressive  Legislation  to  Give 

Further  Leverage  to  Road  Building 

By  CARL  P.  LEATHERWOOD 


ON  Wt>diiesday,  i\Iay  '2S,  West  Virginia's  new  gen- 
eral good  roads  law,  recognized  as  "the  most 
constructive  piece  of  legislation  ever  passed  in  West 
A'irginia"  will  become  effective  and  from  that  time 
forth  a  thorough  system  of  road  building  will  be  car- 
ried on  which  will  have  for  its  object  the  connecting 
of  evwy  important  city  in  the  state.  The  new  law 
represents  the  consolidation  of  22  different  bills  pre- 
sented in  both  houses  of  the  recent  legislature  and  re- 
enacts  and  repeals  antiquated  iviad  laws  which  have 
been  in  effect  in  this  state  "since  the  memory  of  man 
runneth  not  to  the  contrary."  A  joint  committee  la- 
bored the  greater  part  of  three  weeks  in  drafting  the 
bill  and  it  was  finally  passed  February  22  to  become 
effective  in  ninety  days. 

The  law  creates  a  "State  Road  Commission"  to  be 
composed  of  an  engineer  and  a  business  man  to  he  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  from  each  of  the  two  political 
parties  easting  the  highest  vote  at  the  general  election. 
The  salary  of  each  is  to  be  $3,500  and  at  the  present 
time  there  is  a  live  race  for  the  two  positions.  Gov- 
ernor John  J.  Cornwell  has  made  no  intimation  what- 
ever as  to  whom  he  will  appoint  on  the  co'mimission  and 
will  in  all  probability  withhold  his  appointments  un- 
til after  the  extraordinary  session  :)f  the  legislature 
which  convenes  "Slay  14th. 

The  law  divides  the  roatls  of  the  state  into  two  class- 
es, "A  and  B."  All  roads  connecting  county  seats 
or  what  is  termed  inter-county  highways  are  Class  A 
roads  while  the  laterals  or  branch  or  district  roads  are 
made  Class  B  roads.  The  commission  will  have  con- 
trol over  all  Class  A  roads  including  all  details  regard- 
ing their  designation,  construction,  improvement  and 
maintenance.  The  county  courts  of  the  state  are  com- 
pelled to  lay  a  coixnty  levy  not  to  exceed  25  cents  on 
all  the  taxable  property  in  the  county  in  addition  to 
the  general  county  and  district  road  levies,  which  will 
be  kno\\^l  as  the  "county  road  fund"  and  shall  be  used 
only  in  the  improvement,  construction  and  maintenance 
of  the  "main  county  roads."  In  this  manner  the  ob- 
ject to  connect  all  the  county  seats  of  the  state  by  a 
system  of  highways,  will  be  accomplished.  Tt  is  esti- 
mated that  the  construction  of  4,600  miles  of  highway 
will  oonnect  every  county  seat  in  the  state  of  West 
Virginia,  which  has  fifty-five  counties  at  this  time. 

The  international  situation  has  had  no  efTect  what- 
ever on  the  pa.ssage  of  bond  issues  for  road  improve- 
ment in  this  state.  If  anything,  it  has  stimulated  it,  as 
the  West  Virginia  farmers  realize  that  they  must  have 
hard  roads  over  which  to  haul  their  foodstufifs  to  mar- 
ket. They  have  been  educated  to  the  point  that  it  is 
just  as  important  to  properly  market  a  crop  as  it  is  to 
grow  it  and  tluit  the  value  of  their  farms  depends  in  a 
large  measure  upon  the  distance  to  market  and  the  con- 
dition of  the  roads  over  which  they  must  haul  their 


products.  At  the  present  rate  of  voting  bonds,  this 
year  will  far  exceed  any  previous  one.  Since  the  first 
iif  January  bond  issues  have  been  passed  aggregating 
$3,510.00o'.  Mingo  county  votes  on  a  $1,000,000  (in 
Jlay  10  which  will  be  used  to  grade,  locate  and  drain 
approximatel.v  200  iniles  of  road.  This  is  the  second 
largest  bond  issue  ever  voted  at  (un  time  in  the  state, 
McDowell  Comitv  having  passed  the  largest  one  on 
February  17th.  of  .$1,385,000.  In  McDowell  8,000 
votes  were  cast  and  less  than  80  were  registered  against 
the  bond  issue. 

This  county  on  April  7,  awarded  the  biggest  road 
contract  ever  let  in  the  history  of  road  building  in  this 
state.  The  court  after  weeks  of  investigation  of  all 
types  of  hard  surface  paving  awarded  contracts  for  45 
miles  of  continuous  concrete  road  which  is  to  be  com- 
pleted witliin  the  1917  contracting  season.  Other  West 
Virginia  connties  will  follow  tlie  example  of  McDnwell 
liy  adopting  a  type  of  road  that  will  outlive  the  bond 
issue  bv  many  vears. 


New  Pleasure  Spots  Opened. 

In  Southern  California  there  are  hundreds,  possibly 
thousands,  of  motorists  who  have  confined  their  Sun- 
day and  week-end  trips  to  the  mainly  traveled  boule- 
vards and  highwaj's;  and  this  same  army  of  outdoor 
enthusiasts  and  lovers  of  nature  are  every  week  pass- 
ing by  some  of  the  richest  scenic  spots  in  the  state. 

Amiong  the  vast  numbers  of  motor  car  oAvners  in  Cal- 
ifornia there  are  many  who  are  of  an  exploring  turn  of 
mind,  and  they  delight  in  following  the  side  trails  that 
connect  with  the  trunk  routes.  Incidentally,  they  are 
the  motorists  who  are  obtaining  the  maximum  amount 
of  enjojmient  from  their  machines.  They  get  to  the 
unfrequented  spots;  they  see  country  that  is  different. 

Radiating  from  Los  Angeles  is  a  perfect  network  of 
boulevards  of  glasslike  smoothness  that  penertate  re- 
gions of  natural  grandeur  that  beggars  description, 
and  these  same  roads  are  rapped  by  feeders  that  lure 
one  to  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  backwoods  country. 
•  The  tour  pathfinder  of  the  Morning  Tribune  has  cov- 
ered scores  of  routes  that  make  delightful  trips,  and 
the  suggestion  for  a  week's  jaunt  is  to  Monrovia 
canyon,  a  ride  of  a  little  more  than  twenty-five  miles 
from  Los  Angeles,  and  a  veritable  play-ground  of  na- 
ture. 

Reached  by  the  way  of  Pasadena  and  the  Foothill 
boulevard  to  the  city  of  Monrovia,  the  can  already  is 
appealing  to  great  numbers  of  motorists,  and  as  its 
beauties  and  advantages  become  better  known  the  flood 
of  automobile  travel  will  increase  greatlv. 


Dallas  county,  Texas,  commissioners  bought  $25,000 
of  their  own  road  bonds  from  a  half  million  dollar  is- 
sue. 


June    1917 


SOUTHEEN  GOOD  ROADS 


Many  Road  Improvements  in  Yellowstone 

National  Park 

What  the   Governmeut    Has   Done   to   Make   Nature's   Wonders 

Accessible  to  the  Motorists  ot  America 


"1^  UUKISTS  who  visit  VcUowst  )ne  National  Park 
JL  this  summer  are  certain  to  be  impressed  with  its 
wonderful  system  of  improved  highways,  steel  and  con- 
crete bridges,  irrigiation  dams,  tunnels  blasted  through 
mountains  of  solid  rock,  miglvty  concrete  embankment 
walls  and  other  gigantic  engineering  feats  built  by  the 
government  at  a  cost  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dol- 
lars. 

Road  improvement  was  one  of  the  first  problems 
solved  by  the  Secretary  of  Interior.  T';)day  the  terri- 
tory of  .3.800  square  miles  in  the  park  has  over  200 
niiles  of  safe,  smooth  and  dusitless  boulevards.  These 
enable  the  tourist  to  see  all  of  the  magic  wonders  in 
the  shortest  possible  time  and  it  was  no  surprise  when 
the  Yellowstone  i  Park  Transpori^ation  Company  an- 
nounced its  plan  to  supplant  the  600  stage  coaches  with 
a  modern  fleet  of  seven  and  ten  passenger  White  tour- 
ing cars. 

Many  of  these  roads  are  located  from  2.5  to  DO  miles 
from  the  nearest  railroad,  over  mountain  ranges  eight 
to  ten  thoasand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  greater  part 
of  the  material  used  in  their  construction   as  well   as 


the  steel,  iron,  concrete,  machinery  and  other  supplies 
for  the  building  of  the  bridges,  embankment  walls, 
drainage  systems,  etc.,  had  to  be  hauled  in  by  a  fleet  of 
5-ton  motor  trucks. 

The  twelve  miles  of  road  leading  from  Yellowstone 
station — one  of  the  main  entrances  to  the  park  for  tour- 
ists who  enter  by  railroad — is  a  water-bound  macadam 
road,  16  feet  wide  and  kept  in  perfect  condition  by  the 
regular  corps  of  government  engineers  and  construc- 
tion gangs  who  have  charge  of  all  the  road  improve- 
ments in  the  park.  This  road  connects  with  the  regu- 
lar "circle  trip"  of  the  park  at  a  point  between  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs  hotel  and  Old  Faithful  Inn.  It  is 
oiled  regularly  to  settle  the  dust. 

There  are  several  other  miles  of  macadam  roads  in 
the  park  but  in  many  locations  solid  rock  foundations 
made  it  easy  for  the  engineers  to  merely  spread  siirface 
layers  of  distintegrated  granite  taken  from  the  moun- 
tain sides.  Later  this  was  rolled  to  insure  a  hard, 
smooth   surface. 

During  the  tourist  season  from  June  to  September  tlie 
park  is  divided  into  districts  with  an  engineer  and  con- 


One  of  the  Improved  Roads  Leading  to  the  Grand  Canyon  Hotel,  Yellowstone  Park,    Sixty   Miles   From   the   Nearest    Railroad   and 
Hundreds  of  Feet  Above  the  Foaming  River.     It  is  Oiled  Regularly  to  Settle  the  Dust 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


striK'tion  gang  in  charge  nf  each.  It  is  their  duty  to  new  scenic  wonders  and  interesting  phenomena.  The 
oil  and  sprinkle  the  roads  regularly,  keep  them  in  good  deep  snows  that  fall  in  the  winter,  heavy  rains  and 
repaii-  and  build  new  highways  for  the  opening  up  of      tl  iods,  mountain  slides,   and  the     formation     of     new 


The  $100,000  Road  the  Government  Built  Through  Shoshone  Canyon,  Many  Miles  of  Which    Had  to    Be   Blasted    Out   of   the   Solid 

Rock  of  Rattlesnake  Mountain.      (Yellowstone  Park) 


June.  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


n 


Five  Machines  Can  Travel  Abreast  Along  This  Picturesque  Gardiner  River    Route. 

the  Erosion  of  the  Water 


Masonry    Bulwarks    Protect    the   Road    From 


streams  which  are  uitrsed  by  the  melting  of  the  iiKJun- 
tain  snows  frequently  destroy  several  hundred  feet  of 
road  in  a  night  and  form  a  problem  of  vital  importanee 
to  the  engineers  in  charge. 

A  5-ton  truck  replaced  thirty  horses  in  road  work  in 
the  park  last  summer.  This  truck  worked  '24  hours  a 
day  hauling  cement,  lumlter,  steel  and  irju.  machinery, 
tools,  coal,  and  food  supplies  and  equipment  for  the 
nu^n  in  the  construction  camps.  According  to  Chas.  G. 
Davis,  one  of  the  road  supervisors,  this  truck  covered 
from  125  to  175  mile.s  a  da.v,  climl)ing  steep  mountain 
passes,  crossing  streams,  hauling  heavy  l)oulders  and 
going  into  the  dense  f(n-csts  to  bring  out  a  heavy  load 
of   luml)er  or  h)gs. 

The  eastern  approach  to  the  ]>ark,  leading  aero.ss  the 
"Huft'alj  Bill"  country,  through  the  giant  gorge  of  the 
Shoshone  river,  over  the  snow-capped  mountains  of  the 
Absaroka  Range  and  through  the  beautiful  Sylvan 
Pass,  a  distance  of  90  miles,  has  been  improved  at  a 
cost  of  $100,000  which  the  government  spent  to  make 
this  aiiagniticent  scenery  accessible. 

Partieulai-  emphasis  was  placed  on  making  it  safe 
and  smooth  f;u'  motor  traftic.  It  leads  t)ver  a  high  and 
snowy  pass  whicli  is  seldom  open  Ijefore  July  1st  and 
as  it  runs  parallel  with  the  Shoshone  river  along  the 
face  of  Rattlesnake  mountain  the  tourists'  attention  is 
called  to  the  fact  that  it  was  chiseled  and  blasted  from 


solid  rock.  T'iiere  are  king  tunnels  running  through 
solid  rock  and  in  places  the  road  is  so  high  above  the 
river  that  the  sound  of  the  rushing  waters  cannot  be 
heard. 

Shoshone  Dam — thirty-seven  times  higher  than  the 
Platiron  building — is  one  of  the  first  stopping  places. 
This  cost  the  government  over  ;(!7.000,000  to  build  and 
is  used  to  irrigate  millions  of  acres  of  land.  This  is 
only  one  example  of  wliat  Uiude  Sam  is  doing  to  im- 
prove his  National  Parks  and  to  make  the  roads  safe 
for  all  liinds  of  tratific. 


$500,000  for  Florida  County. 

Eastern  Alachua  coimty.  Fla..  \-oted  recently  to  is- 
sue !|^5()(),00()  of  lionds  for  building  of  good  roads.  Tlu' 
vjte  was  small  in  the  several  precincts  because  of  the 
fact  that  only  (lualitied  freeholders  were  allowed  to 
vote,  lint  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  hard  work  was 
done  liy  those  opposed  to  bonds,  the  bond  advocates 
won  out  b.v  a  ma.jorit.v  ot  101.  Lake  View  cast  her  en- 
tire twelve  votes  against  the  projiosition.  The  two 
Gainesville  precincts  voted  mm'c  than  two  to  one  for 
good  roads.  Campville  and  Fairbanks  gave  only  one 
vote  each  against  bonds,  and  ^Melrose.  Hawthorne,  Wal- 
do and  Island  Grove  each  rolled  up  a  big  majority  for 
good  roads.  This  vote  means  progress  and  added  pros- 
perity' in  old  Alachua  county. 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


South  Carolina  to  tlie  Fore 

Greenville  County  Leads  the  Way  and  Others  Are  Following  For 
the  Construction  of  a  Dependable  Road  System 


THE  topsoil  roads  in  Greenville  Ci)unty  that  have 
heen  c'onii)U'teil  luive  been  put  to  the  severest  test 
during  the  past  several  months  with  the  most  satisfac- 
tory results,  according  to  rejjorts  from  all  sections  of 
the  county,  says  a  statt'  man  of  the  Charleston  News 
and  Courier.  Everywhere,  with  but  few  small  stretches 
of  roadway  here  and  there,  the  new  roads  have  stood 
the  test  of  flooding  rains,  snow  and  sleet  and  almost 
every  other  destructive  foi'ce  of  the  elements  and  the 
general  opinion  that  pi'evails  throughout  this  section  is 
that  the  roads  have  proven  in  every  way  their  jiernia- 
nency. 

Up  to  the  present  time.  al)Out  145  miles  of  new  road- 
way have  been  constructed,  while  man.y  others  have 
been  graded  or  some  preliminary  work  started  and  the 
indications  are  that,  when  the  .i^9()(),000  derived  from 
the  l)i>nd  issue  that  was  autlnn'ized  by  the  State  Legis- 
lature last  year,  will  have  been  sjient  there  will  be  in 
Greenville  comity  something  over  300  miles  of  roads 
that  will  be  second  to  none  in  the  entire  United  States. 

In  the  building  of  good  roads,  Greenville  may  be 
called  the  pioneer  county  of  South  Carolina.  She  was 
the  first  to  begin  this  work  on  an  extensive  scale,  at 
any  rate,  when  the  delegation  from  the  comity  secured 
the  passage  of  a  bill  in  the  Legislature  authorizing  the 
issuance  of  .$951 ),()()()  for  the  liuilding  of  r:iads  through- 
out the  county.  Immediately  following  the  bond  issue, 
the  road  work  was  begun  under  the  supervision  of  P.  F. 
Patton,  an  engineer  from  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Patten 
was  employetl  after  a  Greenville  delegation  of  citizens 
and  the  county  road  eommissit)ners  had  inspected  some 
of  the  work  done  by  him  in  North  Carolina.  Tliese 
North  Carolina  roads  were  of  topsoil  and  were  reported 
t:)  have  given  excellent  results. 

At  the  time  of  passage  of  the  bond  issvie  for  good 
roads,  because  the  matter  had  not  been  submitted  to  a 
vote  of  the  people  .a  howl  went  up  from  all  parts  of 
Greenville  county  that  the  passage  of  the  bill  auth:>riz- 
ing  "the  issue  was  irregular;  that  the  delegation  had  no 
right  to  saddle  a  debt  of  almost  a  million  dollars  upon 
the  people  of  the  county  without  first  submitting  it  to 
a  vote  of  the  people ;  that  the  members  of  the  delega- 
tion were  czars  and  autocrats,  and  many  other  com- 
jilaints  and  contests  were  heard. 

Today  a  very  dift'erent  state  of  mind  is  prevalent 
among  the  great  majority  of  Greenville  county  citizens, 
in  fact,  it  may  be  said  among  practically  all  of  them. 
Today  this  road  building  meets  with  the  approval  of 
nearly  all.  Of  course  there  are  some  who  still  complain 
as  to  the  means  used  to  get  these  roads,  but  only  satis- 
faction in  the  results  being  t)btained  is  the  impression 
given  by  nearly  every  person  tiuestioned  on  the  subject. 

The  topsoil  construction  is  the  one  most  generally 
used  on  all  the  roads.  A  few  of  the  main  highways  en- 
tering the  city  of  Greenville  are  built  of  concrete  or 
roc-mac  for  a  few  miles,  but  everywhere  else  the  top- 
soil  is  seen.  The  decision  of  the  road  commissioners  to 
use  this  construction  was  made  after  due  consideration 
of  the  many  types  and  constructions  of  roads  generally 
used.  It  was  decided  that  the  topsoil  road  was  the 
most  economical,  the  most  easily  kept  in  condition  and 
one  of  the  very  best  types  for  the  purpose.  Today  the 
commissioners     are    congratulating    themselves     ujion 


their  selection,  for,  as  has  been  before  stated,  this 
type  of  road  has  proven  iMpial  t  )  every  test  that  the 
elemients  can  put  it  to. 

Until  the  road  building  eommenced  in  Greenville 
county,  few  residents  of  the  county  had  ever  heard  of  a 
topsoil  road,  and  many  of  those  that  had,  perhaps,  did 
not  have  the  slightest  idea  what  a  topsoil  road  was  like. 
The  term  'topsoil"  did  signify  some  form  of  earth  or 
soil,  but  there  were  some  persons  in  the  county  who 
thought  that  whatever  soil  material  was  used  in  the 
construction  of  these  roads  was  imjiorted  into  the  coun- 
ty just  cement,  asphalt  and  other  like  materials  are  im- 
ported. 

The  topsoil  used,  however,  is  procured  almost  inva- 
riably but  a  short  distance  fromi  the  roadway,  and  of- 
ten, practically  at  the  spot  where  the  work  is  being 
done.  It  consists  of  soil  that  is  full  of  small  rocks  and 
pebbles,  which  is  thoroughly  rilled  and  packed  on  the 
roadway.  The  rains  and  melting  shows  wash,  in  time, 
the  dirt  from  the  rocks,  leaving  them  well  packed  by 
the  traffic  over  the  roadbed  into  an  almost  solid  mass. 
The  result  is  that  these  roads  are  almost  as  smooth  as 
asphalt,  are  far  more  economical  and  will  wear  almost 
indefinitely. 

The  greater  part  of  the  wcn-k  on  the  roads  in  what  is 
known  as  the  lower  section  of  the  county  has  been  com- 
pleted. In  this  section  there  are  four  main  roads  lead- 
ing to  the  city  of  Greenville  that  may  be  called  the  ar- 
teries of  that  section.  These  four  roads  are  the  Pied- 
mont road,  the  Fork  Shoals  road,  the  Augusta  road  and 
the  Laurens  road.  Parts  of  these  roads  have  been  com- 
pleted long  enough  for  the  improvement  that  travel  wil! 
produce  on  a  topsail  road  to  be  evident.  On  some 
stretches  of  these  roads,  the  heavy  rains  and  the  suction 
produced  by  an  automobile  tire  passing  swiftly  over  a 
roadway  have  removed  the  dirt  and  dust  leaving  a  sur- 
face as  smooth  as  the  smoothest  of  paved  streets. 

Jn  addition  to  the  extensive  ])rogress  that  has  been 
made  in  the  four  main  roads  mentioned,  a  number  of 
cross  or  connecting  roads  have  also  been  treated  to  top- 
soil  with  the  result  that  the  lower  section  of  Greenville 
county  is  now  traversable  in  practically  all  kinds  of 
weather  with  any  mode  of  conveyance. 

Gooil  work  has  also  been  done  on  some  of  the  ruids 
in  the  upper  section  of  the  county,  although  progress 
of  late  has  been  much  retarded  by  the  bad  weather  that 
has  existed  in  this  section  for  the  past  several  mionths. 
Some  work,  however,  is  in  progress  on  the  Jones  gap 
road,  on  which  the  county  chain  gang  forces  are  being 
used.  This  road  will  connect  with  a  topsoil  road  on  the 
North  Carolina  side  extending  to  Brevard.  The  Bre- 
vard road  was  Iniilt  to  afford  to  the  Tarheel  residents 
of  that  section  the  means  of  having  ready  access  to  the 
Greenville  markets.  It  is  thought  that  this  road  will 
be  one  of  the  most  extensively  used  in  the  county, 
since  there  will  probably  be  many  of  the  Brevardites 
coming  to  the  city  every  week  while  Greenvillians,  on 
the  other  hand,  will,  no  doubt,  avail  themselves  of  the 
cool  Brevard  climate  in  the  hot  weather. 

Now  comes  on  announcement  that  Spartanburg  coun- 
ty will  soon  commence  her  road  construction  work ; 
with  Laurens  and  Cherokee  counties  issuing  bonds  for 
the  same   purpose. 


June,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


Activity  on  Dixie  Overland  Route 


EACH  County  Commissioner  of     the     seventy-four 
counties  through  which  the  Dixie  Overland  High- 
way runs  has  been  sent  the  foUowiug  cmnmunication  : 
Road  Building  Autht)rities  of  74  Counties  Traversed 
by  tlie  Dixie  Overland  Highway  : 

Poor  roads  are  a  disgrace  in  times  of  peace.  In  times 
of  war  poor  roads  are  treasonable. 

The  Director  of  the  United  States  office  of  Public 
Roads  and  Rural  Engineering  states  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  our  expenditure  on  road  improvements  wasted, 
because  our  road  liuilding  and  maintenance  forces  are 
not  uniformly  well  organized  and  trained,  and  our  sys- 
tems of  road  management  are  exceedingly  faulty.  He 
also  says  politics  should  be  put  aside  and  an  earnest  ef- 
fort made  to  place  road  management  on  a  sound  econ- 
omic  basis. 

The  Chief  Engineer  of  the  United  States  Army  and 
the  Acting  Secretary  of  War  write,  the  requirements 
of  a  military  highway  do  ni>t  differ  in  any  material  re- 
spect from  those  of  a  highway  for  modern  commercial 
purposes  and,  that  bridges  and  culverts  must  be  capable 
of  sustaining  15  tons  weight. 

Briefly  the  icondition  of  the  Dixie  Overland  Highway 
is  as  follows  : 

In  Georgia  the  highway  is  all  constructed  of  sand  and 
clay;  bridges  will  support  15  t;ins;  some  of  the  culverts 
will  not ;  the  soil  of  some  part  of  the  road  is  not  mixed 
in  the  right  proportion  and  melts  to  almost  impassable 
m;ud  in  wet  weather. 

A  report  from  the  State  Highway  Engineer  to  Gov- 
ernor Henderson  of  Alabama  states,  the  Dixie  Overland 
is  to  be  the  State  Trunk  Road  Number  8.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  approxinuitely  .")()  miles  the  road  has  been 
graded  and  surfaced  witli  gravel  and  is  in  most  excel- 
lent condition.  The  construction  will  be  finished  with- 
in twelve  months.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
transcontinental  highways.  Its  importance  for  use  by 
the  government  is  great ;  bridges  will  care  for  war  ma- 
chinery and  war  trucks  except  in  a  few  cases. 

The  State  Highway  Engineer  of  Mississippi  writes 
the  Dixie  Overland  meets  approximately  50  per  cent, 
of  the  requirements  of  the  Engineer  in  Chief  of  the 
United  States  Army.  Bridges  will  not  sustain  the  load 
designated.  The  governor  of  JMississippi  writes,  I  re- 
gard this  highway  as  of  paramount  importance  to  our 
country,  our  people  are  greatly  interested  in  it  and  re- 
gard it  as  one  of  the  most  beneficial  undertakings  of  its 
kind.  This  highway  would  serve  as  a  main  artery  for 
troops  and  material  in  time  of  war  and  in  time  of  peace 
would  be  a  main  line  into  which  our  good  roads  systems 
would  flow. 

The  governor  of  Louisiana  writes,  the  highway  will 
not  only  be  of  value  to  the  south,  east  and  west,  but  it 
is  possible  that  it  might  be  needed  greatly  some  day  by 
the  United  States  as  a  military  highway.  It  will  be  of 
inestimable  value  not  only  to  Louisiana,  but  also  to  the 
entire  south. 

The  Governor  of  Texas  writes,  the  Texas  Highway 
Commission  will  soon  be  appointed,  after  which,  infor- 
mation desired  will  be  furnished. 

The  State  Engineer  of  Arizona  writes,  the  Dixie  Ov- 
erland Highway  is  open  all  the  year  round,  though  at 
times  for  a  day  or  so  some  sections  are  verj'  heavy. 

The  highway  in  California  is  made  of  concrete  from 
Los  Angeles  to  San  Diego  and  is  being  constructed  of 
concrete  from  San  Diego  to  Yuma. 

Reports  from  the  Governors  of  Georgia,  New  Mexi- 


co and  California  liave  not  yet  been  received.  The 
above  is  sufficient  to  show  you  the  importance  of  the 
Dixie  Overlaiul  Iligliway,  and  the  necessity  for  you  to 
subserve  your  purely  local  matters  somewhat  to  the 
National  good,  in  the  event  the  requirements  have  not 
been  met  in  your  county. 

Besides  the  national  requirements,  it  is  entirely  pos- 
sible and  likely  that  during  the  time  of  the  war  the 
people  of  your  county  will  depend  in  part  on  the  Dixie 
Overland  Highway  to  ship  out  its  products  and  ship  in 
supplies.  Already  in  some  sections  truck  transporta- 
tion lines  have  been  organized. 

There  are  some  fiO.OOO  locomotives  and  2,2.')0,00()  rail- 
road cars  in  the  United  States.  To  move  2.(100,000  men 
twice  with  their  equipment  and  then  supply  them  will 
require  one-third  of  the  locomotives  and  one-fifth  of  the 
cars  in  the  United  States.  For  years  there  has  been  a 
car  shortage  during  crop  moving  season.  Embargoes 
have  already  been  declared.  The  govei'nment  has  in- 
structed that  preference  lie  given  to  the  movement  of 
iron  and  coal.  In  a  few  weeks  the  entire  rail  transpor- 
tation facilities  of  the  country  will  be  absorbed,  and  we, 
and  you,  will  largely  be  dependent  upon  highways  for 
transportation. 

Your  people  should  exert  every  effort  to  increase 
]iroduction.  but  what  will  be  the  benefit  if  they  can 
not  move  their  prodiU'ts. 

The  Dixie  Overland  Highway  cmuiects  the  railroads, 
the  rivers  and  the  national  higliways  tlirough  eight 
southern  states,  and  as  Governor  Bilbo  says,  is  a  main 
artery  of  paramount  importance  to  our  country. 

This  Association  has  been  endeavoring  to  secure  a 
report  from  each  county  as  to  condition  of  the  highway 
to  sui)mit  to  the  government.  Information  desireil  is, 
1st.  Will  the  higliway  in  your  county  stand  the  ordi- 
nary commercial  travel  throughout  the  year,  in  wet 
weather  and  dry?  If  not  what  will  you  do  to  meet  this 
requireniicnt  and  when?  2nd.  Are  your  bridges  and 
culverts  in?  If  not  when  will  they  be  put  in?  3rd. 
Will  your  bridges  and  culverts  carry  15  tons  of  weight? 
If  not  when  will  they  be  made  to  carry  15  tons? 

Your  reply  is  of  vital   importance  to  the  nation,  to 
the   South,    to  the   Dixie   Overland    Highway   interests 
and  also  to  vour  own  peo|ile. 
DIXIE  OVERLAND  HIGHWAY  ASSOCIATION. 


$60,000  For  Road  Work. 

Sixty  thousand  dollars  is  to  be  expended  in  road  im- 
provements in  Archer  county,  Texas.  The  Archer  City 
Dispatch  says : 

"The  connnissioners'  court  has  issued  an  order  au- 
thorizing the  issuance  of  script  to  the  total  amount  of 
.'fiGO.OOO,  which  will  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per 
cent  from  the  date  it  is  actually  drawn  for  use  on  the 
roads. 

"One-half  of  the  present  15-cent  road  tax  levy  will 
take  care  of  this  script  without  increasing  the  taxes  in 
the  least.  The  present  total  indebtedness  of  Archer 
county  is  only  about  $9,400. 

"The  $60,000  thus  provided  for  will  put  our  road  sys 
tem  in  first-class  condition.     The  financing  of  the  pro- 
osition  will  be  done  through  J.  L.  Arlitt  of  Austin." 


Forsyth  county.  North  Carolina,  has  recently  adver- 
tised for  the  sale  of  $50,000  additional  bonds  to  care 
for  additional  road  work. 


1-t 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


acter.  Tlie  main  r  lads.  Ijeariiig-  the  bulk  of  the  iiiDtur 
traffic,  are  the  only  hiu'hways  that  need  now  be  built  of 
mor''   durable   materials. 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  CABOLraA 

H.  B.  VARNER.  Editor  and  GenI  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C,  Associate  Editor 

K.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  BIdg..  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORENZEN.  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
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New  York  Chicago 

Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENRY  B  VARNER.  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  rRATT.  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GR\Y  GILMER   Secretary,  Bristol,  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President.  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary,  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XV. 


JUNE,  1917. 


No.   6" 


A  WORD  FOR  THE  SOIL  ROADS. 

During'  the  late  winter  and  early  spring'  mouths  many 
writers,  and  especially  editors  of  the  Southern  Appa- 
lachian states,  told  of  the  supposed  failure  of  the  top- 
soil  and  .sand  clay  types  of  road  under  the  unusually 
severe  winter  weather.  Immediately  they  began  the 
cry  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  build  a  road  of 
cheaper  eonstrucfidii  than  of  some  inatei'ial  -^Nhich  most 
of  our  communities  are  unable  to  finance.  These  wri- 
ters did  II  )t  attempt  to  diagnose  the  case,  although 
many  of  them  were  at  the  samie  time  lamenting  the  de- 
cadence of  their  macadam  roads,  which  were  built  and 
never  given  any  more  attention. 

The  article  in  this  issue  of  Southern  Good  Roads,  by 
Dr.  .Tosej.h  Hyde  Pratt,  of  Chapel  Hill,  is  calculated 
1(1  dismiss  some  of  the  nightmares  caused  by  these  de- 
moralizing articles.  Dr.  i'ratt  points  out  some  of  the 
tr  nibles  and  gives  a  diagnose  that  some  of  the  com- 
munities have  tried  and  have  found  to  succeed.  There 
should  be  nil  ti'iidency  at  this  time  for  the  ciiunlies  1 
cut  down  their  road  work,  neither  should  tliere  be  any 
attempt  to  overreacdi  their  financial  aliilities.  The  top- 
soil  and  sand  chiy  r  lails  will  coiitiiuic  tn  be  useful  .just 
SO  long  as  the,\'  are  jiroperly  built  and  maintained,  and 
it  is  the  policy  of  economic  wisdom  to  construct  the 
iiia.jor  [inrtion  of  our  mileage  of  materials  of  this  char- 


ROAD  MEN  PROMOTE  FARMING. 

The  ()hiii  .Macatlam  Associati(Ui  believes  that  the  he- 
mes of  field  and  farm  should  have  their  rewards  and 
a|)]ilause  .just  as  well  as  the  prize  fighter  or  the  .jockey. 
They  are  picking  the  right  time  and  the  right  theme 
and  ill  aniiouiiciug  that  they  will  give  ;i  thousand  dol- 
lars in  prizes  for  farm  boys  to  encourage  them  to  stay 
on  the  farm  and  I'aise  better  grain  and  live  stock  they 
are  sowing  seed  that  ought  to  reap  a  rich  harvest. 
"War  is  hell  painted  red.  We  are  chained  to  the  Bread 
Line.  In  the  army  and  navj^  the  biggest  gun  is  a  meal 
ticket."  These  terse  sentences  sum  up  the  reason  for 
their  actions.  They  have  issued  an  appeal  to  commer 
rial  and  patriotic  organizations  over  the  state  t.)  .join  bi 
this  movement.  Such  work  coupletl  with  the  promotion 
of  good  roads  is  calculated  to  nuike  rural  comiiiuo'ties 
independently  rich  and  assure  the  economic  stab'l'ty 
iif  our  nation. 

This  association  will  also  promote  the  Nation  J.Iacad- 
am  Congress,  which  will  be  held  in  Cohimbiis.  Ohio, 
next  January,  T'here  are  many  communities  ■snI  ere  the 
macadam  road  holds  to  its  usefulness  and  many  siates 
are  expected  to  send  delegates  to  the  Columbus  meet- 
ing. 


Good  Roads  Essay  Contest. 

Diiwn  ill  central  and  eastern  Xorlh  Carolina  the 
schiiol  children  have  been  eng-aging'  in  prize  good  roads 
essay  contests  for  valuable  prizes  offered,  and  the  re- 
sult has  lieen  a  renewed  interest  in  road  problems  in 
many  sections.  Federal  Engineer  D  .II.  Winslow,  who 
had  supervision  of  one  of  these  contests,  has  submit- 
ted several  of  the  i)apers  to  the  Editor  of  Southern 
Good  Roads,  The  following  paper  by  ]\Iiss  Christine 
Nirtou,  of  the  Knightdale  ScIkhiI.  was  the  prize  winner 
for  Wake  county : 

"We  should  have  good  mads  f  u-  many  reasons,  be- 
cause it  costs  a  farmer  who  lives  nine  and  one-half 
miles  from  the  railroad  ii\-er  which  he  ships  his  pro- 
ducts, more  money  to  haul  a  bushel  of  wheat  that  nine 
and  one-half  miles  than  it  costs  the  buyer  to  ship  that 
bushel  of  wheat  from  New  York  to  Ijiverpool,  England  : 
to  be  exact  it  costs  the  fariiier  just  one  and  one-sixth 
cent  more.     Something  is  wrong:  it  is  roads. 

"Ever>'  improvement  in  the  rvads  leading  from  the 
market  widens  those  zones,  makes  unproductive  lauds 
lu'oductive  and  enables  the  farmer  to  exercise  a  dis- 
cretidu  in  determining  the  character  of  his  crops. 

"There  are  over  40( ».(»(>< I, (10(1  acres  of  uncultivated 
land  in  United  States;  improved  roads  will  prove  an  im- 
portant factor  in   developing  this  great  domain. 

"It  is  impossible  to  tell  in  exact  figures  .just  how 
much  go;)d  roads  increase  land  values,  but  it  is  gener- 
ally believed  that  the  average  increase  within  the  zone 
of  an  impro-\-ed  road  is  from  two  to  nine  ilollars  to  the 
acre.  In  countries  where  there  are  first  class  roads 
the  population  has  increased  in  almost  every  ease. 

"There  are  three  reasons  why  our  roads  are  bad. 
First,  the  policy  of  localization,  which  until  within  the 
past  few  yeas  prevailed  in  all  the  States.      This  places 


June,  ]!)17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


iipDii  tlu'  rouiity,  aiul  in  must  places  upon  the  road  dis- 
ti-ict  01'  township,  tlie  entire  bfirden  of  constructing 
roads  and  maintaining  theai,  leaves  it  to  initiative  as 
well  as  the  tinal  determination  of  the  policy  which  shall 
be  pursued  in  carrying  on  the  work. 

"Second,  our  road  laws  generally  disregard  the  ne- 
cessity of  skilled  supervision  in  road  work.  Nine-tenths 
of  the  work  is  done  under  the  direction  of  men  who 
have  no  knowledge  of  road  building,  and  what  is  worse 
who  have  only  a  passing  interest  in  it.  The  third  ele- 
ment which  alone  would  prove  a  hindrance  of  efficient 
work,  is  that  of  statute  labor,  the  method  of  assessing 
road  taxes  in  terms  of  day  labor  or  placing  in  charge 
of  road  improvement  an  undisciplined  body  of  work- 
men, who  have  no  inclination  to  render  an  adequate 
day's  service,  who  have  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the 
work  and  who  frequently  are  unused  to  manual  lab. a'. 

"The  comforts  and  even  the  necessities  of  life  in 
many  country  ho'uiles  may  also  be  traced  to  bad  roads. 
The  farmer  cannot  carry  this  products  to  market  over 
miles  of  muddy  roads,  so  he  contents  himself  with  rais- 
ing only  enough  for  himself.  In  parts  of  the  country, 
the  roads  are  impassable  some  parts  of  the  year,  which 
makes  it  necessary  for  children  that  live  near  the  rail- 
roads to  walk  to  school  over  the  tracks  and  trestles. 
The  country  child  must  leave  home  an  hour  or  more 
before  school  opens,  in  order  to  be  there  on  time.  The 
roads  are  wet  and  mudd.v  almost  all  the  long  cold  win- 
ter months;  in  many  places  the  country  is  open  and 
cold  winds  are  merciless  as  the  bad  I'oads.  Sometimes 
parents  keep  their  children  from  school  on  account  of 
th  bad  roads.  So  everyone  should  go  to  work  and  get 
better  roads  throughout  the  country." 


What  Minnesota  is  Doing  For  Her  Roads. 

By  the  ^linnesota  State  llighwa.A*  Connnission. 

xVlthough  all  the  main  highways  of  the  state  have  not 
yet  been  connected  up  with  substantial  construction, 
the  touring  possibilities  in  ^Minnesota  are  greater  than 
most  people  realize.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  state 
there  is  a  wonderful  recreation  district  which  may  be 
traversed  comfortably  by  automobiles.  The  roads  there 
provide  not  only  an  opportunity  for  pleasure  seekers 
but  have  also  accomplished  the  more  important  pur- 
pose of  opening  up  the  country  to  prospective  settlers. 
During  the  past  year  many  homeseekers  have  made  an 
examination  of  the  country  by  automobile,  and  the 
state  is  deriving  a  great  benefit  from  this  new  class  of 
immigration,  namely,  the  well-to-do  farmer  from  the 
southern  states  who  combines  a  pleasure  trip  with  the 
business  of  locating  a  home  for  himself  or  his  sons  in 
the  cheaper  new  land  of  this  state.  It  is  by  providing 
a  good  road  for  such  travel  that  ]\Iinnesota  will  encour- 
age the  best  kind  of  immigration. 

The  hig-hway  commission  took  a  census  of  the  traffic 
on  three  of  the  main  roads  in  the  state  last  year.  The 
average  travel  in  the  early  autumn  amounted  to  500 
automobiles  per  day,  of  \'i'*liich  one-fourth  were  fro'in 
outside  the  state,  as  shown  by  their  license  tags.  This 
is  quite  significant,  for  it  shows  that  the  travel  on  the 
roads  is  no  longer  local  in  character,  but  is  interstate 
and,  in  a  greater  degree,  inter-county,  which  brings  out 
the  fact  that  the  main  highways  are  a  state  rather  than 
a  county  proposition.  Although  the  counties  have  co- 
operated most  satisfactorily  with  .the  state  highway 
commission  in  the  construction  and  maintenance  of 
these  roads,  the  rapidly  increasing  through  traffic  makes 
it  necessary  to  provide  some  additional  means  of  keep- 
ing such  roads  in  condition.  This  is  particularly  the 
case  in  those  counties  which  have  troublesome  local  fi- 


nancial proljlems  and  cannot  afford  the  money  to  take 
care  of  the  main  roads,  even  though  the  latter  make  for 
the  development  of  the  covuities. 

The  state  road  system,  comprising  12,700  miles  out 
of  the  ;).■>, flOO  miles  of  roads  in  ^linnesota,  includes  prac- 
tically all  of  the  main  market  roads  of  the  state.  The 
problem  of  improving  this  system  of  highways  involves 
a  study  of  the  state 's  road  material  resources,  the  avail- 
ability of  funds,  and  the  probable  needs  for  transport- 
ing freight  and  pers  )ns.  The  hig"hway  commission  has 
given  careful  consideration  to  this  prid^lem  and  has  de- 
cided that  the  liest  policy  for  ilinnesota  is  to  inaugur- 
ate an  ade(|uate  system  of  maintenance  for  the  whole 
nnleage  of  state  roads,  in  order  to  keep  all  of  them 
passable  at  all  times,  and  to  improve  the  roads  by  bring- 
ing them  to  standard  permanent  grades  and  surfacing 
them  with  gravel.  Conditions  in  ^Minnesota  are  such 
that  it  is  necessary  to  furnish  the  traveling  public  with 
an  all-weather  surface  on  the  main  lines  of  travel  as 
soon  as  possible.  By  the  adoption  of  gravel  as  a  stand- 
ard surfacing  material  this  may  be  accomplished,  for 
gravel  is  available  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  state  and  a 
greater  mileage  can  be  built  with  this  material  at  the 
same  cost  than  by  the  use  of  any  other  material.  Fur- 
thermore, within  certain  limits  of  traffic,  a  gravel  road 
miav  1)e  more  satisfactorilv  and  economicalh'  maintain- 
ed." 

The  net  result  is  that  in  the  few  years  during  which 
substantial  construction  has  been  in  progress,  Minneso- 
ta has  achieved  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  good- 
roads  states  of  the  country.  This  may  be  credited  to 
the  policy  of  systematic  maintenance  and  gravel  sur- 
facing. There  are  certain  limits  to  the  traffic  which  an 
ordinary  gravel  road  will  carry  economically.  As  a 
general  approximation,  it  may  be  estimated  that  an  8 
to  12-foot  untreated  gravel  surface  will  carry  250  au- 
tomobiles per  day  and  an  IS-foot  surface  400  automo- 
biles per  day  without  excessive  maintenance.  Howev- 
er, it  is  economy  to  use  a  surface  binder  on  any  road 
sub.iect  to  rapid  motor  traffic.  Horse-drawn  vehicles 
are  not  mentioned  in  this  eonnection  for  it  is  seldom 
that  teaan-  traffic  on  rural  highways  is  heavy  enough  to 
cause  excessive  maintenance  of  gravel  or  macadam. 
The  great  increase  in  the  use  of  motor  cars,  with  the 
probability  that  considerable  farm  tonnage  will  be 
hauled  by  trucks  in  the  near  future,  coupled  with  the 
inability  of  authorities  to  regulate  the  speed  of  motor 
vehicles,  will  undoubtedly  make  it  necessary  t )  provide 
a  more  lasting  surface  on  the  main  liig-hways. 


Auto  Industry  Recognized. 

The  autonn)l)ile  industry  of  the  country  was  highly 
honored  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  Fnited  States. 
Good  Roads  Association  when  A.  R.  Erskine,  president 
of  the  Studebaker  Company;  R.  M.  Jewett,  president  of 
the  Paige-Detroit  Company,  and  G.  F.  Jamison,  general 
manager  of  the  Supreme  Motor's  Corporation,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  were  elected  members  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors from  their  respective  states.  These  men  are  life 
members  of  the  United  States  Good  Roads  Association 
and  are  deeply  interested  in  the  cause  of  good  roads. 

A.  G.  Batchelder,  chairman  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  American  Automobile  Association,  which  is 
the  most  powerful  automobile  association  in  the  world, 
also  was  elected  a  me'mber  of  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  United  States  Good  Roads  Association.  He  has  ac- 
cepted the  honor  and  the  two  great  organizations  will 
work  hand  in  hand  in  advancing  the  cause  of  good 
roads  throughout  the  countrv. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


GOOD  ROADS  NOTES 

GATHERED  HERE  «^»««^^^EFIE 


Arkansas. 

The  Arkansas  delegation,  1:^1  strong,  representing 
one  delegate  for  eaeh  10  go  id  road  boosters  in  eadi 
county,  secured  the  next  meeting  of  the  United  States 
Good  Roads  Association  and  the  Bankhead  Highway 
Association  for  Little  Rock  next  year. 

T'his  convention  is  probably  the  mast  important  one 
in  the  South,  owing  to  the  paramount  importance  of 
good  roads  and  the  contemplated  expenditure  of  about 
.tl'o.dOO.OdO  within  the  next  five  years  in  the  V-i  South- 
ei'u  States  for  good  roads. 

Arkansas  will  expend  .$2,840,00(1  on  good  roads  with- 
in the  next  five  years,  having  diverted  her  automobile 
tax  for  this  purpose.  The  counties  of  Eastern  Arkan- 
sas are  primarily  interested  in  securing  a  route  for  the 
Bankhead  Highway,  named  in  honor  of  Senator  J.  II, 
Bankhead.  the  father  of  the  good  i-oads  movement  in 
the  Senate. 

This  highway  will  extend  from  u  ashington  city  to 
Atlanta,  from  Atlanta  to  Bii'mingham,  from  Birming- 
ham to  Memphis,  from  ilemphis  to  little  Rock,  from 
Little  Rock  to  Fort  Smith,  thence  Avestward  to  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  a  distance  of  about  3.000  miles. 

The  counties  of  Crittenden.  St.  Francis,  .Moiime, 
Woodrutf,  Prairie.  Lonoke.  Pulaski.  Faulkner,  C  inway, 
Johnson.  Crawford.  Franklin  and  Sebastian  are  vitally 
intei'ested,  and  Eastern  Ai-k;insas  sent  large  and  en- 
thusiastic delegations  to  the  Birmingham  meeting. 

Secretary  Rouutree  stated  in  th(>  convention  that  the 
Arkansas  delegation,  organized  within  12  days,  was 
the  largest  at  the  convention,  Georgia  coming  second 
with  114  delegates. 

The  State  Highway  Department  has  .sent  to  various 
counties  [ilans  for  road  work,  the  aggregate  cost  of 
which,  accoriling  to  Hugh  R.  Carter,  highway  engineer, 
will  be  about  !l<275,000.  Preliminary  plans  include  a 
gravel  road  from  ]\Iarvcll.  Phillips  county,  to  the  Lee 
county  line,  estimated  cost,  .^T.i.OOO ;  macadam  road 
from  Walnut  Ridge  1 1  Egypt.  Lawrence  county,  to  cost 
^(iO.OOO  a  macadam  I'oad  with  asphalt  finish,  from  De- 
Vall's  Bluff'  south,  to  cost  .1^20.000,  and  a  miacadam  road 
from  Wynne  east  through  Cross  enuntv  toward  ilem- 
phis,  to  cost  $120,000. 

Bids  for  road  and  bridge  WLirk  in  .Miller  county,  the 
estimated  cost  being  about  .$300,000,  have  been  opened 
at  Texarkana.  The  contracts  include  roads  from  Tex- 
arkana  to  Fulton  ami  from  Texarkana  to  Ogdeu.  and 
several  lateral  roads.  A  ))ri(lge  across  Red  river  is  in- 
cluded. 

The  department  has  been  notified  of  the  organization 
of  a  road  district  in  Randolph  county  for  the  con.struc- 
of  40  miles  of  road  from  Pocahontas  to  Ravenden 
Springs.  The  commissi  )ners  are  J.  D.  Wells.  Pocahon- 
tas. Clyde  Armatrout  of  Ravenden  Springs  and  J.  S. 
Brown  of  Dalton. 

Big  Contract  Let  in  Arkansas. 

A  big  road  contract  was  awarded  by  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  of  ]\Iiller  Highway  District  No.  1,  at  a 
session  of  the  board  and  bidders  held  in  Texarkana, 
Ark.,  recently  the  succes.sful  bidder  being  the  Womack 
Canstruction  Company  of  Sherman.  Texas,  said  to  be 
one  of  the  best  companies  engaged  in  this  particular 
kind  of  work  in  the  South. 


The  contract  will  lie  awarded  on  a  bid  of  $489.2.56.57. 
and  constitutes  the  total  bid  for  the  construction  of 
seven  separate  roads  in  the  nLirthern  half  of  the  couut.v, 
the  highwa.A'  to  Fulton  being  the  main  artery  to  lie 
built,  and  the  other  six  roads  being  leads  or  laterals  off 
the  main  highway.  All  gravel  construction  will  be 
used,  and  a  contract  will  be  made  as  (|uickly  as  the 
liond  the  contracting  comjiany  mu.st  make  is  ready.  It 
is  stated  that  the  company  lauding  the  plum  nuist  make 
a  one  hundred  per  cent,  bond,  and  that  it  has  been 
stated  by  a  representative  of  the  company  that  this 
bond  will  be  readily  miade. 

Under  the  contract  to  be  dra\ra  in  accordance  .-.ith 
the  statement  of  the  Womack  representative  before  the 
Hoard  of  Commissioners,  it  will  be  specified  that  the 
district  is  ta  be  completed  within  ten  months'  time, 
with  a  forfeit  of  one  hundred  dollars  daily  for  every 
day  over  that  length  of  time  recpiired  to  complete  the 
.job.  One  hundred  and  fifty  teams  will  immediately  be 
put  to  work  once  the  contract  has  been  signed  witli  all 
requirements  met. 

The  roads  sjiecified  in  the  district  to  be  built  are: 

Fulton    18   :Miles 

Garland    18  miles 

Dooley  Ferry    12  miles 

Index    8   miles 

Genoa (i  miles 

Carr  Bend   4  miles 

Line  Ferry 4  miles 

Total 70  miles 

Thirty  da.\-s  from  the  time  the  contract  is  signed  and 
the  bond  delivered  to  the  board  of  commissioners  it 
is  expected  the  work  will  be  actively  started. 

The  board  of  commissioners  also  expect  to  receiv*^ 
substantial  aid  fram  both  the  national  and  the  state 
governments  in  the  establishing  of  post  roads,  etc..  in 
connection  with  the  highway  district. 

Sixty  Millions  for  Illinois. 

After  amending   it    in   numerous   particulars   Illinois 
Senate  passed  the  $(i(  1,000.1 100     goo(l     roads     measure, 
out  300  miles  of  raad  building  was  added  in  order 
that   each   member   who   desired   a   change   in    routing 
plans  might  be  accommodated.    The  bill  has  passed  the 
House  and  will  be  finally  whipped  into  form  for  con- 
currence liy  a  conference  committee. 
«     *     « 
Georgia. 

A  sufficient  numher  of  Georgia  counties  have  form- 
ulated road  building  pro.jects  to  absorb  the  state  of 
Georgia's  allotment  of  the  federal  government's  ap- 
propriation to  aid  the  .states  in  road  building,  and  the 
prison  commission  expects  to  receive  notice  very  short- 
l,v  from  Wasliington  that  the  projects  have  been  ap- 
proved, so  that  the  wark  can   be  started. 

The  act  of  congress  providing  for  federal  aid  in  high- 
way construction  provided  that  where  a  state  constitu- 
tion prohibits  the  expenditure  of  money  by  a  state 
for  road  building,  then  the  counties  of  a  state  could 
share  direct  in  the  fund  by  voting  projects  which,  tak- 


Juue,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


17 


en    in   the   aggregate,    wonld   call   for   an   expenditure 
amounting  to  their  state's  total  share. 

Georgia's  sliare  for  the  year  ending  July  1,  1917,  will 
lie  $135,000.  The  money  has  not  yet  been  available 
beeause  a  sufficient  niunber  of  counties  had  nut  yet 
come  in  with  their  plan  far  road  linilding.  Now  the 
number  is  up  to  the  requirement,  the  plans  have  been 
forwarded  to  Washington,  and  apjiroval  is  mnmiMitar 
ily  expected. 

Kansas. 

J.  Frank  Smith,  president  and  general  manager  of 
the  Kansas  Gooil  Koads  Association,  has  opened  liead- 
quarters  in  Topeka,  rooms  44-46  Oolundua  Huilding, 
and  active  work  iuis  started  in  a  tlve  year  campaign  fir 
365-day  roads  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Smith  will  be  kept  busy  a  large  part  of  the  time 
filling  speaking  dates  at  goocl  roads  meetings  over  the 
state,  while  the  ofiiee  work,  which  is  really  a  publicity 
Inireau  for  the  movemient,  will  be  carried  on  by  a  ca- 
llable and  efficient  force. 

The  Kansas  Good  Roads  Associati m  already  has  one 
thousand  nu^mliers,  but  wants  and  needs  ten  thousand 
by  the  end  of  the  first  year.  The  membership  is  $1.00 
per  year,  or  $5.00  for  the  five  years,  and  the  associa- 
tion nuist  have  the  financial,  as  well  as  the  moral  sup- 
port of  every  good  roads  boosters  in  Kansas.  Upon 
receipt  of  remittance  you  are  sent  a  'membership  card, 
a  good  roads  button  and  the  B^armers  Mail  and  Breeze 
regularly.  This  publicati(m  has  been  made  the  official 
organ  and  will  devote  a  lot  of  space  right  aling,  show- 
ing what  is  being  accomplished  in  the  way  of  building 
good  roads. 

The  Kansas  Good  Roads  Association  is  co-operating 
with  the  State  Highway  Commission  and  is  taking  the 
initiative  in  seeing  that  Kansas  gets  her  start  in  this 
great  work.  It  is  hoped  and  believed  that  one  thousand 
miles  of  hard  surfaced  roads  will  be  built  each  year,  or 
a  total  of  5,000  nnles  in  the  five  years.  Several  coun- 
ties have  alreadp  planned  big  road  mieetings  within  the 
first  thirty  days  oF  the  campaign. 

*  *     * 

New  Road  Work  Planned. 

At  a  special  meeting  (tf  tlie  ^IcCracken.  Ky.,  fiscal 
court  and  State  Road  Commissioner  R.  W.  Wiley  of 
Frankfort  an  amicable  agreement  was  reached  in  re- 
gard to  improving  public  roads  in  ^McCracken  county 
with  the  $200,0(tO  bond  issue.  The  state  road  commis- 
sioners re(iuireil  that  half  inter-county  roads  be  im- 
proved before  work  is  done  on  other  roads  and  the  court 
agreed  to  do  this.  The  inter-county  roads  that  will  be 
built  are :  Broadway  and  Clinton  road,  via  Lone  Oak, 
St.  John  and  Leader  Hill,  to  Graves  county,  Ky. ;  Ben- 
ton road  to  ]\Iarshall  county;  Cairo  road  to  Ballard 
county;  Noble  road  to  Massac  county,  111.,  landing; 
Clark's  Ferry  road  to  Smithland,  Ky.  Work  will  begin 
as  soon  as  contracts  are  awarded. 

*  *     * 

Mississippi. 

Governor  Bilbo  has  received  a  letter  from  the  secre- 
tary of  Agriculture  stating  that  there  is  now  available 
for  use  on  the  roads  of  the  state  .$267,000.  Tliis  money 
will  be  spent  under  the  direction  of  the  Mississippi 
Highway  Coimimission  on  the  approval  of  highway  ex- 
perts. 

As  is  known  there  has  previous  to  this  time  been  a 
question  as  to  the  right  of  this  state  to  share  in  the 
government  appropriation  for  good  roads  due  to  cer- 
tain alleged  discrepancies  in  the  state  law. 


The  letter  received  by  the  governor  clears  up  this 
matter  and  the  proportionate  share  of  the  money  to  be 
expended  in  all  the  States,  a  total  of  $15(),000.'000.  of 
which  ^lississiiiin's  share,  available  in  the  stated  sums 
yearly  will  lie  ai-duiid  fi\-i'  million  dollars  in  the  nexl 
five  years. 

The  present  State  administration  has  taken  a  great 
deal  of  interest  in  good  roads  and  one  of  the  bills  m;)st 
favored  by  the  administration  at  the  last  session  of  the 
Legislatui'e  was  tlie  one  creating  the  State  Highway 
Commission  and  bi'inging  as  far  as  practicable,  good 
road  develoiuuents  under  the  numagement  of  tiu»  state 
instead  of  under  the  vaiinus  counties  and  beats. 

*     #     # 

Missouri. 

Officials  of  the  state  highway  dejiartment,  d  >  not  be- 
lieve there  will  be  any  cessation  in  tlie  effort  to  build 
a  considerable  mileage  of  the  proposetl  state  system  of 
865-da>-in-the-year  roads  this  year.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested in  letters  receiveil  by  tiu'  board  that  it  might  ni)t 
be  wise  to  go  ahead  now  with  the  plans  for  road  build- 
ing because  of  the  war. 

It  has  been  said  labor  would  lie  dit'ticult  to  obtain  and 
tliat  all  available  men  ought  to  be  put  to  wurk  on  the 
farms  in  order  to  carry  out  the  plan  for  a  greatly  in- 
creased crop  acreage. 

T'he  higlnvay  connnissioners  feel,  however,  that  it 
w.iukl  be  a  serious  mistake  to  consider  any  "slacking" 
in  the  road  building  campaign.  They  believe  the 
counties  which  nuxy  be  ready  to  go  ahead  with  road 
construction  this  sumimier  will  be  able  to  find  workers 
without  crippling  the  "farm  army  of  the  state.  The 
board  will  work,  however,  in  close  cooperation  with  the 
newly  appointed  state  council  of  defense  in  order  that 
the  highway  construction  may  be  made  a  real  part  of 
the  ^Missouri  preparedness  ]irogram. 

Reports  received  in  the  offices  of  A.  W.  Graham, 
state  highway  engineer,  are  to  the  effect  that  county- 
wide  road  campaigns  will  be  inaugurated  in  several 
counties. 

Moniteau  county  already  has  launched  its  campaign 
for  a  $300,000  whole  county  road  improvement  cam- 
paign. A  steering  conunittee,  composed  of  two  men 
from  each  school  district,  has  been  organized,  with 
Henry  Knhn  as  president  and  II.  E.  Kuhlman,  secre- 
tary. 

Half  Million  Bonds  Advocated. 

The  iliami,  Ukla..  Business  .Men's  League  went  on 
record  at  a  recent  meeting  as  favoring  a  half  million 
dollar  count>"  liontl  issue  for  good  roads.  The  league 
believes  that  with  this  sum  a  system  of  roads  over  the 
entire  county  cnnid  be  ennsfi-ucted  that  would  e(|ual 
any  in  the  state. 

Several  tiwnships  have  voted  boiul  issues  for  good 
roads  and  a  good  roads  campaign  has  been  on  for  sev- 
eral months. 

•*     #     * 

Tennessee. 

Nearly  2,000  miles  of  first-rate  roads  will  be  built 
this  year  throughout  East  Tennessee.  Tliese  roads  will 
be  distributed  through  sixteen  counties.  Nine  of  these 
counties,  Morgan.  Scott,  Clairborne.  Washington,  John- 
son. Unicoi.  Greene.  Jefferson  and  ilc^Iinn,  have  is- 
sued lionds,  and  are  now  advei'tising  them  for  sale.  The 
go:Hl  roads  mileage  in  these  counties  is  small,  but  the 
other  counties  have  built  many  miles  of  i-oads.  and  are 
preparing  to  build  many  more. 

Those  counties  which  will   build  roads  this  vear,  the 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


auiDUiit  of  miles  of  good  roails  they  have  now  are  as 
f  jllows : 

Morgan  county  will  spend  $200,000;  have  already 
al)out  KHt  miles  of  pike,  and  are  advertising  bonds  for 
sale  f(ir  more  roads. 

Scott  county,  which  will  spend  this  year  $:52r).O()0; 
advertising  bonds  for  sale;  has  no  pike  roads. 

Camphell  county  will  spend  ^•Jdd.dOll  this  yi'.ir.  ft 
has  aliout  fifty  miles  :)f  roads. 

Clairborne  county  will  spend  $150,000  this  year  Ft 
has  about  fif't\'  miles  of  improved  roads,  and  is  building 
others. 

rnion  will  spend  $50,000  this  year.  T^nion  county 
has  thirty  miles  of  good  roads,  and  is  working  on  Eth- 
el's. 

Hawkins  will  spend  $l?5(l.0(l();  it  lias  about  10(1  mile^ 
completed,  and  is  miw  huilding  additional  mileage. 

Washington  will  spenil  miore  than  any  other  c;iunt.v. 
The  commission  is  now  advertising  the  sale  of  $750,000 
worth  of  bonds.  This  county  has  only  about  fifty 
miles  of  improved  I'oads. 

Johns.)n  county  will  spend  $2(10,0(10  and  is  ad^'ci'tis- 
iug  the  bonds  fiu"  sale.     It  has  no  macadam  roads. 

Unicoi  will  s|iend  $100,000.  It  has  alreaily  abiiut 
fifty  miles  of  good  roads. 

Greene  comes  second  in  the  list  of  big  counties  to 
build  new  roads.  It  is  tir-st  in  the  am  )unt  of  iin|)ro\e(l 
roads,  and  will  spend  this  year  $51(),0(J0  hiv  lietter 
roads.  Tlie  county  has  al)  iiit  lloO  miles  of  first-rate 
roads  alreaily. 

Jetfei'son  will  spend  $20(.M'OO  in  building  new  roads. 
About  100  miles  of  good  roads  have  already  been  com- 
pleted. 

JIcMinn  will  spend  $300,000,  adding  t  :>  the  sixty 
miles  of  I'oails  already  built. 

Folk  has  voted  $85,000  road  bonds  to  spend,  is  work- 
ing now,  and  has  about  100  miles  of  i'lnij^roved  roads. 

James  county  will  spend  $80,000  this  year.  This 
county  has  lU)  improved  r/)ads  to  speak  of,  but  they  are 
ni)W  working  on  roads. 

Grainger  comity  will  spend  $150,000,  and  crews  are 
now  as  work.  This  county  lias  about  seventy-five 
miles  of  roads. 

Work  in  Texas  Counties. 

T.  E.  Huffman,  highway  engineer  for  Deaf  Smith  and 
Parmer  counties,  I'e.xas,  now  has  an  assistant  in  the  per- 
son of  W.  N.  Harris  of  Terrell,  IMr.  Harris  will  be  lo- 
cated at  Friona  and  will  be  in  charge  of  the  road  work- 
both  ways  out  of  that  point.  He  has  been  one  of  the 
engineers  ;)n  Kaufman  county  road  wm-k  for  the  past 
two  years  where  they  have  .just  finished  a  $300,000.00 
jol).  Deaf  S'.nith  and  Parmer  I'ounties  are  reaily  to  liegiu 


W(u-k  on  60  miles  of  highway,  that  will  parallel  main 
line  of  the  Saute  Fe  .starting  just  this  side  of  Canyon 
clear  to  Farwell. 

Permanent  Roads  for  Dallas. 

Jlembers  of  the  Dallas,  Texas,  County  Commission- 
ers' Court  expressed  themselves  in  favor  of  adoption  of 
a  system  of  ])ermaiu'nt  roads  and  abandonment  of  grav- 
el aiul  macadam  for  future  consti'uction.  Several  an- 
nounced their  lielief  that  a  system  of  permanent  roads 
should  be  started   at    the  city  limits,   exteiuling  as  far 


The  Dump  Wagon  That  Digs! 

Dirt  moving  costs  are  given  a  solar  plexus  blow  with 
this  excavator  that  digs,  loads,  hauls,  dumps,  spreads 
and  compacts.  Contractors  and  Road  Commissioners 
can  not  afford  to  overlook  the 


H^^KB 


MANEY  4  WHEEL 
SCRAPERS 

The  driver  is  a  gang  with  Maneys.     <)ver  600  yards  a 
day  possible  with  a  single  outfit. 

Send  for  list  of  owners  and  48  page  catalog 

THE  BAKER  MFG.  COMPANY 


582  Stanford  Ave. 


SPRINGFIELD,  ILL. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


^^\,„^i,y^\„.yf-**'^^'^^  The    "Kasy  to    clean,"     Patented    "Higb     <C 


riio    "Kasy  to    clean,"     Patented 
Speed"  Mixing  and    Discharge  Actiou  is   one  of    tue  lew  th 
cessfully  and  fast  handles 

STIFF  CONCRETE  FOR  CURBS,  GUHER  AND  SIDEWALK  WORK 

C!et  our  astonishingly  low  prices  on  the^e  sturdy,  built-of-steel  mixers — also 
our  Terms.  '  6  and  11-ft.  sizes — also  with  Loaders.  l^Liick  deliveries  from 
stock  carried  in  all  large  cities.     Write  nearest  office. 

rAe  ATl¥=>nojnO=>tt*=nlM;irflinRrr>   Int-      ^    ISKANOH     OPPIOES— New     York,     Phila- 

ly         I       f  I  t'liiulirKlt'e,   Mass. ;  Indianapolis,  Ohicaijo,  Now 

JXCOKUK         lOWa  Orleans,    Minneapolis,    .Seattle,    Spokane,    Los 

/w  300000  tip  ELECTRIC  crrA  ADKeleB.   San  Francisco,  Cleveland,   St.  Louis, 


Louisville. 


Jiiue,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


as  funds  will  go,  to  be  added  tr>  as  funds  are  available. 
Some  declared  in  favor  of  some  demonstration  roads. 
Hal  Moseley.  City  Engineer,  said  that  if  the  matter 
were  up  to  him  to  decide  he  would  build  the  road  that 
would  be  iised  by  the  greatest  number  of  people,  which, 
he  thought,  was  the  road  to  Arlington. 

Curtis  Hancock,  chairman  of  the  Dallas  County  Good 
Roads  Association,  indorsed  the  plan  of  building  per- 
manent roads,  and  declared  that  he  could  pledge  a  cam- 
paign that  would  assure  $1,000,000  for  the  work  when 
the  Commissioners  announced  that  they  wanted  to 
take  such  a  step.  He  urged  them  not  to  divert  the 
$500,000  fund  about  to  become  available  from  bonds  to 
any  purpose  other  than  the  specific  w(n-k  outlined  in 
the  campaign  which  preceded  the  bond  issue. 
*     «     « 

In  Knox  County,  Tennessee. 

The  accounts  of  the  goxl  roads  commission  were  re- 
ported in  good  shape  by  the  Knox  county,  Tenn.,  reve- 
nue commission,  which  has  ,just  completed  an  audit  of 
the  records.  Total  disbursements  of  $-l:!)-l:,r)2!).03  were 
reported  as  follows: 

Account  roads  and  bridges $465,644.85 

Account  engineers  salaries  and  expenses.  .  .  .  22,102.26 
Account  commission,  printing,  rent,  clerical. 

etc 2.821.24 

Account  miscellaneous  truck,   etc 8,468.28 

$499,036.63 
Return  of  fuiuls  advanced  to  regular  r:)ad 
commission 4,507.60 

Total $494,529.03 


Change  of  Dates  of  Annual  Convention  of  the  North 
Carolina  Good  Roads  Association  to  July  9,  10,  11. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  quite  a  number  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 
are  also  members  of  the  Press  Associa-tion,  which 
meets  at  Wrightsville  Beach,  June  2  7th  to  29th,  it  has 
been  decided  by  the  Good  Roads  Association  to 
change  the  dates  for  the  Road  Convention  to  Monday, 
Tuesday,  and  Wednesday,  July  9.  10  and   1  1, 

The  three  principal  topics  for  discussion  at  the  Con- 
vention this  year  will  be: 

1.  Opra<tion  of  the  laws  passed  by  the  Legislature 
of  1917  relating  to  road  building. 

2.  Road  maintenance,  vi^ith  special  reference  to  the 
use  of  the  automobile  tax  in  maintenance  of  State 
Highways. 

3.  The  building  of  roads  of  military  value. 

It  is  believed  that  a  meeting  of  the  Good  Roads  As- 
sociaition  at  this  time  will  have  a  very  distinct  value 
in  connection  with  the  solving  of  problems  which  have 
arisen  out  of  the  present  emergency.  It  is  hoped  to 
have  someone  from  the  War  Department  or  the  Coun- 
cil of  National  Defense  to  make  a  talk  and  discuss  with 
the  members  of  this  Convention  questions  relating  to 
road  building  which  are  so  vital  to  our  State  and  Na- 
tion. 

Headquarters  will  be  at  the  Battery  Park  Hotel,  and 
special  rates  will  be  arranged  for.  Announcements  as 
to  program,  rates,  etc.,  will  be  made  later  through  the 
press. 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  of  Red  Cross  Es plosives  and 
modern  road  machinery,  will,  in  many  cases, 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  *'Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
w^ith  modern  road  building  machineiy  for 
building  new  and  impioving  old  loads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for   'ROAD   CONSTRUCTION 
and  MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont  die  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


EXTRA 

40*  STRENSTH 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusivel) 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON.  N.  J. 


Miller  county,  Texas,  has  started  new  road  building 
projects,  the  purchase  of  50,000  tons  of  gravel  being 
noted.  This  is  about  60  per  cent  of  the  estimated  ton- 
nage that  will  be  used. 


ROAD  BUILDERS'  EQUIPMENT  wn\-  -— -i 

n       jVJJRACLS 
Write  for  ENGINEERING  BULLETIN  No.  30.    14  JJ-  f  vta -rOSf-fS- 

Steel  Forms  for  Culverts.  Tiles  and  Sewers.      En-     ^  ^^'■'  ^ 

ginei.  Hoists,  Concrete  Mixersand  Pavers. 

NORTHWESTERN  STEEL 
&  IRON  WORKS 

Engine  Builders  and  Manu/aclurers 

Eau  Claire,  Wis. 


Culvert  Forms 


20 


SOUTHERN  UOOD  ROADS 


June,  1917 


North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association. 

The  Hniiual  (•iinveiitioii  :)f  the  XnrtJi  Carolina  GdihI 
Roads  AssoL'iatiiin  will  he  lield  at  Asheville,  N.  C, 
June  27-29,  1917. 

Sinee  the  last  convent  ion  helil  at  Wihniuuton. 
Wrightsville  Beaeh,  the  legislature  has  e;)nvened  an.! 
passed  many  laws,  a  discnssinn  and  thorough  under- 
standing of  wliieh  \\ill  be  of  great  value  and  service  to 
all  eoniity  and  townsliip  r  lad  oltiidals.  Of  particular 
iiiter(\sl  is  the  develop. i:en1  of  a  sssteni  of  road  mainte- 
nance througliout  the  State  ami  this  snhjert  will  he  a 
feature  of  the  cnnvention. 

Plans  are  luuler  way  to  have,  if  piissilde.  on  tlie  pro- 
gi'am  snmie  official  nf  the  War  Department  to  discuss 
the  l)uilding  of  roads  wliich  will  he  of  military  value 
to  the  country  at  this  time.  Thci'e  will  also  he  a  full 
discussion  as  to  how  the  North  Carolina  Good  Road> 
Associatiin  can     est  serve  the  country  now. 

Because  of  the  importance  nf  the  above  discussions, 
it  is  hoped  that  there  will  be  a  large  and  representative 
attendance  from  each  county  at  this  conventiiui.  It  is 
expected  that  the  railroads  will  grant  special  rates, 
and  that  such  schedides  can  be  arranged  as  will  make 
a.ttendance  at  the  convention  and  tlie  spending  of  a 
week-end  in  "The  Land  of  the  Sky"  a  matter  of  ea.s( 
and  cnnvenience. 

IMake  your  plans  to  attend  the  convention;  and  for 
additional  infoi'mation,  write  the  Secretary  of  the  As- 
sociation. Joseph  Hyde  Pratt  at  Chapel  Hill.  N.  ,.. 


Roads  As- 
(lood 


Texas  Good  Roads  Convention. 

Serretai'N    1).  E.  Colp,  of  the  Texas  Good 
sociation,  has  sent  mit  the  following  lettei': 

"The    iMidsummer    Convention    of   the    Texas 
Roads  Association  will  be  lield  at   ^lineral   Wells,  -lune 
20th,  21st  and  22nd.  1917. 

"The  Board  of  Dir(>ctors  having  made  this  selec- 
tion, because  they  thought  it  would  serve  the  nuist  peo- 
ple at  the  pi'esent  time.  Tliei'c  will  also  be  tlie  annual 
meetijig  of  the  Piu't  \Vorth-Ml  Paso  Highway  held  at 
the  same  place  and  time;  and  the  Recdamation.  Conser- 
vation and  Irrigation  Ass  leiation  of  the  State  has  been 
invited  to  hold  their  meeting  during  the  same  week,  and 
it  is  proposed  that  the  Good  R.oads  people  of  North. 
East  and  South  Texas  shall  congregate  at  Fort  Worth, 
on  the  night  of  the  19th  and  leave  Port  Worth  on  the 
miorning  of  the  20th,  in  a  body,  after  making  a  parade 
through  the  main  streets  of  the  city  of  Fort  Worth. 

"We  believe  tha.t  this  will  be  the  biggest  Good  Roads 
Parade  ever  pulled  otif  in  the  U.  S.  and  we  know  it  will 
be  the  largest  ever  held  in  Texas. 

"We  expect  to  have  speakers  of  national  I'eputati  m 
as  well  as  a  score  of  talents  that  will  lie  hard  to  beat. 
The  details  of  the  parade  will  be  worked  out  by  the 
Port  Worth  Chamber  of  Commerce  together  with  the 
local  good  r;-)ads  enthusiasts  of  that  city. 

"The  program  will  be  prepared  earlier  than  usual,  sn 
as  to  give  it  ample  publicity  and  also  give  the  speakers 
more  time  to  prepared  their  subjects. 

"It  is  hoped  that  as  many  of  the  SCO  members  of  the 
Texas  Good  Roads  Associati'm  as  possible  will  attend 
this  convention  and  we  fully  expect  exeryone  of  the  262 
units  to  be  represented. 

"This  notice  is  going  to  the  secretaries  of  the  local 
units  with  the  rerpiest  that  they  mail  notices  to  each  of 
their  local  mendiers." 


QUICK  DELIVERIES 

ON 


BUILT  OF  STEEL 

PAVERS 

8-11-15  Foot  Sizes 

(Non-Up  High  Drum  Type) 

AND 

BUILDING  MIXERS 

(5-8-11-15-22  Foot  Sizes) 
Get  Our  Astonishingly  Low  Prices 


Write  nearest  Office 


Zhe  American  Cemenf/lachine  Co.  Inc 


eokuk     low, 

THE  300,000  HP  ELECTRIC   OTY 

BRANCH  OFFICES — New  Tori,  Philadelphin,  Pittsburgh,  Baltimore, 
Riclimond.  Cambridge,  Mass.;  Indianapolis,  Chicago.  New  Orleans,  Minne- 
apolis. .Seattle,  Spokane,  Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco,  Cleveland,  St.  Louis, 
Louisville. 


(the 


\ 


J 


tAixers        Pavers        Gr  outers        Hoists 


/ 


Three  may  keep  a  secret  if  two  of  them  be  dead. — 
Franklin. 


After 

EcoDomy 

Road 

Making 

Follows 

EcoDrroy 

Hauling 


MOGUL  AND  TITAN  TRACTORS 
BUILD    ROADS    ON    KEROSENE 

trOR  years  International  Harvester  tractirs  have  been  used  in  building 
'  roads  at  a  great  saving  of  time  and  money.  We  can  refer  you  to  the 
authorities  in  scores  of  localities  who  are  enthusiastic  over  Mogul  and  Titan 
operation. 

Kerosene  — that  is  the  big  reason.  This  Company  is  attracting  much 
attention  at  the  this  time  by  guaranteeing  Mogul  and  1  itan  tractors  fo 
work  satisfactorily  onkerosene.  These  are  the  sizes— sizes  for  all 
road  making  needs:  Mogul  8-16-H.  P.;  Titan  ie-20-H.  P.; 
Mogul  12-25-H.  P.;  Titan  15-30-M.  P.;  and  Titan  30-60-H.  P. 

Where  the  road-work  budge 
is  limited  these  tractors  are  to 
be  recommended  for  maxi- 
mum results,  distributing  the 
cost  over  the  most  miles  possi- 
ble. They  are  of  best  quality 
material  and  construction  and 
use  the  lowest-priced  fuel. 
Write  us  about  any  Mogul  or 
Titan    \  ractor. 

International  Harvester  Company  of  America 

(Incorporated) 
151  Harvester  Building  Chicago  USA 


GgodRq^s 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publisbinar  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  July,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Annual  Convention  North  Carolina  Good 

Roads  Association 

Astieville,  North  Carolina,  July  9,  10  and  11. 1917 
Headquarters:  Batttery  Park  Hotel 


I 


TENTATIVE  PROGRAil 
Monday,  July  9,  1917 

2:30  to  9  P.  M.— REGISTRATION 

8  -MO  P.  il. — General  Acquaintance  and  Get-Together 

Meeting  between  the  Delegates  and — 
Asheville  Board  of  Trade 
Asheville  and  Buncombe  County  Good  Roads 
Association. 
Asheville  ilotor  Club 
Asheville  Merchants  Association 
9:30  P.  M. — l\Ieeting  of  Executive  Committee 

Tuesday,  July  10,  Morning-  Session 
9:00  A.  M.— Registration 

9  :30 — Invocation. 

Addresses  of  Welcome — 

For  the  City  of  Asheville ilayor  Rankin 

For  Buncombe  County W.  E.  Johnson 

Chairman,    Board    of    County    Commissioners. 
For  Board  of  Trade  and   Jlerchants  Associa- 
tion, For  xVsheville  and  Buncombe  Coun- 
ty Good  Roads  Association,  For  Asheville 
Motor  Club. 
Response  to  Address  of  Welcome — Mr.  H.  B. 

Varuer,  President. 
Address  for  the  Women  of  North  Carolina — 

Mrs.    JIary    C.    Robinson, 
Vice-President,  N.  C.  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs. 
10  :30 — Business  Meeting. 

Report  of  President ilr.  II.  B.  Vai'uer 

Report  of  Secretary  and  Treasurer — 

Dr.    Joseph    Hyde    Pratt 

Report  of  Director Mr.  D.  Tucker  Brown 

Report  of  Engineer  in  charge     of     Highway 

Publications Mr.   John   D.   Waldrop 

Reports  of  Standing  Committees. 
Miscellaneous  Business,  Introduction  of  Reso- 
lutions, Appointment  of  Committees: 
Nominating  Committee,  Resolutions  Com- 
mittee, Membership  Committee,  Finance 
Committee,  Legislative  Committee. 


12  M. — Road  Construction  During  the  War  period — 
Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  State  Geologist,  Secretary 
of  State  Highway  Commission;  State  Rep- 
resentative at  National  Conference  of  De- 
fense and  Member  of  State  Council  of  De- 
fense. 

1.  What  change  should   be   made  in  County 

road  work? 

2.  What  roads  should  be  built? 

3.  Military  Roads. 

4.  Road  Construction  back  of  the  Front 

5.  Cooperation  of  State     Highway     Depart- 
ments with  War  Department. 

GENERAL  DISCUSSION 

Afternoon  Session — 3:00  0 'Clock 

ROAD  LEGISLATION  PASSED  BY  THE  GENERAL 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1917. 
State  Wide  County  Road  Law — Senator 
Senator   K.    E.    Bennett,    Mr.    W.    S 
Highway  Engineer. 
Discussion — 
State   Securitv  for  Countv  Bonds — Hon. 

Mr.  W.  S.   Wilson. 
Discussion — Automobile  Ta.x   for  Road  Maintenance — 

Senator  Bennehan  Cameron,  ilr.  W.  S.  Fallis. 
Prison  Reform  Bill — Senator  W.  D.  Turner,  Dr.  Joseph 
Hyde  Pratt. 

Diseu.ssion — Road  Bonds Mr.  Bruce  Craven 

Discussion 

Tuesday  Evening 

8:00  p.  M.— Entertainment. 

Meeting  of  Committees. 

Wednesday,  July  11 — Morning  Session 

ROAD  MAINTENANCE 

9  :00  A.  M. — Maintenance  of  Highways  an  Absolute 
Necessity— Mr.  W.  L.  Spoon,  Road  Eng.  U.  S. 
Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering. 

A  State  System  of  Maintenance Mr.  W.  S.  Fallis 

State  Highway  Engineer 


R.  S.  McCoin, 
Fallis,   State 


D.  :\I.   Clark, 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  191-; 


Disevission — Maintenance  of  Roads   in   Stuth   Carolina 

—Mr.    J.    Roy    Pennell 
Highway  Engineer  of  S.  C. 
Road  Conditions  as  seen  in  Foreign  Lands — 

General    Julian    S.    Carr 

Report  on  Road  Work  in   Southern  Appalachians 

Mr.    Henry    Roberts 
Pres.  So.  Appalachian  Good  Roads  Association 
Road  ^Maintenance  in   Virginia   and  work  of  Virginia 

Good  Roads  Association "Sir.  C.  B.  Scott 

President  Virginia  Good  Roads  Association 
Afternoon  Session— 3:00  O'clock 
Inspection  of  ]-!uni-onihe  County  Roads  and  Drive  over 
the  County 

Evening  Session — 8:00  0 'Clock. 

BI'SIXESS  :\1EET1XG 

General  Discussion  of  Federal  Aid  and  Report  on  the 

Allotments    of    North    Carjlina    Apportionment — 

State    Highway    Commission 

Relation  of  the  Nortli  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

to  the  State  Highway  Cununission 
Reports  of  Committees 
Election   of  Otficers 

Invitations  for  ne.\t  annual  cunxcntion 
Adjournim,ent 

A   number   of   road    materials   and    road    macliinery 
companies   will    make   exhiihts. 


The  Jlobile  Chamlier  of  Commerce  has  called  f  ir  a 
conference  on  July  2:3-2-1:  to  press  Congressman  Dent's 
bill  for  military  highway  construction  by  the  Federal 
government. 


Utah  Road  Will  Be  Made  of  Salt. 

Utah  is  to  have  one  of  the  most  unusual  motor  ear 
highways  in  the  \yorld — a  road  paved  with  salt  and 
requiring  neither  construction  or  upkeep — if  the  plan 
of  E.  R.  Jlorgau.  state  road  engineer,  proves  a  feasible 
one.  The  scheme  affects  what  is  known  as  the  Wend- 
over  cutoff,  a  forty-mile  highway  running  west  from 
Salt  Lake  to  the  Nevada  line.  It  was  commenced  by 
Salt  Lake  business  men,  the  state  furnishing  half  the 
money,  to  appeal  to  transcontinental  travelers. 

Peculiar  conditions  exist  along  this  road.  The  land 
is  as  flat  as  a  billiard  table.  This  flatness  is  due  to  its 
having  been  an  old  lake  bed  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  At 
one  point  along  the  road,  known  as  the  Salt  Beds, 
where  Teddy  Tetzlatt'  unofficially  broke  the  world's 
mile  record  in  1918,  the  salt  is  several  feet  deep  and  a 
veritable  pavement.  At  that  point  no  road-making  is 
required.  But  for  some  twenty  miles  the  land  is  a 
amd  flat. 

In  gouging  out  this  mud  Hat  with  steam  shovels  to 
throw  up  a  grade  for  a  road,  deep  trenches  wei'e  left 
alongside  the  road  route.  That  was  last  summer.  This 
.vear  a  trip  of  inspection  shows  that  nature  filled  these 
holes  with  heavy  salt  water,  that  the  water  evaporated 
and  left  the  earth  cavities  level — brimful  of  salt  as 
hard  as  the  salt  beds  themselves. 

"All  we  have  to  do  is  to  lay  2x12  boards  as  far 
aijart  as  we  wish  the  road  to  lie  wide.  These  can  be 
made  almost  water  tight.  Then  the  heavy  salt  water 
ran  be  pumped  into  this  roadbed  and  renewed  as  rap- 
idly as  it  evaporate  or  leaks  out.  Nature  will  do  the 
rest.  Within  a  year  we  will  have  a  highwaj^  of  salt  as 
smooth  and  durable  as  the  best  paving."  Engineer  Mor- 
gan savs. 


Scene  on  Hickory  Nut  Gap  Mountain,  Asheville-Charlotte  Highway,  North  Carolina 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


The  Economy  of  Good  Highway  Bridges 

By  CHARLES  D.  SNEAD 
Bridge  Engineer,  Kentucky  Public  Roads  Department 


IF  YOTTR  state  had  been  building  bridges  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  it  was  found  that  out  of  33,000 
bridges  23,000  were  incapable  of  carrying  a  concen- 
trated load  of  5  tons,  and  miany  of  them  could  carry 
scarcely  any  load  at  all,  would  you  believe  that  the 
erection  of  such  bridges  had  proved  economical  and 
that  the  expenditure  of  money  on  them  had  been  made 
wisely  f  Can  you  criticize  a  department  which  desires 
to  look  forward  and  prevent  the  repetition  of  such 
conditions?  How  would  any  business  man  entrusted 
with  any  class  of  public  works  feel  to  kn;)W  that  it  will 


Where  the  Central  Highway  of  North  Carolina 
Crosses  the  Blue  Ridge 

take  17  years  at  the  present  tax  rate  and  $30,000,000  to 
replace  works  under  his  charge  which  could  have  been 
built  properly  at  perhaps  30  per  cent  increase  in  cost 
when  first  constructed? 

Many  are  the  bridges  for  which  appropriations  have 
been  made  without  a  survey,  plan  or  engineer's  esti- 
mate of  cost.     Many  are  the  plans  wliich  have  been  cut 


and  skinned  to  meet  a  demand  for  bridges  within  the 
allotted  cost.  No  greater  inducement  for  flimsy,  weak 
structures  can  be  offered  a  contractor  than  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  cheapest  plan  will  be  accepted  as 
the  design  upon  which  bids  will  be  asked.  Taxpayers 
should  demand  that  expenditures  for  bridges  of  all 
classes  shall  be  anade  only  for  structures  built  under  the 
supervision  of  structural  engineers  of  known  ability 
and  according  to  plans  drawn  by  them. 

A  bond  issue,  the  construction  of  a  railway,  a  new 
town  or  some  other  development  may  cause  an  entire 
change  in  the  relative  importance  of  certain  roads  with- 
in the  life  of  the  bridges  forming  parts  of  them.  One 
of  the  first  bridges  designed  by  a  certain  state  high- 
way department  was  at  a  small  railway  station  miles 
fi'om  the  county  seat,  where  to  the  people  and  the  com- 
missioners, the  requirement  that  the  structure  should 
be  able  to  carry  a  load  of  6  tons  seemed  excessive. 
Scarcely  a  year  later  road  bonds  were  issued  by  the 
county  in  which  this  bridge  is  located,  and  the  bridge 
had  to  be  strengthened  to  carry  a  12-ton  road  roller. 
The  more  general  use  of  traction  engines  and  motor 
trucks  tends  to  put  all  roads  in  the  "important"  class, 
so  far  as  their  bridges  are  concerned.  Agricultural 
tractors  with  shipping  weights  of  171/2  tons,  motor 
trucks  carrying  loads  of  10  tons  in  addition  to  their 
own  weight,  and  trailers  carrying  loads  of  15  tons  are 
in  use.  In  order  that  such  loads  can  be  carried  safely 
and  bridges  may  be  strong  and  dural)le  enough  to  have 
ultimate  economy,  all  structures  with  roadways  of  18 
feet  width  or  less,  except  those  near  cities,  should  be 
designed  to  carry  a  load  of  15  tons  on  two  axles  10 
feet  apart,  the  rear  axle  carrying  10  tons  and  the  front 
axle  5  tons.  Near  cities  it  is  better  to  design  struc- 
tures for  a  20-tou  load. 

The  meaning  of  the  words  "ultimate  economy"  in 
connection  with  a  bridge  may  not  be  clear  without  ex- 
planation. Durability  without  strengtii  is  of  little  val- 
ue in  a  bridge.  Strengtii  without  durability  will  us- 
ually prove  a  waste  of  auoney;  wooden  bridges  may  be 
designed  with  a  strength  when  new  equal  to  that  of 
steel  structures,  but  ultimate  economy  will  rarely  be 
attained  by  using  wood  because  of  the  amount' and 
cost  of  the  lumber  that  must  be  used.  A  steel  bridge 
may  be  designed  to  carry  light  traffic  and  cost  much 
le.ss  than  one  able  to  carry  a  15-ton  tractor,  but  on  ac- 
count of  its  lack  of  strength  it  will  have  to  be  replaced 
soon  and  it  therefore  lacks  ultimate  economv. 


What  Happens  to  Road  Legislation. 

The  conditions  of  the  roads  in  sonu'  states  largely 
reflect  the  amount  of  good  sense  the  legislators  put  in- 
to the  measures  providing  for  their  construction.  An 
Illinois  paper  hands  out  this  hot  one  concerning  impor- 
tant legislation  recently  passed  there : 

The  $60,000,000  good  roads  bill  has  been  turned  into 
the  50th  General  Assembly  pork  barrel  and  real  friends 
of  highway  improvement  in  the  legislature  declare  that 
if  the  bill  is  not  amended  its  defeat  is  certain. 

Conference  committee  hearings  are  now  in  progress 
in  an  ett'ort  to  remake  the  measure  into  a  bill  that  will 
command  the  respect  of  the  state.  Gov.  Lowden  is 
lending  his  assistance  in  the  work. 

Instead   of  providing  for  4,400  miles   of  good   road 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


■Inly,  1917 


route  through  all  sections  of  the  commonwealth,  as 
originally  drafted,  the  bill  now  carries  a  routing 
scheme  whieli  provides  for  some  470  miles  extra  and 
calls  for  road  building  between  points  never  heard  of. 
far  beyond  the  communities  mentioned. 

There  is  only  one  satisfactory  thing  about  the  bill 
from  a  legislative  standpoint,  and  that  is  that  every 
downstate  member  can  tell  his  constituents  that  their 
district  will  Iiave  a  share  of  the  road  building  program. 

It  is  claimed  that  the  bill  as  passed  by  the  House  was 
in  fairly  good  shape  as  far  as  the  proposed  good  roads 
routes  were  concerned  but  when  the  mea.sure  readied 
the  Senate  trouble  started.  After  being  tinkered  with 
in  committee  the  bill  was  sent  to  the  floor  and  further 
changes  were  made.  If  there  be  any  senator  outside 
Chicago  who  failed  to  get  a  piece  of  road  for  his  dis- 
trict he  has  not  been  heard  mentioning  it.  Some  Chi- 
cago members  also  were  insistent  that  certain  routing 
plans  be  followed  in  the  proposed  highway  building 
through  the  county  of  Cook. 

"That's  the  biggest  piece  of  bunk  legislation  that  I 
have  ever  seen  put  throi;gh  the  Senate,"  one  senator 
said.  "I  don't  have  the  least  idea  that  the  Legislature 
will  be  foolish  enough  to  pass  the  lull  in  its  present 
form  and  if  it  does  I  know  the  people  will  never  0.  K. 
it  when  they  come  t;)  vote  on  the  big  bond  issue. 

"If  any  legislator  has  a  farm  that  hasn't  a  piece  of 
road  adjacent  to  it  it's  because  he  never  asked  the 
boys  to  run  some  sort  of  a  spur  out  in  the  direction  of 
his  land  holdings.  If  he's  got  a  village  of  500  people  in 
his  district  that  isn't  on  one  of  tlie  roads  he  hasn't  got 


a  fair  deal — as  they're  dealing  now — in  this  proposed 
road  law.  It's  a  good  roads  bill  that  smells  more  like 
]);)i'k  than  concrete. 

"About  the  only  persons  that  have  not  been  consult- 
ed about  the  routing  program  are  the  motorists  of  the 
state  and  it's  these  same  car  owners  that  are  going  to 
pay  for  the  road  building  through  increased  license 
charges. ' ' 

Some  forty  amendments  to  change  the  original  rout- 
ing plans  incorporated  in  the  measure  were  offered  in 
the  Senate.  When  the  mutilated  measure  was  sent 
over  to  the  Plouse  for  concurrence  there  was  a  prompt 
refusal  to  agree  to  the  changes.  It  is  expected  that  the 
conference  committee  wil  be  ready  to  report  some  time 
this  week  and  then  the  fate  of  the  bill  will  be  known 
verv  shortly. 


Road  Iniilding  with  convict  labor  is  an  old  story  in 
some  states,  but  Connecticut  has  tried  a  new  kind  of 
compulsory  labor  on  her  highways.  There  are  many 
husky  j'ouths  sent  to  the  state  reformatory  whose  pre- 
vious surroundings  failed  to  teach  them  the  necessity 
of  steady  work  and  the  personal  satisfaction  derived 
from  performing  useful  tasks  creditably.  They  have 
recently  been  used  in  Iniilding  about  three  miles  of 
concrete  roads,  in  crushing  stone  and  in  building  ma- 
cadam roads.  Charles  J.  Bennett,  state  highway  com- 
missioner, reports  that  the  work  done  by  these  youths 
is  "excellent  and  economical,"  and  that  in  every  ease 
they  ))ehaved  themselves  fully  as  well  as  ordinary  la- 
liorers  do. 


Cement  Underpass,  Southern  Railway,  Saluda  Mountain — Asheville-Spartanburt'  Highway,  Creek  Floivs  Under 

Cement  Floor  of  Culvert 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Big  Kansas  Campaign  Going 

By  J.  FRANK  SMITH 
Manager  of  Good  Roads  Association,  Having  Busy  Time  and  Getting  Results 


P"'  OLLOWING  is  a   list   oi  activities     of     Manager 
Smith,  reeently  sent  Southern  Good  Roads. 

April  17 — Visited  Ilolton,  Jackson  fount^.  Had 
meeting  with  number  road  boosters.  Some  were  in  fa- 
vor of  starting  out  at  once  tn  improve  section  of  road; 
others  wanted  to  wait  until  they  raised  a  crop.  Every- 
body pleased  with  hard  surface  roads  and  will  be  in 
game  strong  in  near  future. 

April  17 — evening — Visited  Summertield,  JIarshall 
county,  attending  big  road  meeting  and  road  working 
picnic.  Addressed  500  people  night  of  the  17th,  and 
again  the  night  of  the  18th.  Explained  the  applica- 
tion of  the  new  road  law.  Summertield  and  vicinity 
very  much  interested  in  building  a  hard  road,  either 
brick  or  cement,  from  Summertield  south  to  the  Rock 
Island  Highway,  a  distance  of  nine  miles. 

April  19 — Visited  JMarysville.  county  seat  of  ^lar- 
shall  county.  Held  meeting  in  the  court  house  with  a 
number  of  road  boosters  and  explained  the  applications 
of  the  new  road  law.  The  people  there  are  seriously 
considering  paving  five  miles  of  the  Rock  Island  High- 
way. Expect  to  get  busy  on  proposition  soon.  After- 
noon of  the  19th  visited  Hiawatha.  Talked  to  several 
road  enthusiasts  and  found  sentiment  strong  for  hard 
surfaced  roads. 

April  20 — Held  big  meeting  at  school  house  half  way 
between  Hiawatha  and  Horton.  Explained  operations 
of  the  new  road  law  and  found  the  penple  anxious  to 
take  advantage  of  its  liberal  provisions.  Committee  of 
seven  appointed  to  investigate  relative  cost  of  cement 
and  brick  roads  and  to  report  at  another  meeting  to 
be  called  soon. 

April  23 — Attended  a  meeting  in  Emporia  and  helped 
roacl  boosters  that  town  outline  plan  of  organization 
for  New  Santa  Fe  Trails  Association  which  is  to  be  or- 
ganized at  Emporia  April  25  for  purpDse  of  improving 
200  miles  of  New  Santa  Fe  Trail  from  Kinsley,  Kas.,  to 
Edgerton.  Kans.  People  at  Emporia  very  much  pleased 
with  new  law  and  expect  to  promote  the  building  of 
either  concrete  or  brick  over  the  entire  section  of  road. 

April  24 — Address  the  Co-Operative  Club  of  Topeka 
at  nooday  luncheon  and  explained  application  of  new 
road  law  by  use  of  chart.  Addressed  Kansas  Thresh- 
ermen  at  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Topeka,  night  of 
April  24th. 

April  27 — Oswego.  Kans.  Held  conference  with  board 
of  county  commissioners  in  forenoon.  Secured  their 
consent  to  co-operate  with  the  people  in  the  building  of 
at  least  30  miles  of  gravel  road  each  year  for  five  years. 
In  afternoon  attended  big  meeting  at  opera  house.  Ex- 
plained provisions  of  new  road  laws  and  secured  a  ten- 
tative pledge  from  the  people  that  they  would  unite 
with  the  county  commissioners  in  building  at  least  30 
miles  of  gravel  road  each  year  for  Ave  years. 

May  10 — ^Addressed  good  roads  meeting  in  assembly 
room.  National  Hotel,  Topeka,  composed  of  road  boos- 
ters from  all  over  Kansas  who  were  in  Topeka  to  see 
State  Highway  Commission  concerning  Federal  aid  on 
Highways. 

May  11 — Addressed  delegation  of  over  fifty  mem- 
bers Midland  Trail  Association  representing  counties 
all  along  the  Midland  Trail  across  Kansas.  Explained 
provisions  of  the  new  road  laws  and  how  they  can  be 
used  to  build  permanent  roads.      Assisted  them  in  or- 


ganizing a  Kansas  Division  with  the  view  of  promoting 
the  building  of  hard  surfaced  roads  across  the  state. 

Jlay  15 — Washington,  Kans.  Addressed  large  road 
meeting  in  Opera  House  and  explained  provisions  of 
new  road  laws  and  secured  tentative  pledge  from  peo- 
ple that  community  to  build  14  miles  gravel  road  from 
Hanover  to  Washington  during  this  year,  being  a  sec- 
tion of  the  Pikes  Peak  Highway. 

May  16 — Cla.y  Center,  Kans.,  4.  p.  m.,  addressed  the 
county  commissioners  of  Clay  and  Cloud  counties,  ex- 
plained the  provisions  of  the  hard  road  law  and  secured 
tentative  pledge  of  all  these  commissioners  that  they 
would  co-operate  with  the  people  of  their  covuities  in 
building  permanent  roads.  8  p.  m.  addressed  big  meet- 
ing at  Opera  House.  Representatives  were  present 
from  several  adjoining  counties,  and  an  espc'cially 
farge  delegation  of  over  100  from  Concordia  and  near- 
by towns.  The  Clay  county  people  voted  almost  unan- 
imously in  favor  of  building  10  miles  of  permanent 
roads  this  year  in  that  county,  with  a  view  to  building 
150  miles  in  Clay  county  before  the  end  of  five  years. 

May  17 — Concordia,  Kans.  Addressed  noon  clay 
meeting  of  over  100  farmers  and  business  men  and  del- 
egates from  adjoining  towns.  Concordia  and  Cloud 
county  promised  to  build  42  miles  brick  road  during 
next  year,  or  as  much  as  contractors  can  build.  They 
have  set  for  their  goal  this  year  74  miles  brick  road, 
Clay  Center  through  Cuncordia  to  Beloit. 

ilay  18 — Topeka,  Kans.  Addressed  the  Topeka  Au- 
tomobile Club  at  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  rooms  at 
S  p.  m. 

May  19 — Emporia.  Kans.  Addressed  meeting  of 
about  100  farmers  at  2  p.  m.  at  Commercial  Club  rooms. 
The  project  under  consideration  is  the  improvement  of 
the  New  Santa  Fe  Trail  across  Lyon  coiinty.  Some  of 
the  farmers  very  strong  against  improved  roads;  others 
strong  for  them.  It  will  require  some  effective  work 
to  get  a  road  built  in  Lyon  county. 

May  2.5 — Will  address  a  road  meeting  at  night  at 
Simpson,  Kansas. 

May  26 — ^Will  address  an  afternoon  i-oad  meeting  at 
Glasco,  Kansas. 

May  28 — Will  address  a  big  road  meeting  at  night  at 
Great  Bend.  Kans. 

May  29 — Will  address  a  road  meeting  at  Hoisington, 
Kans. 

May  26 — Will  address  a  big  road  meeting  at  Salina, 
Kansas. 

Early  in  June  'Sir.  Smith  will  address  meetings  at 
Belleville.  Phillipsburg  and  Norton;  in  fact,  is  now 
booked  for  speeches  up  to  middle  of  June. 

During  the  first  thirty  days  of  the  campaign  we  have 
sent  out  good  roads  matter  to  all  the  newspapers  of  the 
state  several  times,  much  of  which  has  been  generously 
printed.  We  have  also  sent  out  literature  and  the 
new  road  laws  to  several  hundred  people.  The  above 
represents  about  four  weeks  campaigning  with  the 
prospects  of  finally  securing  the  improvement  of  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  of  roads.  Necessary  traveling  ex- 
penses about  $150.  Received  from  communities  visited 
•Is. 00  of  expense  money,  showing  that  the  people  over 
the  state  want  assistance  in  their  road  caimpaign,  but 
are  very  slow  to  put  up  the  money  to  pay  the  expenses. 
The  land  owners  and  tax  payers  in  each  of  the  com- 


8 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  1917 


miinities  visited  will  have  to  put  up  the  money  to  build 
the  roads  when  they  are  built,  but  are  not  very  free 
to  put  up  the  money  to  promote  the  big  highway  cam- 
paign. Therefore,  the  promotion  fund,  or  the  most  of 
it,  will  have  to  come  from  otlier  sources. 

Wlierever  Mr.  Smith  goes  and  explains  the  operations 
of  the  new  hard  surfaced  road  law  the  people  at  once 
become  enthusiastic  over  the  prospects  of  building 
'many  miles  of  improved  roads  during  the  next  few 
years. 


Where  War  Has  Brought  Roads. 

The  Italian  war  department  states  that  240  miles  of 
narrow  gauge  railway  lines  have  been  completed  on 
the  army  front.  Italian  soldiers  and  sailors  in  Albe- 
ia  have  laid  sixty  miles  of  narrow  gauge  lines,  this  be- 
ing the  first  railway  system  in  that  country,  and  have 
further  built  180  miles  of  macadam  or  dirt  wagon 
roads  in  the  past  year.  These  roads,  running  over 
mountains  and  through  swamps,  are  also  the  first  good 
roads  known  in  this  region  since  the  days  of  the  an- 
cient Roman  empire. 


NOTICE! 

Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Currituck  Coun- 
ty, North  Carolina,  under  authority  of  Public-Local 
Act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina,  Ses- 
sion 1917,  ratified  January  9,  1917,  invites  bids  for  the 
purchase  of  thirty  bonds  of  $100  each,  ten  bonds  of 
$500  each  and  twelve  bonds  of  $1000  each  for  the  pur- 
pose of  paying  the  debt  contracted  by  the  Currituck 
Highway  Commission  and  for  the  purpose  of  building, 
repairing  and  constructing  the  roads  of  Currituck 
County.  Said  bonds  to  be  due  twenty  years  after  date 
of  issue,  interest  to  be  payable  semi-annually  at  the 
rate  of  six  per  cent  per  annum. 

Each  of  said  bonds  to  be  negotiable  coupon  bond 
payable  to  liearer,  both  principal  and  interest,  at  First 
National  Bank  of  Elizabeth  City,  N.  C.  All  the  bonds 
of  $100  each  will  be  offered  for  sale  together.  Same  as 
to  $500  bonds  and  same  as  to  $1000  bonds.  Said  bonds, 
if  sold,  to  be  issued  the  13th  day  of  August  1917.  Seal- 
ed bids  will  be  received  until  12  o'clock  M.,  Monday, 
6th  daj'  of  August  1917.  Each  bid  is  to  be  accompan- 
ied by  a  certified  check  of  $100.  Sealed  bids  to  be  ad- 
dressed to  T.  W.  Baxter,  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
missioners, Currituck,  N.  C. 

The  Board  of  Commissioners  reserves  the  right  to  re- 
ject any  and  all  liids. 

N.  X.  HAMPTON,  Jr.,  Chairman. 
THOS.  W.  BAXTER,  Clerk  to  Board. 


No  Cessation  of  Work. 

Building  of  good  roads  and  the  continuance  of  plans 
for  buildings  which  were  started  before  the  war  will  be 
urged  by  the  Memphis  Builders'  Exchange. 

The  aid  of  the  local  exchange  has  been  enlisted  by 
J.  P.  Bock,  general  manager  of  the  Portland  Cement 
Association,  who  has  sent  literature  to  more  than  150,- 
000  building  material  dealers,  contractors  and  archi- 
tects in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

In  this  literature  it  is  pointed  out  that  the  cost  of 
building  is  not  advanced  to  any  great  extent,  but  it  is 
just  as  good  an  investment  today  as  it  was  several 
years  ago  to  erect  a  new  building. 

Special  stress  is  laid  on  the  building  of  roads,  which 
are  very  necessary,  it  is  pointed  out,  in  the  time  of  war. 
Good  roads  will  aid  materially,  it  is  shown,  in  helping 
to  reduce  the  high  cost  of  living. 


Buffalo  Bill's  grave  on 
Lookout  Mountain,  Color- 
ado, showing  " ARMCO" 
IRON    Corrugated    Arch 

reads  to  be  placed  over  the 

burglar  proof  casket. 


'ARMCO"  IRON 
CORRUGATED 
CULVERTS  should 
be  used  by  all  for 
drainage  of  High- 
ways, and  Railroad 
track  for  the  same 
reason  the  "ARM- 
CO"  Arch  is  here 
used— for  absolute  PROTECTION  and  DE- 
PENDABLE SERVICE. 

Manufactured  by 

The  Dixie  Culvert  &  Metal  Co. 


Atlanta,  Ga. 


Factories  :     Atlanta.  Ga  .  New  Orleans.  La  ,  Jacksonville.  Fla. 
Little  Rock.  Ark  ,  Shawnee.  Okla. 


The   "Easy  to   clean,"    Patented    "High 
Speed"  Mixing  and    Discharge  Action  is   one  of   the  few  that  suc- 
cessfully and  last  handles 

STIFF  CONCRETE  FOR  CURBS,  GUHER  AND  SIDEWALK  WORK 

Get  our  astonishingly  low  prices  on  these  sturdy,  built-of-steel  mixers — also 
our  Terms.  6  and  U-ft.  sizes — also  with  Loaders.  Quick  dehveries  from 
stock  carried  in  all  large  cities.     Write  nearest  office. 

a,e  AniencaiiCeitienirk:hineCQ  Inc  ae,Xr^p^,tS{,'^'=!^?o^^re^''2ich2',l3: 

^l       r  I  Cambridge,   Mass. ;  Indianapolis.  Chicago.  New 

COKUK         Iowa  Orleana,    Minneapolis,    Seattle,    Spokane.    Log 

AngeleB.  San  Francisco,   Cleveland,    St.  Ixmia, 
Louisville. 


t  30Q00O  HP  CLBCTRIC  (TPr 


I 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


' '  National  Road ' ' 

The  three  hiuulred  miles  from  Baltimore  or  Wash- 
ington through  Frederick,  Hagerstown,  Cumberland, 
Frostburg  and  Uniontown  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  is  the 
most  historic  thoroughfare  in  the  United  States,  and 
the  eastern  division  of  the  National  Old  Trails  Oeean- 
to-Ocean  route.  For  several  years  it  has  been  studied 
in  detail  by  Robert  Bruce,  lung  on  the  staff  of  the  Au- 
tomobile Blue  Books  and  the  American  Automobile 
Association,  who  has  brought  out,  under  the  name  of 
"The  National  Road,"  a  booklet  of  100  pages,  covering 
the  route  from  the  topographic,  historic  and  pictorial 
standpoints.  It  is  the  work  of  a  close  student  of  the 
sub.iect,  who  has  spared  neither  time  nor  pains  to  go 
beneath  the  physical  features  which,  however,  are 
brought  out  with  special  clearness  and  good  efifect,  to 
the  stirring  history  and  legend  that  center  about  the 
old  turnpike  from  Baltimore  and  Washington  across 
the  Blue  Ridge  and  Alleghany  ilountains  to  the  Ohi;i 
River  more  than  any  other  single  road  in  America. 

The  fact  that  the  National  Road  is  now  in  first-class 
shape  practically  all  the  way  from  Chesapeake  Bay  or 
the  Potomac  River  to  the  Ohio,  and  that  great  improve- 
ments are  already  under  way  through  the  central  West, 
makes  the  publication  of  this  book  most  timely.  A  care- 
ful reading  of  it  is  likely  to  convince  one  that  American 
highways,  especially  these  built  along  the  lines  of  the 
old  trails  between  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  the  cen- 
tral West  or  far  West,  deserve  more  careful  and  thor- 
ough treatment  than  they  have  received  in  the  past. 
Copies  at  $1.00  in  paper  or  $1.25  in  cloth  postpaid,  may 
lie  secured  from  the  author.  Robert  Bruce.  Clinton, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  who  will  b(>  glad  to  corresitond  with 
any  motorist  intending  to  make  all  or  part  of  that  trip. 


Roads  to  Relieve  Food  Shortage. 

After  a  tour  of  the  proposed  route  of  the  North  antl 
South  Bee  Line  Highway  in  Florida,  Miss  Alma  Rit- 
tenberr.y,  field  secretary  of  the  association,  returned  to 
Dothan,  Ala.,  convinced  with  the  highway's  import- 
ance in  the  face  of  the  threatening  coal  sliortage  and 
railroad  congestion. 

Jliss  Rittenberry  has  written  to  Secretary  Houston, 
of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  setting  forth  the 
advantages  of  the  proposed  highway  in  the  time  of 
critical  transportation  situations,  and  also  outlined 
some  most  optimistic  views  she  has  gathered  on  the 
food  shortage  ciuestion.     She  said : 

"There  is  so  much  talk  aljout  the  conservation  of 
food  and  1  think  the  congressmen  the  other  day  put  it 
rather  plain.  Tliey  who  have  been  doing  so  much  talk- 
ing about  the  shortage  of  the  food  supplj'  are  running 
the  prices  up. 

"In  the  last  three  weeks  I  have  been  over  the  terri- 
tory from  Birmingham  to  Tampa;  I  have  seen  no  signs 
of  shortness  in  the  food  supply;  in  fact,  I  have  found 
the  hotels  rather  extravagant  and  the  price  has  not  in- 
creased much. 

"For  instance,  in  Dothan,  I  coixld  have  bought  meat 
at  twenty  cents  a  pound.  Mr.  Mathis  of  Birmingham,  in 
my  state,  has  us  all  scared  to  death  telling  us  we  are 
going  to  starve,  that  people  were  selling  the  little  pigs 
off  the  farm,  so  I  stepped  up  to  a  woman  in  Dothan 
who  was  running  a  farm  and  I  cautioned  her  about  the 
shortage  of  pigs;  she  replied  that  she  had  .just  one 
hundred  hogs  to  fatten  this  fall. 

"Part  of  the  way  down  I  came  in  automol)iles,  the 
other  on  train  ;  I  came  through  the  cities  from  Birming- 


"Dynamite  was  not  used  —  and  we  were 
paid  for  1,500  yards  of  rock  excavation 
which  wai  classed  as  dynamite  work," 
write  the  Gund-Graham  Co.,  Contractors, 
Preeport,  111.  "The  large  rocks  shown  in  the  picture 
^vcre  torn  by  the  shovel  from  their  natural  bed. 

"We  eitimate  that  some  of  the  rocks  torn 
out  and  thrown  on  the  dump  weighed  at 
least  two  tons.  But  we  finished  without 
any    damage     to     the     shovel,    outside    of 

breaking  a  couple  teeth---which  goes  to  show  that 
the  shovel  has  the  staffing  quah'liee,  as  advertised,'" 

Do  you  want  to  know  where  the  Erie  gets 
such  strength  ?  Just  find  out  for  yourself 
which  J  yard  shovel  has  the  largest  bear, 
ings  ?  Which  has  the  strongest  truck 
frame?  The  strongest  boon,  ^  When  analyzed 
point  by  point,  detail  by  detail-"which  is  the  best 
revolving  shovel  ? 

You  can  easily  find  out  which  is  the 
STRONGEST  and  at  the  same  time  the 
SPEEDIEST  Shovel  on  the  market  You 
can  get  the  straight  facts  from  men  who 
have  owned  several  makes  of  shovels. 

We  will  be  glad  to  tell  you  where  you  can  see  Erie 
Shovels,  and  talk  to  Erie  owners---in  your  neighbor- 
hood Write  for  this  information — also  a  copy  of 
our  new  Bulletin    'S.' 

BALL  ENGINE  CO.,  Erie,  Pa. 


'*The  Erie  has 
the  STAYING 
QUALITIES,  as 


advertised" 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  EOADS 


July,  1917 


ham  to  Montgomery,  Troy,  Dothan.  Ala.,  Marianna, 
Qiiincy,  Tallahassee,  ]\Ioutieello,  Madison,  Live  Oak, 
High  Springs,  to  Gainesville,  to  Ocala,  Brooksville  into 
Tampa. 

"I  am  traveling  in  the  interest  of  the  North  and 
South  National  Bee  Line  Highway,  but  I  never  saw  in 
all  my  life  as  I  saw  from  the  car  window  the  wasteful 
destruction  of  the  pine  forests. 

"The  turpentine  interests  have  sapped  the  life  out 
of  the  young  pines;  thej'  are  not  large  enough  for  tim- 
ber; the  woods  are  set  on  fire,  the  undergrowth,  these 
pines  that  are  drained  of  the  sap  which  sustains  life 
are  easily  caught  on  fire,  they  burn  and  fall  to  the 
ground.  There  are  jiist  thousands  of  acres  in  the  con- 
dition that  the  passenger  on  the  railroad  train  is  an 
eye-witnesses  to.  It  seems  to  me  that  something  should 
be  done  to  jireserve  the  fallen  timljer  for  wood;  it  is 
hard  to  get  coal  out  in  some  of  the  little  towns,  for  be- 
tween Higli  Springs  and  Gainesville  we  stopped  in  the 
woods  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  and  took  on  wood  to 
fire  the  engine  into  Gainesville;  the  conductor  said  they 
couldn't  get  coal  and  he  was  afraid  it  wouldn't  be 
long  before  they  could  not  get  any  one  to  cut  the 
wood.  I  am  not  writing  you  to  offer  any  advice,  but 
stating  to  you  the  facts  as  I  see  them.  It  is  essential  to 
have  wood  to  cook  as  well  as  to  fire  engines;  the  preser- 
vation of  this  wood  miglit  give  employment  to  a  great 
manv  people.     I  beg  to  remain.        "Very  trulv  yoiirs, 

"ALMA    RITTENBERRY, 

Field    Secretary." 


Roads  Imperative  for  Army. 

An  American  army  no  matter  how  large,  perfectly 
trained  or  well  equipped  would  be  of  little  value  in 
defending  a  country  of  an  area  as  extensive  as  that 
of  the  United  States  unless  adequate  provision  for  its 
rapid  transportation  to  needed  points  together  with 
the  vast  supplies  of  food  and  munitions  and  other  nec- 
essary equipment  were  assured. 

Today  the  railroads  are  exerting  themselves  to  the 
utmost  to  handle  commercial  traffic.  It  is  no  far-fetch- 
ed supposition  that  the  added  burden  of  military  trans- 
portation would  be  the  straw  to  the  camel's  back.  Per- 
manent highways  should  be  available  as  an  alternate 
and  supplement  to  our  railroads. 

We  have  had  the  military  lesson  of  the  good  roads 
that  saved  France.  Motor  cars  and  motor  trucks  in 
sufficient  numbers  are  at  the  call  of  the  Government. 
They  are  capable  of  transporting  an  army  with  all  of 
its  equipment.  The  one  limitation  is  that  of  roads. 
Permanent,  durable,  all-weather  roads  are  a  national 
necessity  in  this  connection.  A  system  of  such  through, 
connected  roads  is  required. 

We  have  one  such  road  established  but  not  perfect- 
ed. It  is  the  Lincoln  Highway,  connecting  New  York 
and  San  Francisco.  Its  location  is  such  as  to  make  it 
of  first  importance  at  this  time.  An  improved  Lincoln 
Highway  would  be  a  preparedness  asset  of  untold  value 
to   our  countrv. 


Macon  county.  Ga..  is  asking  for  Federal  aid  in  the 
construction  of  the  Flint  River  bridge,  the  county's 
part  to  come  out  of  a  recent  l)ond  issue  of  $100,000. 


The  Berkeley  County,  West  Virginia,  court  has  re- 
ceived from  the  state  highway  department  proposals 
for  the  construction  of  six  main  roads  embracing  about 
100  miles  as  the  "letter  A"  roads  of  the  countv. 


Hauling  8,000  Pounds  of  Lumber  On  a  Virginia  Good  Road — An  Argument  You  Can't  Get  Around 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


11 


Military  Marginal  Higliway  Bill 


Senator  Cliambcrlain  Will  Push  For  Action  on  Road  System  Needed  in  Our 

National  Defense  System 


WHAT  will  be  known  as  the  :\Iilitary  Marginal  High- 
way hill  has  been  introdueed  in  the  United  States 
Senate  by  Chairman  George  E.  e'hamberlain  of  the 
Committee  on  Military  Affairs.  This  measure  is  the 
result  of  various  eonferenees  participated  in  by  repre- 
sentatives of  national  organizations  whieh  have  been 
much  eoneerned  in  highways  improvement  matters. 

Recently  a  eommittee  created  as  a  result  of  these 
conferences  consulted  with  Senator  Chamberlain  as  to 
the  timeliness  of  roads  legislation  in  connection  with 
eompi-ehensive  military  preparatiDu  for  any  situation 
which  might  arise.  This  committee  was  made  up  of 
John  A.  Wilson,  chairman  of  the  Military  Prepared- 
ne.ss  Committee  of  the  American  Association ;  State 
Highway  Commissioner  George  P.  Coleman,  president 
of  the  American  Associati;)n  of  State  Highway  Officials; 
Samuel  Hill,  president  of  the  Pacific  Highway  Associa- 
tion ;  and  Commissioner  John  Craft  of  the  Alabama 
Highways  department. 

George  C.  Diehl,  Chairman  of  the  A.  A.  A.  Good 
Roads  Board ;  Henry  G.  Shirley,  executive  chairman 
of  the  American  Association  of  State  Highway  Officials; 
and  Osborne  I.  Yellott,  chairman  of  the  A.  A.  A.  Leg- 
islative Board,  were  entrusted  with  the  preliminary 
draft  of  the  bill,  which  was  subjected  to  some  slight 
changes  as  a  result  of  the  visit  to  Senator  Chamber- 
lain, who  at  once  expressed  his  belief  in  such  action 
and  agreed  to  introduce  the  priposed  measure  in  the 
upper  branch  of  Congress. 

Senator  John  H.  Bankheatl,  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  Post  Offices  and  Post  Roads  and  the  sponsor 
of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act,  is  a  strong  suppirter  of 
the  plan  to  include  military  needs  hereafter  in  high- 
ways progress. 

Briefly,  the  Military  Highway  bill  authorizes  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  direct  the  Chief  of  Engineers  of 
the  War  Department  to  prepare  a  "comprehensive  plan 
of  improved  highways  throughout  the  Cnited  States 
designed  primarily  with  a  view  to  facilitating  the  move- 
ment of  military  troops,  equipment,  munitions,  and 
supplies,  in  time  of  peace  and  in  time  of  war,  but,  so 
far  as  reasonably  compatible  with  .said  primary  pur- 
poses, with  a  further  view  to  accommodating  the  pos- 
tal service,  facilitating  interstate  and  foreign  com- 
merce, aiding  agricultural  and  manufacturing  pursuits, 
and  promoting  the  general  welfare  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States."  Furthermore,  it  is  set  forth  that  "To 
these  ends  the  Secretary  of  War  shall  confer  with  the 
authorities  having  in  charge  the  construction  of  roads 
in  the  several  states,  and  in  such  conferences  shall  dis- 
close so  far  as  reasonably  practicable  the  outlines  of  his 
plans  for  roads  designed  for  military  purposes,  to  the 
end  that  unnecessary  duplication  of  roads  may  be 
avoided,  and  that  roads  constructed  for  other  than  mil- 
itary purposes  may  be  in  strategic  locations  wherever 
reasonably  possible." 

It  is  provided  that  the  plan  may  be  undertaken  in 
such  installments  or  divisions  as  may  seem  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  expedient  and  desirable.  The  plan  pro- 
vides for  "a  continuous  main  national  highway  to  be 
constructed  and  maintained  at  the  national  expense 
along  or  near  the  Atlantic  seaboard ;  thence  along  or 
near  the  southmost  boundaries  of  the  United  States, 
and  thence  along  or  near  the  Pacific  Coast  to  a  point  at 


or  near  the  Canadian  line,  with  a  further  view  to  such 
marginal  highway  being  extended  ultimately  along  the 
Canadian  boundary  of  the  I'liited  States." 

Provision  is  made  for  a  supplementary  plan  of  main 
radial  roads  interesting  the  Military  Marginal  High- 
way "at  points  and  of  locations  ancl  route  best  calcu- 
lated to  best  serve  military  requirements."  These  ra- 
dial highways  are  to  be  such  as  "have  heretofore  been 
constructed  by  the  state,  or  as  may  hereafter  be  con- 
structed by  them  independently  or  with  Federal  aid." 

Bearing  in  mind  the  vital  importance  of  roads  ca- 
pable of  withstanding  heavy  military  usage,  which 
feature  has  been  accentuated  in  the  conflict  now  rag- 
ing in  Europe,  those  wh;i  have  given  of  their  time  and 
thought  to  roads  progress  in  this  country  are  convinc- 
ed that  the  United  States  should  no  longer  delay  the 
fullest  attention  to  this  phase  of  transportation  needs. 


Bankhead  Highw^ay  Inspected. 

A.  Rountree,  secretary  of  the  Bankhead  National 
Highway  Association,  recently  I'eturned  to  Birm- 
ingham from  a  two  weeks'  tour  of  the  Bankhead  high- 
way from  Washington  to  Atlanta.  In  company  with 
Pi'esident  T.  S.  Plowman  anil  Senator  Bankiiead.  they 
held  conferences  with  various  road  officials,  depart- 
mental officials,  automobile  officers  and  good  roads  ad- 
vocates and  directors  in  arranging  details  for  officially 
locating  the  Bankhead  highway  from  Washington  to 
Atlanta.  Birmingham  and  ^leiiiphis. 

After  holding  these  various  conferences  it  was  de- 
cided that  immediately  after  Congress  ad.journs,  whicii 
is  expected  to  be  in  six  weeks,  an  official  pathfinding 
committee  composed  of  two  engineers,  representatives 
of  the  American  Automobile  association  and  two  citi- 
zens will  start  from  Washington  and  officially  designate 
the  highway  from  Washington  to  Atlanta. 

It  was  also  decided  that  when  Presitlent  Plowman 
returned  from  the  east  he  would  immediately  call  a 
'.iieeting  of  the  executive  committee  in  Birmingham  for 
the  purpose  of  deciding  the  date  ami  itinerary  and  an- 
nounce the  official  locating  committee  to  designate  the 
highway  from  Atlanta  to  Birmingham  and  thence  to 
^lemphis.  It  was  decided  that  the  Atlanta,  Birming- 
ham, ]\Iemphis  division  of  the  Bankhead  highwa.v 
would  be  designated  first  and  that  the  people  on  this 
division  would  be  given  two  weeks'  notice  to  perfect 
their  plans  to  fix  the  roads  and  arrange  for  the  official 
party.  It  is  suggested  that  about  July  20  the  pathfind- 
ing party  would  start  but  the  definite  date  will  be  set- 
tled by  the  executive  committee. 

During  recent  weeks  Secretary  Rountree  has  been 
visiting  the  various  cities  and  towns  between  Washing- 
ton and  Atlanta  through  which  the  Bankhead  highway 
will  pass,  among  them  being  Richmond,  Lynchburg, 
Altavista,  Danville,  Va.,  Reidsville,  Greensboro,  High 
Point,  Charlotte,  N.  C,  Gaffney,  Greenville,  S.  C,  and 
Atlanta.  At  all  these  points  he  was  met  by  special 
committees  from  Chambers  of  Connnerce,  mayoi's  and 
city  and  county  roail  officials.  He  was  extensively  en- 
tertained and  given  an  opportunity  to  address  the  peo- 
ple at  these  various  towns  and  cities  and  was  shown 
over  the  links  of  the  Bankhead  highway  in  their  re- 
spective counties.     He  was  extended  manj^  courtesies. 

He  states  that  the  greatest  enthusiasm  was  shown  all 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  1917 


along  the  route.  The  people  are  anxious  that  the  road 
shall  be  Ihiked  up,  built  and  officially  designated.  He 
also  states  that  actual  construction  of  permanent  roads 
has  already  begun.  The  link  through  Guilford  county, 
North  Carolina,  has  already  been  built  and  is  surfaced 
with  asphalt  16  miles.  It  is  pronounced  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  stretches  of  road  in  the  United  States. 
Cherokee  county.  South  Carolina,  has  issued  $300,000 
worth  of  bonds,  the  road  has  been  surveyed  and  con- 
tracts let  to  build  and  connect  up  with  North  Carolina 
link.  Spartanburg  cjunty.  South  Carolina,  has  voted 
a  bund  issue  of  a  million  dollars  to  build  the  road 
thi-ough  that  county.  Greenville  county,  South  Caro- 
lina, has  sold  bonds  and  is  actually  building  32  miles 
of  concrete  road,  which  will  be  a  division  of  the  Bank- 
head  highway.  Anderson  county.  South  Carolina,  has 
voted  and  issued  $200,000  worth  of  bonds  to  build  its 
roads.  Every  indication,  states  Mr.  Rountree,  points  to 
the  fact  that  the  Bankhead  highway  from  Atlanta,  Bir- 
mingham. Memphis  and  to  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  will  be  a 
well-built  road  and  a  reality  within  the  next  12  months. 


In  Avery  county,  North  Carolina,  important  road 
contracts  have  recently  been  let,  leading  into  the  feld- 
spar and  kaolin  mining  section,  which  is  now  being 
opened  up  on  a  large  scale. 


Central  Highway  in  Good  Shape. 

W.  S.  Pallis,  state  higliwa\'  engineer,  advises  that  the 
Central  highway  across  the  state  of  North  Carolina  is 
in  condition  for  motor  travel  and  from  Salisbm-y  to 
Asheville  in  excellent  condition,  except  across  Burke 
county  in  bad  weather,  and  that  conditions  in  Burke 
county  are  being  improved  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Work 
on  the  highway  between  Ridgecrest  and  Old  Port  is 
making  satisfactory  progress. 

He  further  advises  that  the  final  reports  of  accept- 
ance by  the  government  of  the  Hickory  Nut  Gap  pro- 
.iect  will  be  made  in  a  very  short  time  that  the  law  re- 
garding the  sending  of  state  convicts  to  that  road  was 
compulsory.  He  also  stated  that  automobiles,  by  care- 
ful driving  could  make  the  trip  through  the  gap  to  Bat 
Cave  and  Chimney  Rock,  although  tlie  road  via  Ilen- 
dersonville  and  Bat  Cave  was  by  far  the  best,  and  in 
exceptionally  fine  condition  at  the  present  time. 


Companion  bills,  in  wliich  the  Florida  Road  Connnis- 
sion  is  very  much  interested,  have  passed  the  house. 
The  bills  provide  for  the  working  of  three  hundred 
state  convicts  on  State  roads  and  making  provision  for 
carrying  out  the  provisions  thereof. 

By  fnrni.shing  this  labor  the  State  will  receive  a 
large  appropriation  from  the  government. 


Good    Roads  and  Automobiles  Have    Been    a    Great    Factor   in   the   Development  of  Yellowstone  Park,   Making  Accessible  to  Ihe 
Tourist  the  Beautiful  Sylvian  Lake  Region,  Canyons,  Waterfalls,  Mountain  Passes,  Geysers  and  Other  Scenic  Phenomena 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


System  of  Highways  Considered 

Virginia  State  Legislative  Committee  Get  Togetlier  and  Plan  For  a  State  System 
They  Will  Recommend  to  General  Assembly  For  State  Aid 


a"^  HE  Virginia  Legislature  Road  Committee  gave  a 
public  hearing  to  road  routes  and  road  laws  at  a 
meeting  held  at  Natural  Bridge  Hotel.  C.  0.  O'Connor 
Goolrick.  of  Fredericksburg,  is  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee; A.  Willis  Robertson,  of  Buena  Vista,  secretary. 
and  the  other  members  are  Kennith  N.  Gilpin  and  Nor 
veil  L.  Henley. 

By  request  of  Chairman  Goolrich,  motorists  through- 
out the  State  sent  to  him  criticisms  of  the  State  auto 
and  road  laws,  and  also  sent  suggestions  relative  to 
the  system  of  public  highways,  which  the  committee 
has  tentatively  decided  to  recommend  to  the  Legisla- 
ture in  January  next. 

Large  maps  showing  the  proposed  system  of  high- 
ways for  the  State  have  been  published  in  the  press 
of  the  State  together  with  a  description  of  the  various 
routes.  At  the  meeting  the  committee  heard  arguments 
for  the  changes  in  a  few  of  the  routes,  and  will  then  de- 
cide on  its  final  report  to  the  Legislature. 

The  s.ystem  of  highways  tentatively  recommended 
and  which  were  considered  at  the  public  meeting  fol- 
lows: 

Primary  Roads  Selected. 

1.  Washington,  Lorton,  Dumfries,  Stafford,  Fred- 
ericksburg. Chilesburg,  Negro,  Richmond.  Petersburg. 
Dinwiddle.  Wartled,  South  Hill,  Clarksville,  North  Car- 
olina  line. 

2.  Marjland  line,  Leesburg,  Aldie,  Plains,  Warren- 
ton,  Culpeper,  Madison  Mills,  Orange,  Gordonsville, 
Palmj^ra,  Dilhvyn.  Farmville,  Keysville,  Wyliesburg, 
North  Carolina  line. 

3.  West  Virginia  line.  Winchester,  Harrisonburg, 
Staunton,  Lexington,  Natural  Bridge,  Buchanan.  Roa- 
noke, Rocky  Mount,  Martinsville,  Ridgeway,  North 
Carolina  line. 

4.  Maryland  line,  Accomac,  Eastville,  Cape  Charles. 

5.  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Franklin,  Courtland,  Peters- 
burg, Richmond. 

6.  Alexandria.  Fairfax,  Aldie,  Middleburg,  Upper- 
ville,  Boyce,  Winchester,  Gore,  West  Virginia  line. 

7.  Reedsville  and  Irvington,  Heathsville.  Warsaw, 
Montross,  King  George.  Fredericksburg,  Stevenburg. 
Culpeper,  Washington,  Va.,  Front  Royal,  Winchester. 
West  Virginia  line. 

8.  Matthews,  Saluda,  Tappanhannock,  Port  Royal. 
Fredericksburg. 

9.  Old  Point,  Hampton,  Newport  News,  Williams- 
burg, Richmond,  Negro,  Mineral,  Louisa,  Trevilians, 
Cobbam,  Charlottesville.  Afton,  Waynesboro,  Staun- 
ton, Churchville,  Monterey,  West  Virginia  line.  This 
also  includes  a  line  from  Jamestown.  Williamsburg, 
Yorktown,  Gloucester  Point,  Glouee.ster  Courthouse, 
to  connect  with  a  line  from  Saluda  to  West  Point,  Rich- 
mond. 

East  and  West  Road. 

10.  Virginia  Beach,  Norfolk,  Suffolk.  Smithfield. 
Surry  Courthouse.  Petersburg,  Blackstone,  Nottoway, 
Farmville,  Appomattox,  Lyuchburg,  Bedford,  Roa- 
noke, Salem,.  Chrisstiansburg,  Dublin,  Pulaski.  Wythe- 
ville.  Marion,  Abingdon,  Bristol,  Gate  City,  Stickley- 
ville,  Pennington  Gap,  Ben  Hur,  Jonesvill'e.  Cumber- 
land Gap.  with  a  connection  from  Abingdon,  Greendale 
to  Old  Courthouse,  Russell  county,  in  No.  11. 

11.  West  Virginia   line,   Graham,   Tazewell,   Rose- 


dale,  Lebanon.  Old  Courthouse,  St.  Paul,  Coeburn,  Nor- 
ton, Big  Stone  Gap,  Pennington  Gap.  Cumberland 
Gap. 

Secondary  line  from  C  beourtnn  fwyp  mfwyp  mfwy 
Secondarj'  line  from  Coeburn  to  Clintwood  and  the 
Kentucky  line,  and  Clintwood  to  Grundy. 

12.  Virginia  Beach,  Norfolk,  Norfolk,  Suffolk. 
Franklin,  Courtland,  Emporia,  Lawrenceville,  South 
Hill.  Chase  City.  Houston.  Danville,  Martinsville,  Stu- 
art, Hillsville,  Galax.  Independence,  North  Carolina 
line. 

Connecting  line.  North  Carolina  line,  Hillsville,  Wy- 
theville. 

13.  Tappanhannock,  Richmond,  Midlothian,  Pow- 
hatan, Cumberland,  Farmville,  Lynchburg,  thence  west. 

14.  White  Sulphur,  Covington,  Clififton  Forge,  Lex- 
ington. Natural  Bridge.  Lynchburg,  Altavista.  Chat- 
ham, Danville.  North  Carolina  line. 

Secondary  Roads  Chosen. 

1.  Woodstock,   Calvary,   West   Virginia  line. 

2.  Orange,  Madison,  Stanley,  Luray,  New  Mai-ket. 

3.  Gordonsville.  Standardsville,  Elkton.  Harrison- 
burg, Moscow,  Deerfield,  Warm  Springs,  Hot  Springs, 
Covington. 

4.  Afton,  Lovingston,  Clifford,  Amherst,  Lynchburg. 
Brookneal,  Houston,  South  Boston,  North  Carolina 
line. 

5.  Richmond,  Rio  Vista,  Goochland,  to  point  on  No. 
2  of  of  main  line. 

6.  Richmond.  Amelia.  Burkeville,  Blackstone,  Ken- 
bridge.  Lunenburg.  Charlotte.  Brookneal. 

7.  Manassas,  Fairfax,  Washington. 

8.  Salem,  Catawba,  New  Castle,  West  Virginia  line. 
!).     Stuart.  Flo.yd,  Christiansburg,  Blacksburg,  Pear- 

islnirg.  West  Virginia  line. 

10.  Emporia,  North  Carolina  line. 

11.  Chain  Bridge,  Vienna,  Fairfax,  Manassas. 

12.  Pulaski,   Mechanicsburg.  Bland   Courthouse. 


A  Great  Plains  Highway. 


A  permanent  state  organization  of  the  Great  Plains 
highway  extending  from  Brownsville,  Tex.,  to  the  Ca- 
nadian line  was  perfected  by  150  delegates  from  all 
the  counties  in  Kansas  through  which  the  road  passes 
as  well  as  from  Nebraska.  The  temporary  organiza- 
tion made  at  Topeka  some  time  ago.  when  Trindle,  of 
Liberal,  and  Dunnire,  of  Garden  Cit.y,  were  elected 
president  and  secretary,  was  confirmed.  The  perma- 
nent route  agreed  upon  passes  through  Liberal,  Santa 
Fe,  Grand  City,  Scott  City.  Oakley.  Oberlin  and  At- 
wood  and  enters  Nebraska  by  way  of  Trenton.  Tlie 
length  of  the  entire  road  is  2.350  miles. 

County  commissioners  from  every  Kansas  county 
were  at  the  convention  and  plans  were  perfected  for 
making  permanent  improvements  and  for  dragging  the 
road. 


Carroll  county.  Ark.,  road  boosters  have  formed  an 
organization  and  will  unfold  their  plans  at  a  road  con- 
vention to  be  held  in  Eureka  Springs,  July  24-26. 


Work  is  now  beginning  in  Beuregard  Parish.  Louis- 
iana, where  a  half  million  dollars  will  be  spent  in  ear- 
ly road  construction. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  191.7 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C  .  Associate  Editor 

K.  E.  WITHERSPOON.  Managing  Editor 


Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta.  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORBNZEN.  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
225  Fifth  Avenue.  605  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 


Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Road*  Association 

HENRY  B  VARNER.  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  ''RATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary,  Bristol,  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia.  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary.  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


JULY,  1917. 


No.   1. 


BETTER  ROUTES  TO  THE  NORTH. 

Till'  tourist  travel  in  all  seasons  of  tlie  yoav  wlien  the 
roads  between  the  Northeast  and  South  are  ojien  has 
heeoine  tremendous  and  thousamls  more  are  waitiuf; 
for  the  opening-  up  of  more  and  lietter  routes  of  travl. 
Probably  the  road  that  wouhl  be  the  greatest  boon  to 
travel  would  be  tiie  eonipletion  of  a  road  out  of  Pied- 
mont North  Carolina  through  Lynehburg  and  to  Wash- 
ington. 

The  Editor  of  Southern  G:)od  Roads  has  interviewed 
many  tourists  dui'ing  the  spring  season  who  were  bound 
from  Florida  and  other  Southern  p :)ints  ti)  the  North- 
east. Almost  without  except i  in  they  anxiously  in- 
quired whether  they  could  find  a  route  to  the  north 
through  the  Piedmont  country.  Many  of  them  were 
seeking  a  way  into  the  Virginia  Valley  country.  An\- 
one  acquainted  with  the  e(uitour  of  this  country,  its 
freedom  from  swamps,  its  varying  beauties,  and  its 
many  thriving  towns  can  well  understand  the  longing 
of  the  motorist  for  a  completed  route  this  way. 

The  construction  of  a  few  more  links  would  open  this 
way  summer  and  winter.  Probably  the  quickest  way 
to  get  this  done  would  be  the  building  of  a  link  from 
Lynchburg  to  Lexington,   in   Virginia.  This  would 

connect  with  the  road  leading  directly  to  the  Southern 
countrv  from  l^vnchburg  and  would  lead  from  Ijexing- 


ton  into  the  wonderful  Shenandoah  country.  Within 
a  matter  of  m mths.  aiul  it  is  believed  before  the  ap- 
proach of  winter,  a  route  will  have  been  completed 
clear  through  North  Carolina  and  already  a  good  road 
exists  between  Danville  and  Lynchburg.  Rockingham 
county.  North  Carolina,  is  bridging  the  longest  gap  in 
this  state.  When  Charlotte  is  reached  there  is  an  all 
winter  route,  via  Camden  and  Columbia,  S.  C,  to  Flor- 
ida, (xoing  to  the  right  at  Charlotte  there  is  a  route 
largely  already  built,  leading  to  Atlanta  and  tapping 
the  Dixie  Highway,  Cherokee,  Spartanburg  and 
Greenville  counties,  in  South  Carolina,  have  built  and 
are  building  their  sections  of  this  road. 

South  of  Charlotte,  at  Kings  .Mountain,  the  Asheville 
Highway  branches  off  and  furnishes  an  excellent  route 
through  Shelby,  Rutherfordton  and  the  Chimney  Rock 
and  Bat  Cave  country —  roads  now  practically  restored 
after  Hood  damage  last  year.  Coming  back  to  Salis- 
bury on  the  same  route,  one  finds  the  Central  High- 
way of  North  Carolina  taking  the  right  hand  prong 
through  Statesville,  Hickory,  Morganton,  .Marion  and 
on  to  Asheville,  leading  through  some  of  the  nio.st  won- 
derful cduiilry  in  America.  At  Hickory  the  road 
branches  otf  into  the  Boone  Highway  toward  Blowing 
Rock.  There  are  other  fine  r:)ads  cimnecting  at  Blow- 
ing Kock  and  others  .still  being  built  toward  the  Ten- 
nessee line  that  will  open  out  to  the  .Middle  West.  Thus 
only  the  barriers  to  the  north  keep  the  motorists  balk- 
eck" 

Another  road  that  .should  be  finished  is  the  gap  of 
the  National  Highway  lietween  the  North  Carolina  line 
and  Roanoke,  the  most  direct  route  from  the  South  to 
the  Shenandoah  Valley  pike.  This  section  is  still  too 
rough  in  summer  time  and  too  .slick  in  winter  for  the 
motorists  to  risk  in  large  numbers. 

Outside  of  their  pleasure  and  business  values,  today 
these  two  links  stand  out  against  our  national  safety. 
There  ought  to  be  one  or  more  good  motor  routes  par- 
alleling the  coast  line,  at  least  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  from  the  water.  The  completion  of  these  roads 
would  add  a  .strong  link  in  our  national  defense. 

The  Baukhead  Highway  officials  will  take  an  inspec- 
tion tour  this  month  through  the  Lynchburg  route  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  devoutly  that  they  succeed  in  stirring 
the  folks  to  action  for  the  immediate  completion  of  the 
road,  both  for  the  Lexington  link  and  the  direct  route 
to  Wa.shington  through  Charlottesville.  It  is  a  project 
of  inestimable  value  from   many   standpoints. 


Forestall  Freight  Stagnation. 

The  departments  of  the  government,  railroad  officials 
and  leading  business  men  are  con.stantly  sounding  the 
alarm  of  car  shortage  and  freight  congestion. 

Army  officers  and  others  tell  us  we  will  have  two  mil- 
lion men  in  Europe  as  soon  as  we  can  get  them  ready. 
To  move  them  twice  with  their  equipment  will  require 
one-third  of  the  locomoti\es  and  one-fifth  of  the  cars  in 
the  United  States. 

Normally  there  is  a  car  shortage  during  the  season 
crops  are  moved.  Every  effort  is  being  made  to  in- 
crease the  normal  output  of  crops.     The  ear  shortage 


July,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


now  anioinifs  to  iiiorr  (lian  20(X000  cars.  The  ff  )V(M"n- 
nient  has  given  orders  to  give  prererenee  to  iron  and 
coal   shipments. 

From  the  present  indication,  by  fall  the  railroads 
will  be  able  to  take  care  of  not  more  than  two-thirds 
and  p:issibly  not  more  than  one-half  of  the  commerce  of 
the  commerce  of  the  I'nited  States. 

The  waterways  are  inflexible,  and  even  if  liiat  were 
not  true,  they  are  not  ready  to  carry  any  large  amount 
of  freight. 

The  only  hope  lies  in  the  highways  hut  they  are  use- 
less unless  properly  constructed  and  maintained  so  as 
to  be  dependable  for  travel  in  all  weathers.  The  high- 
ways with  the  motor  truck  can  take  care  of  the  e3n- 
gestion  if  the  highways  are  properly  maintained. 

The  Director  of  the  Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Ru- 
ral Engineering,  states  we  should  so  conduct  our  road 
work  as  to  interfere  in  the  slightest  possible  degree 
with  other  eeanomic  activities  of  more  immediate  and 
pressing  importance  to  the  people,  thereby  conserving 
our  labor  supply,  and  should  strive  for  greater  efficien- 
cy in  the  present  handling  of  road  work  and  more  ex- 
acting care  in  the  selecticni  of  roads  for  improvement 
and  maintenance. 

It  will  be  :)f  s'mall  use  to  increase  farm  crops  without 
being  able  to  market  the  products.  The  use  of  the  high- 
ways to  assist  in  the  marketing  will  not  be  economic  if 
horses  are  used,  but  will  be  if  the  highways  are  made 
good  enough  to  allow  the  use  of  motor  trucks. 

The  use  of  motor  trucks  will  tend  to  conserve  farm 
products  as  one  motor  truck  does  the  work  of  three 
horse  vehicles  with  three  to  six  liorses.  It  reijuires 
five  acres  to  maintain  a  horse.  A  motor  truck  puts  in- 
to service  twenty  acres  of  land  which  will  supp  )rt  sev- 
en men. 

Therefore,  it  is  evident  that  the  immediate  improve- 
ment and  continued  'maintenance  of  the  highways  are 
essrntial  not  only  to  avoid  a  serious  cinigestion  of  traf- 
tis  but  also  as  an  economic  expedient  to  make  availalile 
for  man's  use  more  of  the  farm  products  now  grown. 

For  these  reasons  and  others  the  Dixie  Overlavid 
Highway  has  called  upon  the  road  building  autlioriti"s 
in  the  seventy-four  counties  in  which  the  highway  dyj, 
the  governors  and  highway  commissions  of  the  eight 
states  traversed  by  it.  to  use  every  facility  for  the  early 
completion  and  the  maintenance  of  the  Dixie  Over- 
land, especially  as  that  highway  connects  the  trunk  na- 
tional highways,  the  majority  of  the  rivers  where  the/ 
are  navigable  and  practically  all  of  the  railroads  of  the 
South. 

The  state  authorities  are  lending  co-operation  and 
the  majority  of  the  counties  are  speeding  up  construc- 
tion and  in  many  cases  issuing  bonds  in  order  that  Ihe 
calamity  of  freight  stagnation  threatened  for  the  com- 
ing fall  may  be  averted. 

In  the  interest  of  commercial  and  'uilitaiy  p''e;ia red- 
ness. 

THE  DIXIE  OVERLAND  HIGHWAY  ASSOCIATION 

A  Department  of  the  National  Highways  Association. 

Leland    J.    Henderson,    Secretary. 


Taxvia  in  New  Hanover. 


New  Hanover  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  good 
roads  counties  in  North  Carolina  and  her  comimission- 
ers  have  not  stopped  once  the  roads  were  finished,  or 
rather  surfaced.  Particular  attention  is  being  paid  all 
the  time  to  keeping  the  highways  in  first  class  con- 
dition. The  news  columns  of  a  Wilmington  paper  last 
month  carried  the  following  item : 

With  the  arrival  yesterday  of  the  big  Tarvia  distrib- 


utor from  Philadelphia,  in  charge  of  W.  H.  Tourison. 
William  Rol)iiis(Ui,  and  Daniel  Stinger,  together  with 
I  he  first  of  the  shipments  of  70  thousand  gallons  of  tar- 
via, ordered  by  the  county,  the  Barrett  company  an- 
nounce that  the  work  of  applying  the  tarvia  to  the  va- 
rious county  thorougiifares,  will  start  today  under  the 
suiiervision  of  Mv.  W.  A.  ]\IeGirt,  chairman  of  the 
County  C  immissionei's.  and  ;\Ir.  R.  A.  Hurnett.  Super- 
intendent of  Roads. 

it  is  estimated  that  tlie  ^^•(lrk  will  continui'  through 
•lune  ami  part  of  July.  It  will  be  pushed  as  fast  as 
weather  conditions  permit,  and  with  as  little  inccuiven- 
ience  to  the  public  as  possible.  The  first  road  to  be  Tar- 
viated  will  be  the  Scotts  Hill  Road,  starting  at  the 
Seven  Jlile  Post  and  continuing  to  the  city  limits.  Au- 
tomobilists  and  teams  are  kindly  re(|uested  to  avoid 
using  this  road  as  nuu'h  as  possible,  while  the  work  is 
in  progress.  By  doing  so  the  possible  danger  of  skid- 
ding and  damage  to  machine  will  be  eliminated. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  that  these  Tarvia  treat- 
ments are  economical,  in  that  they  pi-ev{>uf  the  roads 
from  washing  away  during  the  wet  season,  and  blow- 
ing away  in  dry  weather.  Among  the  roads  to  be  tar- 
\iated.  are  the  Scotts  Hill,  itasonboro.  Wrightsville 
Tui-npike,  Wrightsville  Sound  Road.  Villa  View,  Fed- 
eral Point  and  others.  When  the  work  is  completed, 
the  traveling  public  will  have  over  fifty  miles  of  smooth 
dustless  roads  to  ride  over. 

Superinteiulent  Burnett  stated  last  night  that  the 
first  stretch  would  be  finished  within  two  days,  and 
that  the  shell  road  would  be  the  next  one  tarviated. 
The  Masonboro  loop  will  be  given  a  coat  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  work  on  the  shell  road. 

Chairman  ^McGirt.  of  the  New  Hanover  conunission. 
writes  to  Dr.  Pratt  about  the  work,  as  follows : 

In  spite  of  hard  times  ami  "war  cry."  we  are  set- 
ting out  to  keep  our  roads  up  to  the  usual  high  stand- 
ard again  this  year  by  spreading  about  SO. 000  gallons 
of  Tarvia.  and  will  cover  this  over  with  i^.in.  stone 
chips  and  screenings. 

The  order  jilaced  for  Tarvia  this  yt>ar  with  Barrett 
will  about  cover  all  the  macadam  roads  in  New  Han- 
over County. 

Kind  regards  to  yourself  and  Jliss  Berry,  and  others 
of  the  "organization — Good  Roads. 

Sineerelv, 
(Signed.)  '       W.  A.  McGIRT. 


Here's  a  Trip  if  You  Like  Motoring. 

If  one  man  were  to  attempt  to  cover  every  mile  of 
highway  in  the  Ignited  States  by  motor  car  and  trav- 
eled at  the  daily  average  of  200  miles  :^65  days  in  the 
year,  it  would  take  him  38,6  years  to  complete  our  2,- 
451.660  miles  of  roads.  Even  then,  if  the  country  kept 
up  its  annual  average  of  new  road  building,  there  "• 
be  an  accumulation  of  sufficient  new  mileage  in  those 
38.6  years  to  keep  him  traveling  7.4  years  longer. 


South  Africans  Build  Roads  59  Feet  Wide. 

South  Africa  builds  roads  to  the  best  of  its  materials 
and  funds  ability.  The  municipality  of  Johannesburg 
has  775.4  miles  of  roads,  with  an  average  width  of 
about  59  feet.  Very  little  rock  suitable  for  construc- 
tion is  native  to  the  city  and  the  materials  used  soon  go 
to  pieces  on  the  busy  thoroughfares. 

Construction  is  cheap,  and  more  roads  are  thus  pos- 
sible. Labor  is  about  40  cents  a  day.  The  city  has 
had  a  stone-breaker  plant  for  several  years.  Tar  coat- 
ing is  used  to  keep  down  the  dust.  Good  roads  connect 
the  citv  and  surrounding  suburbs. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Julv,  1917 


GOOD  ROADS  IVOTES 

GATHERED  HERE  ^^^j^^^^PhERE 


Alabama's  Good  Roads  Days. 

Alabama's  good  road  days  started  with  proclama- 
tions by  the  governor,  but  whatever  observance  there 
was  came  as  a  v  )liintaiy  act  on  the  part  of  the  people. 
But  the  legislature,  perceiving  the  benefit  that  was  ac- 
complished, even  when  these  days  were  not  recognized 
by  law,  passed  a  measure  that  gave  them  statut(n-y 
standing. 

August  14  and  15  are  now  Good  Road  days  on  the 
statute  books,  and  as  such  are  hailed  with  enthusiasm 
by  the  farmers  and  the  public  in  general.  Besides  a 
proclamation  by  the  govermr  the  act  of  the  legisla- 
ture requires  the  liighway  commission  to  issue  a  pamph- 
let giving  information  about  road  conditions  and  in- 
structions on  road  building  economics. 

Secretary  J.  A.  Rountree  of  the  Alabama  Good 
Roads  association,  in  a  correspondence  with  Governor 
Henderson  in  reference  tJ  the  forthcoming  proclama- 
tion makes  many  timely  suggestions  which,  if  carried 
out,  would  broaden  in  good  roads  activities,  especially 
relating  to  crop  marketing  and  patriotic  lines. 

August  14  and  15,  1917,  should  be  exceptionally 
fruitful  days,  and  they  will  be  if  the  people  view  the 
situation  in  a  practical  way. 

*     *     * 
California. 

The  completion  of  the  tinal  link  of  the  state  highway 
into  the  Yosemite  Valley  is  in  sight,  according  to  state- 
ments of  State  Engineer  Garlinglmuse  who  announces 
that  the  state  survey  f  >r  the  final  link  into  the  valley 
started  during  last  month  and  that  the  stretch 
between  Mariposa  and  El  Portal  will  be  finished  and 
ready  for  travel  by  the  opening  of  the  Yosemite  season 
next  year. 

This  cut-off  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  all  mo- 
torists who  will  be  making  this  trip  in  future  years  and 
to  the  people  )f  the  valley.  :\Iany  miles  of  tlie  present 
route  will  not  only  cut  off  but  it  will  do  away  with 
miles  and  miles  of  mountain  travel.  To  many  motorists 
this  mountain  road  is  one  of  the  scenic  attractions  of 
the  motor  trip  to  Yosemite.  but  others  desire  to  save 
time  and  this  cut-off  will  save  from  three  to  five  hours. 

Supervisor  Booth  of  Mariposa  county  and  State  Engi- 
neer Garlinghouse  anet  with  Foster  Curry  and  other 
prominent  citizens  of  the  Valley  and  went  over  the 
details  of  the  work.  In  a  statement  made  to  a  gath- 
ering at  Camp  Curry,  the  .state  engineer  in  charge  of 
this  important  work  stated  that  the  highest  point  on 
the  new  road  will  be  2.000  feet  while  an  altitude  if  6.- 
400  feet  is  attained  on  the  present  road. 

Much  grading  was  done  last  year  on  the  road  now  in 
use  and  it  is  in  better  condition  than  ever  before.  The 
state  officials  recognize  the  importance  of  this  road  and 
will  havi-  a  great  deal  more  work  done  during  this 
spring  and  summer. 

*         *         6 

Colorado. 

An  agreement  is  being  drafted  between  the  state 
highway  cjramission  and  the  forestrv  service  by  which 
approximately  .'^120.000  will  be  released  for  construc- 
tion work  on  foui-  scenic  highways  of  Colorado. 

The  plans  iuL-lude  the  extension  of  roads  over  Mon- 


arch pass,  in  southern  Chaft'ee  county,  a  new  highway 
connecting  Decker  Springs,  in  Platte  CanyDn.  with  Se- 
dalia.  Col. :  the  Rabbit  Ear  pass,  aiul  a  Durango-Silver 
on  highway. 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  Durango-Silverton  liigh- 
way is  $233,000.  and  the  state  highway  department  has 
agreed  to  pay  for  two-thirds  of  the  construction  as 
against  one-third  by  the  forestry  service.  It  will  take 
four  years  to  complete  the  prriject. 

The  Rabbit  Ear  pass,  leading  to  the  northwestern 
section  of  Colorado,  will  be  completed  this  year,  at  an 
approximate  cost  of  -$20,000.  The  Sedalia-Decker 
Springs  road  will  cost  .$36,000.  and  will  be  completed  in 
191S.  The  Minarch  pass  highway  will  cost  $83,000, 
and  will  take  three  years  to  complete. 

The  scheme,  which  is  being  outlined  by  H.  E.  Pratt, 
district  engineer  of  the  forestry  department,  calls  for 
the  expenditure  this  year  of  $15,773.50  each  by  the 
state  and  government  on  the  ^Monarch  pass,  approxi- 
matel.v  $3,000  each  on  the  Sedalia-Decker  Sprigs  high- 
way. $10,250  each  on  the  Rabbit  Ear  pass,  and  $42,085 
by  the  state,  and  about  $22,000  hj  the  government  on 
the  Durango-Silverton  road. 

Tlie  Durango-Silverton  highwa.v  will  cut  an  almost 
straight  line  between  those  towns  and  open  up  a  rich 
agricultural  and  mineral  territory  in  southwestern  Col- 
orado. 

Rabbit  Ear  pass,  on  which  state  highwa.v  officials  have 
been  planning  a  roadway  for  several  .vears.  will  short- 
en the  distance  by  many  miles  between  Kremmling  and 
Steamboat  Springs  through  some  of  the  most  pictur- 
esque scenery  in  the  West. 

Another  route  which  is  the  most  desirable  from  the 
standpoint  of  combined  scenic  eft'ects  is  from  Sedalia, 
the  Denver-to-Colorado  Springs  road  b.v  way  of  Jarre 
canon  to  the  .iuni'ture  of  Sugar  creek  and  Platte  river 
about  ten  miles  above  the  town  of  Soutli  Platte,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  nineteen  miles. 

.Since  the  pro.ject  was  begim  by  the  forest  service,  as- 
sisted financially  b.v  the  highwa.v  commission.  Douglass 
count.v  and  the  Denver  Union  Water  company,  28  miles 
of  this  protect  have  been  completed  at  a  cost  of  $11,- 
000. 

Mississippi  Gets  Busy. 

Next  to  the  greater  foodstuff  ramjjaign  in  Mississippi, 
perhaps,  is  that  of  good  roads.  The  entire  state  is 
alive  to  both  situations,  and  all  possible  is  being  done 
to  induce  the  farmers  and  others  to  make  the  heaviest 
f  )od  crops  they  ever  attempted.  At  the  same  time  the 
state  is  heavily  interested  in  the  matter  of  good  roads, 
and  millions  are  being  invested  in  that  direction.  The 
state  highway  commission,  of  which  J.  ]M.  ^McBeath  of 
Meridian  is  president,  has  been  to  Washington  in  this 
interest.  The  government  has  been  appealed  to  for 
relief,  and  it  has  been  promised,  one  wa.v  and  another. 
Mississippi  has  inaugurated  a  fight  for  good  roads  that 
is  believed  a  winner,  demanding  that  road  building 
material  be  made  first  in  getting  cars  from  the  rail- 
roads— .just  as  is  coal  and  war  supplies.  The  eoimcil 
of  national  defense  has  agreed  to  that  proposition,  and 
the  advocates  of  good  roads  are  determined  that  grav- 
el and  other  road  building  material  .shall  have  the  right 


jniv.  inr 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


17 


of  way,  so  that  the  fanners  ni^y  the  better  get  their 
produce  to  market,  thus  proving  themselves  as  much 
patriots  as  are  the  men  in  the  trenches. 

The  following  telegram  is  interesting,   showing  the 
limit  to  which  Mississippi  has  gone  in   her   insistence 
that  road  bulding  material  be  treated  by  the  railroads 
as  preferred  matter.       T'he  governor  said : 
■■Council  of  National  Defense,  Washington.  D.  C. : 

•■Gentlemen:  Consistent  with  your  patriotic  appeal 
of  the  19th  inst.  to  all  state  governors,  to  observe  eco- 
nomic measures  in  the  conservation  of  food  and  public 
work.  I  representing  my  state,  heartily  concur.  I  also 
concur  in  your  exceptions  that  all  public  highways  un- 
der construction  be  completed. 

"Having  under  construction  in  my  state  public  high- 
ways for  which  contaracts  have  been  let.  amounting 
to  about  $10,000,000.  which  work  is  now  being  delayed 
for  want  of  ears  to  ship  material  for  surfacing,  in  coun- 
ties that  are  served  by  the  Illinois  Central,  the  Alabama 
and  Vicksburg  and  the  Southern  railroads,  who  have 
withdrawn  all  car  supply  for  the  transportation  of 
this  material,  account  of  which  a  great  loss  is  accruing 
to  the  counties  and  to  tlie  public  generally,  will  ask  that 
you,  in  compliance  with  your  exceptions,  liave  the 
above  railroad  eompaiiies  reinstate  a  sufficient  supply 
of  cars  to  transport  material  to  complete  those  public 
highways. 

■■Will  it  not  be  consistent  for  you  to  wire  me  that 
you  are  issuing  orders  that  will  hastily  avert  this  pub- 
lic calamitv  to  mv  state. 

THEODORE    Y.    BILBO.    Governor." 

There  was  almost  immediate  response  to  this,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  council  wiring  that  the  telegram  would  be 
submitted  to  ilr.  Fairfax  Harrison,  president  of  the 
Southern  railroad,  and  also  of  the  council,  and  that  it 
wiuld  receive  proaipt  attention. 

#     *     # 
Michigan  Helps  Dixie  Highway. 

A  feature  of  the  annual  convention  of  the  ilichigan 
State  Good  Roads  association,  which  met  in  Saginaw. 
Mich.,  was  the  address  of  Judge  ^I.  'SI.  Allison  presi- 
dent of  the  Dixie  Highway  association.  He  was  a  guest 
of  honor  and  was  presented  with  a  cheek  for  $5,000 
as  a  contribution  to  the  Dixie  Highway  association  by 
the  state  of  iliehigan. 

The  presentation  of  the  check  was  made  by  Hon. 
P.  T.  Colgrove.  president  ilichigan  State  Giod  Roads 
association,  and  one  of  the  directors  fr^un  Micliigaii  of 
the  Dixie  Highway  association. 

One-half  of  the  amount  of  the  check  v,-as  ■•ontribated 
by  individuals  in  Detroit  and  the  remaining  $"2,500  was 
contributed  by  the  various  cities  of  ilichigau  along 
the  peninsula  link  of  the  Dixie  highway  which  skirts 
the  state  from  Detroit  along  the  Lake  Huron  coast  on 
the  one  side  and  then  down  the  Lake  Michiga'i  coast 
on  the  other. 

Judge  Colgrove  referred  to  the  wonderful  work  of 
the  Dixie  Highway  associatim  and  of  the  interest  felt 
in  it  by  the  people  of  ilichigan.  thousands  of  whom  he 
said  were  using  this  highway  every  year  to  go  south 
in  the  winter,  saying: 

"As  soon  as  the  Dixie  highway  opens  all  the  way 
from  ^lichigan  to  Florida,  through  Tennessee  Rni\ 
Gen-gia.  we  will  send  m  )re  people  over  it  to  winter  in 
the  south  than  that  section  of  the  country  ever  enter- 
tained before.  Not  only  that,  but  we  will  expect  to 
receive  ip  here  every  year  along  our  glorious  lake 
fronts  thousands  of  people  from  the  south  to  whom 
will  be  accorded  a  royal  ^liehigan  welcome  whenever 
they  come. 


"That,"  said  Judge  Colgrove,  "is  why  we  are  so 
deeply  interested  in  the  Dixie  highway,  and  why  the 
people  of  Michigan  so  promptly  responded  to  mj-  sug- 
gestion that  we  should  oentribute  the  state's  quota  of 
$5,000  to  help  the  Dixie  Highway  association  in  its 
work.'' 

*     *     * 

East  Tennessee  Roads  Included. 

The  Appalachian  Way  from  Bristol  to  Mountain  City 
to  Trade,  near  the  North  Carolina  line,  and  the  Boone 
Way.  from  Elizabeth  to  Elk  Park,  has  been  included  in 
the  State  highway  .system  and  will  receive  Federal  aid. 
This  action  was  taken  by  the  State  Highway  Commis- 
sion in  a  meeting  in  Na.shville  recently. 

When  the  schedule  of  the  State  highway  system  was 
first  made  public  it  was  discovered  that  several  of  the 
more  important  roads  in  Eastern  Tennessee  has  been 
overlooked.  Good  roads  advocates  from  this  section  of 
the  State  rose  up  in  arms  and  immediately  create  a 
plan  to  have  the  roads  from  this  section  included  in  the 
system. 

A  number  of  leaders  in  Sullivan.  Washington  and 
Johnson  coimties  made  arrangements  t)  appear  be- 
fore the  commission  at  a  called  meeting  and  present 
their  claims. 

»     «     * 
Knox  Road  Money  Runs  Short. 

Seven  roads,  on  which  the  Knox  County.  Tenn..  Good 
Roads  commission  has  lieen  working  construction 
forces,  may  be  incomplete  when  the  $500,000  road  bond 
fund  is  totally  consumed.     These  roads  include : 

ilaryvile  pike. 

McMillan  road  from  the  Rutledge  to  the  Tazewell 
pikes. 

North  Emory  road  from  Powell  Station  to  Blooming 
Grove. 

Connecting  road  from  Island  Home  to  the  Seviervillo 
pike  near  the  Gitiin  school  house. 

Ball  Camp  to  Lovell  road,  connecting  the  Ball  Camp 
and  Kingston  pikes. 

Kingston  pike  extension  west  from  Farragut. 

Solway  extension  of  the  Hardin  Valley  pike  to  the 
Anderson  county  line. 

Recently  the  commission  ordered  the  remaining  work 
on  all  these  roads  cut  twenty  percent,  in  order  to  keep 
within  the  unexpected  balance  of  about  20.000  of  the 
bond  money.  This  would  mean  that  only  eieht-tenths 
of  the  work  remaining  necessary  t  >  complete  these 
roads,  as  originally  proposed  by  the  commission,  could 
be  done. 


Build  Important  Florida  Link. 

Osceola  coiuity,  Florida,  residents  through  the 
hoard  of  county  commissioners  have  recognized  the 
need  for  prompt  action  in  the  completion  of  a  paved 
through  highway  across  the  county  as  a  part  of  the 
Dixie  route  between  Jacksonville  and  Tampa.  It  has 
been  .stated  .several  times  that  the  missing  link  is  be- 
tween Kissimmee  and  the  Polk  county  line  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  from  Kissimmee.  It  is  now  proposed 
to  bond  for  $100,000  for  the  paving  with  brick  of  that 
section  which  will,  when  completed,  oft'er  a  through 
paved  route  between  Florida's  two  largest  cities.  Most 
of  the  highway  will  be  nine  feet  wide  and  the  bridges 
are  to  be  of  reinforced  concrete.  If  this  road  shouldbe 
built  Lakeland  will  be  the  junction  point  of  two  alter- 
native routes  to  the  northern  section  of  the  state,  one 
eastward  through  Osceola  county  and  the  other  north- 
ward. 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  1917 


A  TRIP  OVER  VIRGINIA  ROADS. 

(By  Geo.  E.  Wray.  Kosslyii.  Va.) 
ON  TO  WAiSHINGTON " '  by  way  of  Staunton 
and  Gettysburg  and  back  by  way  of  the  Rich- 
mond-Washington National  Highway  with  a  party  of 
fiur  in  a  Ford  automobile  gave  all  a  chanee  to  see  the 
condition  of  two  main  roads  eonneeting  Richmond  with 
the  Capitol  City.  T'he  roads  were  found  in  fair  to  good 
conditian  considering  the  recent  heavy  rain.  From 
Richmond  to  Charlottesville  was  a  stretch  of  moder- 
ately fair  roads  none  too  good,  but  passable.  There  was 
evidence  that  when  dry  the  roads  would  be  goad  for  au- 
to travel.  From  Charlottesville  to  Staunton  and  then 
on  to  Winchester  and  to  Harper's  Ferry,  excellent 
roads  were  found  with  here  and  there  a  l)ad  spot  show- 
ing that  the  maintenance  of  good  roads  is  equally  im- 
portant with  their  building.  These  good  roads  will 
soon  deteriorate  unless  seen  to  in  the  early  stages  of  de- 
cay. To  Frederick.  Md..  to  Gettysburg.  Pa.,  thence  to 
Harrisburg  and  Baltimore  was  a  fine  trip  over  excel- 
lent roads  of  a  thoroughly  permanent  character.  All 
the  Southern  states  can  certainly  learn  a  great  deal 
about  permanent   roads  fnwn  ^Maiyland. 

Splendid  roads  to  Washington,  whence  we  came  ov- 
er the  Choppawamsic  Swamp,  long  known  as  about  the 
worst  high  road  south  of  Washington.  This  has  all 
been  vastly  improved  and  is  now  in  Fair  condition. 
Near  Dumfries  there  is  a  stretch  of  inferior  road.  From 
Fredericksburg  to  Richmond  the  road  needs  repair;  in 
other  words — good  roads  must  be  maintained  or  they 
soon  become  poor  roads.  This  is  particularly  true  af- 
ter the  motorist  gets  off  the  pike  roads  in  Spottsylva- 
nia.  Virginia  certainly  does  need  a  better  system  of 
road  maintenance.  Perhaps  the  worst  stretch  of  road 
in  all  this  .lourney  was  encountered  some  ten  or  twelve 
miles  out  of  Richmond  and  sad  to  say  this  bad  stretch 
maintained  its  weary  length  nntil  the  city  streets  were 
reached. 

In  spite  however  of  all  these  drawbacks  scores  of 
Virginia  motorists  attended  the  Confederate  Veteran-; 
Re-union  at  Washington,  some  making  the  trip  more 
than  once  and  some  staying  over  two  or  three  days. 


A  New  Ditcher  and  Grader. 

The  Martin  Ditcher  and  Grader  is  a  rather  new  pro- 
duct that  is  finding  a  ready  sale  on  the  road  building 
market  and  the  makers  have  secured  many  satisfactory 
testimonials.  The  builders  claim  especial  value  for  it 
in  its  ease  o-f  operation  and  that  it  can  be  )perated  with 
from  one  to  four  horses  and  one  man.  It  is  also  l)eing 
used  in  farm  operations  in  some  sections.  The  cost  is 
low  and  the  builders  send  along  a  guarantee  that  if  af- 
ter ten  days  it  does  not  prove  to  the  buyer  that  it  will 
do  all  claimed  for  it  they  will  take  the  machine  back 
and  refund  the  purchase  price.  T'he  Owensboro  Ditch- 
er &  Grader  Co..  of  Owensboro,  Ky..  make  and  market 
the  machine  in  several  sizes  and  nuulels. 


A  Good  Roads  Competition. 

The  Province  nf  Saskatchewan  seems  a  pretty  re- 
mote paeel  to  many  people  in  the  United  States,  and 
there  is  a  general  feeling  that  it  is  decidedly  •'new" 
and  not  quite  ready  to  take  on  all  the  obligatinis  re- 
garding public  works  which  are  assumed  in  sections 
settled  for  a  longer  period.  Yet  there  are  many  parts 
of  the  United  States  where  the  improvement  of  roads 
receives  much  less  intelligent  attention  than  is  paid 
to  it  in  this  Canadian  province.  Perhaps  one  reason  for 
the  good  results  attained  there  has  been  the  readiness 


of  the  authorities  to  profit  by  experience  elsewhere. 
Th  amount  of  money  they  have  had  to  spend  on  roads 
has  been  small;  the  Good  Roads  Year  Book  gives  last 
year's  expenditure  as  only  .^450,000.  although  this  is 
unusually  low  nn  account  of  war  conditions.  But  this 
money  is  made  to  yield  the  maximum  return  by  intel- 
ligent outlay.  Over  2300  nules  of  road  are  now  being 
kept  in  good  condition  by  dragging  them  by  the  meth- 
ods developed  l)y  the  U.  S.  Office  of  Public  Roads.  Af- 
ter a  country  road  has  been  graded  and  drained,  drag- 
ging is  the  best  method  of  keeping  it  in  conditi(ni  in 
most  eases,  and  so  the  provincial  highwa.v  commission 
gives  numerous  prizes  every  year  fm-  the  best  dragged 
roads  in  each  section  of  the  province  and  a  grand  prize 
for  the  best  results  of  dragging  on  any  road  an.vwhere 
uiuler  its  .jurisilii-tion.  As  a  result  of  this  stimulating 
intluence  and  the  wide  distributit)n  of  the  report  giving 
the  results  of  this  annual  competition  for  distinction 
in  public  etificiency,  the  earth  roads  of  Saskatchewan 
are  kept  in  a  condition  which  w^ould  startle  the  local 
road  authorities  in  many  of  the  older  settled  sections 
of  the  United  rstates.  could  they  see  them.  Moreover 
these  results  are  attained  at  an  average  annual  expense 
of  about  .$15  to  $18  per  mile,  a  sum  considerably  less 
Than  is  wasted  annually  on  thousands  if  iniles  of  earth 
roads  in  the  original  thirteen  states  without  yielding 
any  visible  improvement. 


r 


The  Dump  Wagon  That  Digs! 

Dirt  moving  costs  are  given  a  solar  plexus  blow  with 
this  excavator  that  digs,  loads,  hauls,  dumps,  spreads 
and  compacts.  Contractors  and  Road  Commissioners 
can  not  afford  to  overlook  the 


SAKIE 


MANEY  4  WHEEL 
SCRAPERS 

Tlie  driver  is  a  gang  with  Maneys.     Over  600  yards  a 
day  possible  with  a  single  outfit. 

Send  for  list  of  owners  and  48  page  catalog 

THE  BAKER  MFG.  COMPANY 

582  Stanford  Ave.       -      SPRINGFIELD,  ILL. 


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V 

^.>     «*.  -5. 

L^.-V-^ 

E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Ju]y,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


A  City  Circuit  Road. 

The  city  of  Charlotte,  Nortli  Carolina,  capital  of 
Mecklenburg,  one  of  the  Sonth's  pioneer  road  eonnties, 
is  actively  engaged  in  city  planning,  but  in  their  efforts 
to  make  a  city  beautiful,  they  would  also  make  a  city 
convenient.  Without  a  co-ordinated  good  roads  sys- 
tem surrounding  the  city  this  cannot  be  done,  so  they 
have  secured  IMr.  F.  J.  IMulvehill.  a  city  planner  frrvm 
Boston,  to  look  over  the  roads  entering  the  city  with  a 
view  to  connecting  these  with  a  belt  line. 

Regarding  the  roads  Mr.  Mnlvehill  said : 

"Perhaps  it  is  needless  to  call  attention  to  the  num- 
erous roads  which  lead  to  the  various  surrounding 
townships  from  the  city.  If  one  would  look  at  the 
county  map  it  will  be  observed  that  the  old  city  of 
Charlotte  represents  a  hub  from  which  radiate  roads 
typifying  spokes  of  a  wheel.  It  will  be  observed  also 
from  the  map  that  the  rim  is  necessary  to  complete  this 
same  symbolical  wheel.  It  is  probable  that  there  exists 
already  roads  which  will  connect  the  various  spokes. 

"Automobile  owners  in  Charlotte  are  at  a  loss  as  to 
where  a  complete  circuit  of  the  city  might  be  made  so 
that  at  all  times  they  might  be  within  a  Ave  to  ten  mile 
limit  of  the  square.  Imagine  what  a  pleasure  would 
be  afforded  to  autoists  of  Charlotte  and  tourists,  if  a 
good  circuit  of  thirty  miles  or  more  could  be  had.  This 
distance  seems  to  be  of  sufficient  length  to  permit  a 
tour  of  two  to  three  hours.  Of  an  evening  after  a  hot 
day,  nothing  woiild  be  more  enjoyable. 

"Such  a  circumferential  roadway  would  pass  through 
very  interesting  country,  some  in  cultivation  and  some 
in  native  woods.  The  woods  for  the  most  part  occupy 
ridges  or  slopes  unsuitable  for  cultivation.  These  na- 
tive woods  might  be  reserved  for  future  generations  as 
county  or  state  parks.  Little  or  no  improvement  is 
necessary  within  the  woods  themselves.  There  exists 
considerable  patriotism  among  the  owners  of  such 
places.  They  might  donate  to  the  public  for  the  en- 
joyment of  all,  these  lands,  with  the  stipulation,  how- 
ever, that  they  be  forever  preserved  as  woodlands. 

"In  making  such  a  circuit  a  good  roadway  is  quite 
essential.  Many  states  maintain  excellent  roads  at  no 
particular  burden  to  their  citizens.  These  highways 
are  traversed  not  only  by  the  local  people  but  by  tour- 
ists, as  a  result  of  foresight  and  thought  of  'county 
planning.'  One  part  of  the  circuit  will  be  on  a  hill 
with  a  view  of  the  city,  and  some  distance  beyond  a 
woodland  is  passed.  At  a  creek  is  constructed  a  con- 
crete arch  bridge  with  the  same  width  as  the  road  it- 
self. The  countj^  no  doubt  possesses  this  opportunity 
of  having  a  county  system  of  parks. 

' '  Coming  in  closer  to  the  city  a  smaller  circuit  might 
be  constructed  which  would  pass  through  parks  utiliz- 
ing the  Irwin  and  the  Sugar  creek  vallies.  Here  again 
the  owners  of  this  property  might  donate  such  areas  for 
use  in  this  generation  and  future  generations  as  parks. 
Imagine,  for  example.  Sugar  creek  as  a  park.  Such  a 
park  would  be  bounded  by  a  road,  and  facing  this  park 
would  be  good  residences.  The  land  as  it  stands  in 
these  valleys  is  of  little  valvie.  The  owners  could  well 
afford  to  give  such  lands  as  is  necessary  for  the  crea- 
tion of  the  parks  mentioned,  inasmuch  as  this  improve- 
ment would  create  an  additional  value  to  the  land  fac- 
ing the  parks  and  compensate  for  all  alnd  given  as 
parks. 

"All  roads  lead  to  Independence  square.  Many  who 
traverse  Independence  square  are  forced  to  do  so ; 
there  is  no  choice;  so  that  in  the  whole  city  it  might 
be  possible  as  well  as  probable  to  make  a  smaller  cir- 
cuit or  'traffic  ring.'      This  in  a  measure  will  relieve 


Any  Length 
Culvert  Pipe 

You  Need 


If  your  work  is  all  straight  going 
and  you  can  use  12  ft.  lengths  we'll 
be  ready  to  furnish  them.  If  the 
transportation  facilities  are  not  con- 
venient and  a  shorter  length,  say 
four  feet,  would  help  you  out,  just 
let  us  know  for  we  can  furnish 
4  ft.,  5  ft.,  6  ft.,  and  12  ft.  lengths  of 

U.  S.  \^^  CULVERTS 

There  are  not  only  many  different 
lengths  but  also  there  are  many  dif- 
ferent thicknesses  of  U.  S.  Culverts 
— Light  Culverts,  Medium  Culverts, 
Standard  Culverts,  Heavy  Culverts 
and  Extra  Heavy  Culverts — a  U.  S. 
Cast  Iron  Culvert  to  meet  each  con- 
dition of  roadbuilding. 

They  are  all  explained  in  the  inter- 
esting book  "Reducing  Ultimate 
Culvert  Costs"  which  we  are  send- 
ing to  all  those  interested  in  highway 
work,  free  of  charge.  Have  you 
sent  for  your  copy  ? 

UNITED  STATES 


IRON 


PIPE 


FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 

GENERAL  OFFICES : 
712  E.  Pearl  St.,  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES  ; 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W.  Oliver  Bide. 
Chicago,  122  So.  Mi^h.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  Building 
Birmingham,  Ala.,Am,  Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo,  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


Seattle,  Wash  ,  Koom  1814,  L.  C.  Smith  Bldg. 


20 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


July,  1917 


the  congestion.  The  route  of  the  larger  circuit  of  the 
surrounding  townships  has  perhaps  been  discovered  hy 
some  automobilists  in  Charlotte.  Previous  to  the  trip 
on  ^Monday  inquiries  were  made  as  to  direction  and 
roads  to  follow." 


Bad  Eoads  Crippled  Russia. 

In  the  rear  of  the  French  lines  the  principal  high- 
ways are  lined  with  crushed  stone  in  great  heaps.  The 
districts  are  plotted  otf  and  placed  in  charge  of  road 
supervisors.  The  women,  the  children,  the  old  men 
and  the  cripples — there  are  no  ablebodied  men  out  of 
the  army  in  France — are  organized  into  gangs  of  road 
workers.  When  a  shell  destroys  a  section  of  road  the 
supervisor  turns  out  his  crew,  who  mend  it  immediate- 
ly with  the  crushed  stone.  For  the  transportation  oi 
these  workers  and  for  similar  odd  .jobs  behind  the  lines, 
units  of  five  motor  trucks  each  are  maintained  in  va- 
rious villages. 

Russian  motor  truck  administration,  or  maladminis- 
tration, is  weird  beyond  belief.  In  it  rests  the  secret 
of  the  in-and-out  performances  of  the  Russian  armies. 
From  a  variety  of  causes,  little  improvement  can  be 
expected  in  the  future.  And  for  that  reason  Russia 
is  not  considered  a  dependable  factor  in  the  war.  In 
that  country,  so  vast  that  it  covers  an  appreciable 
share  of  the  world's  surface,  populated  with  teeming 
millions  of  people,  there  were  but  10,000  motor  vehicles 
before  the  war,  fewer  than  in  any  prosperous  middle- 
class  American  city.  Of  this  number  4000  were  a  cer- 
tain light,  small,  pleasure  car.  There  was  but  one  mo- 
tor factory  in  the  country  and  that  made  ponderous 
touring  cars  and  no  motor  trucks. 


Quickly  Mobilized 

{'ULVERTS  are  frequently  needed  on  a  hurry  call.  They 
^^  often  are  installed  in  positions  difficult  to  reach.  All 
such  conditions  are  met  by 

"ARMCO^orJ^.CULVERTS 

Wherever  installed  "Armco"  Iron  Culverts  have  always  prov«n 
their  strength  and  adaptability.  Being  made  of  the  purest 
iron  they  are  good  for  life-time  service. 

For  full  information  as  to  ru$t-resisting  "Armco" 
Iron  Culverts  {Full  and  Part  Circle),  Flumes,  Sheets, 
Roofing  and  Formed  Products,  write  to 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME   MFRS.  ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


Resists  Rust 


A  Fleet  of  Five 


Road  Ditchers  and  Graderl 

Costs  No  More  Than  One  Wheel  Grader 


Here  is  the  machine  that  will  keep  the  bottom  of  the  road  on  top.     County  after  county  is  se- 
fleets  of  10  or  more  of  these  machines — and  discarding  the  old,  slow,  cumbersome  wheel 
They  are  saving  money  and  speeding  up  road  building  throughout  the  county. 

Here's  evidence  of  this  fact:  Sol.  H.  King,  Calvert  City,  Marshall  Co.,  Ky., 
writes:  "I  know  that  the  Martin  Ditcher  and  Grader  will,  with  1  man  and  2 
hoBses,  make  as  good  roads  as  4  men  and  8  horses  with  the  old  style  grader." 


place  at  least  one  of  these  machines  on  your  roads  on  10  DAYS'  FREE  TRIAL.  Use  one  10  days  ^ 
grading  and  dragging  j-our  roads — the  worst  road  you  can  find,  if  j-ou  please.  If  it  fails  to  per-  ^^r 
the  several  uses  for  which  it  is  recommended,  return  it  to  us,  freight  charges  collect,  at  the  ^^rl^ 
10  days  and  your  money  will  be  refunded  to  you. 


catalog— full  details  of  Free  Trial  Offer  and  Special  Terms  to  County  Commissioners 
Contractors.     Send  in  your  name  and  address  on  the  coupon  or  a  post  card. 


/ 


.^^ 


^.^ 


OWENSBORO  DITCHER  &  GRADER  COMPANY,  Inc. 

Owensboro,  Kentucky    ^^< 


■AW 


<0V"o^>^ 


VJ^ 


Does  5  Times  as  Much  Road  Building 


.<=^ 


<i-- 


^' 


July,  1917  SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS  21 


THE  BEST  PAYMENT  FOR  SANDY  DISTRICTS 

BITOSAN 

(Registered  U.  S.  Patent  Office) 

What  It  Is : 

The  Bitosan  Pavement  comprises  an  asphalt  surface  laid  upon  a  base  of 
sand  or  gravel  mixed  with  Bitosan  Foundation  Asphalt. 

What  It  Has  Done : 

When  Building  a  Bitosan  Road  at  Falmouth.  Mass.,  an  asphalt  plant 
weighing  over  thirteen  tons  was  hauled  over  the  pavement.  During  all  last 
winter  and  spring  a  caterpillar  tractor  drew  three  steel  tired  trailers,  weigh- 
ing about  sixteen  tons  loaded,  over  this  road.  That  this  did  not  damage 
the  pavement  proves  that  it  will  bear  weights  far  in  excess  of  traffic 
requirements. 

Why  It  Is  Best  For  Sandy  Districts : 

Where  there  is  no  native  stone  Bitosan  can  be  laid  at  a  lower  cost  than 
any  other  first-class  pavement.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  only  native 
road  metal  is  used  and  that  the  use  of  asphalt  as  a  binder  for  both  base  and 
top  makes  it  possible  to  lay  the  whole  pavement  with  one  plant  and  one 
road  or  street  force. 

Bitosan  pavements  are  firm,  durable  and  sightly.  They  are  especially 
adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  sandy  sections  of  the  South. 

Write  for  Booklet 

The  United  States  Asphalt  Refining  Co. 

90  West  Street.  New  York 

Chicago  Philadelphia  Boston  Montreal 

Main  Refinery  :    Baltimore,  Md. 


22 


SOL'TllERN  GOOD  KOAD- 


Julv,  rJ17 


GOOD  ROADS  NOTES  '^BRIEF 


I'uhiski  fouuty.  Va..  road  niniinissiini  is  engaged  in 
important  maeadam  eonstrui-tiiui  on  the  Southwest  Vir- 
ginia pilvp  from  Pulaski  in  the  direction  of  Radford. 
During  reeent  mouths  important  sections  of  this  road 
have  been  completed  in  Wythe  and  Smyth  counties  and 
a  section  west  of  I'ulaski  was  als )  recently  tinislied. 
Tliis  is  tiie  most  impDrtaut  road  in  this  section  of  the 
state. 

Rockingham  county.  .Xorth  Carolina,  is  doing  imjidr- 
tant  I'onstruction  on  the  road  between  Greensbjro  and 
Danville,  which  will  likely  be  a  section  of  the  Bank- 
head  Xational  Highway. 

The  new  Texas  state  highway  commission  has  under 
consideration  twenty-two  main  liighways  to  be  placed 
luider  state  supervision.  Three  of  these  center  at  Dal- 
las, it  is  rep  irted. 

Tlic  Central  Fli)rida  Highway  Association  nu^t  last 
month  at  Kissimmee  and  chose  the  following  officers:  T. 
Ed.  Bryan  of  Tampa,  has  re-elected  president  for  the 
coming  year ;  F.  W.  Perry,  of  Fort  flyers,  second  vice- 
president  ;  L.  A.  Whitney  of  Pinellas  Park,  first  vice- 
president,  and  C.  H.  Stanford  of  Kissimim;ee,  third  vice- 
president.  L.  P.  Dickie  Avas  named  to  succeed  himself 
as  secretary  as  well  as  J.  H.  Scales  as  treasurer. 

General  George  Goethals  will  remain  as  road  engi- 
neer in  charge  of  New  Jersey's  $15,000,000  road  pro- 
gram, despite  the  fact  that  he  is  intrusted  with  the  tre- 
mendoiis  task  of  developing  the  American  merchant 
marine. 


QUICK  DELIVERIES 

ON 


BUILT  OF  STEEL 

PAVERS 

8-11-15  Foot  Sizes 

(Non-tip  Higb  Drum  Type) 

AND 

BUILDING  MIXERS 

(5-8-11-15-22  Foot  Sizes) 
Get  Our  Astonishingly  Lo%v  Prices 


Write  nearest  t)tlice 


Zhe  American  CemenI  Machine  Co.  Inc. 


eokuk     low, 

the:  300.000  HP  ELECTRIC  CITY 

BH.iN'Cn  OFFICES — New  York.  Philadelphia,  Pittsboreh,  Baltinmre, 
Rirhraond.  Cambridge,  Mass.;  Indianapolis,  Chicago.  New  Orleans,  Minne- 
apolis, Seattle,  Spokane,  Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco,  Cleveland,  St.  Louifl, 
Louisville. 


(the: 


\ 


J 


Mixers        Pavers        Grouters        Hoists 


■ 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct  Im 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  hy  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting — Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


cSOuIherjsl, 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishinir  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  August,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Proceedings  of  the  Annual  Convention  of 

tlie  Nortli  Carolina  Good  Roads  Asso- 
ciation, Held  at  Asheville,  July  9-11 

Compiled  by  MISS  HATTIE  M.  BERRY,  Assistant  Secretary 

THE  ANNUAL  Conveution  of  the  North  Carolina  way  Commission  and  the  Geological  Si^rvey,  about  5,- 

Good  Roads  Association  was  held  at  Asheville,  N.  000  copies  being  printed  at  a  cost  for  printing  of  $2,- 

C.  July  9th,  10th  and  11th,  1917,  with  headquarters  at  208.79. 

the  Battery  Park  Hotel.     The  opening  session  of  the  Advertisements  in  Route  Book. 

convention  was  held  Tuesday  morning.  July  10th,  and  qj  ^^^  advertising  accounts,  all  have  been  collected 

the  convention  was  opened  by  a  prayer  trom  the  Kev-  ^^^^^  except  the  following : 

erend  Dr.  Powell  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Ashe-  r.     x        ir  ^       /-,                 '                                           t-,,->r.^ 

ville.    Mayor  J.  E.  Rankin  delivered  an  address  of  wel-      ^^''^^''  l^Slf:   Company. $10.00 

come  on  behalf  of  the  City  of  Asheville  ;  and  Mr.  W.  B.       g^f  T°.°r    ^     r    ^"^  '"'  '^P""^' ?^nn 

Johnson,  on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Countv  Commission-      ^otel  March    Lexmgton        15.00 

ers  of  Buncombe  county,  addressed  the^neeting  in  a      Jt°''^^^  '^^^^^  ^        '  L^ncobiton.^.    lo.OO 

welcome  from  Buncombe  county.     He  mentioned  the      ^''''''-  ^'"^  Hagerdorn,  Four  Oaks 50.00 

disastrous  floods  of  1916  and  the  consequent  damage  to  -"^n  effort  has  been  made  to  collect  these  accounts  but 

roads,  and  the  work  which  has  been  done  by  the  coun-  th"s  far  we  have  not  been  able  to  get  them. 

ty  in  getting  the  roads  into  shape  aagin.    He  extended  Route  Book  of  Eastern  North  Carolina. 

a  cordial  invitation  to  the  delegates  to  the  Convention  pi^^g  ^re  under  wav  for  the  preparation  of  a  route 

to  go  over  the  roads  and  bridges  of  Buncombe.     He  b^o],  covering  the  balance  of  the  State.     It  is  hoped 

called  particular  attention  to  an  overhead  bridge  .]ust  ^j.^t  within  the  next  year  this  will  be  prepared     and 

completed  m  the  Craggy  section.  j.ga^j^.  f,,^.  publication. 

Mr.  C.  N.  Brown,  president  of  the  Asheville  Board  of 
Trade,  delivered  an  address  of  welcome  on  behalf  of  the  Sale  of  the  Route  Books. 
business  men  of  the  city,   and  Mr.  D.  Hiden  Ramsey  While  the   sale   of  these   Route  Books   during   1916 
welcomed  the  Association  on   behalf  of  the  Asheville  was  not  as  great  as  was  expected,  this  was  undoubtedly 
and  Buncombe  County  Good  Roads  Association.  due  to  the  floods  which  devastated  Western  North  Car- 
Mr.  H.  B.  Varner,  President  of  the  Association,  re-  olina  and  anade  automobile  travel  almost  impossible,  so 
sponded  to  the  addresses  of  welcome.  that  for  the  greater  part  of  the  tourist  season  of  1916 
Mr.  Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  the  tourists  were  cut  oft'  from  Western  North  Carolina 
Association  then  made  his  annual  report  as  follows :  to  a  considerable  extent.     It  is  believed,  however,  that 
Report  of  SecreUry— 1916  Convention.  the  time  is  most  opportune  for  the  arvertisement  of  the 
A   detailed  report   of  the   Convention  held   at   Wil-  western  section  of  the  State  and  that  manv  will  be  go- 
mington,  Wrightsville  Beach,  June  21st  and  22nd,  1916,  ing  to  this  section  who  will  want  copies  of  this  book, 
was  published  in  Southern  Good  Roads  for  July,  1916,  provided  it  can  be  properly  advertised, 
and  a  copy  is  attached  to  this  report.  Legislative  Work. 

Membership.  The  Secretary  spent  practically  all  his  time  in  Ral- 

During  the  past  year  we  have  had  172  active  mem-  eigh  during  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  and  gave  a 

bers  in  the  Association.    Of  these  167  paid  membership  great  deal  of  his  time  to  road  legislation.     The  follow- 

dues    of   $5.00   each ;   two   members   paid    $10.00 ;   and  ing  bills  were  drafted  by  the  Secretary,  in  co-operation 

three  subscriptions  were  made,  one  by  Mr.  B.  N.  Duke  '^vith  the  State  Highway  Engineer,  and  passed  the  leg- 

of  $100.00,  one  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Reynolds  of  $100.00,  and  islature: 

one  by  Mr.  Leonard  Tufts  of  $50.00.  State-Wide  County  Road  Law. 

Route  Book  ^^^   ^^  Automobile    Tax   in    Maintenance    of   State 

Roads. 

A  Road  Maps  and  Tour  Book  of  Western  North  Car-  Prison  Reform  Bill, 

olina  was  prepared  in  co-operation  with  the  State  High-  In  addition  to  the  above,  the  Secretary  gave  advice 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1917 


and  assistance  iu  the  drafting  of  a  number  of  county 
road  bills. 

In  the  work  during  the  past  year,  the  association  has 
had  the  very  close  co-operation  of  the  National  High- 
ways Association ;  they  have  furnished  us  with  station- 
ery, and  at  our  request  have  sent  out  considei-able  lit- 
erature, maps,  etc. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  Association  there  has 
not  been  a  year  more  fruitful  of  results  than  the  past 
has  been,  as  the  work  of  propaganda  has  gone  on  antl 
the  legislative  work  has  been  most  satisfactory. 

The  report  of  the  engineer  in  charge  of  publicity  was 
approved  by  the  Association  in  the  following  resolu- 
tion : 

Resolved,  That  the  Association  endorse  the  work  of 
the  Publicity  Department  in  its  eft'orts  to  publish  a 
Tour  Book  ui  Eastern  North  Carolina  and  that  we 
pledge  our  support  to  the  successful  completion  of  this 
work. 

The  President  announced  the  appointment  of  the 
following  committees: 

Auditing  (Vinunittee — Col.  Bennehan  Cameron,  Chair- 
man ;  N.  Buckner,  D.  A.  McDonald. 

Membership  Committee — R.  P.  Coble,  Chairman;  J. 
H.  Slaughter,  W.  B.  Kiker,  J.  H.  Mewborne,  N.  Buck- 
ner. 

Finance  Committee— Gen.  Julian  S.  Carr,  Durham 
County;  John  L.  Patterson,  Halifax  County;  M.  E. 
Cozard,  Cherokee  County;  W.  W.  Stringfellow,  Wa- 
tauga County. 

Nominating  Coounittee— W.  C.  Hammer,  Chairman, 
Randolph  County;  D.  S.  Russell.  Cherokee  County;  Roy 
M.  Brown,  Watauga  County;  N.  Buckner,  Buncombe 
County;  C.  G.  Wright,  Guilford  County. 

Committee  on  Resolutions — D.  M.  Clark,  Chairman, 
Pitt  County;  Fletcher  Gregory,  Halifax;  Frank  Mc- 
Auley,  Montgomery;  C.  L.  Handy,  Green;  W.  E.  John- 
son, Buncombe ;  J.  G.  Foushee.  Guilford ;  J.  M.  Allison. 
Transylvania;  S.  W.  Black,  Swain;  F.  C.  Howard. 
Sampson ;  W.  S.  Fallis,  Wake ;  J.  0.  Askew,  Hertford ; 
C.  C.  Buchanan,  Jackson ;  E.  S.  Jones,  Johnson  ;  Ben- 
nehan Cameron,  Durham ;  E.  C.  Davenport.  Gaston  ;  A. 
M.  McDonald,  Mecklenburg;  C.  L.  Mann.  Wake;  R.  S. 
McCoin,  Vance;  J.  C.  Bragg,  Wake. 

Committee  on  the  Awarding  of  Prizes — Joseph  Hyde 
Pratt,  Chairman;  R.  T.  Brawn,  D.  A.  McDonald,  J.  G. 
Stikeleather.  N.  A.  Reynolds,  Miss  H.  M.  Berry. 
Road  Construction  During  The  War  Period. 

By  Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  State  Gelologist.  Secretary 
of  State  Highway  Commission,  State  Representative 
at  National  Conference  of  Defense,  Member  of  State 
Council  of  Defense. 

Mr.  Pratt  said  in  part : 

I  have  been  led  to  take  up  this  suljject  from  the  fact 
that  the  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  World 
War  has  caused  several  states  to  start  to  change  their 
road  policy;  and  questions  are  constantly  coming  up 
in  regard  to  what  changes  should  be  made  in  county 
road  work — whether  or  not  all  new  road  work  should 
be  stopped  and  the  states  and  counties  confine  them- 
selves to  simply  keeping  up  the  roads  already  com- 
pleted. Another  question  that  is  constantly  being  ask- 
ed is,  "What  does  the  War  Department  desire  the  v-a- 
rious  state  highway  departments  to  do?"  I  wish  to 
consider  brietiy  this  subject  under  live  different  heads, 
as  follows : 

1.  What  changes  should  be  made  in  county  road 
work. 

2.  What  roads  should  be  built. 

3.  Militarv  roads. 


4.  Road  construction  back  of  the  front. 

5.  Co-operation  of  State  Highway  Departments  and 
War  Department. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Washington  some  weeks  ago, 
at  which  there  was  a  conference  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  the  American  Association  of  State  Highway 
Officials  and  the  engineers  of  the  War  Department,  it 
was  decided  that  as  far  as  possible,  the  states  should 
carry  on  their  road  work  as  under  normal  conditions 
but  that  they  should  make  an  effort  to  construct  con- 
tinuous roads  across  the  state,  connecting  county  with 
county  and  connecting  the  roads  of  one  state  with  those 
in  another.  There  never  was  a  time  when  the  road 
authorities  of  a  county  should  give  as  serious  consid- 
eration to  the  location  and  character  of  roads  built  as 
during  this  war  period.  Their  decision  in  regard  to 
what  roads  to  build  should  not  depend  upon  satisfying 
some  particular  persons  or  even  some  particular  section 
and  thus  be  built  a  small  section  in  one  part  of  the 
county  and  another  in  another ;  but  they  should  give 
special  attention  to  the  construction  of  roads  that  will 
lead  from  one  center  to  another  center  across  the  coun- 
ty. Particular  attention  should  l)e  given  to  the  con- 
struction of  svich  roads  as  will  permit  easy  communica- 
tion from  centers  of  production  to  centers  of  consump- 
tion of  agricultural  products.  With  the  construction 
of  such  a  system  of  intercounty  roads,  it  will  be  possi- 
ble for  North  Carolina  as  well  as  other  states  to  trans- 
port a  large  tonnage  of  agricultural  and  manufactured 
products  over  her  public  roads.  This  will  help  to  re- 
duce the  car  shortage  of  our  railroads  and  make  it  pos- 
sible to  bring  to  market  other  products  that  might  oth- 
erwise be  almost  indefinitely  delayed. 

Such  roads  would  also  make  interstate  roads,  which 
could  be  used  in  the  transportation  of  army  supplies 
aiul  troops.  The  War  Department  requests  that  these 
main  highways  be  constructed  so  that  they  will  sustain 
trucks  carrying  a  weight  of  4,000  pounds  ou  the  front 
wheels  and  6,000  to  8,000  pounds  on  the  rear  wheels. 

The  counties  should  take  up  the  question  of  issuing 
bonds  for  road  work  similarly  as  in  past  years.  I  be- 
lieve it  will  be  found  that  county  roads  bonds  can  be 
sold  just  as  favorably  at  the  present  time  as  at  any 
other.  The  road  authorities,  however,  should  keep  in 
mind  that  there  is  to  be  a  considerable  increased 
amount  of  traffic  over  the  roads  and  they  must  be  sure 
that  they  are  providing  a  sufficient  anu)unt  of  revenue 
to  maintain  the  roads  after  they  are  built. 

Practically  all  these  through  roads  across  North  Car- 
olina will  become  military  roads  and  in  fact  the  Federal 
Aid  Road  Fund  can  be  spent  in  the  construction  of  a 
militar.y  road  just  as  well  as  a  postal  road.  Several  of 
these  roads,  which  may  become  of  considerable  military 
importance  pass  through  Asheville.  The  Swannanoa 
(jap  road  leading  from  xVsheville  across  the  Blue  Ridge 
to  Old  Fort,  a  link  in  the  Central  Highway,  is  a  part  of 
a  road  that  should  be  of  considerable  military  import- 
ance as  its  connection  through  either  Madison  or  Hay- 
wood counties  to  the  Tennessee  line  make  connection 
with  eastern  Tennessee  and  the  coal  fields  with  Pied- 
mont North  Carolina  aiul  South  Carolina  easy.  Ten 
thousand  dollars  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Fund  has 
been  apportioned  to  the  Swannanoa  Gap  road  ;  $8,000 
to  the  link  in  Haywood  county  and  $9,500  to  the  link  in 
^Madison  county.  Provision  has  also  been  made  for  car- 
rying the  Haywood  County  highway  across  Swain  coun- 
ty to  the  Tennessee  line. 

The  Hickory  Nut  Gap  road  is  another  Federal  Aid 
road,  which  will  come  under  the  head  of  an  important 
military  road.    The  State  Highway  Commission  has  al- 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


lotted  $10,000  of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Fund  to  assist 
in  the  construction  of  this  road.      , 

It  is  the  hope  that  in  eastern  North  Carolina  as  rapid 
progress  can  be  made  in  building  main  highways  back 
from  the  coast  as  is  now  being  done  in  building  roads 
from  the  west  into  the  Piedmont  section.  Such  high- 
ways that  would  be  of  military  importance,  wauld  be 
those  from  Wrightsville  and  Southport  via  Wilming- 
ton into  the  Piedmont  section ;  also  from  Beaufort  to 
Goldsboro  following  the  route  of  the  Central  Highway; 
and  from  Norfolk  across  the  north-eastern  counties  in- 
to central  North  Carolina.  On  many  of  these  roads 
allotments  from  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Fund  have  been 
made. 

Under  the  head  "Road  Construction  Back  of  the 
Front,"  I  would  state  that  for  the  time  being  the  At- 
lantic seaboard  represents  our  front  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  war.  This  is  the  part  of  this  country  that 
would  probably  be  first  attacked  in  case  an  enemy 
should  attempt  to  invade  the  United  States.  Our  state 
highway  departments  of  the  Atlantic  coast  states  are 
co-operating  with  the  War  Department  in  preparing  in- 
formation and  statistics  regarding  supplies  that  can  be 
used  in  road  and  railroad  construction  along  the  sea- 
Board  and  our  state  department  has  signified  its  willing- 
ness to  construct  any  road  that  the  War  Department 
may  decide  is  necessary  for  military  purposes. 

The  state  highway  departments  are  also  co-operating 
with  the  War  Department  in  regard  to  available  road 
machinery  and  supplies  that  may  be  made  ready  for 
federal  service.  In  North  Carolina  we  have  but  very 
little  road  machinery  connected  with  the  State  High- 
way Department,  but  we  have  taken  up  with  the  va- 
rious counties  of  the  State  the  question  of  the  availa- 
bility of  their  road  equipment  and  in  nearly  all  eases 
the  commissioners  have  agreed  that  such  machinery  as 
they  had  would  be  made  available  for  federal  service  if 
desired. 


I  have  tried  to  show  that  the  amount  of  road  work 
throughout  North  Carolina  should  be  continued  ap- 
proximately as  in  normal  times,  but  that  more  consid- 
eration should  be  given  by  our  commissioners  to  the 
construction  and  maintenance  of  the  intercounty  high- 
ways as  such  roads  are  of  very  great  importance  not 
only  for  ourselves  but  for  military  purposes. 

Afternoon  Session. 

The  afternoon  sessicm  was  convened  at  three  o'clock, 
and  the  general  subject  of  road  legislation  passed  by 
the  General  Assembly  of  1917  was  discussed.  Senator 
R.  S.  McCoin  discussed  the  State-wide  County  Road 
Law,  and  his  paper  is  given  in  detail  in  another  part  of 
tills  magazine. 

^Ir.  W.  S.  Fallis,  State  Highway  Engineer,  than  dis- 
cussed some  of  the  provisions  of  this  law. 

Hon.  D.  M.  Clark,  member  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives from  Pitt  county,  discussed  the  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  for  the  Use  of  State  Security  for  County 
Road  Bonds.  He  stated  that  the  time  had  now  come 
when  everyone  must  admit  that  good  roads  are  the  life 
arteries  of  industrial  and  social  intercourse  in  North 
Carolina;  and  therefore,  having  as  its  goal  the  ulti- 
mate attainment  of  a  system  of  traversible  roads  in 
the  State,  the  above  bill  was  drafted.  Mr.  Clark  ex- 
plained this  bill  thoroughly,  showing  the  system  where- 
by the  State  could  borrow  money  at  four  per  cent  and 
loan  it  to  the  counties  and  cities  at  five  per  cent,  using 
four  per  cent  of  the  amount  in  paying  interest  on  the 
money  borrowed,  and  the  one  per  cent  as  a  sinking 
fund.  He  also  mentioned  the  fact  that  the  city  or 
coiuity  could  borrow  money  at  5  per  cent;  when  here- 
tofore they  had  been  required  to  pay  five  and  a  half  to 
six  per  cent.  Mr.  Clark  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
idea  that  the  same  system  be  used  in  the  loaning  of 
money  by  the  government,  thus  building  a  system  of 
I'oads  throughout  the  countrv  for  commercial  and  so- 


Delegates  in  Attendance  Upon  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Convention 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Augiist,  191'i 


cial  purposes  iu  times  of  peace,  and  military  purposes 
in  time  of  war.  pointing  out  that  the  system  of  German 
i-:)ads  had  been  of  great  advantage  to  them  in  this  war. 

Mr.  Clark  stated  that  he  would  like  to  know  the  sen- 
timent of  the  convention  at  this  time,  as  in  the  past  this 
hill  liad  been  favored  by  the  people,  and  he  would  like 
tn  have  the  convention  go  on  record  as  favoring  the 
bill.  .Mr.  Clark  stated  that  he  saw  uo  reason  why  our 
Govern^uent  should  not  issue  two  billion  dollars  iu 
bonds  at  2%,  let  the  States  have  them  at  i^i ,  and  the 
States  let  the  county  have  them  at  o% .  and  build  a 
tremendous  system  of  roads.  In  cases  of  emergency, 
we  would  have  these  roads  to  transport  our  troops 
from  the  east  to  the  west.  etc.  Why  should  not  the 
States  utilize  their  credit  and  borrow  money  at  -1%? 
Why  .should  it  lie  idle  and  our  roads  go  undeveloped? 

Mr.  Clark  thought  that  all  North  Carolinians  should 
become  aroused  and  express  themselves  at  last.  If  the 
bill  is  so  close  they  cannot  decide  it,  and  the  people  are 
so  much  in  favor  of  it,  they  should  do  no  less  than  de- 
clare themselves  in  favor  of  it.  This  bill  carries  with 
it  a  maintenance  clause. 

The  next  subject  under  discussion  was  the  act  of 
the  General  Assembly  for  the  Use  of  the  Automobile 
Tax  in  Road  ^Maintenance,  which  was  discussed  by  Sen- 
ator Bennehan  Camerou.  His  paper  in  detail  is  given 
iu  anothei      ssue  of  this  magazine. 

Prison  Reform  Bill. 

This  bill  was  taken  up  by  Senator  W.  D.  Turner,  of 
Iredell  county,  who  gave  a  brief  history  of  the  bill.  He 
said  that  last  February  while  in  Raleigh  he  saw  Mr. 
Pratt;  that  he  told  him  of  the  condition  of  the  prison- 
ers in  North  Carolina  and  gave  expression  to  his 
thoughts  relative  to  the  reformation  that  he  felt  should 
take  place,  and  outlined  the  bill  he  had  in  contempla- 
tion. Dr.  Pratt  approved  of  the  plan  and  stated  that 
he  liad  literature  on  the  subject  which  he  would  be  glad 
to  furnish  Mr.  Turner,  and  so,  assisted  by  Dr.  Pratt, 
there  was  evolved  what  is  known  as  the  Prison  Reform 
Bill.  He  .stated  that  the  bill  carried  more  than  the  re- 
formation of  prisoners;  one  of  the  principal  features  of 
the  bill  was  for  the  building  of  roads  in  North  Carolina. 
This  bill  directed  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  in 
sentencing  men  to  prison,  if  the  sentence  was  over  two 
years,  to  send  the  men  to  the  State  Penitentiary.  If 
all  these  men  were  sent  to  the  penitentiary,  there  would 
be  in  the  penitentiary  3.000  convicts.  What  should  be 
done  with  these  convicts?  The.v  cannot  all  be  worked 
on  the  farm.  The  bill  prohiljits  their  being  hired  out  to 
corporations  or  individuals,  but  provides  that  these 
men  may  be  worked  on  the  highways  of  the  State  in 
the  construction  of  good  roads  throughout  North  Car- 
olina. The  surplus  convicts,  after  the  farm  is  provided 
for  can  be  sent  to  any  county  in  the  State.  The  ob- 
ject and  purpose  of  the  bill  is  not  only  to  reform  the 
prisoners,  but  provides  for  the  construction  and  main- 
tenance of  the  roads  of  the  State.  The  l)ill  also  pro- 
vides for  the  reforming  of  the  prisoners  themselves,  es- 
pecially the  system  under  which  they  are  managetl. 
Mr.  Turner  stated  that  these  men  were  not  treated  as 
human  beings ;  that  they  were  worked  from  sun-up  un- 
til sun-down.  The  bill  provides  that  these  men  shall  be 
di\ided  into  three  classes.  First,  the  honor  class — no 
one  should  guard  them,  and  they  should  not  wear 
stripes.  The  second  class  should  be  guarded  but  wear 
no  stripes,  tlie  third  class,  or  the  incorrigibles,  should 
be  guarded  and  wear  stripes.  This  bill  provides  for  the 
educational  and  religious  privileges  of  the  prisoners. 
At  present  there  is  no  system  as  to  the  length  of  time 


these  men  shall  work.    The  bill  provides  that  they  shall 
not  work  over  ten  hours,  except  on  the  farm. 

Dr.  Pratt  also  stated  that  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  this  bill  were  now  explained  to  every  prisoner  that 
they  are  up  against.  The  bill  states  positively  that  the 
they  are  up  aaginst.  The  bill  states  positively  that  the 
State  lives  up  to  every  agreement  it  makes  with  the  pris- 
oners just  as  it  expects  them  to  live  up  to  the  rules  and 
regulations.  He  further  stated  that  the  men  are  g'ven 
the  benefit  of  the  doubt;  that  the  men  were  not  put  in 
the  third  class  when  they  entered  the  prison,  because  it 
was  not  known  that  they  belonged  in  the  first  or  sec- 
ond class,  but  that  he  was  put  in  the  first  or  second  class 
until  he  proved  himself  that  he  ought  to  go  down  to 
the  second  or  third  class ;  that  there  have  been  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  men  in  this  country  that  have 
been  practically  ruined  and  sent  to  the  dogs  simply  be- 
cause they  were  put   in  sti'ipes. 

Evening  Session. 

In  the  evening  were  the  meetings  of  the  committees, 
and  the  delegates  were  entertained  l\v  recitations  and 
songs  at  the  Battery  Park  Hotel. 

Wednesday  Morning',  July  11th. 

The  ([uestioii  under  discussion  at  this  session  was 
Koad  .Maintenance.  ^Ir.  W.  L.  Spoon,  Senior  Highway 
Engineer  of  the  United  States  Office  of  Public  Roads 
and  Rural  Engineering,  was  unable  to  be  present  on  ac- 
coimt  of  assignment  to  work  in  connection  with  the 
building  of  tile  cantonment  at  Columbia.  S.  C.  Mr.  W. 
A.  McGirt,  Chairnmn  of  the  Board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners of  New  Hanover  County,  could  not  be  present 
Init  sent  a  letter. 

The  first  address  was  made  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Fallis,  State 
Highway  Engineer,  on 

A  STATE  SYSTE.M  OF  MAINTENANCE, 
ilr.  Fallis  stated  that  he  believed  that  the  question  of 
road   maintenance  had   been   neglected  more   and   was 
perhaps  of  more  importance  than  any  other  phase  of 
road  work.     He  also  stated  that  state  highway  otticials 
and  associations  are  now  giving  it  more  attention  than 
they  are  to  road  construction.     It  was  his  belief  that 
the  matter  of  road  construction  can  be  carried  too  far. 
Mr.  Fallis  thinks  that  we  should  spend  our  money  for 
road  construction  as  long  as  we  have  money  which  can 
be  properly  so  spent,  but  the  minute  we  reach  the  end 
of  this  expenditure,  we  should  stop  construction   and 
liegin  our  road  maintenance  work.     He  stated  that  it 
is  a  foolish  policy  on  the  part  of  any  road  officials  any- 
where to  build  more  roads  than  they  can  take  care  of. 
The  maintenance  of  a  state  system  of  highway's  is  a 
problem  which  must  be  worked  out.     The  question  of 
maintenance  has  been  so  neglected  and  given  such  a 
little   thought,   and  so   little   practical   work   has   been 
done  on  it  that  we  have  no  precedent  to  guide  or  help 
us  except  possibly  in  the  example  set  by  the  railroads. 
They  act  together  on  a  business  prhiciple  and  do  not 
place  any  weight  on  whether  a  fellow  in  one  section  is 
a  good  fellow  and  whether  he  needs  a  railroad  or  not. 
What  they  consider  is  that  they  must  have  trains  run- 
ning across  that  section  of  the  country  and  they  go  at 
it  in  a  business  like  way.  witlnnit  regard  to  anything 
else.    So  with  us.  this  matter  of  building  and  maintain- 
ing roads  is  also  a  business  proposition.     'Sir.  Fallis  dis- 
cussed the  railroads'  use  of  the  patrol  system  by  which 
they  have  their  gangs  looking  after  their  roads  every 
day  in  the  year,  have  competent  men  in  charge,  with 
proper  materials  and  equipment  and  everything  neces- 
sary to  keep  their  roads  in  good  condition.    This  is  the 
only  method  which  we  know  of  which  has  been  worked 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


out  successfully,  and  Mr.  Fallis  seated  that  he  believed 
that  this  is  the  proper  method  by  which  we  should 
maintain  our  roads. 

Mr.  Fallis  stated  that  we  must  try  to  work  out  a  plan 
to  maintain  (Uir  roads  with  the  automobile  tax  as  re- 
quired by  the  act  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  of 
1917.  He  .stated  that  we  must  maintain  a  State  system 
of  roads  connecting  county  seat  witli  county  seat  ana 
the  principal  towns  with  each  other.  ^Ir.  Fallis  refer- 
red to  the  fact  that  we  do  not  extend  our  roads  from 
one  county  into  another,  and  stated  that  he  could  drive 
a  car  over  a  country  road  on  the  darkest  night  and  tell 
when  he  crossed  the  county  line  by  the  condition  of  the 
roads.  He  outlined  a  plan  of  the  State  Highway  Com- 
mission of  dividing  the  state  into  road  districts  and 
have  been  in  each  section  to  look  after  the  roads  in  their 
particular  sections.  He  stated  that  road  maintenance 
in  this  way  will  help  save  money  for  the  counties  and 
also  give  them  good  roads.  Mr.  Fallis  referred  to  the 
Road  Institute  which  is  being  conducted  each  year  at 
Chapel  Hill  and  its  value  to  road  patrolmen.  In  ref- 
erence to  the  use  of  the  autmnobile  money,  he  stated 
that  70  per  cent  of  this  money  is  to  be  expended  in  the 
county  from  whence  it  came  under  the  supervision  of 
the  Highway  Commission  and  on  the  main  roads  of  the 
State.  He  stated  that  there  are  a  great  many  counties 
which  will  have  more  roads  than  the  70  per  cent  will 
properly  maintain.  He  stated  that  these  roads  will  be 
maintained  just  as  well  as  if  they  had  more  money  by 
means  of  the  floating  fund  which  comes  to  the  com- 
mission from  the  sum  that  comes  between  70  per  cent 
and  the  amount  it  takes  to  collect  the  tax,  estimated  to 
be  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  20  per  cent. 

Mr.  R.  T.  Brown,  road  engineer  and  Superintendent 
of  Davidson  County,  spoke  on  the  ilaintenance  of 
County  Roads.  Mr.  Brown  said  that  it  is  the  patrolmen 
who  keep  up  the  roads  and  that  he  thought  maintenance 
was  the  most  important  phase  of  road  work.  He  spoke 
of  the  necessity  of  having  competent  men  in  charge  of 
the  work  who  know  what  they  are  trying  to  get.  He 
said  that  he  has  about  sixty  men  in  charge  of  the  main- 
tenance work  on  the  improved  roads  of  his  county,  and 
that  the  sections  vary  from  2.5  miles  to  fi.2  miles.  In 
some  instances  these  squads  of  men  are  also  doing  con- 
struction work. 

Mr.  Roy  Pennell,  State  Higliway  Engineer  of  South 
Carolina,  made  a  very  interesting  talk  in  regard  to 
maintenanr-e,  and  said  that  his  state  has  not  yet  been 
educated  to  the  necessity  of  road  maintenance,  Init  they 
hope  to  work  out  a  system  of  maintenance  in  the  near 
future. 

Major  W.  A.  Graham,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
of  North  Carolina,  made  a  brief  talk  on  the  history  of 
good  roads  and  railroads  in  the  early  days,  and  espec- 
iallv  the  State's  experience  with  state-owned  railroads. 

Mr.  C.  G.  Wright,  of  Guilford  County,  spoke  of  the 
benefits  of  road  c^nstrnction  and  road  maintenance. 
He  stated  that  he  thought  the  State  convicts  should  be 
sent  to  the  mountain  section  to  help  in  the  construction 
of  good  roads,  as  this  beautiful  country  is  an  asset  to 
the  entire  State. 

Mr.  Bragg.  Chairman  of  the  Good  Roads  Committee 
of  the  T.  P.  A.,  stated  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  the 
T.  P.  A.  and  of  himself,  as  Chairman  of  the  Good  Roads 
Committee,  to  work  hand  in  hand  with  the  Good  Roads 
Association.  He  stated  that  he  was  working  on  a  plan 
to  get  in  touch  with  the  Secretary  of  each  post  in  the 
State  of  North  Carolina  and  that  they  would  work  in 
enforcing  the  laws  passed  by  the  State.  He  thought 
one   of   the    important    laws   was   that   requiring   sign 


boards  at  each  crossing,  and  that  as  a  body  the  T.  P.  A. 
men  would  see  tliat  this  law  was  enforced. 

Professor  Mann,  of  the  State  College  of  Agriculture 
and  Engineering,  at  Raleigh,  made  a  short  talk  and 
stated  that  he  came  as  a  representative  of  the  college 
to  show  its  interest  in  the  road  work  of  North  Caroli- 
na. 

HKl'OHT  OF  COM.MTTTEEES. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Resolutions. 

Whereas  the  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina, 
session  of  1917,  placed  upon  the  statute  books  much 
good  roads  legislation  which  looks  to  the  greater  de- 


Road  Scene  on  Hickory  Nut  Gap  Mountain,   Asheville-Charlotte 

Highway 

velopment  of  the  mad  system  throughout  the  State,  and 
thereby  established  a  record  for  progressive  legislation, 
the  benefits  of  which  will  be  far-reaching  in  years  to 
come. 

Now,  Therefore,  Be  it  Resolved  That  We.  the  Good 
Roads  A.ssociation  of  North  Carolina,  duly  assembled, 
do  hereby  thank  and  I'ommend  the  said  General  Assem- 
bly for  what  it  has  accomplished  for  the  people  of 
North  Carolina  in  the  enactment  of  such  important 
road  legislation. 

Whereas  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 
in  its  regular  convention  assembled  has  reviewed  and 
familiarized  itself  with  the  "Clark  State  Aid  Bill"  and 
believes  this  law  if  constitutional  will  make  it  possible 
for  every  countj'  n  the  tSate  to  secure  good  roads,  and 


8 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1917 


whereas,  we  have  learned  with  deep  regret  that  the 
constitutionality  of  the  Bill  is  now  being  considered  by 
the  Supreme  Court,  now  therefore  be  it 

Resolved  that  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Asso- 
ciation in  convention  assembled  heartily  endorse  the 
principles  of  the  said  law. 

Resolved,  further,  that  if  the  Supreme  Court  should 
declare  the  law  unconstitutional  that  the  legislative 
committee  of  the  Good  Roads  Association  be.  and  are 
hereby  instructed  to  prepare  a  Bill  embodying  the  same 
principles  and  ideas  and  drawn  so  as  to  meet  the  re- 
quirement of  the  constitution,  and  submit  it  to  the  next 
General  Assembly,  and  use  every  honorable  and  legiti- 
mate means  to  secure  its  passage  into  law. 

Resolved  that  the  Good  Roads  Association  in  conven- 
tion assembled,  heartily  endorse  the  work  of  the  State 
Highway  Commission,  and  that  we  specially  appreciate 
the  earnest  eiforts  and  faithful  wirk  of  the  State  Engi- 
neer and  the  Secretary. 

Whereas  the  Good  Roads  Association  of  North  Caro- 
lina, recognizing  the  difficulties  that  the  State  High- 
way Commission  has  lieen  forced  to  meet  in  the  admin- 
istration of  its  duties  in  connection  with  the  Federal 
Aid  Road  Act — the  Automobile  Maintenance  Law  and 
the  usual  functions  of  the  State  Road  Department  bj' 
the  present  totally  inadequate  appropriations  at  its 
command,  the  most  meagre  provision  that  has  hereto- 
fore been  made  for  the  proper  administration  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars  worth  of  work.  if.  in  fact,  it  could  be 
called  a  provision  at  all. 

Now.  Therefore.  We.  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads 
Association  do  hereby  urge  and  memorialize  the  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature  of  1919-20  to  make  proper  and 
adequate  appropriations  in  order  that  all  of  the  ex- 
penses of  our  State  Highway  Commission  may  be,  as  it 
should  be.  borne  by  the  State  and  thereby  enable  the 
Highway  Commission  to  save  to  the  taxpayers  of  North 
Carolina  the  million  or  niiore  dollars  that  are  now  be- 
ing wasted  annually  by  reason  of  inexperience  and  in- 
efficient management  of  so  much  of  the  road  work 
throughout  the  state. 

Whereas  the  State  is  furnishing  no  money  with  which 
to  meet  the  Federal  Aid  Appropriation  dollar  for  dol- 
lar, and 

Whereas  we  deplore  the  fact  that  the  State,  through 
its  legislature  in  1917.  did  not  in  fairness  assume  the 
expense  of  ten  per  cent  for  engineering,  the  govern- 
ment's e.stimate  of  cost  of  same,  thus  relieving  the  coun- 
ties and  townships  of  this  additional  burden,  and 

Whereas  the  counties  and  townships  are  furnishing 
all  of  the  money  to  meet  the  Federal  x\id  Appropriation 

of  $i,7on.oon. 

Now.  Therefore,  be  it  resolved  that  we  do  urge  and 
memorialize  the  next  General  Assembly  of  North  Car- 
olina to  make  full  and  ade((uate  appropriation  for  the 
Highway  Commission  with  which  to  furnish  the  neces- 
sary engineering  required  by  the  Government  and 
thereby  relieve  the  counties  of  this  burden. 

The  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association  favors 
the  adoption  by  the  State  of  North  Carolina  as  a  pol- 
icy the  using  of  all  able-bodied  male  persons  under  sen- 
tence in  the  State  Prison  in  building  a  system  of  State 
Roads,  and  pledge  our  support  to  the  encouragement  of 
the  enactment  of  legislation  to  that  end.  and  request 
and  urge  every  member  of  this  association  and  all 
friends  of  good  roads  throughout  the  State  to  use  their 
best  efforts  in  securing  the  enactment  of  legislation  by 
the  next  General  Assembly  to  effectuate  this  as  a  fixed. 
definite  policy  of  the  State.  It  is  not  desired,  howev- 
er, to  cripple  the  State  Farm,  hut  we  recommend  that 


the  class  of  convicts  not  suited  to  road  work  be  re- 
tained on  the  State  Farm  so  that  the  same  may  be 
made  self  sustaining. 

Resolved  that  the  Association  endorse  the  work  of 
the  Publicity  Department  in  its  efforts  to  publish  a 
Tour  Book  of  Eastern  North  Carolina  and  we  pledge 
our  support  to  the  successful  completion  of  this  work. 

Whereas  ]Mr.  Hugh  ^lacRae.  of  Wilmington,  has  giv- 
en his  large  holdings  of  mountain  lands  on  Grandfath- 
er ilountain  to  the  United  States  Government  for  a 
National  Park,  therefore  we  thank  him  for  doing  so, 
and  we  urge  our  Senators  and  Congressmen  to  do  all 
they  can  for  the  early  consummation  of  Jlr.  MacRae's 
purposes. 

Resolved  that  the  members  of  the  Legislative  Com- 
mittee of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 
present  the  following  resolution  to  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  1919  for  its  adoption  by  that  body: 

Whereas,  The  providing  of  various  methods  of  inter- 
commimication  has  for  all  ages  been  of  paramount  im- 
portance, and 

Whereas.  Of  all  other  methods  roads  are  the  most 
universally  used  and  therefore  the  most  beneficial  to 
the  greatest  number  of  people,  and 

Whereas,  Of  the  seven  methods  of  intercommunica- 
tion— water,  roads,  postal,  railroad,  telegraph,  tele- 
phone, and  wireless,  only  one  is  free  to  all  the  people  of 
the  earth,  and 

Whereas.  All  methods  of  intercommunication  have 
been  furthered  and  fostered  by  the  National  Govern- 
ment to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  and 

Whereas,  Two  of  our  great  systems  of  transporta- 
tion, railroad  and  steamship,  have  been  aided  by  the 
National  Government  with  hundreds  of  millions  of 
dollars  and  operated  at  a  profit  by  and  for  a  few  fa- 
vored individuals,  and  to  which  the  entire  community 
has  contrilnited.  and 

Whereas,  The  annual  appropriations  by  Congress 
now  approach  one  thousand  million  dollars  distributed 
approximately  as  follows : 

1.  War — past,  present  and  to  come  420  millions  = 
42%  of  total. 

2.  Postal  service.  2.S0  millions=23%  of  total. 

3.  Government — legislative,  executive,  foreign,  cus- 

toms, immigration,  interest  on  public  debt,  etc. 
200  millions=20%   of  total. 

4.  Public  Works — buildings,  rivers,  harbors,  recla- 

mation,  forestry,   public   lands,    Panama    Canal. 
etc.,  110  millions=ll%  of  total. 

5.  Education    and    Statistics — census,    public    print- 

ing, agriculture,  surveys,  public  health  and  life, 
etc..  40  millions=4%   of  total. 

Totals.  1000millions=100%  and 
Whereas.  In  the  course  of  our  National  existence  the 
total  expenditures  of  the  National  Government  on  pub- 
lic buildings,  rivers,  harbors,  reclamation,  forestry^ 
public  lands,  and  Panama  Canal  have  been  several 
thousand  millions  of  dollars,  and 

Whereas.  There  are  about  2.300.000  miles  of  roads  in 
the  United  States,  of  which  more  than  2.000,000  are 
unimproved,  and 

Whereas,  i\Iore  than  90%  of  the  traffic  on  these  roads 
is  confined  to  less  than  20%.  of  their  length,  and 

Whereas.  A  system  of  not  more  than  Fifty  Thousand 
Miles  of  National  Highways  (only  about  2%  of  the  to- 
tal United  States  road  mileage)  will  give  adequate  in- 
terstate main,  trunk,  and  link  lines  connecting  each 
State  with  its  adjoining  States  and  through  them  with 
all  the  other  States  of  the  Union,  and 

Whereas,  to  favor,  foster,  and  further  the  develop- 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


9 


ment  of  National  Highwa.ys  ii]  the  length  and  breath  of 
these  United  States  of  America  will  secure  the  benefits 
— social,  moral,  commercial,  industrial,  material,  edu- 
cational, and  personal — in  the  progress  and  uplift  of 
the  American  people  which  follow  in  the  train  of  easy 
and  free  intercommunicatinn  and  transit  between  the 
great  centers  of  population  and  distribution,  and  the 
great  productive  areas  of  the  nation,  and 

Whereas.  Such  a  s.vstem  of  National  Highways  will 
encourage  and  accentuate  the  building  of  Good  Roads 
Everywhere  b.y  States,  Counties,  Cities,  Townships  and 
Towns  as  the  collecting  and  distributing  medium  of 
these  National  Highways ; 

Now,  Therefore : 

Be  it  Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
North  Carolina,  that  we  urge  upon  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  the  necessity  of  the  early  designation, 
construction,  and  maintenance  of  a  system  of  National 
Highways. 

Resolution  of  Thanks. 

Whereas  the  citizens  of  Asheville  and  Buncombe 
County  extended  a  most  sincere  and  CDrdial  invitation 
to  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association  to  hold 
its  annual  convention  in  the  City  of  Asheville,  and  as 
the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association  has.  with 
the  assistance  of  these  citizens  and  the  various  organ- 
izations, held  a  most  successful  and  enthusiastic  con- 
vention, 

Therefore,  Be  It  Resolved  that  the  North  Carolina 
Good  Roads  Association  express  its  appreciation  to  the 
Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Buncombe  County, 
the  Board  of  Trade  of  Asheville,  Merchants'  Associa- 
tion, Asheville  Motor  Club,  Asheville  and  Buncombe 
County  Good  Roads  Association,  City  and  County  Offi- 
cials, and  Grove  Park  Inn  for  social  entertainment.  Bat- 
tery Park  Hotel  for  the  use  of  its  halls  for  meeting  pur- 
poses and  for  social  entertainment  complimentary  to 
the  Association,  the  Press  of  the  State,  and  the  various 
individuals  who  have  contributed  so  much  towards  the 
pleasure  and  entertainment  of  the  members  of  the  con- 
vention. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Nominations. 

We  recommend  for  the  officers  of  this  Association  for 
the  ensuing  term. 

For  President :  H.  B.  Varner.  of  Lexington. 

For  Secretary  and  Treasurer:  Dr.  Joseph  Hyde 
Pratt,  of  Chapei  Hill. 

For  Assistant  Secretarv  and  Treasurer:  Miss  H.  M. 
Berry,  of  Chapel  Hill. 

For  Director:  R.  P.  Coble,  of  Sanford. 

For  Vice  Presidents  :  Bennehan  Cameron,  of  Raleigh  ; 
Gen.  Julian  S.  Carr,  of  Durham;  G.  D.  Canfield,  of 
Morehead  City;  W.  0.  Howard,  of  Tarboro ;  George  E. 
Butler,  of  Clinton ;  Joseph  G.  Brown,  of  Raleigh ;  W. 

C.  Boren.  of  Pomona;  W.  D.  McMillan.  Jr..  of  Wil- 
mington; Frank  McAuley  of  Mount  Gilead;  W.  W. 
Stringfellow,  of  Blowing  Rock ;  P.  Maclay  BrowTi.  of 
Crossnore ;  Dr.  M.  H.  Fletcher  of  Asheville. 

For  Executive  Committee:  The  President;  the  Sec- 
retary and  Treasurer ;  Wm.  C.  Hammer,  of  Asheboro ; 

D.  A.  McDonald,  of  Carthage ;  R.  R.  Gotten,  of  Bruce ; 
W.  A.  McGirt,  of  Wilmington  ;  James  A.  Gray,  Jr.,  of 
Winston-Salem;   N.   Buckner,    of  Asheville. 

Invitations  were  received  from  the  following  cities 
for  the  next  convention :  Wilmington,  Greensboro, 
Kinston,  Greenville,  Winston-Salem.     The  decision  as 


the  place  of  meeting  is  left  to  the  executive  committee. 
Report  of  Membership  Committee. 

The  Membership  Committee  reported  265  delegates 
registered,  coming  from  the  following  56  counties: 

Alamance.  Anson.  Brunswick.  Buncombe.  Burke.  Ca- 
tawba, Chatham,  Cherokee,  Cleveland,  Columbus,  Cra- 
ven. Davidson.  Durham.  Edgecombe.  Forsyth.  Gaston, 
Graham.  Greene.  Guilford.  Halifax.  Haywood,  Hender- 
son. Hertford,  Iredell,  Jackson.  Johnston,  Lee,  Lenoir, 
Lincoln.  McDowell,  Macon.  Madison.  Mecklenburg, 
Montgomery.  Moore.  New  Hanover,  Onslow,  Orange, 
Pender,  Person,  Pitt,  Polk,  Randolph,  Robeson,  Rock- 
ingham, Rutherford.  Sampson.  Surry.  Swain.  Tran- 
svlvania.  Union,  Vance.  Wake,  Watauga.  Wayne,  and 
Wilkes. 

There  were  also  delegates  from  the  following  six 
states :  Georgia.  Kentucky.  Maryland,  Ohio,  South  Car- 
olina. Tennessee.  Report  of  Committee  on  the  Award- 
ing of  Trophies. 

Tlie  following  prizes  weer  awarded : 

Automobile  trophy  given  to  J.  C.  Askew,  Jr..  Har- 
rellsville.  Hertford  Count.v.  for  coming  the  longest 
distance  in  an  automobile. 

A  trophy  was  awarded  to  McD.  Horton,  Chairman 
of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Pitt  County 
for  the   largest  county  delegation. 

A  trophy  was  awarded  to  E.  V.  Webb.  Mayor  pro 
tern,  of  Kinston.  Lenoir  County,  for  the  largest  dele- 
gation from  a  North  Carolina  city. 

Report  of  Finance  Committee. 

In  behalf  of  the  Finance  Committee,  Mr.  Cozard.  of 
Cherokee  County,  said: 

"I  believe  that  every  member  of  this  Committee  ful- 
ly appreciates  the  work  of  this  Association  and  the 
work  done  by  its  officers.  It  is  important  that  the 
work  be  kept  up.  and  I  am  sure  if  a  vote  to  disorganize 
were  made,  it  would  meet  with  an  unanimous  'no.' 
The  only  means  by  which  this  organization  is  financed 
is  through  membership  dues  of  $5.00.  At  this  moment 
there  have  been  but  -10  who  have  applied  for  member- 
ship to  this  organization.  Last  year  we  had  four  times 
that  many,  and  we  did  not  have  as  many  as  we  should 
have  had  then.  1  believe  that  in  my  own  county  there 
should  be  ten  men  willing  to  be  members  and  who 
would  consider  it  an  honor  to  become  members.  What 
is  true  of  Cherokee  is  true  of  every  other  count.y.  Ev- 
ery man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  State  is  getting  the 
benefit  of  the  work  done  by  the  Association,  and  it  is 
a  personal  matter.  There  are  many  counties  in  the 
State  in  which  there  is  not  one  active  member  of  this 
Association,  and  yet  they  are  benefitting  from  it.  We 
should  hold  up  the  hands  of  the  people  doing  the  work 
of  this  organization.  We  are  reaping  the  benefits.  Let 
us  sign  our  names  to  the  blanks,  pay  the  $5.00,  and  be- 
come members. 

"This  is  the  report  of  this  committee.  We  need 
money  to  keep  going  and  we  have  only  one  way  to  get 
it." 

In  closing,  the  President  of  the  Association  compli- 
mented the  work  of  the  Asheville  Board  of  Trade  and 
the  Asheville  Motor  Club  for  their  valuable  assistance 
in  much  road  legislation,  stating  that  in  his  opinion 
the  passage  of  the  automobile  license  tax  law  was 
largely  due  to  the  splendid  eiforts  and  campaigns  of 
publicity  conducted  bj-  the  energetic  secretary  of  these 
organizations. 

The  Convention  adjourned,  and  the  delegates  were 
taken  out  in  automobiles  on  Wednesday  afternooTi  to 
make  an  inspection  of  the  Buncombe  eouty  roads. 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1917 


Every  Automobile  Club  Should  Establish 

Tourist  Bureaus 


By  MISS  ALMA  RITTENBERRY 
Field  Manager  North  and  South  National  Bee  Line  Highway 


ONE  of  the  best  friends  to  g-oml  roads  and  the  High 
Cost  of  Living  Problem  was  the  late  Hon.  W.  W. 
Finley,  President  of  the  Southern  Raihvaj'  Company. 
He  said  that  the  most  universally  discusse(l  problem  in 


^^^^^^^^B^^^^i^va^^^l^ik, 

n 

1 

^^^^^^H 

M 

/m^n    d 

1 

^^ST 

^^^^^^t 

^^V- 

^^^^^^MH^R^^^ 

SI^H 

^H 

1 

Alabama's    Leading  Woman    Road  Worker,   Miss  Alma  Ritten- 

berry,  of  Birmingham,  Field  Secretary  of  the  North 

and  South  Bee  Line  Highway 

the  United  States,  as  well  as  other  lands,  was  the  High 
Cost  of  Living.  In  the  periodical  literature  of  the  day 
it  occupies  a  prominent  place  and  many  are  the  infiu- 
ences  to  which  it  is  attributed.  Whatever  may  be  oth- 
er contributory  causes,  statistics  establish  the  fact  pop- 
ulation and  demand  for  materials  fir  food  and  cloth- 
ing are  increasing  at  a  greater  rate  than  their  produc- 
tion. Most  of  these  materials  are  produced  on  the 
farm,  and  we  must  rely  on  the  farmer  to  bring  their 
productions  up  to  the  prevailing  demand.  The  two 
factors  that  will  be  most  potent  in  bringing  ab;iut  this 
result  will  be  increased  average  yield  per  acre  of  farm 


crops  and  the  placing  of  increased  areas  of  land  under 
more  extensive  cultivation.  But  every  one  who  has 
had  any  experience  in  the  matter  knows  that  among 
the  first  things  a  prospective  farmer  wants  to  know 
about  and  what  is  m,ost  important  to  him  is  the  distance 
to  the  railway  station  and  the  character  of  the  roads 
from  the  station  to  the  farm  where  he  can  deliver  what 
he  produces.  ]Most  all  branches  of  agriculture  are  de- 
licndent  upon  good  country  highways.  The  man  who  is 
engaged  exehisivel.y  in  raising  cattle  can  drive  them 
a  long  ways  to  a  shipping  station,  they  are  a  little  in- 
dependent of  the  conditions  of  the  roads;  the  grower 


Mrs.    Chappell     Corey,     Birmingham,   Ala.,    one^of    Alabama's 
Woman  Leaaers  in  the  Good  Roads  Cause 

of  corn  and  any  other  crops  which  can  be  stored  for  a 
time  without  deterioration,  can  manage  to  get  along, 
even  though  his  roads  to  a  shipping  station  maj'  be 
impassable  at  times.  He  is  greatly  hampered,  however, 
by  the  necessity  of  doing  his  hauling  in  gjood  weather. 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


11 


regardless  of  market  conditions  and  of  whether  or  not 
his  farm  operations  may  t)e  seriously  retarded  by  the 
absenee  of  himself  and  his  teams.  For  the  dairy  farm- 
er, the  fruit  and  vegetable  grower,  and  for  the  producer 
of  perishable  commiodities  of  all  kinds,  ability  to  get 
his  products  to  the  market  at  all  seasons  of  the  year 
and  in  all  kinds  of  weathei',  is  absulutely  in  indispensa- 


Mrs.  S.  R.  Ledbetter,  Birmingham,  Ala.,  Prominently  Connected 
With  the  North  and  South  Bee  Line  Highway 

ble  to  success.  For  all  kiutls  of  general  farming  there- 
fore, a  good  country  highway  is  essential  to  the  most 
profitable  operation  of  the  farm,  and  to  any  considera- 
ble de\'elopment  of  agriculture  at  a  distance  from  a 
market  town  or  shipping  station. 

This  whole  subject  of  the  effect  of  good  roads  upon 
farm  production  and  the  cost  of  living  is  one  which 
concerns  all  classes  of  people.  Primarily,  and  most 
directly,  the  benefits  of  a  good  country  highway  go  to 
the  farmer.  Less  directly,  the  benefits  go  to  the  mer- 
chants and  manufacturers  by  giving  them  wider  mar- 
kets for  their  goods  and  decreasing  the  cost  of  distri- 
bution. 

Trunk  Highways  a  Factor. 

The  greatest  benefit  to  be  derived  by  the  city  is  from 
the  National  or  through  Trunk-Line  highways.  From 
Colonial  days  up  to  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  the  high- 
ways of  the  countrj-  then  more  than  now,  the  chief  ar- 
teries of  trade  and  social  intercourse,  had  been  sadly 
neglected.  From  the  time  of  the  war  up  to  a  few 
years  ago,   despite   marvelous   progress  in   other  lines 


of  national  activity,  road  improvements  had  been  per- 
mitted to  lag  to  an  extent  almost  unbelievable.  In 
many  great  and  populous  states,  extreme  necessity  on- 
ly had  resulted  in  repairing  work  to  pikes  and  high- 
ways, which  would  permit  ordinary  traffic  only  to  be 
negotiated.  In  the  last  few  years  though,  great  and 
powerful  agencies,  had  been  at  work  and  a  transforma- 
tion gradually  is  being  wrought.  In  fact,  the  good 
roads  movement  is  one  to  conjure  with  these  days,  even 
the    organizations    of   women    over   the    countrv    have 


Map  Showing  Course  of  the  North  and  South  Bee  Line  Highway 

aligned  themselves  with  the  pioneers  of  this  cause.  Two 
of  Birmingham's,  Ala.,  most  prominent  women  are 
throwing  their  influence  in  helping  the  work  of  the 
North  and  South  National  Bee-Line  Highway,  Jlrs.  S. 
L.  Ledbetter  has  been  appointed  Chairman  to  beautify 
the  roadway  from  Birmingham  to  Chicago :  Mrs.  Chap- 
pell  Corey  from  Birmdngham  to  New  Orleans,  The 
natural  beauty  of  the  roadsides  of  the  North  and  South 
National  Highway  will  prove  to  them  an  easy  work. 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1917 


Drinking  fountains  have  been  suggested,  to  be  put  up 
at  the  most  convenient  places  to  quench  the  thirst  of 
not  only  the  driver,  but  of  the  auto. 

As  the  highways,  the  National  Highways,  are  travers- 
ing tlie  country  east  and  west,  north  and  south,  it 
was  suggested  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors of  the  Nortli  and  South  Bee  Line  Highway  in 
the  reading  room  of  the  Birmingham  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce on  the  ISth  of  Api'il  1917,  that  a  tourist  bureau 
be  established  in  the  Automobile  Clubs  along  the  route, 
to  give  information  to  the  tourists.  The  purpose  of 
the  bureau  is  to  collect  from  all  the  motorists  traveling 
the  roads  between  different  cities,  information  concern- 
ing the  condition  of  the  highways  from  day  to  day.  the 
re])ui't  of  every  motorist  is  wanted.  If  some  other 
motorist  has  made  the  report  on  the  same  road,  the 
auto  owner  can  perhaps  add  something  valuable  or 
correct  something  by  a  later  report.  It  was  also  sug- 
gested that  the  report  be  issued  in  card  form  and  sold 
to  the  leading  hotels  for  a  small  amount,  to  help  make 
the  way  of  the  tourist  pleasant  and  profitalile.  for  tour- 
ists go  where  the  way  is  nuide  easiest  for  them.  Tliey 
expect  courtesies  and  the  places  where  they  find  courte- 
sy is  extended  to  them,,  will  be  well  advertised  to  other 
tourist  when  thej-  return  to  their  homes.  Not  only  that, 
but  it  will  stimulate  the  impi':>vement  of  the  roads  and 
highways,  for  we  all  kn()\\'  that  an  adverse  report  of 
anything,  not  only  roads,  travels  so  much  faster  than  a 
good  one. 

Most  of  Highway  Built. 

;\lost  of  this  North  and  South  National  Bee  Line 
Highway  is  built  and  the  distances  between  the  cities, 
with  good  hotels,  where  you  will  find  more  Country 
Clubs  and  Golf  Links  than  any  highway  proposed.  It 
also  'runs  through  thickly  populated  sections  of  the 
country  of  enormous  wealth,  for  instance.  Diduth  is  one 
of  the  greatest  grain  sections  on  Lake  Superior,  at  Twin 
Cities  of  ^linneapiilis  and  St.  Paul  through  JIadison. 
Wisconsin  is  growing  in  wealth  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
Chicago  called  the  "Mixing  Bowl  of  the  Nation,"  down 
through  the  corn  fields  of  Indiana  and  Kentucky  to 
Nashville,  the  '"Athens  of  the  South."  to  Birmingham, 
the  "Magic  City  of  the  South,"  with  its  inexhaustable 
supply  of  coal  and  iron  ore,  a  city  that  has  splendid 
hotels,  beautiful  country  Clubs  and  Golf  Links,  a  City 
to  visit  and  to  appreciate.  Montgomery,  "The  Cradle 
of  the  Confederacj',"  with  one  terminus  at  New  Or- 
leans, the  "Paris  of  America."  the  Gulf  Coast  High- 
way leading  from  ilobile,  Alabama,  a  seaport  town, 
to  New  Orleans,  which  is  rapidly  nearing  completion 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  scenic  Highways  on  the 
continent.  From  ^Montgomery  to  Dothai},  wherein 
among  the  many  Southern  cities  has  taken  great  in- 
terest in  roads,  in  fact  ranks  as  a  pioneer  in  road  build- 
ing, Houston  County  through  which  the  highway  pass- 
es to  Marriana  is  a  rich,  agricultural  section  which 
will  be  most  attractive  to  settlers.  That  is  one  thing 
the  South  needs  is  farmers  from  the  north,  seeking  the 
milder  clime,  to  locate  on  farm  lands,  and  one  of  the 
main  objects  of  the  North  and  South  National  Bee  Line 
Iliglnvay  organization  is  to  get  the  tourist  travel  from 
the  Great  Lakes  and  North  West  regions  to  see  the 
country  and  locate  in  the  South.  ]\Iarriana  and  Quin- 
cy  are  old  Southern  towns  with  magnificent  trees  and 
fertile  lands,  t-juiney  is  in  the  midst  of  the  tobacco  in- 
dustry. Tallahassee,  the  capital  of  Florida,  and  a  beau- 
tiful City  with  magnificient  roadways  bordered  with 
tall  pines  and  spi-eading  oaks,  is  on  the  Dixie,  the  old 
Spanish  Ti'ail,  ami  the  North  and  South  Bee  Line  High- 
way going  through  .Monticelli).  Madison  aiul  Live  Oak 


to  Gainesville  down  to  Tampa  and  Fort  ]\Iyers  will 
have  the  great  "Pleasure  of  Running  Over  Them." 
Now  if  the  tourist  travel  from  the  great  Northwest, 
which  we  are  going  to  induce  to  go  over  down  this 
highway  along  the  West  Coast  of  Florida  why  can't 
we  co-operate  with  the  East  Coast,  Florida,  people  and 
get  them  to  let  the  Western  tourists  go  up  the  East 


Typical  Scenes  on  the  Bee  Line  Highway 

Coast  of  Florida  up  through  St.  Augustine  and  Jack- 
sonville through  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia  to  Atlantic 
City,  while  we  are  piloting  the  East  Coast  Florida  tour- 
ist across  to  Tampa  so  that  they  may  return  up  the 
West  Coast  at  least  as  far  as  Birmingham,  Alabama, 
from  where  they  can  return  home  through  Atlanta  on 
the  Bankhead  Highway  or  Chattanooga.  Lookout 
jMountain  and  Chieamauga  Park,  is  one  of  the  show 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


Dixie  Highway  and  Old  Spanish  Trail  Eastward  from  Tallahassee,  Fla.     $200,000  is  now  being  spent  upon  these  Highways,  which 

will  be  on  the  route  of  the  North  and  South  Bee  Line  Highway 


places  of  the  whole  Sauth.  We  are  all  one  people  and 
should  work  in  harmony,  each  section  lending  aid  to 
the  other  section. 

Officers. 

Gen.  Cleman  DuPont,  Honorary  Life  President,  Wil- 
mington, Del. 

Hon.  P.  J.  Crampton,  President,  Montgomery,  Ala. 

Hon.  Joseph  C.  Rhea,  Vice-President,  Buford,  Tenn. 

Hon.  W.  D.  Harrigan,  President,  Pulton.  Ala. 

Hon.  Geo.  W.  Grayson,  Vice-President,  Biloxi,  ^liss. 

Hon.   Jlartin  Behrmann,  Vice-President,     New     Or- 
leans, La. 

Dr.  W.  L.  Moore,  Vice-President,  Tallahassee,  Fla. 

Mr.   L.  N.  Buell,  Vice-President,   Cullman,  Ala. 

Mr.  Geo.  Steifelmeyer,  Vice-President,  Cullman,  Ala. 

I\Iiss  Alma  Rittenberry,  Field  Manager,  Birmingham, 
Ala. 


Road  Legislation  in  Georgia. 

One  of  the  most  important  matters  to  come  bef  are  the 
coming  session  of  the  general  assembly  will  be  several 
bills  looking  to  giving  the  state  and  counties  larger 
powers  in  the  construction  of  good  roads. 

The  Georgia  State  Automobile  association  will  ask 
the  legislature  to  pass  at  least  two  bills  to  this  end. 

One  of  these  bills  would  provide  for  a  constitutional 
amendment  whereby  the  state  may  make  direct  appro- 
priations for  the  construction  of  highways.  The  main 
object  of  this  bill  is  to  make  it  possible  through  state 


aid  to  construct  continuous  highways,  by  having  the 
state  help  the  poorer  counties  in  the  construction  of 
highways  through  their  boundaries.  One  of  the  princi- 
pal reasons  why  it  is  impossible  to  go  for  any  distance 
by  road  in  Georgia  in  bad  weather  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  many  counties,  having  excessive  road  mileage,  can- 
not afford  to  build  a  permanent  road.  The  result  of 
this  is  one  county  builds  a  permanent  road  to  the 
county  una'ble  to  carry  out  the  work  of  building  the 
link  across  its  territory,  even  though  the  next  adjoin- 
ing county  may  also  have  permanent  roads.  The  re- 
sult of  this  is  that  the  failure  of  a  single  county  to  pro- 
vide an  all-the-year  road  prevents  travel  over  a  high- 
way which  may  be  in  good  condition  in  its  entirety 
with  the  exception  of  this  one  county's  link. 

Through  such  an  amendment,  also,  the  state  could 
make  direct  appropriations  in  supplementing  the  fed- 
eralaid  funds  which  will  l)e  available  in  increasing 
amounts  each  year  for  the  next  five  years. 

It  would  also  be  possible  through  this  amendment  to 
capitalize  the  state  automobile  license  tax  road  fimd, 
through  bond  issue  or  otherwise,  and  obtain  an  amount 
sufficient  to  aecoaiiplish  substantial  and  permanent  im- 
provement instead  of  a  practical  waste  of  the  entire 
fund  each  year  in  temporary  work. 

A  second  bill  would  authorize  counties  to  issue  joint 
bonds.  This  means  would  allow  the  stronger  counties 
to  aid  the  weaker  counties  in  building  their  links  of 
highway  for  any  continuous  highways  for  the  construc- 
tion of  which  a  tier  of  counties  might  vote  joint  bonds. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  EOADS 


August  1917 


Several  Bitoslag  Contracts. 

Tlie  Board  of  Revenue  and  Roads  of  Fulton  County, 
Ga..  near  Atlanta,  recently  awarded  a  contract  to  the 
R.  31.  Hudson  Company  of  Atlanta  to  pave  the  drive- 
ways of  Lakewood  Park  with  Bitoslag  on  slag  founda- 
dation.  aggregating  about  20,000  yards. 

Alleghany  county,  Pa.,  has  awarded  new  contracts 
for  Bitoslag  amounting  to  about  30,0000  square  yards. 
This  county  last  year  paved  roads  with  20,000  yards  of 

Other  Bitoslag  work  ordered  tliis  year  is  Coatesville, 
Pa.,  about  2.3,000  yards;  Mahoney"  City.  Pa.,  30,000 
yards;  driveways  Homewood  Cemetery,  Pittsburgh, 
3000  yards ;  Sou'th  Bend,  Ind,  30,000  yards ;  also  a  small 
stretch  of  this  pavement  has  been  laid  in  Jefferson 
Countv,  Ala.,   near  Birmingham. 


Aid  for  Dixie  Highway  Asked. 

Tlu^  Dixie  highway  executive  council,  at  a  meeting 
in  Cinciiuiati.  planned  to  secure  the  completion  of  the 
Dixie  higjiwa.v  from  Chicago  and  Detroit  to  Miami. 
Fla..  within  tlie  present  year,  by  aid  of  the  United 
States  government  war  department,  as  a  war  measure. 

One  hundred  thousand  dollars,  it  is  stated,  is  yet 
necessary  to  build  the  connecting  stretch  of  7  miles  in 
Laurel  and  Rockcastle  counties.  Kentucky,  and  this 
sum  will  be  immediatelv  demanded  of  Washington,  D. 
C,  officials. 

It  is  stated  that  President  W.  G.  Frost,  of  the  Berea. 
Ky..  College  of  Kentucky,  will  be  asked  to  father  the 
governmental  war  measure  move  in  connection  with 
A.  L.  Sanford,  of  Knoxville,  Tenn. ;  Ro.val  Scott,  of  To- 
ledo. Ohio,  and  Fred  Wessellmann  and  Dr.  C.  L,  Bon- 
itield,  of  Cincinnati,  natiiuially  known  iiioIdi'  club  offi- 
cials. 

The  Kentuckv  ccnuitics  named  cannot  afford  to  build 


the  connecting  link  mentioned,  including  two  big 
bridges. 

The  cities  represented  were  Knoxville  and  Mt.  Ver- 
non, Tenn.;  Berea.  Lexington,  and  Richmond.  Ky. ; 
Toledo.  Lima,  Dayton  and  Hamilton,  Ohio, 

The  conference  conunitteemen  decided  to  at  once  im- 
press upon  the  secretary  of  war.  Ne^^1:on  D.  Baker,  the 
absolute  necessity  for  war  purposes  of  a  through  mo- 
tor highway  from  the  southern  city  of  Miami,  Fla.,  to 
tlie  two  Great  Lakes  cities. 


Illinois  Will  Leave  the  Mud. 

The  State  Highway  Commission  semis  out  a  circular 
showing  that  there  will  be  available  during  the  years 
1917  and  1918  for  road  purposes,  .$7,399,958.  This 
counts  in  the  unexpended  balance  of  last  year.  The 
amount  appropriated  for  the  coming  two  years  is  $3.- 
699,979.  all  of  which  will  be  met  out  of  motor  license 
fees,  so  it  does  not  add  one  cent  to  general  taxes  of  the 
state.  As  soon  as  arrangements  can  be  made  for  cars 
to  haul  material,  the  state  highway  commission  will 
take  up  the  matter  with  the  various  count.v  officials 
and  then  arrange  for  work  throughout  the  various 
counties,  outside  of  the  hard  road  district,  A  system 
of  well  drained,  graded  and  oiled  roads  is  to  be  inaug- 
urated so  that  the  main  thoroughfares  will  connect 
with  the  hard  roads  which  extend  the  whole  length  of 
the  state,  and  eventually  these  oil  roads  will  be  made 
permanent  hard  roads.  Automobiles  will  be  assessed 
from  $2  e.xtra  on  the  25  horse  power  cars  for  1918.  up 
to  .$20  for  the  largest  cars,  and  in  1920  they  will  be 
assessed  double  the  amount  for  the  smaller  cars  and 
u]i  to  $25  for  the  larger  cars.  This  extra  assessment 
upon  automobiles  can  be  used  onl.y  for  two  purposes 
first,  to  pay  off  the  principal  and  interest  of  the  bond- 


Along  the  Central  Highway  (Southern  National  Highway)  and  Southern  Railway,  approaching  Asheville,  N.  C,  "In  the  Heart  of  the  Blue  K  ' 

miles,  the  picture  showing  a  stretch  of  the  completed  road.     The  total  cost  of  this  will  be  $200,000.     This  is  a  part  of  a  program  of  bull'  ! 

Southern  National  Highway  from  Washington  to  San  Diego,  has  recently  been  opened  across  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  through  Ridg'  - 

about  four  miles  air  line,  thirteen  miles  by  rail  and  about  ten  miles  by  the  highway.     The  difference  in  altitude  is  abou  ' 

affords  marvellous  views  of  the  mountains  inclu  I 


AuKiist,   1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


ed  indebtedness  of  $60,000,000,  and  second,  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  highways  of  the  state.  This  money 
cannot  be  used  for  any  other  purpose,  and  automobile 
owners,  as  a  rule,  are  not  olijeeting  to  this  special  tax. 


Aid  for  Mississippi  Counties. 

Highway  projects  in  Mississippi  will  receive  nearly 
one  huiulred  thousand  dollars  from  the  United  States 
government,  if  recommendations  of  the  State  Highway 
Commission  are  favorably  acted  upon  by  the  govern- 
ment. 

Appropriations  have  been  recommended  as  follows: 
Itawamba  county.  $35,000;  Green  county.  $15,000; 
Perry  county,  $10,000;  Hinds  county.  Raymond  dis- 
trict. $5.000 ";  Clarke  county,  $5,000;  Rankin  county. 
Pelahatchie  district.  $12,500;  Newton  county.  Hick- 
orv  and  Chunkv  district,  $6,405.84.  The  total  is  $88.- 
905.84. 


Kansas  Outlines  5-Year  Campaign. 

Kansas  Good  Roads  Assn.  has  started  a  campaign  of 
road  building  to  convert  land  owners  and  tax  payers 
to  the  advantages  of  365-day  roads  and  induce  them  to 
build  same.  The  association  is  working  with  the  State 
highway  commission  and  the  government  in  helping  to 
get  co-operation  of  Kansas  in  building  improved  roads 
and  meeting  the  refiuirements  of  Federal  aid. 


In  Far  Off  Washington. 

From  April  1,  1909,  to  December  31.  1916.  the  State 
of  Washington  expended  on  roads  the  sum  of  $12.- 
032.115.  During  the  same  period  the  counties  of  the 
state  spent  for  the  same  purpose  $19,707,420.  The  to- 
tal appropriation  of  the  state  for  the  next  two  years  is 
$5,823,348.  This  will  be  supplemented  by  approximate- 
ly $6,000,000  bv  the  different  counties  making  the  grand 
total  from  April  1,  1918,  .$45,236,931. 


The  Atlantic  Refining  Company  has  just  issued  a 
handsiunely  illusti'ated  booklet  entitled  '"motoring 
through  the  Ke.ystone  State."  It  is  illustrated  with  in- 
teresting views  of  picturesque  places  in  Penns.vlvania 
and  is  an  interesting  piece  of  literature  of  any  motor- 
ist who  might  contemplate  a  toiu-  in  that  section. 


Arkansas. 

Plans  for  six  road  improvement  districts,  the  aggre- 
gate estimated  $562,000  have  been  completed  by  the 
State  Highway  Department  and  are  being  filed  with  the 
county  courts  of  the  counties  in  which  the  districts  are 
located,  as  follows: 

District  No.  4,  Sebastian,  county.  Fort  Smith  south 
to  Greenwood.  15  miles,  to  be  constructed  of  shale  at 
a  cost  of  $75,000. 

District  No.  10.  Lonoke  county.  Pulaski  cnunty  line 
east  to  Carlisle,  a  link  of  the  Little  Rock-JIemphis  high- 
wav.  13  miles,  to  be  construted  of  macadam  at  a  cost 
of  $86,000. 

District  No.  4,  Poinsett  county.  Harrishurg  nortiieast 
to  Truman,  nine  mi'es.  to  be  constructed  of  macadam 
at  a  cost  of  $68,000. 

District  No.  5,  Prairie  county.  Mesa  west  to  Carli.sle, 
10  miles,  to  be  constructed  of  macadam  at  a  cost  of 
$59,000. 

District  No.  6.  Chaighead  county.  Lake  City  north 
via  ]\Ionette  to  the  ^Missouri  line,  23  niib's.  to  be  con- 
structed of  macadam  at  a  cost  of  $148,000. 

District  No.  1.  Cleveland  county,  from  the  Jefferson 
conuty  line  south  to  Kingsland  and  Rison,  22  miles,  to 
be  constructed  of  gravel  at  a  cost  of  $12().OO0. 


ibmbe  County  commissioners  are  now  building  this  road  of  concrete  from  Asheville  to  Ridgecrest,  at  the  McDowell  County  line,  eighteen 
<(  roads  from  Asheville  to  the  county  lines  over  the  main  arteries  of  travel.     The  Central  Highway  across  North  Carolina,  a  link  of  the 
IjMountain  and  Swannanoa  to  Asheville.     From  Old  Fort  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  to  Ridgecrest  at  the  top  of  the  mountain,  is 

red  feet.     The  road  passes  the  famous  Andrews  Geyser,  and  in  winding  about  the  mountain  sides  and  across  coves 

litchell,  the  highest  point  east  of  the  Rockies. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER.  Editor  and  GenI  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C,  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managinit  Editor 

Southern  Representative  :    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg..  Atlanta.  Ga. 

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Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENR\  B  VARNER,  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  traTT,  Secretary,  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS,  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GRAY  GILMER   Secretary.  Bristol,  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President.  Columbia.  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary.  Columbia.  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


AUGUST,  1917. 


MORE  POWER  TO  THE  CAUSE. 

Tlip  Sduthern  C'oniiiiercial  ('Diigres.';,  through  its  ex- 
ecutive committee,  has  just  approved  the  formation  of 
a  good  roads  division  of  that  important  body,  M'hich 
is  considered  that  most  potent  body  for  the  promotion 
of  the  commercial  and  industrial  intere.st  of  all  the 
Southern  states. 

Mr.  II.  B.  Varner,  i)f  Lexington,  Xorth  Carolina, 
president  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Associa- 
tion for  nine  years,  has  been  named  as  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Good  Roads  of  the  Congress  and  has 
completed  the  formation  of  the  personnel  of  the  com- 
mittee. On  this  committee  will  be  a  number  of  the 
South 's  leading  citizens,  including  road  officials,  for- 
mer governors,  industrial  captains  and  promoters  of 
progress  in  every  avenue  of  the  South 's  life. 

Jlr.  Wm.  F.  JlcCombs,  of  New  York,  is  chairman  of 
the  New  York  General  Committee,  which  has  in  charge 
the  arrangements  for  the  holding  of  the  Ninth  Annual 
Convention  of  this  body  and  in  connection  therewith 
the  Southern  States  Exposition,  which  will  be  held  in 
New  York  City  in  October.  The  Convention  will  be 
held  October  15-17  and  the  Exposition  October  13-20. 
Both  gatherings  will  bring  a  great  number  of  South- 
erners to  the  nation's  great  metropolis. 

It  is  very  enc(niraging  to  the  workers  in  the  good 
roads  cause  to  see  this  additional  and  powerful  force 


gathered  behind  the  building  of  better  highways.  Bus- 
iness men  have  at  last  come  to  recognize  the  necessitj' 
of  goo<l  roads  in  the  life  of  any  community  that  ex- 
pects to  amount  to  anything  in  tlie  commercial  or  in- 
dustrial field.  The  problem  of  distribution  daily  be- 
comes more  complex  and  more  vital  to  our  national 
welfare  and  today  there  is  no  growing  institution  with 
such  jiowerful  liearing  on  this  problem  as  the  building 
of  better  roads.  The  road  and  the  motor  truck  are  be- 
coming tlie  powerful  arm  of  transportation  that  will 
assist  the  train  and  steamship  in  the  solution  of  dis- 
semination of  commercial  products.  The  conveying 
of  raw  products  to  the  mills  of  the  South  has  been  a 
thorn  in  the  tiesh  of  many  industries.  It  has  been  im- 
practicable to  build  railways  into  many  sections  where 
valuable  raw  products  were  awaiting  the  touch  of  art 
to  turn  them  into  pure  gold.  It  is  practicable  to  build 
good  commercial  highways  into  these  places  and  to 
bring  out  the  fruits  of  the  earth  for  the  happiness  and 
prosperity  of  mankind. 

Good  roads  men  all  over  the  South  should  lay  their 
plans  to  attend  these  great  meetings  in  New  York  City. 
It  will  give  an  impetus  to  their  tight  that  probably  has 
never  been  furnished  by  any  other  gathering  of  busi- 
ness men.  It  means  a  new  era  in  road  building  all  ov- 
er the  South.  Good  roads  is  the  great  national  indus- 
trial and  commercial  problem  of  the  day.  Let's  all 
help  put  every  possible  ounce  of  influence  behind  it 
this  vear. 


No.  2.         A  Concise  Argument  for  Continued  Road  Building. 

A  large  number  of  persons  engaged  in  many  profes- 
sions and  callings  recently  met  at  Columbus  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Ohio  Good  Roads  Federation  and  after 
a  discussion  of  business  conditions  in  both  city  and 
country  adopted  the  following  concise  statement  of 
reasons  for  continuing  road  work : 

"Resolved,  first,  that  the  efficiency  of  our  industrial, 
commercial  and  agricultural  activities  should  not  be 
lessened  or  handicajiped  by  war  hysteria. 

"Second,  that  our  financial  resources  are  in  a  heal- 
thy condition,  no  stringency  in  the  money  market  ex- 
ists, there  is  ample  employment  at  good  wages  for  all 
labor,  that  the  agricultural  districts  prcunise  an  unus- 
ual acreage  and  harvest  yield,  that  every  pmiud  of 
meat  and  bushel  of  grain  the  farm  produces  can  be  sold 
at  profit  prices,  and  that  none  of  the  factors  that  us- 
uall.y  contribute  to  business  depression  now  exists. 

"Third,  that  any  policy  of  government  that  retards 
any  useful  activity  will  correspondingly  harm  other 
industries. 

"Fourth,  that  one  great  economic  need  of  the  farm 
and  farmer  is  improved  highways  that  will  assist  in 
transporting  products  of  farm,  field  and  garden  to  the 
market. 

"Fifth,  that  freight  congestion  in  great  centers  of 
traffic  creates  imperative  need  for  good  highways  to 
supplement  railroads  in  transporting  the  products  of 
the  industrial  and  commercial  world. 

"Sixth,  that  the  war  in  Europe  has  already  demon- 
strated that  good  roads  are  powerful  adjuncts  in  na- 
tional defense  in  the  movement  of  armies,  war  muni- 
tions and  all  military  supplies. 

"Seventh,  that  good  roads  are  important  factors  in 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


1'. 


rural   welfare,   conteutment   and   vitalizing     of     rural 
America;  therefore,  be  it  , 

"Resolved,  that  this  eonferenee  urge  the  national  and 
state  administrations,  state  highway  department,  coun- 
ty commissioners,  county  surveyors,  township  trustees 
and  municipal  councils  to  adopt  and  go  forward  with 
a  vigorous,  progressive  road  building  program.  We 
commend  all  county  comniissioners  and  r.jad  builders 
who  have  gone  forward  in  road  building  and  are  doing 
their  utmost  to  place  Ohio  in  the  lead  in  the  improve- 
ment of  highways." 


The  Automobile  and  Road  Building. 

In  1916  there  were  3,315,000  automobiles  and  251,000 
motorcvcles  registered  in  this  comitry,  according  to 
the  II.  S.  Office  of  Public  Koads.  The  revenue  they 
yield  in  the  form  of  licenses  and  registration  fees  was 
$25,865,000.  The  revenue  has  increased  i2  per  cent 
over  that  of  1915  and  4he  number  of  cars  and  mjtor- 
eycles  had  increased  43  per  cent.  About  92  per  cent  of 
the  revenue  was  spent  on  road  improvement  of  some 
kind.  The  use  of  the  ears  is  shown  by  the  population 
per  car  in  the  different  states.  The  great  agricultural 
state  of  Iowa  stands  first,  with  a  car  for  every  11  per- 
sons, and  then  follows  California  with  12  persons  to 
each  car,  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota  with  13,  Kansas 
and  Ohio  with  20.  These  are  all  agricultural  .states 
and  it  is  certain,  not  only  from  these  statistics  but  al- 
so from  common  knowledge,  that  the  automobile  has 
become  a  valuable  part  of  the  farmer's  equipment.  It 
is  not  the  great  manufacturing  states,  like  New  York, 
with  a  ear  to  every  50  inhabitants,  or  Pennsylvania, 
with  a  car  to  every  37,  that  shows  the  highest  populai' 
use  of  the  motor  vehicle.  The  fact  is.  the  farmer,  like 
the  rancher  in  Arizona.  Avhere  there  is  a  car  for  every 
21  persons,  finds  the  automobile  invaluable  in  remov- 
ing the  isolation  of  country  life,  and  he  is  now  willing 
to  concede  that  good  roads,  which  will  enable  him  to 
use  his  car  at  any  time  in  the  year,  are  a  necessity. 
Instead  of  complaining  that  good  roads  are  only  desired 
by  the  automobilist  he  wishes  them  built  so  he  can  get 
the  most  benefit  from  his  ownership  of  an  aut(unobile. 


Virginia  Swamp  Road  Still  Bad. 

jMuch  has  been  written  about  the  Cluippowamsie, 
Swamp  link  of  the  Richmond-Washington  Highway, 
and  promises  have  been  made  by  those  in  authority  in 
road  building  that  the  important  link  of  this  great 
highway  would  be  put  in  good  condition  for  automo- 
bile and  other  traffic.  Tourists  coming  through  to 
Richmond  have  reported  that  to  make  the  trip  through 
Chappawamsic  Swamp  has  taken  them  from  four  to 
twenty-four  hours,  while  others,  hitting  the  swamp 
during  the  dry  spells,  have  said  the  roads  were  passa- 
ble. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  E.  C.  Pelouze,  treasurer  of 
the  Richmond  Automobile  Club,  who,  with  a  party, 
made  the  trip  to  Washington  by  auto  to  attend  the 
grotto  assemblage,  The  Times-Dispatch  shows  a  pic- 
ture of  the  Chappawamsic  Road,  and  it  depicts  tlie  true 
condition  of  the  road  on  June  14,  when  the  photo  was 
taken. 

Describing  the  drive  over  this  route  Mr.  Pelouze 
says: 

"Notwithstanding  the  many  promises  made  at  va- 
rious times  that  the  road  would  shortly  be  ready  for 
travel,  it  is  still  the  missing  link  between  the  North  and 
South.  While  in  the  swamp  we  met  ears  from  Cali- 
fornia, Ohio,  Massachusetts  and  many  other  States 
stuck  in  the  mud  so  deep  that  it  was  utterly  impossible 


to  move  without  the  aid  of  mules,  and  we  were  sarcas- 
tically questioned  by  the  women  of  the  various  parties 
as  to  why  Virginia  eneouraged  tourists  to  visit  this 
State. 

"Commercial  men  with  autos  well  filled  with  sam- 
ple cases  left  their  cars  to  express  in  loud  terms  tlieir 
vitter  disgust  at  the  slowness  of  our  Virginia  road  laws, 
at  the  same  time  pointing  out  to  the  exaspered  tourists 
from  California  the  very  ruts  that  were  made  by 
George  Washington  when  he  traveled  that  road  in  his 
stage  coach. 

"We  found  an  elderly  couple  from  Kentucky  has- 
tening to  Washington  to  see  their  son,  who  had  joined 
the  navy  and  would  shortly  sail  away.  They  were 
traveling  in  a  Ford  and  had  l)roken  the  crank.  As  ev- 
ery moment  was  valuable  to  them  we  left  our  cars  ami 
worked  until  we  started  the  engine  and  the  youngest 
member  of  our  Richmond  party  drove  them  to  Dum- 
fries, two  miles  away,  where  we  found  them  at  the  vil- 
lage blacksmith  shop  ui^on  our  arrival  some  time 
later  in  that  antiquated  little  town, 

"We  noticed  a  rudely  improvised  road  cam;,  near 
Dumfries,  filled  with  idle  negroes  and  mules,  which 
might  indicate  something  in  some  places,  but  not  at 
Dumfries.  W^ith  appai'cntly  no  one  to  oversee  the 
work,  they  are  supposed  to  be  doing,  and  as  using  the 
mules  to  haul  tourists  pays  better  than  roadbuilding. 
the  negroes  can  easily  amuse  themselves  shooting  erau 
without  interruption,  except  the  occasional  honk-honk 
of  an  auto  in  distress. 

"Why  the  people  of  Vii'ginia  do  not  rise  up  against 
existing  road  conditions  is  a  mystery  to  tourists  from 
other  States,  and  an  explanation  of  the  delayed  work 
on  tlie  Richmond- Washington  Highway  is  due  ev.-ry 
individual  who  has  made  contributions  toward  tlie 
completion  of  this  road." 


Road  Conference  in  Mobile. 

Representatives  from  many  states  gathered  in  I\Io- 
bile  recently  at  the  ililitai'y  Coastal  Highway  Confer- 
ence which  convened  for  a  two  days'  session.  The  or- 
ganization was  perfected  by  Governor  Charles  Hender- 
son, of  Alabama,  who  delivered  an  address  of  welcome 
on  behalf  of  the  state.  Governor  Henderson  is  deeply 
interested  in  the  project.  He  said  that  he  regarded  the 
coastal  highway  project  as  one  of  the  most  important 
moves  of  its  nature  undertaken,  and  l)elieves  that  out 
of  the  conference  here  will  grow  an  organization  that 
will   gain   far  reaching  results. 

The  addresses  at  the  opening  session  were  delivered 
by  A.  Aschafi'enberg.  founder  of  the  IMotor  League  of 
Louisiana;  Congressman  William  Kettner,  of  San  Die- 
go, Cal.;  President  James  II.  Webb,  of  the  Delta  High- 
way of  the  Alabama-I\Iississippi  Gulf  Coast  Highway 
Association;  President  John  Craft,  of  the  Alaliama 
Good  Roads  Association. 

General  Leonard  Wood,  commander  of  the  Army 
Department  of  the  Southeast,  has  endorsed  the  project. 
Also  a  number  of  Southern.  Eastern  and  Western  gov- 
ernors. 


What  New  York  Has  Done. 

Twenty  years  ago  .\'ew  York  embarked  upon  its 
policy  of  State  aid  for  the  construction,  maintenance, 
and  repair  of  state,  county,  and  town  highways.  Since 
that  time  approximately  20.000  of  the  total"  mileage, 
estimated  to   exceed   80,000,  have  been  improved. 

As  a  pioneer  in  the  good  roads  movement,  the  Em- 
pire State  has  always  occupied  first  rank.  Over  $120.- 
000,000  has  been  expended  or  pledged  during  the  last 
two  decades  for  highway  construction. 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August,  1911 


The  Proper  Sort  of  Road  Drainage 

By  D.  H.  WINSLOW 
Ex-Superintendent  of  Road  Construction,  Washington,  D.  C. 


DRAINAGE  is  the  most  iniportaiit  essential  of  any 
I'oad.  In  t'aet  \vith;)ut  proper  drainage,  the  road 
lacks  proper  eonstruetion,  and  it  is  practically  impos- 
sible to  maintain  a  road  where  drainage  has  been  neg- 
lected. T'here  are  various  ways  of  drainage  of  road, 
depending  both  on  local  conditions  and  available  ma- 
terial used  for  drainage  purposes.  There  arc  usually 
on  most  i-oads  two  distinct  drainage  problems  of  one 
dealing  with  the  road  surface  itself  and  referred  to  as 
surface  drainage — the  otiiei-  dealing  with  water  under 
the  road,  commonly  called  ground  water  or  under- 
draiiuigc. 

Surface  drainage  pertains  almost  entirely  tj  the  wa- 
ter that  falls  on  or  around  the  road  and  calls  for  more 
attention  as  a  rule  where  the  rainfall  is  greatest. 

L'ndertlrainage  is  usually  necessary  in  deep  cuts, 
side-hill  construction,  swamp  or  lnw  sections.  It  is 
seldom  necessary  in  tills. 

Wiierever  possible  the  services  ;)f  an  engineer 
should  be  secured,  but  realizing  there  are  many  sections 
where  funds  or  local  sentiment  will  not  permit  this 
policy  being  carried  out  at  the  present  time,  this  circu- 
lar is  written  with  the  idea  of  assisting  the  local  otifi- 
cials  in  securing  better  results  by  introducing  simple 
methods  in  dealing  with  these  problems. 

It  has  been  said  that  "'the  ideal  road  is  one  having  a 
tight  roof  and  a  dry  cellar.'"  and  this  circular  will, 
therefore,  show  how  to  make  the  surface  nearly  water 
tight  and  how  to  keep  the  foundation  practically  dry. 

Surface  Drainage. 

With  the  exception  of  a  sandy  mad.  which  is  usual- 
ly best  when  damp,  it  is  generally  conceded  that  the 
presence  of  water  on  the  road  surface  itself  is  harmful 
to  the  life  of  the  road.     Anything,  therefore,  that  re- 
tains the  water  in  the  rjad  can  be  considered  as  injur- 
ious to  the  i-oad.     If.  therefore,  the  road  is  tiat,  or  has 
depressions,  or  has  vegetable  matter  in  it,  we  may  ex- 
pect the  water  to  stand  on  the  road  after  each  rainfall. 
A  most  common  error  is  to  permit  a  ridge  at  the  side 
of  the  road,  between  the  ditch  and  the  road  it.self.     Of- 
ten times  this  ridge  is  thrown  up  by  the  labor  in  clean- 
ing the  ditch   and  thus   having  prepared  the   ditch  to 
receive  the  water  they  defeat  the  purpose  of  the  ditch 
by  forming  a  barrier  l)etween  the  ditch  and  the  road 
they  seek  to  drain.    Therefore,  if  we  will  give  the  road 
a  slight  crown,  fill  up   the   holes  or  depressions  with 
good  material,  remove  all  sod,  bru.sh.  sticks,  etc.,  and 
remove  the  ridge  between  the  road  and  the  gutter,  we 
will  have  taken  the  first  steps  toward  surface   drain- 
age.    A  road  machine  or  a  road  drag  is  a  good  imple- 
ment to  use  in  crowning  the  road.     It  will  probably  be 
necessary  to  team  some  material  if  the  depressions' are 
of  large  size  and  care  should  be  taken  to  use  the  same 
kind  of  material  for  repairs  as  the  road  surface  itself. 
For  instance,  if  it  is  a  gravel  road,  use  gravel,  if  it  is  a 
dirt  road,  use  dirt,  etc.  For  removing  the  ridge  between 
the  road  and  the  gutter  a  road  machine  is  one  of  the 
best  hiiplements,  but  the  blade  should  be  so  adjusted 
that  it  pushes  the  ridge  away  from  the  road  and  not  to- 
wards it.     There  is  usually  so  much  vegetable  matter 
on  the  ridge  that  its  presence  in  the  road  is  harmful. 
However,  if  it  is  free  from  vegetation,  it  can  be  brought 
to  the  road  center.     It  is  not  necessary  to  have  a  htoh 


crown  but  just  enough  crown  so  the  water  readilv  runs 
from  the  road  center  to  the  ditch.  It  is  often  advisa- 
ble to  i)li)ngh  up  a  r  lad  its  entire  width  before  using 
the  road  uuichine.  where  the  road  has  been  neglected, 
as  is  sometinu^s  the  case.  Having  crowned  our  road 
and  I'emoved  all  vegetable  nuitter  it  will  now  shed  wa- 
ter, but  is  not  water  tight,  and  so  we  find  it  will  still 
rut  in  wet  weather.  In  some  sections  a  roller  is  used 
to  pack  the  material  so  dense  that  it  absorbs  but  little 
water.  This  custom  prevails  largely  where  they  have 
macadam  or  gravel  roads,  but  is  rather  expensive  for 
a  section  confined  to  dirt  roads. 

If  we  could  examine  the  ordinary  earth  road  under 
a  powerful  glass  we  would  find  it  was  very  porous  and 
would  resemble  a  sponge  or  a  lu)ney-comb  in  appear- 
ance.   Now  if  we  can  seal  all  or  part  of  these  pores  we 
will  have  taken  a  step  towards  making  the  road  water 
tight  on  its  surface.     The  easiest  way  to  do  this  is  to 
use  a  wooden  float  or  wooden  road  drag.     There  are 
many   kinds   of  drags  used  but  the   one  perhaps  best 
known  is  the  split  log  drag.     Now  the  action  of  the 
drag,  when  used  on  a  road  directly  after  a  rain,  is  to 
smear  the  road  surface  and  close  some  of  the  pores, 
much  the  same  as  a  painter's  brush  closes  up  the  pores 
in   the   woodwork.     This   explains    why   one   dragging 
docs  not  seal  the  surface  of  the  road  completely,  any 
nu)re  than  going  over  a  rough  board  once  with  a  paint- 
er's brush  will  not  make  the  board  waterproof.     But 
l\v  using  the  drag  patiently  after  each  rain  we  slowly 
but  gradually  seal  the  pores  of  the  road  until  it  is  no 
longer  porous,   and  it  becomes  a   water  tight  surface. 
This  also  shows  why  it  is  useless  to  try  and  seal  the 
surface  while  the  road  is  dry,  and  the  drag  should  not 
be  used  for  sealing  purposes  at  that  time.       The  action 
of  a  .steel  drag  is  to  open  up  the  road  surface  and  not 
seal  it,  hence  a  steel  drag  is  not  recommended  unless 
the  road  is  very  rough  and  its  use  is  to  be  followed  up 
with  the  wooden  drag.     The  split  log  drag  often  has 
metal  on  the  edge  of  the  front  half  but  the  rear  half 
should  be  free  of  metal  and  act  as  a  float.     With  the 
road  crowned  so  it  will   shed  water  and  made  water 
tight,  we  have  drained  the  road  surface  so  the  water 
runs  readily  to  the  sides.     It  is  clear  that  we  could  not 
have  a  water  tight  road  with  vegetable  matter  in  the 
road  surface.     It  will  be  necessary  to  continue  drag- 
ging the  road  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  keep  the 
seal   unlu-oken.  just  as  it   is  necessary  to   continue  to 
keep  a  house  painted  if  it  is  to  remain  water  tight. 

With  the  water  now  at  the  sides  of  the  road  we  are 
still  dealing  with  surface  drainage  and  it  is  necessary 
to  dispose  of  this  water  as  rapidly  as  possible  in  order 
to  protect  the  sides  of  the  road  from  wash.  Whereever 
it  is  possible  lead  the  water  away  from  the  road  by  hav- 
ing outlets  out  through  the  slopes  frequently.  If  the 
water  nuist  be  carried  any  great  distance  it  may  be 
necessary  to  use  tlie  means  suggested  in  "Circular  No. 
^t").  Office  of  Public  Roads"  in  order  to  prevent  erosion 
of  the  road  and  ditches.  Unless  the  road  is  higher 
than  the  land  of  both  sides  of  the  road  it  usually  be- 
comes necessary  to  lead  the  water  from  one  side  of  the 
road  to  the  other.  In  this  event  always  carry  the  wa- 
ter under  the  road  and  not  over  it.  and  a  culvert  is  the 
best  means  of  doing  it.  Never  use  plank  (No.  7)  for 
this  purpose  as  its  life  is  too  short  and  it  forms  a  men- 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


ace  to  travel  as  well  as  a  constant  item  of  expense. 
Pipe  Culverts. 

In  place  of  plank  there  should  be  built  tile,  metal  or 
concrete  culverts,  and  these,  once  properly  laid,  will 
last  for  generations,  under  normal  conditions,  if  care 
is  used  in  regard  to  the  quality  of  the  materials  used. 
To  secure  the  maximum  value  of  a  culvert  it  should  be 
laid  absolutely  straight  to  a  true  grade  and  given  the 
greatest  amount  of  fall  possible. 

A  simple  and  etfective  way  to  lay  tile  true  to  line 
and  grade  is  to  sink  a  2x4  timber,  on  its  edge,  in  the 
trench  and  the  top  edge  exactly  flush  with  the  bottom 
of  the  trench.  On  this  edge  the  pipe  is  laid  and  fine 
material  carefully  filled  under  and  around  the  pipe. 
The  timber  is  left  in  to  rot,  but  the  most  ignorant  la; 
borer  can  not  help  but  lay  the  pipe  true  to  line  and 
grade,  so  long  as  the  pipe  is  laid  on  the  edge  of  the  tim- 
ber. The  result  is  the  pipe  is  as  true  as  a  gun  barrel 
and  shows  a  perfect  circle  on  looking  through  the  cul- 
vert. This  method  is  more  satisfactory  than  a  line, 
as  a  line  will  often  sag  and  the  sag  not  be  noticed  un- 
til the  pipe  is  laid.  The  necessity  of  securing  the 
greatest  fall  possible  is  apparent  when  it  is  realized  that 
small  pipe,  with  a  good  pitch,  will  carry  more  than  a 
much  larger  pipe  laid  on  a  level  grade. 

After  a  pipe  has  been  properly  laid,  its  ends  should 
be  protected  by  a  heading.  This  heading  can  be  made 
of  stone,  concrete  or  brick.  Unless  a  heading  is  used, 
one  will  frequently  find  the  last  pipe  broken.  The 
heading  protects  the  pipe  from  breakage,  due  some- 
times to  careless  driving,  sometimes  by  some  object 
falling  on  the  pipe,  and  in  some  cases  prevents  burrow- 
ing around  or  under  the  pipe  by  small  animals.  The 
greatest  danger,  however,  is  usually  caused  'by  the  wa- 
ter running  under  or  around  the  pipe  in  place  of 
through  the  pipe.  All  pipe  joints  should  be  cemented 
carefully,  and  fine  filling  used  around  the  pipe.  Each 
joint  should  be  carefully  wiped  by  means  of  a  swab. 
This  can  be  made  by  winding  an  old  cement  bag  around 
a  pick  handle,  or  a  bag  of  sand  can  be  drawn  through 
the  pipe  as  each  section  is  laid. 

Metal  Culverts  No.  10. 

There  are  many  cases  in  which  a  tile  pipe  can  not  be 
used,  and  especially  is  this  true  where  sufficient  filling 
can  not  be  made  over  the  pipe.  In  these  cases  a  metal 
culvert  is  used.  Their  cost  is  rather  more  than  the 
clay  pipe,  and  their  life  has  not  been  definitely  deter- 
mined. They  are  usuall.y  laid  much  quicker  than  the 
clay  pipe,  there  are  few  joints  to  bother,  and  attention 
to  line  is  not  especially  necessary.  They  have  the  ad- 
vantage over  concrete  culverts  of  permitting  travel  ov- 
er them  where  recently  laid.     Like  the  pipe  culverts. 


they  should  have  their  ends  protected  by  suitable  head- 
ings. 

Concrete  Culverts  No.  11. 

These  form  the  most  durable  and  permanent  culverts 
known.  Many  standard  forms  can  be  used,  as  well  as 
the  ordinary  wooden  forms,  in  building  concrete  cul- 
verts. The  Office  of  Public  Roads  issues  a  special  bul- 
letin on  Highway  Bridges  and  Culverts,  and  the  de- 
tails of  concrete  construction  will  not  be  entered  into, 
at  this  time. 

All  pipe  headings  should  be  laid  parallel  to  the  line 
of  the  road  where  practical.  The  method  of  draining 
the  surface  of  an  ordinary  earth  road  being  covered, 
it  is  wel  Ito  bear  in  mind  where  the  travel  is  excessive 
the  wear  is  more  rapid.  This  being  the  case,  the  wear- 
ing surface  must  l)e  of  a  character  to  withstand  the 
traffic,  but  the  idea  of  a  tight  roof  must  not  be  lost 
sight  of,  whatever  be  the  material  used  for  the  wear- 
ing surface.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that,  as  the 
volume  or  character  of  a  road  changes,  we  must  change 
our  surfacing  material  to  meet  new  conditions.  A 
road  is  good  or  bad  therefore,  depending  on  its  ability 
to  meet  the  traffic  conditions  imposed  on  it.  A  road 
that  satisfactorily  met  conditions  of  five  years  ago  be 
an  absolute  failure  today,  due  to  changed  traflic  con- 
ditions. 

Underdrainage. 

Water  underoraroundaroadis  y  m  us  w  p  f  cfiflft'ftifli 

Water  under  or  around  a  road  is  usuallv  a  serious 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


The   "Easy  to   clean,"    Patented    "High 
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Get  our  astonishingly  low  prices  on  these  sturdy,  built-of-steel  mixers — also 
our  Terms.  6  and  11-ft.  sizes — also  with  Loaders.  Quick  deliveries  from 
stock  carried  in  all  large  cities.     Write  nearest  office. 

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BRANCH  OFFICES — New  York.  Phila- 
delphia, Pittsburgh,  Baltimore,  Richmond, 
Cambridge,  Mass.;  Indianapolifl,  Chicago,  New 
Orleans.  Minneapolis.  Seattle.  Spokane,  Lob 
Angeles.  San  EVancisco,  Cleveland.  St.  L#ouiB, 
Louisville. 


20 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August.  1917 


menace  tn  the  preservation  of  the  road.  The  greatest 
ditficulty  is  usually  in  those  sections  subject  to  frost, 
but  it  affeeest  all  roads  -more  or  less.  ^Many  deep  ruts 
and  mires  are  due  entirely  to  the  presence  of  water  un- 
der or  around  the  road. 

Since  our  trouble  is  due  to  the  presence  of  water, 
there  can  be  only  two  remedies — first  the  removal  of 
the  water  to  a  point  where  it  does  not  affect  the  road — 
second,  elevating  the  road  to  a  point  where  water  does 
not  afifect  it. 

Nearly  all  undfivlrainage  prililems  occur  in  three 
well  defined  conditions :  First,  where  a  road  is  located 
on  the  side  of  a  hil  land  we  have  water  seeping  in  on 
one  side.  Second,  where  a  road  is  located  in  a  cut  and 
we  have  seepage  on  both  sides.  Third,  where  a  road 
is  located  in  a  swamp  or  low  land  and  is  practically  sat- 
urated  with  water. 

First  Condition. 

Where  the  road  is  located  on  a  side  liill  there  is  us- 
ually present  more  or  less  ground  water  which  finds 
its  way  under  the  road.  The  usual  custom  has  been 
to  dig  a  ditcli  or  deep  gutter  at  the  foot  of  the  slope. 
This  has  many  serirms  objections. 

First — It  is  usually  a  menace  to  travel  and  vehicles 
are  frequently  damaged,  as  well  as  the  stock,  by  falling 
into  this  ditch,  especially  at  night  or  whenever  a  horse 
becomes  uncontrollable. 

Second — It  narrows  the  width  of  the  road  by  a  little 
more  than  the  width  of  the  ditch,  as  vehicles  can  not 
venture  near  the  edge.  Third — Tlie  ditch  is  constantl.v 
being  blocked  with  leaves  and  brush,  and  the  material 
from  the  slope  frequently  slides  into  it. 
Remedy. 

The  first  and  less  expensive  remedy  consists  in  dig- 
ging a  trench  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  about  three  feet 
deep,  parallel  with  the  road.  ,  This  trench  should  be 
about  twelve  inches  wide  at  the  bottom  and  about  fif- 
teen inches  wide  at  the  top.  This  trench  is  not  left 
open  but  is  refilled  with  screened  gravel,  clean  stone, 
brick-bats,  slag,  shells,  and  in  some  cases  brush  is  used. 
There  is  hardl.v  a  district  in  which  at  least  one  of  the 
materials  named  can  not  be  secured.  This  trench,  so 
filled,  is  extended  until  the  side  hill  section  ends.  If 
the  hill  section  is  especially  long  these  trenches  empt.y 
into  the  culverts,  or  it  sometimes  becomes  necessary  to 
extend  these  trenches  across  the  road  at  right  angles 
with  the  line  of  the  road.  This  method  is  commonly 
known  as  the  blind  drain.  A  more  expensive  method, 
b\it  of  more  permanent  value,  consists  of  placing  small 
tile,  sa.v  from  4  inches  in  diameter  to  6  inches,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  trench.  These  pipe  are  laid  without  ce- 
ment joints  and  where  the  bell  t.vpe  is  used  the  bell  is 
placed  up  grade.  Care  must  be  taken  to  pack  fine  ma- 
terial, free  from  dirt,  around  the  pipe  to  permit  the 
water  to  enter  the  pipe  and  to  insure  freedom  from 
breakage.  Such  a  method  is  called  a  side  drain.  The 
ends  of  the  pipe  should  be  protected  by  headings  where 
necessar.v.  The  only  difference  between  the  blind  drain 
and  side  drain  is  the  addition  of  the  tile  in  the  latter 
case.  Both  drains  permit  the  use  of  the  road  for  its 
full  width  and  do  away  with  the  dangerous  ditch. 

Second  Condition. 

Where  a  road  is  located  in  a  cut  we  usually  have 
ground  water  on  both  sides  of  the  road.  While  a  blind 
drain  on  each  side,  or  a  side  drain  on  each  side  would 
remedy  the  trouble,  it  will  be  found  a  less  expensive 
method,  may  be  used.  It  is  not  considered  economy 
to  use  two  sets  of  drains  because  the  same  materials 
that  would  be  used  in  the  drains  can  be  used  to  better 


Any  Length 
Culvert  Pipe 

You  Need 


If  your  work  is  all  straight  going 
and  you  can  use  12  ft.  lengths  we'll 
be  ready  to  furnish  them.  If  the 
transportation  facilities  are  not  con- 
venient and  a  shorter  length,  say 
four  feet,  would  help  you  out,  just 
let  us  know  for  we  can  furnish 
4  ft.,  5  ft,  6  ft.,  and  12  ft.  lengths  of 

U.  S.  \^l  CULVERTS 

There  are  not  only  many  different 
lengths  but  also  there  are  many  dif- 
ferent thicknesses  of  U.  S.  Culverts 
— Light  Culverts,  Medium  Culverts, 
Standard  Culverts,  Heavy  Culverts 
and  Extra  Heavy  Culverts — a  U.  S. 
Cast  Iron  Culvert  to  meet  each  con- 
dition of  roadbuilding. 

They  are  all  explained  in  the  inter- 
esting book  "Reducing  Ultimate 
Culvert  Costs"  which  we  are  send- 
ing to  all  those  interested  in  highway 
work,  free  of  charge.  Have  you 
sent  for  your  copy  ? 


UNITED  STATES 


IRON 


PIPE 


FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 

GENERAL  OFFICES: 
712  E.  Pearl  St.,  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W.  Oliver  Bide. 
Chicago,  122  So.  Mich.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  BuildinR 
Birmingham.  Ala. .Am.  Trust  Bldfr. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bid?. 
Buffalo.  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


21 


advantage.       Tn   a  ledge  section,   a   blind   drain   or   a 
side  drain  is  an  expensive  undertaking. 

Remedy. 

For  many  years  the  telford  type  of  a  rnad  was  used 
under  these  conditions.  The  Oifice  of  Public  Roads 
has  been  buihling  oli.ject  lesson  and  experimental  roads 
since  1895,  and  has  not  found  it  necessary  in  anj*  case 
to  resort  to  the  telford  foundation. 

Much  cheaper  than  telford  and  cheaper  than  two 
sets  of  blind  or  side  drains  is  the  "V"  drain,  so-called. 
It  is  so  called  because  it  resembles  in  form  a  very  wide 
letter  "V".  It  is  usually  formed  by  excavating  the 
road  about  twelve  inches  deep  at  the  center  and  nothing 
at  a  point  tive  feet  either  side  of  the  center  line.  All 
material  excavated  is  thrown  outside  of  the  described 
five  feet  line  and  the  slope  continued.  This  "V" 
shaped  trench  is  filled  up  with  either  stone,  slag,  grav- 
el or  brick-bats,  varying  from  a  size  of  eight  inches  in 
their  longest  diameter  to  one-half  inch.  The  larger 
sized  are  placed  at  the  bottom  or  point  of  the  "V". 
About  eighteen  inches  of  material  is  placed  in  the  cen- 
ter and  about  six  inches  at  the  sides,  giving  an  average 
depth  of  twelve  inches.  A  road  so  drained,  eighteen 
wide,  would  therefore  require  2-3  of  a  cubic  yard  of 
loose  material  to  the  linear  f:>ot  of  road.  The  excava- 
tion for  the  same  section  would  be  about  1-3  of  a  cubic 
yard,  as  the  center  cut  makes  the  <;ide  fill.  No  team 
work  is  necessary,  as  a  rule,  in  excavating  for  a  "V" 
drain  after  the  approximate  grade  has  been  made  on 
the  road. 

As  the  material  is  not  exposed  to  wear  the  most  in- 
ferior stone  can  be  used.  This  commends  itself  to  the 
farmer  who,  in  many  cases,  can  clear  his  farm  land  of 
rock  and  at  the  same  time  improve  his  road.  Outlets 
are  provided  from  time  to  time  leading  into  the  ditches 
or  gutters  by  extending  a  similar  filled  trench  from 
the  "V"  drain  through  the  shoulders.  The  "V"  drain 
should  be  rolled  either  by  motive  power  or  by  teams 
even  if  it  is  neecssary  to  provide  a  home-made  roller, 
for  the  purpose.  "V"  drains  are  sometimes  built  of 
sand  and  also  of  brush,  but  their  use  is  not  recommend- 
ed except  where  the  other  materials  named  cannot  be 
obtained. 

Third  Condition. 
AVhere  a  road  is  located  in  a  swamp  or  low  land  it  is 
frequently  saturated  with  water.  If  the  road  can  be 
elevated  in  this  section,  so  it  will  l)e  at  least  two  feet 
above  water,  it  will  usually  remedy  the  situation.  In 
some  sections  this  would  involve  a  great  outlay  of 
money  to  secure  the  necessary  fill,  and  in  other  sections 
the  low  lands  extend  for  miles,  so  there  is  no  available 
knoll  from  which  material  for  a  fill  can  be  secured. 

Remedy. 

If  elevation  of  the  road  is  out  of  question  then  some 
method  of  making  the  road  more  firm  is  desirable.  In 
a  few  cases  Telford  has  been  resorted  to,  but  here  again 
the  "V"  drain  is  the  logical  remedy  to  apply.  It  may 
be  necessary  to  even  resort  to  brush  or  timber  in  some 
special  ca.ses.  The  trench  should  be  prepared  similar 
to  the  "V"  drain  type  but  all  brush  or  timber  is  laid 
parallel  with  the  line  of  the  road  and  not  across  it  cor- 
duroy fashion.  Such  a  variety  of  materials  can  be 
used  in  the  "V"  drain,  while  a  Telford  foundation  re- 
quires careful  selection  of  certain  sized  rock,  hand 
placed,  the  "V"  drain  is  the  more  economical  in  any 
event.  The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  materials  of- 
ten used  in  a  "V"  drain;  stone,  gravel,  slag,  brick- 
bats, shells,  sand,  brush,  in  fact  any  material  of  a  por- 
ous nature  will  answer  the  purpose.     The  use  of  the 


I^M^^lving^Shpvili 


If  we  had 
what  we  know  now!'' 


"The  Erie  Shovel  has  it  all  over  anything 
we  have  ever  used, "  writes  the  Wm.  J. 
Payne,  Jr.  Co.,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  "We 
will  want  another  shortly.  We  would 
have  bought  an  Erie  long  ago,  if  we  had 
known  before  what  we  know  now." 

That  is  just  a  sample  of  what  every  Erie  owner 
tells  us.  You  can  can  get  the  straight  facts 
about  the  Erie  !  Just  ask — Riley-Ryan  Co.,  of 
Chattanooga,  Tenn. ;  ask  J.  F.  Morgan  &  Co.,  of 
Gadsen,  Ala. ;  or  the  Shore  Transfer  Co.,  of 
Winston-Salem,  North  Carolina;  or  the  South- 
ern Clay  Co.,  of  Sumter,  South  Carolina ;  or 
the  Shelby  County  Commission,  Memphis, 
Tenn. 

ask  ANY  of  the  concerns  who  are  using 
the  Erie  and  getting  record  yardages. 

The  Erie  will  break  your  yardage  record,  his 
Speed  Champion.  Faster  on  the  swing. 
Quicker  at  getting  into  the  digging.  Easiest 
showel  for  the  operator  to  handle /as/. 

Look  the  Erie  over  in  detail,  point  by  point. 
Note  the  long  leach,  which  gives  a  level  floor 
35  ft.  wide.  Note  the  unequaled  strength — 
larger  bearings — stronger  construction  at 
every  point  of  wear  and  strain.  The  Erie 
is  built  better  through  and 
through,  so  naturally  it  is  more 
reliable  in  service. 

Don't    simply    take  our  word 
for  it,  but  find  out  for  yourself 
which    is    the    best    revolving 
'      shovel  on  the  market. 

We  would  like  to  send  you 
our  new  Bulletin  "S."  You 
will  find  it  interesting.  Write 
for  a  copy. 


Ball  Engine  OiijlEiaevP^ 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Antriist.  1917 


"V  drain  will  open  up  and  develop  many  swamp  sec- 
tions that  are  now  inaccessible. 

Special  Drainage  Conditions. 

In  some  sections  the  banks  of  a  cut  frequently  slide 
into  the  gutters  or  ditches  along  the  road.  This  is 
sometimes  due  to  an  excessive  slope  and  sometimes  to 
water  running  over  and  down  the  slope. 

In  the  first  case  the  banks  should  be  .sloped  back  far 
enough  to  prevent  the  banks  sliding.  As  a  rule,  the 
more'frost  action,  the  greater  the  need  of  a  flat  slope. 
A  one  to  one  slope  is  usually  ample  in  the  South,  while 
a  one-half  to  one.  or  even  twa  to  one.  is  desirable  in 
some  of  the  northern  states.  In  many  cases  the  banks 
can  not  be  further  sloped  on  account  of  legal  or  other 
objections,  lical  in  nature. 

An  easy  way  to  prevent  water  running  down  the 
slope  is  to  cut  "a  ditch  at  the  top  of  the  bank,  parallel 
with  the  road.     This  is  frequently  called  a  berm  ditch. 

Where  the  rainfall  is  heavy  in  a  locality,  erosion  of 
the  ditch  or  gutter  is  likely  to  occur.  Gutters  in  these 
eases  should  be  paved  if  materials  are  available.  ^Yhere 
materials  can  not  be  obtained  for  paving,  the  method 
to  be  followed  is  deserilied  in  Circular  No.  95.  issued 
by  the  Office  of  Public  Roads. 

'  In  general,  water  should  be  turned  off  and  away 
fr  )m  a  road  where  ever  it  can  be  done.  An  outlet  once 
in  fifty  feet  is  not  too  often,  for  it  is  the  volume  and 
velocity  of  the  water  that  does  the  damage,  and  the  fre- 
quent "outlets  reduce  the  volume  of  water  the  ditch 
would  otherwise  handle. 

Drainage  of  a  road  can  be  greatly  assisted  by  keep- 
ing all  culverts  clear  of  rubbish,  filling  all  depressions 
in  the  road  as  fast  as  they  occur,  and  by  dragging  the 
road  frequently  and  keeping  all  waterways  open  and 
clear  at  all  times. 

1.358  Perrv  PL.  N.  W. 


In  North  Texas. 

There  are  on  an  average  going  through  Texarkana 
every  day  or  two  me  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fif- 
ty tourist  automobiles,  said  C.  0.  Carpenter,  secretary 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  recently.  "Why  not  ar- 
range to  care  for  these  people  by  having  facilities  in 
Texarkana  that  would  mean  a  great  increase  in  this 
class  of  travel  with  Texarkana  as  the  logical  stopping 
point  fDr  these  tourists?" 

A  brief  summary  of  the  good  roads  that  under  con- 
templation gives  some  idea  of  what  will  probably  be 
accomplished  during  the  next  couple  of  years  if  active 
endeavor  to  accomplish  results  such  as  should  be  ob- 
tained, said  W.  A.  ilcCartney.  in  commenting  on  va- 
rious road  matters  that  are  now  under  consideration. 

First  of  all  there  is  the  Texarkana-El  Paso  highway. 
A  message  was  sent  to  ^Mineral  Wells  expressing  re- 
gret that  owing  to  conditions  here  it  was  impossible 
to  send  a  delegate  or  more  than  one  delegate  to  this 
meeting  as  important  as  it  is  that  Texarkana  "s  interests 
on  this  proposed  highway  should  be  put  forward  at  all 
times. 

J.  W.  Davenport  of  Blount  Vern  in.  spoke  of  the  ad- 
vantage that  would  result  in  the  completion  of  the 
highway  across  the  state  from  Texarkana  to  El  Paso, 
and  declared  the  work  should  not  stop  until  a  pike 
road  was  Imilt  from  city  to  city  making  it  "the  long- 
est road  of  the  kind  in  any  state  on  earth."  The  com- 
mon belief  and  sentiment  is  that  the  Fort  Worth  to  El 
Paso,  and  the  Dallas  to  Texarkana  Association  should 
merge  in  one  big  organizati  )n  for  the  cross  state  high- 
way. 

Fiirther    information    obtainable    also    tells    of    sur- 


fe^- 


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(background).     Kingman-Oatman  Highway  on  Gold  Road  Hill.  Arizona 

Choosing  the  Best 

Road  builders  now  recognize  that  drainage  problems 
should  be  cared  for  by  culverts  which  will  become  lasting 
improvements.     The   choice  of 

"ARMCO"<;.^£?EoCULVERTS 

for  a  large  number  of  the  roadways  now  being  built  in  all  sections  of 
the  country  is  the  result  of  the  lessons  of  experience. 

"Armco"  Iron  Culverts  make  good  under  all  conditioni.  They  re- 
sist rust  and  give  long  and  economical  service  because  made  frcm  the 
purc5/and  most  even  of  irons. 

For  full  information  as  to  rutt-resisting  "Armco" 
Iron  Culveris  (Full  and  Part  Circle),  Flumes,  Sheets, 
Roofing  and  Formed  Products,  write  to 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME   MFRS.  ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


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■^ 


i»xa 


EXTF?A 


August,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


23 


veys  having  been  completed  from  Arkadelphia  to  Ant- 
wine,  and  it  is  expected  they  will  be  finished  from  Ar- 
kadelphia to  Hot  Springs  '  within  a  very  short 
time.  The  completion  of  this  proposed  road  wjuld 
give  two  direct  highways  from.  Texarkaua  to  Hot 
Springs,  the  one  by  Hope,  Preseott  and  Arkadelphia. 
and  the  other  by  way  of  Nashville,  Murfreesboro  and 
Arkadelphia. 

All  of  these  roads,  if  completed,  will  prove  a  boon  to 
the  cities  and  towns  along  each,  is  the  opinion  express- 
ed by  those  interested  in  good  highways  over  the  state. 
On  July  3  at  Nashville,  there  was  held  a  big  meeting  in 
the  interest  of  one  of  these  routes  while  on  July  24-26, 
inclusive,  the  state  highway  commission  has  held  a 
meeting  at  Eureka  Springs,  looking  to  the  building  of 
a  highway  from  Fort  Smith  across  the  state  to  Texar- 
kaua, along  the  route  that  was  proposed  for  the  Jefifer- 
son  Highway,  but  which  the  directors  of  that  organiza- 
tion saw  fit  to   completely   ignore. 

According  to  local  road  enthusiasts  Texarkana  should 
come  alive  on  this  question  and  everj^  person  make  an 
effort  to  exercise  some  influence  to  secure  these  roads 
because  thej'  mean  greater  things  in  a  commercial  way, 
mean  more  people  visiting  the  city,  and  as  a  result  vast- 
ly greater  business. 


New  Hard  Road  in  Florida. 

The  new  hard  surfaced  road  from  New  Smyrna  to 
the  St.  Johns  river,  given  a  direct  connection  from  the 
Atlantic  beach  to  the  interior  of  Florida,  is  now  practi- 
cally completed  and  the  people  of  the  interior  of  the 
state,  who  have  long  wished  for  a  good  road  to  the 
beach,  are  now  furnished  with  a  splendid  highway, 
leading  straight  from  the  end  of  the  brick  road  in  Sem- 
inole county  to  New  Smj'rna  and  the  Atlantic  ocean  at 
Coronado. 

The  final  stretches  of  this  highway  form  a  part  of  the 
contract  which  was  recently  thrown  up  by  Hamilton 
Johnson,  but  the  county  commissioners  at  their  recent 
meeting  made  a  new  contract  with  Akerman  &  Ellis 
and  the  finishing  touches  have  been  put  on  the  road. 

The  last  part  of  the  road  to  be  hard  surfaced  is  a 
stretch  just  west  of  New  Smyrna  near  the  junction 
with  the  road  to  Grlencoe. 

The  new  highway  gives  the  most  direct  route  from 
Sanford  to  the  Atlantic  possible  and  the  people  of  that 
city,  Orlando,  and  other  intei'ior  cities  and  towns  will 
greatly  appreciate  this  opportunity  to  make  a  quick 
and  easy  trip  and  from  the  beach  during  the  summer 
months. 

The  opening  of  the  new  road  will  give  new  life  to 
Coronado,  as  much  of  the  summer  beach  business  has 
gone  to  other  points  because  of  the  lack  of  a  good 
highway  leading  direct  to  the  beach. 


The  Program  in  Idaho. 

Approximately  $1,000,00(1  will  be  spent  on  highways 
in  Idaho  during  the  present  year.  The  state  highway 
commission  has  decided  the  road  work  for  this  year  w  ill 
be  done  on  highways  used  and  traversed  in  the  move- 
ment of  crops  and  contractors  working  on  the  high- 
ways have  promised  the  commission  to  lend  their  as- 
sistance to  crop  movement  during  the  season  of  the 
year  it  is  in  progress.  T'hose  highways  worked  on  will 
be  completed  in  sections  as  the  work  progresses  and 
paid  for  as  they  are  built.  This  will  result  in  completed 
roads  that  can  be  traversed  instead  of  the  tearing  up 
of  large  sections  over  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
travel  for  a  year  or  so. 

The  highway  commission  decided  to  spend  approxi- 


The  Picture  Tells 


For  cutting'  down  banks  or  cleaning  out  ditches  the  Russell  Center 
Shift  lateral  adjustment  of  the  Blade  is  quick  acting,  handy,  simple  and 
strong.  On  the  "Standard"  size  the  blade  may  be  extended  5  1-2  feet 
outside  center  of  draft.  TheSliding  Block  and  Oscillating  Link  hold  the 
blade  rigid  wherever  set.  Don't  buy  a  Road  Machine  before  you  ex- 
amine this  and  other  features.    Our  1917  Catalog  gives  them. 


RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

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I 


'Mixers       Pavers       Crouters        Hoists 


'/\ 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


August  1917 


mately  a  qiiarter  of  a  million  dollars  iu  state  moiioy 
which  will  be  drawn  from  the  highway  bond  fund. 
This  is  one-third  of  the  amount  that  will  be  spent,  pro- 
viding the  season  for  construction  is  favorable  and 
long.  The  other  two-thirds  will  be  raised  by  the  couu- 
ties.  Added  to  the  total  will  be  post  road  and  other 
federal  funds. 

The  general  policy  agreed  upon  will  be  to  go  ahead 
slowly  with  construction  work  leaving  the  highways  iu 
shape  to  travel.  ^Maintenance  on  liighways  will  be  done 
largely.  Gravel  surfacing  will  be  done  on  the  sauie 
highways.  Arrangements  were  made  with  the  Burley 
highway  district  to  gravel  surface  its  highway  with  this 
idea  in  view. 


Nation  to  Rush  All  Road  Work. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  country  has  there 
been  shown  such  remarkable  activity  in  the  construc- 
tion of  roads  as  marks  the  present  time.  Under  the  ex- 
igencies of  military  need  States  that  have  been  loath  to 
heed  the  call  for  better  roads  are  now  awakened,  and 
Governors,  commissioners  and  supervisors  are  heaken- 
ing  to  the  clamor  of  their  constituents  and  helping  iu 
the  movements,  reports  James  L.  Irving-,  the  Southerr. 
California  Cole  eight  distributor,  who  recently  receiv- 
ed his  information  from  Washington,  D.  C. 

"The  rush  to  build  roads  now  means  that  there  will 
be  more  mileage  constructed  within  a  period  of  the 
next  six  months  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the 
comitry  was  crowded  into  twice  that  much  time," 
said  Mr.  Irving.  "It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a  move- 
ment now  is  on  foot  to  give  road-building  materials 
priority  of  shipment  by  rail  so  that  the  work  need  not 
be  interfered  with  because  of  the  lack  of  the  necessarj- 
material." 


This 

County  Road 

Commissioner 

Bought  a  Fleet 
^f  Twenty 


lO 

Days* 
Free  Trial 


And  he  writes:  "We  find  Martin  Ditchers  and  Graders  very 
successful,  economical  road  machines.     Can  be  operated  at 
one  half  the  expense  of  the  wheel  grader." 
R.  L.  Horn,  Co.  Road  Comm'r.,  Vian,  Sequoyah  Co.,  Okla. 
Get  an  all-steel,  guaranteed 


Road  Ditcher  and  Grader 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
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Used  hy  practi- 
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All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

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Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


Good  Item's 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 


L-exin^ton,  N.  C,  September,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Southern  Commercial  Congress 

Good  Roads  a  Principal  Topic  For  Great  New  York  Gathering  of  ttie  Soutli's 
Industrial  Leaders,  at  ttie  Hotel  Astor,  October  15-17 


THE  ninth  annual  convention  of  tlie  yovitliern  (Jom- 
nioTL-ial  Congress,  the  nation's  livest  commercial 
organization,  which  meets  at  the  Hotel  Astor,  New 
York,  on  October  15th,  16th  and  17,  will  take  up  the 
theme   of  good   roads  in   whole-hearted   fashion.     The 


HON.  W.  F.  McCOMBS 
Chairman,  New  York  Good  Roads  Committee 

growth  of  industry  in  the  South  has  taxed  the  railroads 
to  the  limit  and  the  springing  up  of  industrial  towns 
everywhere  has  made  it  imperative  that  industrial  cap- 
tains interest  themselves  now  in  the  construction  of  bet- 


ter roads.  Thus  the  gathering  of  the  men  interested  in 
the  various  industries  of  the  South  expect  t  >  put  their 
shoulders  ti-  tlie  wheel  of  the  good  roads  wagon. 

Hon.  William  F.  ^IcCombs,  ji  New  York,  was  a[)- 
Ijointed  chairman  of  the  general  g  lod  roads  committee 
of  New  York  and  has  been  active  in  organizing  this 
branch  of  the  Congress,  with  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Clar- 
ence J.  Owens,  advisory  director,  and  others.  ^Mr,  H. 
H.  Varner,  editor  of  Southern  Good  Koads  ilagazine, 
has  been  appointed  chairman  of  the  goud  roads  com- 
mittee for  the  Southern  states  and  has  cOiUpleted  the 
jiersounel  of  this  committee.  The  work  of  art)using  in- 
terest throughout  the  South  has  been  underway  for 
more  than  a  month  and  from  all  indications  the  res- 
sponse  will  be  beyond  all  former  expectations. 

The  states  of  the  South  expect  to  make  a  tine  sli  i\v- 
iug  of  the  progress  accomplished,  but  at  the  same  time 
make  the  great  appeal  to  the  industrial  interests  of  tlu' 
South  to  get  more  solidly  behind  the  work  of  building 
l)etter  roads,  roads  that  will  serve  their  interests  at  all 
times  of  the  year  and  will  form  an  important  auxiliary 
to  the  railwa.ys. 

At  the  time  of  the  gathering  of  the  Conunercial  Con- 
gress a  Southern  States  Exposition  will  Ije  in  session  in 
the  armory  of  the  Sevent.^'-First  Regiment  on  Park  A\-- 
enue  and  Thirty-P^'ourth  Street.  Here  will  be  conduct- 
ed a  comiirehensive  display  of  the  natural  and  maiuifac- 
tured  products  of  the  Southern  States.  This  will  fur- 
nish a  further  argument  for  the  extension  of  gooil 
roads,  in  order  that  these  natural  products  may  become 
more  available  to  the  manufacturers  and  at  the  same 
time  the  cost  of  production  decreased  greatly.  The  Ex- 
position will  begin  on  October  13th  and  end  on  the  '20th. 

A  feature  of  the  Congress  will  be  the  "International 
Reconstruction"  Banquet  at  the  Hotel  Astor.  to  lie  ten- 
ilered  to  the  diplomatic  representatives  of  the  Allies  of 
the   I'nited  States   on  Tuesday  evening.   October  Kith. 

New  York  Good  Roads  Committee. 

The  New  York   Committee   on   Good   Roads  follows: 
William   F.    McCombs,    Chairman    Office,   Hotel   ilc- 

Alpan,  New  York  City;  August  Belmont.  Piere  Berin- 

ger,   John  Baker.   Jr..   S.   F.   Butler.   George   Blauvelt. 

Coleman  Du  Pont.  J.  R.  Dranev.  Edwin  Duft'ev.  Charles 

R.  Flint.  George  W.  Goethals,'w.  G.  Harrington,  J.  K. 

Hollinghead,   Ivy  L.  Lee,  George  il.   lloore,  John  il. 

Murtaugh,  George  W.  Perkins,  Daniel  T.  Pierce,  Theo. 

P.  Shonts,  Philip  P.  Sharpies,  Herbert  Spencer,  Frank 


jte     tccc  <  ccctct     t       cet,(t 


C         t       C    t    ' 


SOUTHEBX  GOOD  ROADS 


September,  1917 


A.   Vanderlip,   Elias   Yauderhorst,   Geoi-ge    T.   Wilson. 
Wm.  M.  TTotherspo  in.  E.  0.  "Woods. 

Southern  Good  Roads  Committee. 

ilr.  H.  B.  Varner.  of  Lexington.  X.  C.  Chairman  of 

the  Southern  Good  Roads  Committee  has  announced 

the  committee  in  completed  form.     These  men  are  all 

leaders  in  their  respective  states  in  good  roads  work. 


DR.  CL.A.RENCE  J.  OWENS 
Director,  Southern  Commercial  Congress 

and  are  prominently  identitied  with  the  general  move- 
ment throughout  the  country. 

They  are : 

Hon.  H.  R.  Carter.  State  Highway  Engineer.  Little 
Rock,  Ark. 

Gen.  T.  Coleman  Dupont,  "Wilmington,  Del. 

Hon.  "Wm.  F.  Cocke,  State  R  )ad  Commissioner,  Tal- 
lahassee, Fla. 

Judge  T.  E.  Patterson.  Chairman,  State  Highway 
Dept..  Atlanta.  Ga. 

Hon.  Rodman  "Wiley,  Commissioner  of  Public  Roads. 
Frankfort,  Ky. 

Hon.  Dimean  Buie,  State  Highway  Engineer.  New 
Orleans.  La. 

Hon.  H.  G.  Shirley.  Chief  Engineer.  Baltimore,  ild. 

Hon.  Z.  A.  Kramer.  State  Highway  Engineer,  Jack- 
son, !Miss. 


Hon.  "W.  S.  Fallis.  State  Highwav  Engiaeer.  Raleigh. 
X.  C. 

Hon.  J.  J.  ^Murray,  Sec.  State  Highway  Dept.,  Nash- 
ville, Tenn. 

Hon.  Geo.  Coleman,  State  Highway  Commissioner, 
Richmond.  Va. 

Hon.  A.  D.  Williams,  Chief  Road  Engineer.  Morgan- 
town.  "W.  Va. 

Hon.  A.  G.  Batehelder.  Editor.  American  Motorist. 
Washington.  D.  C. 

Hon.  Harry  B.  Hawes,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Hon.  Curtis  Hancock.  Chairman,  Good  Roads  Com.. 
Dallas.  Texas. 

Hon.  John  Craft.  State  Highway  Com.,  ^lobile,  Ala. 

Hon.  F.  'SI.  ^lurray.  State  Highway  Engineer,  Co- 
lumbia. S.  C. 

Hon.  Paitl  Xesbit.  :MeAlester.  Okla. 

■"Preparations  for  a  mammoth  good  roads  convention 
to  be  held  in  Xew  York  in  connection  with  the  South- 
ern Commercial  Congress."  said  Mr.  Yaruer.  "are  go- 
ing forward  with  all  the  push  and  energy  that  we  can 
put  back  of  such  a  movement.  Of  course  all  of  the 
details  cannot  be  given  out  to  the  press  now.  but  we 
have  cheap  rates  from  all  points,  ample  hotel  accommo- 
dations, dinners  and  other  amusements  arranged  by 
the  entertainment  committee,  and  special  sessions,  be- 


H.  B.  VARNER 
Chairman,  Southern  States  Good  Roads  Committee 

sides  the  general  sessions  of  the  Congress.  The  pro- 
gram has  been  tentatively  made  up  and  such  important 
characters  as  Gen.  Geo.  W.  Goethals.  Hon.  L.  W.  Page, 
Director  U.  S.  Office  Public  Roads.  Senator  John  H. 
Bankhead.  of  Alabama.  Col.  Samuel  Hill  of  Washing- 
ton. Hon.  Chas.  Henry  Davis,  President.  Xational  High- 
ways Association.  Hon.  Geo.  Diehl.  chairman  A.  A.  A. 
Good  Roads  Board  and  other  nationally  known  good 
roads  men  will  address  the  good  roads  meeting,  ilil- 
itary  highways  will  be  properly  treated  and  this  new 
feature  brought  close  to  us  by  our  participation  in  the 
great  war,  will  be  thoroughly  discussed  by  experts." 


September,  1917  SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 

"FOR  A  GREATER  NATION  THROUGH  A  GREATER  SOUTH" 

The  Southern  Commercial  Congress 

SOUTHERN  BUILDING,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


EXECUTIVE  OFFICERS 

DUNCAN  U.  FLETCHER 
President 

THOS    S.  SOUTHGATE 
First  Vice-President 

LELAND  HUME 

Second  Vice-President 

CLARENCE  J.  OWENS 
Managing  Director 

WILLIAM  H.  SAUNDERS 
Treasurer 

A.  E.  LLOYD  LECKIE 
Counsel 


BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS 


Charles  H.  Henderson.  Montgomery.  Ala. 
Albert  P.  Bush,  Mobile,  Ala. 
Wm.  G.  Huttan.  Little  Kock,  Ark. 
C.  R.  Breckenridge.  Fort  Smith,  Ark 
Ducan  U.  Fletcher,  Jacksonville,  i  la 
Perry  Wall,  Tampa.  Fla. 
Harvie  Jordan,  Monticello,  Ga. 
William  S.  Witham.  Atlanta.  Gp. 
Bennett  H.  Young,  Louisville.  Ky. 
Robert  Bingham.  Louisville.  Ky. 
John  M    Parker,  New  Orleans.  La. 
Oscar  Dowling.  Shreveport,  La. 
William  B.  Hurst,  Baltimore.  Md. 
Clarence  J.  Owens,  Riverdale,  Md. 
Walter  Clark,  Clarkdale.  Miss. 
Alex  Y.  Scott,  Rosedale,  Miss. 


George  W.  Simmons,  Jr.,  St.  Louis.  Mo. 

Ben  Altheimer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Albert  E.  Tate,  High  Point,  N.  C. 

E.  L.  Daughtridge,  Rocky  Mount,  N.  C 

H.  S.  Shelor,  Muskogee,  Okla. 

E.  J.  Watson,  Columbia,  S.  C. 

F.  W.  Wagner,  Charleston.  S.  C. 
Leland  Hume.  Nashville,  Teen. 

T.  R.  Preston,  Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
J  S.  Williams,  Paris,  Texas 
Geo.  W.  Littlefield,  Austin,  Texas 
Thos.S.  Southgate.  Norfolk.  Va. 
S-  T.  Morgan,  Richmond,  Va. 

G.  A.  Northcotfc,  Huntington.  W.  Va. 
Clarence  Watson,  Fairmont,  W.  Va. 
Wm.  H,  Saunders,  Washington.  D.  C. 


#2260  -  Hotel  McAlpin, 
New  York,  Sept.  5th.  1917 

Mr.  H.  B.  Varner,  EditOT, 

••Southern  Good  Roads •' , 

Lexington,  N.  C. 

My  dear  Mr.  Varner :- 

We  wish  to  express  our  sincere  thanks  for  the  active 
cooperation  shown  by  ''Southern  Good  Roads''  in  furthering  the  Ninth 
Annual  Convention  of  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress,  to  be  held 
in  New  York  City  October  15-17th,  1917.   Your  efforts  in  cooperating 
with  the  New  York  Committee  under  the  chairmanship  of  Hon.  William 
F.  McCombs  will  largely  aid  in  promoting  the  Good  Roads  division 
of  the  Congress.   We  value  the  missionary  work  you  and  your 
associates  have  done  for  the  betterment  of  highways  in  the  South 
since  your  publication  was  founded  as  a  result  of  the  1909 
convention  of  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress. 

The  past  eight  years  have  seen  a  tremendous  development 
in  the  South  in  all  lines.  With  her  great  resources,  her  manu- 
facturing plans,  her  mines,  and  her  tremendous  agricultural  wealth, 
all  demanding  better  highways,  for  the  rapid  and  more  economical 
transportation  of  raw  materials  and  the  finished  products,  we 
predict  a  better  system  of  roads  in  the  South.  • 

We  are  pleased  to  recognize  ''Southern  Good  Roads''  in 
appreciation  of  your  efforts,  as  the  official  publication  of  the 
Good  Roads  division  of  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress,  and  hope 
that  your  October  number,  containing  the  official  program,  will 
review  the  possibilities  for  development  in  the  sixteen  Southern 
States.  We  are  all  working  for  "A  GREATER  NATION  THROUGH  A 
GREATER  SOUTH. ' ' 

Sincerely, 


Managing  Director 

NINTH  ANNUAL  CONVENTION.  NEW  YORK  CITY.  OCTOBER  15-17.  1917 
SOUTHERN  STATES  EXPOSITION.  NEW  YORK  CITY.  OCTOBER  13-20.  1917 


SOT^THERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Septeinlier.  1017 


Southern  Appalachian  Good  Roads  Con- 
vention, Nashville,  Tenn.,  Oct.  16-19 

By  H.  H.  JONES,  Convention  Secretary 


Till-]  ninth  anoual  c-onveiitiou  of  tlie  Smitheni  Ap- 
palachiiui  (Jdod  Roads  Association  which  will  \h- 
hchi  ill  Xashville,  T'enuessee,  October  16-19,  inchi- 
si\-c.  ,t;i\-i"s  promise  of  being  the  most  suceesst'nl 
fi'oni  a  constructive  standp  lint  of  any  heretofore  held. 
The  convention  this  year  is  being  fostered  by  the  Nash- 
ville Automobile  Club,  one  of  the  livest  organizations  in 
the  South  and  if  their  past  performances  stand  as  a 
criterion  for  judgment  the  success  of  the  coming  meet- 
ing is  already  assured. 

Nashville  is  ideally  1  )rated  for  the  holding  of  the 
convention  situated  as  it  is  about  eipiidistant  from  all 
sections  of  the  territory  from  which  it  is  desired  to 
draw  attendance.  It  is  the  meeting  poiut  of  three  of 
the  most  prominent  highway  systems  of  the  South — 
the  Dixie  Highway,  the  Jackson  Highway  and  the 
;\remphis-t!vBristol  Highway.  The  various  automobile 
clubs  will  play  a  prominent  [lart  in  the  success  of  the 
coming  meeting  as  it  is  proposed  to  run  inspection  jiar- 
ties  over  the  various  routes  centering  in  Nashville  and 


H.  H.  JONES, 
Convention  Secretary 

report  on  the  condition  of  these  routes  to  the  conven- 
tion. K.\tensive  preparation  is  being  made  for  the  en- 
tcrtiiinment  of  the  delegates  and  others  who  will  at- 
tend and  a  splendid  jirogram  is  being  arranged  foi'  tlu' 
side  licnetit  of  the  visiting  ladies. 

Special  i-ates  t  i  and  from  the  convention  will  prevail 
on  all  railroads  entering  Nashville  and  the  delegates 
will  be  notitied  by  the  convention  secretary  as  soon  as 
the  schedule  is  received.  The  hotels  of  the  city  will  be 
prepared  to  entertain  the  visitors  in  their  usual  efficient 
nuinner  and  at  very  moderate  rates. 

The  business  sessions  of  the  convention  will  be  held  in 
the  Hall  of  Representatives  at  the  State  Capitol  which 
is  within  easy  walking  distance  of  all  of  the  hotels  in 
the  city. 

An  cft'ort  is  being  made  to  have  one  day  designated 
as  f4overnors  Day.  as  all  of  the  governors  of  the  South- 
ern states  have  been  invited  to  attend  and  deliver  ad- 
dresses.   Several  have  already  accepted  and  it  is  hoped 


that  all  :if  them  will  be  in  a  position  to  honor  the  con- 
vention with  their  presence. 

The  conventi.in  will  be  formally  opened  Tuesday 
night.  October  Ki,  but  the  business  sessions  will  not  be- 
gin until  Wednesday  morning.  Sessions  will  be  set  aside 
for  work  on  Federal  Aid.  ^Maintenance,  Closer  Co-Op- 
eralion  lietween  States  in  General  Highway  Plans  and 
tlie  Standardization  of  Road  Work.  State  Highway  Sys- 
tem for  Tennessee  to  be  ^laintained  by  Automobile  Li- 
cense and  other  State  Funds,  Best  llethods  of  Road 
Construction.  (Convicts,  Force  Account  or  Cmitract), 
Reports  friini  \arious  High\va.\'s. 

The  program  has  not  yet  been  completed  but  the 
foremost  good  roads  disciples  id'  the  country  will  be  in 
attendance  and  deliver  addresses  which,  with  the  e.\- 
ception  of  reports,  will  be  limited  to  thirty  minutes. 
Discussion  will  be  limited  to  fifteen  minutes.  This  time 
limit  is  set  this  .vear  so  as  to  facilitate  the  business  of 
the  convention  and  to  give  the  delegates  more  time  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  entertainment  that  will  be  pro- 
\-ided  b.v  the  local  automobile  club.  The  question  oi 
the  distrilnitiDU  of  foodstuffs  as  affected  by  good  roads 
will  also  come  up  for  discussion.  Few  people  realize 
the  lieai'ing  that  improved  roads  have  on  the  production 
and  disti'iliution  of  these  necessities  and  as  this  ques- 
tion is  so  nuich  before  the  public  at  the  present  time 
it  should  lie  used  to  advance  the  cause  of  improved  roads 
^lillious  of  acres  of  productive  lands  are  not  now  un- 
der cultivation  because  there  are  no  roads  from  them 
to  the  markets.  Good  roads  greatly  stimulate  pr  nluc- 
tion  on  lands  already  under  cultivation  as  the  farmers 
get  out  and  see  what  others  are  doing  and  tnrouga  the 
interchange  of  ideas,  learn  how  to  raise  more  and  bet- 
ter produce  and  crops  with  less  work  anci  expense. 

Unimproved  roads  force  the  marketing  of  produce 
and  crops  within  very  narrow  limits  of  time,  thus  pro- 
ducing market  gluts  and  lower  prices  for  short  perimls 
when  the  nudiUemen  Iniy  up  the  produce  and  crops  at 
low  prices  and  later  sell  to  the  consumer  at  high  prices. 
The  railroads  are  thus  forced  to  handle  more  traffic 
than  practical  iluring  these  short  periods  and  have  idle 
cars  on  their  hands  afterward. 

Good  roads  will  enable  the  prod\icers  to  hold  their 
yield  for  a  longer  time,  thus  insuring  higher  prices  for 
them  ami  lower  and  more  uniform  prices  for  the  cim- 
summer,  and  will  serve  to  distribute  railwa.v  traffic 
more  evenl,v  over  the  entire  year. 

Good  roads  improve  the  moral,  social,  religious,  edu- 
catioiud,  civic  and  material  welfare  of  any  comnuuiit.v 
but  it  is  not  within  the  imagination  of  man  to  even 
ilream  of  all  the  far  reaching  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  a  complete  good  roads  s.vstem.        I 

Everyone  interested  in  the  good  mads  ino\-ement  is 
earnestly  urged  to  attend  the  ninth  annual  convention 
of  the  Southern  Appalacliian  Good  Roads  Association  at 
Nasl;ville  and  do  his  or  her  bit  towarcf  insuring  its 
success  and  the  furtherance  of  the  good  roads  move- 
ment in  the  South. 


Iowa  leads  all  the  states  of  the  Union  in  nmtor  cars. 
This  great  agrieidtural  commonwealth  has  an  automo- 
bile for  every  eleven  inhabitants.  Good  roads  have 
created  much  of  the  wealth  that  puts  Iowa  in  the  lead. 


Si'pfomlicr.  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  KOADS 


To  and  From  Nashville  By  Automobile 

By  H.  H.  JONES 

Convention  Secretary  Soulbern  Appalachian  Good  Roads  Association 


NASHVILLE,  the  City  of  0[)pi)rtuiiity.  designated 
as  the  Convention  City  for  the  Southern  Appa- 
l:iclii;in  (J  lod  Roads  Assoeiation  in  1917.  is  situated  in 
I  he  hcjirt  of  Davidson  County,  T'ennessee.  It  offers  tn 
the  motoring  fraternity  eiulless  opportunities  in  the 
way  of  sightseeing'  by  motor.  Here  there  are  afforded 
for  the  benefit  of  the  tourist  motor  trips  over  four  hun- 
dred miles  of  the  finest  macadam  roads  to  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  ITnited  States.  These  roads,  built  and 
maintained  by  the  eounty,  free  from  the  "too  often 
with  us"  toll-gate,  are  of  hard  blue  limestone,  large 
(|uarries  of  which  are  to  he  foniid  in  the  immediate  vi- 
cinity of  Nashville. 

Radiating  from  the  r\\y  no  fewer  than  seventeen 
pikes  stretch  out  their  finely  macadamed  lengths 
through  a  country  replete  with  scenic  and  historic 
splendor. 

Throughout  its  length  and  breadth  Davidson  Count.v 
;il)ouiids  with  automobile   trii)s.  -which  serve  to  accen- 


tuate the  tlesire  of  the  tourist  to  see  more  and  more, 
and  make  him  loath  to  leave  a  section  of  such  beauty. 
On  every  hand  one  is  impressed  with  tlu'  fertility  of 
the  liroad  acres  and  the  pietures(|ue  grandeiu-  of  the 
scenery  in  the  farming  districts. 

Coming  into  Nashville  from  the  nortli  one  comes  ov- 
er the  jiroposed  route  of  the  Dixie  Highway  liy  way  of 
the  Dickersou  or  Gallatin  pikes,  affording  t  >  the  tour- 
ist a  panoramic  view  seldom  surpassed,  niid  when  the 
Davidson  Couiit.\"  line  is  reached  one  experiences  that 
acme  of  luiallo.vcd  motoring  pleasure  which  comes  on- 
\y  from  riding  over  nuicadani  I'nads  sm:)otli  as  a  l)il- 
liard  tal)le. 

Pleasure  trips  from  Nashville  are  offered  tlie  visitor 
in  all  directions,  the  rides  through  the  city  parks  af- 
fording a  restful  diversion,  pleasing  tn  tiie  eye,  where 
one  may  finil  relief  from  the  summer  sun.  or  rest  awa.v 
from  tlu^  hustle  of  the  busy  cit.v.  Tliese  parks,  owned 
and  c  )iiti'ol]ed  h\-  the  citv.  show  a  beautv  of  construc- 


Scene  on  Harding  Road,  4J  Miles  From  Nashville 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September,  1917 


Scene  on  Murfreesboro  Road,  Five  Miles  From  Nashville 


titui  the  value  of  which  few  cities  of  the  eouutry  cau 
boast,  and  are  maintained  at  tlie  highest  point  of  effi- 
ciency at  all  times. 

Uoing  to  the  nortlieast  on  the  Lebanon  pike,  reached 
liy  way  of  Fourth  Avenue  and  Peabody  Street,  the  mo- 
torist passes  through  a  section  rich  in  liistoric  legend. 
Some  years  ago  America's  greatest  actor,  Joseph  Jef- 
ferson, while  tilling  all  engagement  in  a  stock  company 
in  Nashville,  erected  a  home  for  his  mother  on  this 
road,  and  it  still  stands  as  a  monument  of  his  filial  de- 
\otion.  On  this  pike,  about  twelve  miles  from  the 
city,  the  Hermitage  is  located.  This  magnificent  speci- 
men of  architecture  is  known  the  world  over  as  the 
foi'mer  home  of  "Old  Hickory,"  Andrew  Jackson,  one 
of  the  nation's  most  famous  generals  and  a  President 
of  the  United  States.  The  Ladies'  Hermitage  Associa- 
tion, an  organization  composed  of  prominent,  public- 
spirited  women,  was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  per- 
petuating to  posterity  this  home  of  Tennessee's  illus- 
trious citizen.  Here  may  be  seen  the  original  furniture 
of  this  old  home  and  many  relics  connected  with  in- 
cidents in  Jackson's  life.  Among  the  most  interesting 
is  the  carriage  used  by  him  on  nuuiy  of  his  journeys  to 
Washington. 

Passing  on  over  the  same  excellent  roads  and  through 
scenes  that  delight  the  eye,  Stone's  River  is  crossed. 


Along  the  banks  of  this  picturesque  stream  was  staged 
one  of  the  hardest  fought  battles  of  the  Civil  War. 

Continuing  on  into  Wilson  county,  country  schools 
are  passed  with  great  frei|uency,  a  fact  wliich  serves  to 
impress  upon  the  mind  the  care  and  foresight  that  have 
been  e.xercised  by  Tennessee  in  providing  education  for 
her  future  citizens. 

Thirty-two  miles  from  Nashville,  on  this  road,  Le- 
banon, Tennessee,  is  reached.  This  city  is  at  the  inter- 
secting point  on  the  Memphis-to-Bristol  Highway,  now 
under  construction,  which,  when  finished,  will  serve 
as  one  of  the  connecting  links  between  the  Eastern  and 
Western  states. 

Leaving  Nashville  and  traveling  south  by  way  of  the 
Franklin  Pike,  the  road  wends  its  way  through  a  beau- 
tiful farming  countr_y  located  in  what  is,  without 
doubt,  the  most  interesting  of  the  historic  spots  in  or 
around  Nashville.  Over  this  route,  throughout  its 
length  to  Franklin,  the  contending  armies  during  the 
Civil  War  waged  tlieir  bitter  strife  for  supremacy.  Fort 
Negley.  the  main  point  in  the  fortifications  of  Nash- 
ville during  the  war,  and  Fort  Casino  were  on  the  line 
of  this  thoroughfare.  On  the  former  site  of  Fort  Casi- 
no the  city  reservoir  now  stands. 

Passing  on  into  the  suburban  section,  the  broad 
acres  of  Overton  Hall  come  into  view.     This  splendid 


September,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Scene  on  Dickerson  Road,  Five  Miles  From  Nashville.     Note  Fine  Condition  of  the  Road 


10 


SOTTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September,  1917 


l;ii-iii.  known  thrmghout  the  South,  is  without  doubt 
one  of  the  most  celebrated  Jersey  stock  farms  in  the 
country,  the  stock  commanding  some  of  the  highest 
prices  ever  paid  for  bh)oded  animals.  Near  by  is  seen 
the  home  of  the  late  Van  Leer  Kirkman.  one  of  Nash- 
ville's mast  prominent  citizens  and  owner  of  some  of 
the  finest  trotting  horses  in  the  world. 

Continuing  on.  the  ever-changing  scenery  commands 
I  he  admiration  of  the  observer  and  holds  his  attention 
llii'onghout  the  remainder  of  the  .journe.v  to  Franklin. 
From  Franklin  southward  a  splendid  macadam  road 
stretcbcs  awa.v  for  eiglity-eight  miles  over  the  pro- 
posed I'oiite  of  the  Jackson  Highway. 

Riding  to  the  west  by  way  of  Bi'oadway  and  West 
Knd  A\enue  to  the  Harding  Road,  one  passes  many 
points  of  interest.  There  is  seen  Vanderbilt  I'niversi- 
ty,  the  largest  and  best-known  institution  of  higher  ed- 
ucation in  the  Soulli.  its  campus  is  "a  thin,>>'  of  beau- 
t.v.  a  ,ioy  forever."  and  not  surpassed  in  its  magnifi- 
cence by  any  other  in  the  countr.v.  Centennial  Park, 
but  a  short  distance  farther  on.  soon  comes  within 
\iew.  With  liut  a  sh  irt  detour  one  may  augment  his 
trip  with  a  half  hour's  enjoyment  of  nature's  beaut,\ 
by  taking  the  ride  through  the  park,  and  can  go  his 
^^■M\•  \y\\\\  the  assurance  that  he  has  viewed  one  of  the 


finest  landscape  gardens  and  civic  play-grounds  in  the 
United  States. 

Continuing  on  to  the  Harding  Koad.  the  trip  talces 
one  through  a  residential  section  where  there  is  l)rought 
to  the  view  of  the  traveler  some  of  the  mast  beautiful 
residence  architecture  to  be  seen  au.vwhere  in  the  Uni- 
ted States.  The  elegant  homes  in  this  section  stand  as 
monuments  to  the  prosperity  of  the  country.  This  road 
cai'ries  the  motorist  into  the  section  :nice  famed  as  the 
Belle  .Meade  Farm,  the  home  of  the  finest  blooded  stock 
in  the  world,  and  a  trip  through  whic-h.  even  now,  is 
ne\'cr  to  be  forgotten. 

A  little  farther  on  the  scenery  begins  to  change  and 
the  hils  begin  to  reveal  their  magnificence  to  the  eye 
in  a  pan(n-ama  of  ever-changing  beauty,  creating  with- 
in the  observer  inexpressible  and  holy  thoughts  of  the 
greatness  of  it  all.  Through  continually  changing 
scenes  this  road  leads  on  into  Cheatham  Count.v. 

The  ^Murfreesboro  Pike,  reached  b.v  the  way  of 
P'ourth  Avenue  and  Chestnut  Street,  is  the  route  of  the 
Dixie  Highway  to  the  south  of  Nashville.  Passing  the 
State  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  the  Tennessee  State  In- 
dustrial School,  and  the  Cedarcroft  Sanitorium.  Cole- 
mere,  the  home  of  the  late  E.  W.  Cole,  cmnes  into  view. 
Situated  among  scenes  of  past  iral  beaut.v.  it  is  a  fit- 


On  Lebanon  Road,  Six  Miles  From  Nashville 


Septemlier.  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


ting  raonuineiil-  lu  the  utt'orts  of  one  of  Tennessee's  most 
noted  capitalists.  Pregnant  with  points  of  historic  in- 
terest, the  landscape  unfolds  a  wealth  of  beauty  in 
kaleidoscopic  succession,  making  the  journey  one  of 
luihiiunded  pleasure. 

.Murfreest)oro,  thirty-three  miles  from  Nashville,  is 
full  of  histoi'ic  interest.  Around  this  city  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  and  hardest  fought  campaigns  of  the 
CUvil  War  was  fought.  Continuing  to  the  south  of 
Murfreesboro  the  road  passes  through  a  region  of  de- 
lightful mountain  scenery,  passing  near  the  University 
of  the  South  at  Sewanee,  Wonder  Cave,  Looknut  Moun- 
tain and  on  into  Chattanooga. 

The  foregoing  are  only  a  few  of  tlie  many  delightful 
and  interesting  rides  availal)le  to  the  automobile  visi- 
tor in  Nashville.  Any  description,  however  sincere, 
would  be  at  best  but  a  feeble  attempt  to  describe  ade- 
([uately  that  which  no  word  picture  can  equal. 

Come  to  the  1917  Convention  of  the  Southern  Appa- 
lachian Good  Roads  Association,  to  l)e  held  in  Nash- 
ville, and  become  better  acquainted  with  the  famous 
Blue  Grass  section  of  the  noble  old  Volunteer  State. 


A  Pennsylvania  Military  Road. 

The  Pennsylvania  State  Highway  Department  has 
unilertaken  the  rapid  construction  of  a  military  road 
at  Mt.  Gretna  Camp  for  the  Adjutant-General  of  that 
Commonwealth.  Heavy  supply  trains,  artillery  and 
cavalry  will  use  this  road  and  substantial  coustruction 
is  therefore  necessary.  Work  began  on  July  1  under 
the  direction  of  George  H.  Biles,  second  deputy  state 
liigliway  commissioner,  and  has  proceeded  at  the  rate 
of  al)out  2  miles  of  Avater-bound  macadam  road,  16  feet 
wide,  during  each  week.  In  order  to  make  this  pro- 
gress 12  traction  engines,  10  road  rollers.  V-i  scrapers, 
31  dump  wagons,  22  automobile  trucks,  9  sprinkling 
carts  and  a  large  amount  of  small  tools  have  been  used. 
About  20  car  loads  of  material  arrive  daily  fur  the 
work. 

The  right-of-way  has  to  be  cleared  and  gruljbcd  and 
in  manj'  cases  considerable  blasting  is  necessary  to  re- 
move rock  before  the  actual  grading  can  be  imdertak- 
en.  On  some  parts  of  the  road  the  grading  is  ciuite 
heavy.  As  soon  as  the  right-of-way  is  cleared,  rooter 
plows  liauled  by  traction  engines  are  used  to  loosen  the 
surface  thoroughly  s.i  that  road  machines,  hauled  by 
traction  engines,  can  do  the  rough  grading  effectively. 
Where  large  stumps  and  boulders  are  taken  out,  the 
holes  are  filled  with  stone  in  order  to  give  a  solid  sub- 
grade.  Drains  and  culverts  are  built  wherever  nec- 
essary and  the  sub-grade  is  then  thoroughly  rolled. 

The  .s\ib-grade  is  covered  with  broken  slag.  Consid- 
erable difficulty  was  experienced  in  obtaining  the  re- 
((uired  amount,  and  the  highway  department  practical- 
ly commandeered  a  slag  pile  at  Lebanon,  where  it^ 
wiu'kmen  are  employed  in  loading  the  material  on  the 
cars.  The  slag  in  the  pile  was  covered  with  a  crust 
which  made  it  diffieult  to  secure  satisfactory  material 
liy  breaking  down  the  pile  with  dynamite,  so  the  de- 
partment is  now  drilling  holes  through  the  crust  and 
the  looser  slag  below  with  a  well-digging  outfit  and 
then  breaking  up  the  mass  by  exploding  charges  of 
black  powder  instead  of  dynamite.  The  slag  is  depos- 
ited along  the  center  of  the  road  in  a  continuous  pile 
and  then  spread  bj^  road  machines  drawn  by  traction, 
engines.  Two  layers  are  placed,  each  being  thorough- 
ly rolled  so  that  the  final  thickness  is  about  8  inches. 
After  the  slag  has  been  consolidated  in  this  way  it  is 
sprinkled  with  water,  which  causes  it  to  cement 
throughout. 


On  the  slag  base  a  layer  nf  broken  trap  rock  is  spread 
li]<e  the  slag,  until  the  final  thickness  is  abjut  .")  inches. 
It  is  .shaken  down  thoroughly  by  hauling  a  spiked- 
tooth  harrow  weighing  400  pounds,  over  it.  This  har- 
row is  drawn  back  and  forth  until  the  teeth  sink  only 
a  sliort  distance  into  the  mass.  Stone  screenings  are 
then  spread  over  the  surface  and  sprinkled  and  rolled 
until  the  thickness  of  the  trap  rock  layer  has  been  re- 
duced to  about  i  inches  and  the  r(jad  is  without  waves 
in  front  of  the  roller  as  it  moves  along.  The  road  is 
then  opened  to  traffic  for  a  few  days  and  occasionally 
rolled  when  this  seems  neecssary.  When  it  is  in  g  )od 
condition,  the  fine  material  is  swept  off  and  road  oil 
applied  to  it  by  means  of  a  pressure  distributor  at  the 
rate  of  0.4  gallon  per  square  yard.  The  oiled  surface 
is  then  covered  with  traj)  rock  chips  spread  at  tlie  rate 
of  15  to  20  jDouuds  per  square  yard,  by  carts  built  for 
the  purpose. 


Georgia  Takes  Forward  Step. 

Georgia's  first  big  step  toward  permanent  continu- 
ous inter-county  highways  which  will  be  good  twelve 
]nonths  in  the  year,  was  taken  when  the  senate  passed 
the  bill  of  Senators  Andrews  and  Heath,  authcn-izing 
counties  to  vote  joint  bonds  for  the  construction,  im- 
provement and  maintenance  of  inter-county  highways. 

This  bill,  which  has  the  approval  of  the  state  high- 
way commission  and  the  Georgia  State  Automolnle  as- 
sociation, is  designed  prinuirily  to  allow  the  rich  comi- 
ties to  aid  the  poorer  counties  in  the  construction  of 
continuous  highways,  and  to  remedy  a  defect  in  the 
state's  present  system  of  road  building  which  makes  a 
continuoits  highway  which  can  be  used  in  the  winter  a 
practical  imp;issibilit}'.  Under  the  present  system  some 
counties  cannt)t  afford  to  build  a  i:)ernuinent  link  of  a 
liigliway  across  their  counties.  This  bill  would  au- 
thorize the  counties  through  which  such  a  proposed 
highway  would  pass  to  issue  jointly  bonds  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  entire  liighway,  dividing  the  expense 
according  to  a  county's  ability  to  pay  and  Hie  lienefits 
to  be  derived,  regardless  of  what  county  the  greater 
amount  of  the  l>ond  money  may  be  spent  fiu'  r.iad  con- 
struction. 


Build  Highway  to  Coal  Fields. 

A  new  liigliway  that  will  open  up  a  direct  road  from 
Ijexington,  Ky.,  to  Norton,  the  heart  of  the  Southwes- 
tern Virginia  coal  fields,  passing  through  Whitesburg, 
Hazard,  Jackson,  Beattyville,  and  Irvine  will  unite  the 
coal  lands  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky  with  the  Blue 
Grass,  if  the  plans  of  enterprising  business  men  in  these 
cities  are  realized. 

This  movement  was  started  by  the  Whitesburg  Young 
Business  IMen's  Club,  a  group  of  progressive  young 
men  of  that  city,  and  notice  was  sent  out  by  them  re- 
questing that  Denny  B.  Goode,  secretary  of  the  Lex- 
ington Board  of  Commerce,  join  tliem  and  representa- 
tives of  other  cities  on  the  proposed  road  at  a  luectiag 
in   Whitesburg  on  August  21. 

At  this  meeting  definite  plans  were  laid  for  promot- 
ing the  road.  In  the  meantime,  however,  organiza- 
tions will  be  perfected  in  the  various  cities  md  tou-iis 
through  which  the  proposed  road  will  pass.  These  or- 
ganizations will  point  out  to  the  business  men  of  their 
cities  the  advantages  accruing  from  such  a  road,  there- 
by hoping  to  secure  liberal  contributions  to  its  con- 
struction. These  efforts  will  be  centralized  on  the 
business  interests  of  Lexington,  especially  the  whole- 
sale grocers,  who  are  expected  to  benefit  largely  by 
the  new  road. 


12 


SOUTHBEN  GOOD  EOADS 


September,  1917 


Getting  ttie  Riglit  Type  of  Road 

By  RODMAN  WILEY 

Commissioner  oi  Public  Roads,  Frankfort,  Hy. 


IT^HEN  we  speak  of  a  road,  tlie  average  mau  ususual- 
'  '  l^-  pictures  iu  liis  mind  a  macadam  road  perhaps 
because  that  was  oue  of  the  earliest  types  of  hard  sur- 
faced roads.  In  early  times  because  of  the  almost  im- 
passable condition  of  the  tributary  roads,  which  nec- 
essarily limited  the  haul,  very  light  loads  usually  pass- 
ed over  the  main  thoroughfares,  but  in  recent  years 
when  practically  all  roads  have  been  more  or  less  im- 
pru\-ed,  it  has  been  possible  to  l:)ad  the  wagons  to  their 
full  capacit}',  and  very  little  consideration  has  ever 
been  given  to  the  fact  that  the  tires  were  entirely  too 
narrow  for  the  excessive  loads,  therefore,  owing  to  the 
condition  of  the  secondary  roads  and  particularly  be- 
fore the  advent  of  the  automobile,  macadam  roads 
served  to  accommodate  the  horse  drawn  traffic. 

In  recent  years  the  kinds  and  volumes  of  traffic  have 
changed  and  yet  the  roads  have  not  been  designed  to 
meet  such  changes  in  traffic  conditions,  and  it  is  not 
an  extravagant  statement  to  say  that  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars  have  been  foolishly  expended  in  Iniild- 
ing  the  Avrong  type  of  road. 

It  is  .just  as  unbusinesslike  to  build  the  same  type  of 
road  in  all  localities  as  it  is  for  a  farmer  to  build  the 
same  type  of  fence  to  care  for  chickens,  mules  and 
hogs,  or  for  the  lawyer  to  use  the  same  line  of  argu- 
ment in  the  defense  of  every  case,  or  for  the  dentist  to 
use  the  same  type  of  instrument  for  all  dental  work, 
or  the  surgeon  to  have  only  one  instrument  with  which 
1o  perform  all  operations. 

Railroad  Companies  early  appreciated  the  fact  that 
the  type  of  surfacing  employed  was  a  most  serious 
problem  if  the  road  was  to  be  economically  run,  and 
today  where  the  traffic  demands  we  see  single,  double, 
triple  and  quadruple  lines  of  track,  in  some  instances 
ninety  pound  rails,  in  others  eighty,  seventy,  etc.,  de- 
pending only  on  the  loads  to  be  carried  and  the  main- 
tenance costs  involved. 

The  Board  of  Directors  of  a  Railroad  Company,  how- 
ever, entrust  such  problems  to  their  Chief  Engineer. 
Me  alone  recommends  the  number  of  lines  of  track,  the 
weight  of  rail  to  be  used,  etc.,  and  yet  when  it  comes 
til  highways  some  Board  of  Commissioners  or  other 
governing  bodie.s  in  whose  hands  have  been  placed  the 
handling  of  the  county  road  fmids,  will  decide  among 
themselves  what  type  of  road  should  be  built,  in  most 
instances  being  governed  in  their  decision  by  the  type 
that  can  be  built  for  the  least  expenditure,  their  idea 
being  to  scatter  the  road  fund  throughout  tlie  county 
to  serve  what  they  are  pleased  to  call  their  constitu- 
ents. Rarely,  if  ever,  do  they  stop  to  think  that  iu 
most  instances  the  road  costing  the  least  amount  of 
monej-  is  the  most  expensive  type  to  Ijuild.  considering 
first  cost,  interest  and  maintenance. 

Watch  Maintenance  Costs. 
.Main  thoroughfares  built  of  macadam  might  have  ti 
be  resurfaced  every  two  or  three  years  which  would 
mean  the  road  would  cost  from  a  thousand  to  two  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile,  per  year,  and  it  should  be  appar- 
ent to  any  right  thinkuig  man  that  there  is  not  a  coun- 
ty in  existence  that  could  afford  to  expend  that  amount 
of  money  per  mile  each  year  to  maintain  their  road 
system. 

The  type  of  road  should  be  governed  by  the  traffic 
which  will  reasonably  be  expected  to  pass  over  the 
road  during  its  life.     Climatic  conditions  and  the  avail- 


ability of  materials  will  also  govern  the  type  to  some 
extent,  the  idea  being  that  a  type  of  road  .should  be 
Iniilt  which  will  represent  an  economical  investment. 
A  possible  way  of  estimating  the  traffic  would  be  to 
take  a  census  of  what  is  passing  over  the  road  at  pres- 
ent giving  due  consideration  to  the  fact  that  in  a  short 
time  practically  every  farmer  living  along  the  line  will 
buy  an  automobile,  that  a  certain  per  cent  of  the  peo- 
ple living  in  all  villages  through  which  the  road  passes 
will  sooner  or  later  own  cars,  make  some  provision  for 
through  tourist  travel  and  then  design  the  road  ac- 
cordingly. All  of  the  above  requires  the  services  of  au 
experienced  highway  engineer  and  it  is  not  supposed 
that  any  other  class  of  men  are  able  to  handle  the  job. 
Competent  Engineers  Necessary. 

Railroad  Comj)auies  pay  reasonable  divitlcnd  on. 
their  investment  because  the  construction  and  main- 
tenance of  their  lines  are  iu  the  hands  of  conipetent 
engineers,  and  yet  the  management  of  road  affairs  are 
rarely,  if  ever,  entrusted  to  a  competent  engineer.  The 
people  seem  to  forget  that  in  practically  every  county 
in  Kentucky  and  a  great  many  other  states  "tifty  per 
cent  of  all  county  taxes  collected  are  used  for  road 
purposes  and  has  been  used  for  road  purposes  for 
years.  With  the  other  fifty  per  cent  they  build  court 
houses,  hospitals,  poor  houses,  support  the  paupei's  and 
pay  the  salaries  of  the  officers  who  administer  the  law, 
in  other  words,  they  have  something  to  show  for  the 
expenditure  but  for  the  fifty  per  cent  invested  in  road, 
it  would  be  difficult  for  most  any  coimty  to  show  that 
the  money  has  been  properly  expended. 

The  day  will  come  and  it  should  not  be  far  distant 
when  the  tax  payers  will  appreciate  the  fact  that  the 
roads  are  their  property,  that  the  same  care  should  be 
given  to  the  expenditure  of  such  funds  as  is  given  to 
the  management  of  their  own  private  affairs.  "  When 
they  are  ill,  they  consult  a  doctor,  any  legal  problems 
are  entrusted  to  a  lawyer  and  for  the  salvation  of  their 
souls  they  usualy  accept  the  advice  and  recommenda- 
tions of  the  ministers  of  the  gospel.  When  they  em- 
ploy labor,  it  is  their  aim  to  secure  a  man  who  is  fa- 
miliar with  the  work  he  is  supposed  to  perform,  and 
yet  when  it  comes  to  road  affairs  they  eagerly  listen 
to  any  demagogue  who  always  has  pet  theories  con- 
cerning road  building,  forgetting  that  there  are  accept- 
ed standards  for  road  work  the  same  as  for  building 
railroads,  steam  engines,  or  office  buildings.  His  sole 
aim  is  to  get  into  office  by  making  misrepresentations 
to  the  people  whose  money  he  M'ill  S(iuancler. 

When  the  people  realize  that  the  building  of  roads 
and  especially  the  selection  of  the  type  of  a  road  is  a 
high  class  engineering  problem  and  that  such  matters 
should  be  entrusted  to  high  class  highway  engineers, 
amply  paid  the  same  as  men  in  other  professions,  then 
and  only  then  will  the  tax  payers  be  properly  safe- 
guarded and  will  we  experience  a  wise  and  economical 
expenditure  of  the  road  fund. 


Good  road  building  in  Shawnee  County,  Okla.,  Avas 
given  a  long  step  in  advance  Avhen  the  county  excise 
board  approved  an  estimate  of  $72,500  for  good  roads 
for  the  present  fiscal  year.  The  money  will  be  ex- 
pended for  concrete  bridges  and  culvert.s  in  improved 
roads.  None  of  it  is  to  be  used  in  grading  or  other  such 
work. 


September,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


Highway  Meeting  at  Atlanta 


Georgia  Men  Believe  Tlicir  State  is  Entering  on  Era  ol  Good  Roads  Building  and 

Widespread  Prosperity 


G'<  OOD  ROADS  were  discussed  from  every  angle  at 
r  the  banquet  which  the  Georgia  State  Automobile 
assoeiation  tendered  the  Bankhead  Highway  delega- 
tion at  the  Ansley  hotel,  Atlanta,  and  arguments  ad- 
vanced by  the  many  distinguished  speakers  were  strong 
enough  to  convince  the  most  skeptical  that  good  roads 
are  one  of  the  soundest  investments  which  can  be  made 
by  the  people  for  the  people. 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  present,  rep- 
leseiiting  the  American  Automobile  assoeiation,  the 
Bankhead  Highway  assoeiation,  the  Georgia  State 
Automobile  association,  and  practically  every  auto- 
mobile association  in  Georgia  and  many  in  Alabama 
and  other  neighboring  states. 

In  the  enforced  absence  from  the  city  of  President 
Thomas  Winn,  of  the  Georgia  State  Automobile  asso- 
ciation, Vice  President  AVylie  West  presided  at  the 
banquet   and  introduced  the  speakers. 

Mayor  Asa  G.  Candler  extended  a  hearty  welcome 
to  the  visitors  on  behalf  of  the  city.  He  declared  thai 
the  greatest  era  of  prosperity  which  Georgia  has  ever 
known  is  now  obtaining,  and  expressed  the  belief  that 
it  would  tend  to  bring  to  a  realization  all  the  hopes  of 
good  roads  enthusiasts. 

^Fayor  Candler  was  folowed  liy  T.  S.  Plowman,  of 
Talladega,  Ala.,  president  of  the  Bankhead  Highway 
association.  President  Plowman  outlined  the  history 
of  the  Bankhead  a.ssociation.  delineating  its  phenom- 
enal growth  and  its  wonderful  accomplishments,  which 
have  finally  culminated  in  the  largest  federal  appro- 
priation which  has  ever  been  made  for  good  roads, 
and  government  co-operation  with  state  and  county 
authorities  for  internal  improvements.  He  declared 
that  the  completion  of  the  Bankhead  highway  would 
mean  the  building  of  the  greatest  highway  the  world 
has  ever  known,  meaning  the  expenditure  of  $350,000.- 
000  and  3,000  miles  of  transcontinental  roadway  ot 
tlie  highest  grade. 

Clark  Howell,  editor  of  The  Constitution,  gave  a 
In-ief  sketch  of  good  roads  work  in  Georgia,  and  the 
mailing  of  the  Dixie  highway.  He  declared  that  the 
southern  states  were  facing  greater  possibilities  of  de- 
velopment than  any  other  section  of  the  country,  and 
'arged  everyone  to  bend  his  energies  toward  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportunities  presented. 

A.  G.  Batchelder.  chairman  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee of  the  American  Automobile  association,  explained 
the  operation  of  the  federal  aid  bill  recently  passed 
by  congress,  and  urged  Georgians  to  exert  their  energy 
toward  bringing  about  the  passage  by  the  Georgia  leg- 
islature of  the  bills  now  pending  which  will  permit 
counties  to  .join  in  bond  issues  for  good  roads  and  a 
constitutional  amendment  to  allow  the  state  to  engage 
internal  improvements.  He  also  paid  a  tribute  to 
Congressman  Adamson,  whose  bill  pending  in  congress 
will,  if  passed,  permit  any  owner  of  an  automobile  to 
go  where  he  pleases  in  the  United  States,  after  he  has 
obtained  a  license  in  his  home  state. 

"This  reciprocity  agreement  between  the  states  is 
only  just  and  reasonable,"  said  Mr.  Batchelder.  "and 
it  is  but  a  recognition  of  the  fact  that  automobilists 
should  get  something  for  the  taxes  which  are  required 
of  them." 

Mr.   Batchelder  was  followed   by  Sam  Olive,   presi- 


dent of  the  Georgia  senate,  who  declared  that  it  was 
his  belief  that  the  two  bills  pending  before  the  legisla- 
ture would  become  laws  before  the  end  of  the  present 
session. 

M.  0.  Eldridge,  government  engineer  in  charge  of 
the  Bankhead  Highway  work,  declared  the  federal  aid 
bill  to  be  one  of  the  most  forward-looking  steps  ever 
taken  by  congress. 

"Tt  means  greater  prosperity  for  the  whole  country." 
said  ^Ir.  Eldridge.  "It  means  unanimity  of  thought 
and  purpose  and  a  closer  co-operation  between  state, 
county  and  federal  governments  for  the  general  good." 

Ivan  Allen,  president  of  the  Atlanta  Chamber  of 
Coir.merce,  welcomed  the  visitors  on  behalf  of  the 
Chamber. 

'"The  good  roads  movement  means  more  for  the 
■back-to-the-farm'  idea  than  anything  which  has  ever 
happened."  said  'Mv.  Allen.  "It  is  the  death  knell  of 
the  20-f()ot  lot.  and  means  that  the  day  will  come  again 
when  every  man  wil  have  breathing  space  and  will 
raise  his  own  food." 

Professor  W.  ■M.  Riggs,  president  of  Clemson  col- 
lege, one  of  the  judges  who  will  select  the  route  from 
Atlanta  to  Birmingham,  spoke  briefly  on  what  tlie 
highway  wil  mean  as  a  connecting  link  between  the 
southern  states. 

Judge  Moses  Wright,  of  Rome,  Ga.,  made  a  stirring 
appeal  for  good  roads  and  the  Bankhead  highway  par- 
ticularly, urging  "12-month"  roads,  and  a  state  high- 
way department  which  is  free  from  all  political  con- 
trol. 

J.  Asa  Rountree.  of  Birmingham,  secretary  of  the 
Bankhead  Highway  association,  was  the  last  speaker. 
He  declared  that  the  Bankhead  highway  would  be  one 
of  the  greatest  military  roads  ever  constructed,  nine 
government  camps  being  on  the  route,  and  stated  that 
if  the  war  lasted  for  several  j'ears  the  highway  wmild 
be  of  incalculable  value  in  a  successful  prosecution  of 
the  war. 

Wylie  West,  although  admitting  that  good  roads  in 
Georgia  were  coming  nearer  all  the  time,  urged  that 
the  situation  be  met  squarely  and  that  the  people 
should  not  "fool  themselves"  into  thinking  a  bad 
road  was  good.  Mr.  West  stated  that  it  is  now  im- 
possible, after  three  days  of  rain,  to  go  ten  miles  out 
of  any  city  in  Georgia  without  serious  road  trouble. 
He  urged  the  "12-mouth"  road — a  road  which  can  be 
traveled  all  the  vear  round,  as  well  as  in  the  summer. 


Progressive  Missouri  County. 

Out  of  a  total  of  11-t  miles  of  inter-county  seat  roads 
all  but  17  miles  are  graveled  or  macadamized,  accord- 
ing to  reports  to  the  Greene  eoimty,  JIo..  highway 
Itoard.  And  the  96  miles  have  been  improved  in  the 
last  three  years.  The  board  talked  plans  for  further 
improvement  work  and  made  application  for  aid  from 
the  different  roads  under  the  drag  law.  Good  road  en- 
thusiasts from  different  sections  of  the  country  travers- 
ed by  the  county  seat  highways  who  attended  the  meet- 
ing said  that  re-surfacing,  repairing,  the  building  of 
culverts  and  bridges  and  the  cleaning  out  of  ditches 
were  the  big  problems  to  be  solved  first. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September,  1!'17 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON,  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER.  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK.  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  State  Geologist  of  N.  C,  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 

Southern  Representative :     GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

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Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENR-J  B   VARNER.  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  ^RATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A.  GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary,  Bristol,  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK,  Secretary.  Columbia,  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


SEPTEMBER,  1917. 


No.   .3. 


THE  BANKHEAD  HIGHWAY. 

Simtlirni  (iiMiil  Ri):iils  is  :i  (Icxiiut  well  wislu'i-  f  ii-  tlu' 
siu-eess  of  tln'  ISaiikliead  .Mili1,-ii'y  I  [ii;li\vay.  |)ro])iiscil 
hetwccii  \Vasliiiit;'toii  and  Li).s  j\iig'eles.  The  time  has 
(■nine  -when  this  iiatinn  mig-lit  as  well  \vake  up  to  the 
iiii|)iirlanee  of  liij^hways  in  the  scheme  of  preparedness. 
The  lesson  of  the  ilarne  onglit  to  he  preached  to  all  our 
citizens.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  French  system  of  g-ood 
roads  and  the  motor  cars  there  would  have  been  no  bat- 
tle of  the  ^larne  and  two  thousand  years  of  effort  for 
freed  nn  of  mankind  would  have  been  sacrificed  on 
the  altar  of  the  most  cruel  autocracy  the  woi-ld  has 
known  since  the  days  of  Adam. 

Rivers  and  harbors  have  lieeii  eared  for  in  a  rather 
liountiful  manner  for  many  years.  The  Federal  Aid  law 
is  a  nice  little  start  for  the  hig-hways.  but  compared 
with  the  bounty  of  the  government  in  other  matters  it 
is  but  a  mere  bagatelle.  Especially  is  this  so  when  we 
take  iiit  i  consideration  the  imjiorfance  of  good  high- 
ways to  our  national   securit.v. 

The  interest  l)eing  shown  in  ]ii'oinoting  the  liaiik- 
liead  road  is  encouraging-  indeed.  During  the  past 
month  an  enthusiastic  meeting  was  held  in  Lynchburg, 
attended  by  about  two  hundred  good  roads  men  from 
the  Piedmont  Ri)Ute,  fr  on  Washington  In  .Vtlanta 
through  Lynchburg.  Danville,  Greensboro  and  Char- 
lotte.    Many  towns  along  this  route  sent  delegates  and 


most  all  of  them  have  since  formed  good  sized  Bank- 
head  clubs.  They  will  put  up  a  strenuous  tight  to  have 
a  military  highway  built  through  the  great  industrial 
secti  111  of  the  South. 


High  Honor  for  Engineer. 

•Tames  C.  Ilagle  has  been  appointed  dean  of  engineer- 
ing and  professor  of  civil  engineering  in  the  Agricul- 
tural and  ilechanical  College  of  Texas,  succeeding  D. 
W.  Spence  whose  death  occurred  in  June. 

ilr.  Ilagle  is  a  Virginian  by  birth  but  most  of  his 
life  has  been  spent  in  Texas.  He  graduated  from  the 
I'uiversity  of  Texas  in  1889  with  a  B,  S.  degree  in  en- 
gineering, and  obtained  an  M.  A.  degree  in  1892.  In 
the  same  year  he  obtained  a  C.  E.  degree  from  the  Wes- 
tern University  of  Pennsylvania  now  the  l.^niversity  of 
Pittsburgh,  and  in  1893  an  M.  C.  E.  degree  from  Cor- 
nell. 

He  was  a  professor  of  civil  engineering  in  the  Agri- 
cultural and  ;\lechanical  College  of  Texas  for  about 
twenty  years  and  in  1911  was  also  made  dean  of  engi- 
neering. He  resigned  from  this  position  in  1913  to  lie- 
come  chairman  of  the  Texas  b  lard  of  water  engineers, 
and  has  occupied  that  position  since  then.  During  his 
professional  career  he  has  often  been  engaged  on  con- 
struction work  of  various  kinds,  principally  railroad. 
Iiridge  and  irrigation  work. 

Jlr.  Hagle  is  the  authar  of  a  field  manual  for  rail- 
road engineers  and  of  numerous  technical  pai)er.s.  He 
is  a  past  president  of  the  Texas  Association  of  Jlembers 
of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers;  past  pres- 
ident of  the  Texas  Academy  of  Science,  and  a  ma.jor  in 
the  Engineers  Reserve  Corps. 


How  Good  Eoads  Help  New  Jersey  Farmers. 

Inhere  are  large  seetiiUis  of  New  Jerse.v  which  raise 
vegetables  and  fruit  for  the  Philadelphia  and  New 
York  markets.  The  price  received  for  such  products 
frequently  depends  upon  early  deliveries,  for  a  few 
hours'  dela.v  in  reaching  the  market  may  make  a  dif- 
ference of  several  dollars  in  the  selling  price.  J>ast 
year  a  numlier  of  farmers  used  motor  trucks  from 
their  farms  to  the  markets,  and  this  year  there  has  been 
a  great  increase  in  this  method  of  shipment.  In  addi- 
tiDn.  regular  trucking  companies  have  undertaken  to 
handle  these  perishable  products  from  districts  where 
the  farms  are  small  and  individual  ownership  of  trucks 
is  impracticable.  In  this  way.  in  spite  of  the  bad 
shortage  of  cars  on  railwa.vs,  the  people  of  the  cities 
are  able  to  obtain  an  abundance  of  fresh  vegetables 
and  fruits  at  fair  prices.  While  no  definite  figures  of 
the  relative  cost  of  shipping  by  railway  and  by  trucks 
have  been  made  public,  at  least  figures  covering  a  con- 
siderable volume  of  business,  it  is  currently  reported 
that  there  is  little  difference  between  these  expenses. 
Be  that  as  it  may  the  important  fact  is  that  good  roads 
have  enabled  the  produce  to  reach  markets  promptly 
when  a  large  part  of  it  would  proliably  otherwise  nev- 
er get  there  under  existing  railway,  conditions,  and 
the  farmers  have  been  able  to  obtain  a  good  return  for 
their  labor,  so  tliat  eevrybody,  townsman  and  cmuitry- 
man,  has  been  benefitted. 


A  Forty-Mile  Salt  Road. 

The  state  of  Utah  will  have  one  of  the  most  unusual 
highways  in  the  world — a  road  paved  with  salt  and 
requiring  neither  construction  nor  upkeep — if  the  plan 
of  E.  R.  ilorgan,  state  road  engineer  of  Utah,  proves 
a  feasible  one.      The  scheme  affects  what  is  known  as 


Septenil)er,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


the  Wendover  cut-off,  a  forty-mile  liigliway  runniiiK 
west  from  Salt  Lake  to  the  Nevada  line. 

Peculiar  conditions  exist  alon"-  this  rnad.  The  land 
is  as  flat  as  a  billiai-d  talile.  This  Hatncss  is  due  to  its 
having  been  on  old  lake  l)ed  of  the  Great  Salt  Jjake.  At 
one  point  along  the  road,  known  as  the  Salt  Beds,  the 
salt  is  several  feet  deep,  and  a  veritable  pavement.  At 
that  point  no  roadmaking  is  required.  Rut  for  some  20 
miles  the  land  is  a  mud  flat. 

In  gouging  out  this  mud  with  clam  shovels  to  thro\^■ 
up  a  grade  for  a  road  deep  trenches  were  left  along- 
side tlie  road  route.  A  trip  of  inspection  shows  that 
nature  filled  these  holes  with  heavy  salt  water,  that  the 
water  evaporated  and  left  the  earth  cavities  level — 
brimful  of  salt  as  hard  as  the  salt  beds  themselves. 

"All  we  will  have  to  do  is  to  lay  2x12  lioards  as  far 
apart  as  we  wish  the  road  to  be  wide.  These  can  be 
made  almost  water  tight.  Then  the  heavy  salt  water 
can  be  pumped  into  this  road  bed  and  renewed  as  rap- 
idly as  it  evapjrates  or  leaks  out.  Nature  will  do  the 
re.st.  Within  a  year  we  will  have  a  highway  of  salt 
as  smooth  and  durable  as  the  liest  of  paving,"  Engi- 
neer Morgan  says. 

This  road,  the  Wendover  Cut-off,  is  adopted  as  offi- 
cially a  part  of  the  Lincoln  highway  ai'ound  Salt  Lake. 


and  now  have  slight   relation  t  )  the  transpni-taf ii)n  sit- 
uation. 

"We  seek  nidiniited  and  unrestricted  i-oads  freedom 
for  any  automobile  which  has  been  provided  with  the 
home  state  number  of  its  owner.  That's  the  sum  total 
of  what  is  overdue." 


Ask  Automobile  Reciprocity  Law. 

■"Ott'ering  no  objection  except  as  to  a  detail  to  the 
plan  of  its  finance  committee  to  include  the  motor  ear 
in  the  list  of  things  to  be  taxed  for  war  revenue,  the 
American  Automobile  Association,  however,  does  ask 
the  United  States  Senate  to  enact  the  Adamson-Pitt- 
man  automobile  reciprocity  bill  as  a  long-dela.yed  mat- 
ter of  simple  .instice  to  many  thousands  of  the  four  mil- 
lion odd  self-propelled  vehicle  risers."  asserts  Presi- 
dent 11.  il.  Rowe  of  the  nation-wide  b  xly  of  automo- 
bilists. 

"We  only  ask  that  Congress  now  open  unreservedly 
the  dooi-s  of  every  state  to  the  residents  of  all  other 
states  who  in  the  pursuit  of  their  business  and  social 
duties  should  have  the  right  to  move  about  freely  ovei' 
the  roads  of  their  own  country,"  contends  the  A.  A.  A. 
leader.  "This  Federal  tax  carries  with  it  a  recognition 
of  this  inherent  right,  and  we  most  respectfully  urge 
that  this  question  be  settled  once  and  for  all  time  at  a 
stage  of  the  country's  existence  when  it  is  appropriate 
that  such  action  should  lie  taken. 

"The  average  motorist  as  a  citizen  will  pay  his  share 
in  whatever  general  war  taxes  are  imposed.  He  em- 
ploys a  vehicle  which  does  not  absorb  the  acreage  ca- 
pacity and  labor  of  the  country  in  supplying  its  fuel. 
The  distance-covering  ability  of  this  vehicle  enables 
many  families  to  live  outside  centers  of  population,  and 
this  is  a  notable  factor  in  lessening  the  demand  upon 
city  markets  and  eliminates  the  transportation  item  for 
food  products. 

"While  in  cities  and  towns  a  part  of  a  ear's  mileage 
may  be  expended  in  healthful  pleasure  riding,  the  fact 
now  stands  forth  that  the  automobile  bases  its  claim 
for  recognition  on  the  ground  that  it  serves  an  econom- 
ical and  essential  jjurpose  in  conveying  passengers  from 
one  place  to  another — a  doctor  to  his  patients,  a  trav- 
eling salesman  to  his  customers,  a  child  to  the  school, 
members  to  their  churches,  country  folk  into  the  city 
and  urban  residents  out  to  the  country;  in  fact,  the 
automobile  serves  modern  requirements  expeditiousl.v 
and  economically.  Taxation  of  a  motor  car  on  the 
claim  that  it  should  be  classed  among  luxuries,  is  put- 
ting forward  premises  which  long  ago  were  dismissed 


Original  And  Up-Keep  Cost. 

Discussing  the  matter  of  I'oad  liuilding,  the  Galvest  m 
News  gives  the  following  timely  information,  which  is 
vahuible  since  it  shows  that  first  cost  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered alone.  The  up-keep  of  a  road  system  is  really 
the  thing  that  is  going  to  test  the  finances  of  a  county. 
The  News  says : 

The  county  .judge  of  Dallas  county  says  it  will  cost 
•+180  per  mile  per  year  to  maintain  the  present  gravel 
roads  of  Dallas  county  in  their  present  condition, 
whereas  it  will  cost  only  $50  pev  mile  per  year  to  nuiin- 
tain  permanent  roads  for  the  first  twenty  years  of  their 
life  and  $175  per  mile  per  year  to  maintain  them  for 
forty  years.  The  statement  presents  sharply  the  finan- 
cial issue  that  is  involved  in  the  question  of  pernuinent 
or  impermanent  roads.  To  put  it  into  the  form  of  an 
example,  the  maintenance  cost  of  100  miles  of  perma- 
]icnt  roads  for  forty  .years  would  be  .$700,000,  while  the 
nuiintenance  cost  for  the  same  mileage  of  gravel  roads 
during  forty  years  would  be  $1,920,000,  a  diffei'cnce  of 
$1,200,000  in  favor  of  permanent  roads.  What  would 
he  saved  in  maintenance  cost  would  very  nearly,  if  not 
i|uite,  equal  the  cost  of  constructing  the  good  roads. 
I'hus  it  is  seen  that  permanent  roads  are  an  economy, 
whereas  impermanent  ones  are  a  luxury.  It  is  unlike- 
ly that  the  good  roads  problem  of  any  county  can  ever 
lie  solved  by  building  impermanent  roads,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  maintenance  cost  would  be  likely  to  ali- 
sorb  all  that  a  count.y  could  devote  to  road  purposes 
long  before  it  had  constructed  the  mileage  necessary 
to  serve  all  of  its  people.  It  is  a  kind  of  treadmill  pro- 
gress that  is  made  by  building  impermanent  roads,  in 
that  the  progress  made  is  not  in  proportion  to  the  en- 
ergy or  money  expended.  The  county  that  builds  ten 
miles  of  permanent  roads  has  made  more  real  progress 
than  one  that  has  built  one  hundred  miles  of  the  type 
we  have  become  accustomed  to. 


Missouri  Counties  Can  Use  Convicts  on  Roads. 

A  working  arrangements  is  being  perfected  by  the 
State  Highway  Board  and  the  State  Prison  Board 
which  will  make  it  possible  for  counties  in  ^Missouri  to 
use  convicts  on  the  public  roads  to  advantage.  Neces- 
sar.y  machinery  and  camp  equipment  will  be  provided, 
and  counties  or  civil  subdivisions  will  be  required  to 
jiay  a  fiat  rate  per  man  employed.  It  is  expected  that 
the  rate  will  not  exceed  $1.50  per  day.  This  will  in- 
idude  the  cost  of  guarding  and  feeding  all  men  in  camp. 
There  are  several  hundred  able-bodied  convicts  in  the 
ilissouri  Prison  now  available  for  road  work.  The 
State  Highway  Board  favors  the  inauguration  of  the 
honor  system  in  ^Missouri,  patterned  after  methods  used 
successfully  in  a  number  of  other  states.  Convicts  can 
be  used  to  advantage  in  many  counties  in  grading 
around  bluffs  or  steep  hillsides,  in  oi'der  to  take  roads 
out  of  creek  bottoms,  or  in  the  operation  of  rock  (|uar- 
ries  and  gravel  pits.  The  use  of  convicts  in  road  work 
will  be  found  desirable  in  many  counties  where  there 
is  a  scarcitv   of  local  labor. 


Stanislaus  county,  California,  is  building  $1,482,000 
worth  of  roads  from  a  bond  issue  without  raising  the 
alreadv  existing  tax  rate. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September,  1917 


A  State-Wide  County  Road  Law 

By  SENATOR  R.  S.  McCOIN,  Henderson,  N.  C. 

Before  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Convention  at  Asheville 


BEFORE  enteriiiK'  "u  this  discussion,  it  might  be 
interesting-  to  ghince  over  the  personnel  of  the  last 
General  Assembly.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  it  was  a  rep- 
resentative body.  Those  best  qualified  tn  judge  have 
said  that  the  General  Assembly  of  1917  compared  fa- 
voi-ably  with  any  Legislature  that  has  met  in  the  past 
twenty-five  years.  The  discussions  showed  less  politi- 
cal demagogy  and  a  more  sincere  desire  to  practice 
patriotism  than  has  been  customary. 

There  were,  however,  in  both  branches,  a  few  honest 
and  sincere  nuMi,  who  were  opposed  to  anything  that 


HON.  K,  S.  McCOIN 
Henderson,  N.  C. 

tended  towards  pi'ogress.  These  men  were  satistie'l 
to  stay  in  the  old  ruts,  and  to  exist  as  their  great-grand- 
fathers had  existed  a  century  ago. 

There  was  another  and  a  larger  group  of  men  who 
were  willing  to  give  the  State  many  of  the  Ijetter  things 
that  pertain  to  and  constitute  a  larger  and  greater  civ- 
ilization, but  these  men  were  afraid  to  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility of  increasing  taxes.  Taxes  to  this  class,  is 
the  most  hideous  word  in  the  English  language.  "In- 
creased Tax  Rate"  was  a  gliastly  ghost  which  walked. 


ate  and  slept  with  them,  and  like  Banquo's  ghost,  could 
not  be  downed.  If  this  class  of  law  makers  could  have 
been  assured  that  a  small  increase  in  taxes  would  set- 
tle the  great  European  War  iu  favor  of  the  Allies,  they 
would  have  argued  long  and  loud  for  a  referendum 
rather  than  face  the  responsibiilty.  At  least  one  Sen- 
ator would  have  declared  it  a  bad  law,  and  contended 
that  it  was  eitlier  unconstitutional  or  un-democratic. 

There  was  another  body  of  good  meu  who  were  pro- 
gressive, and  whose  constituents  wanted  above  all 
things  good  roads  and  good  schools.  These  men  were 
willing  to  pay  the  price,  but  were  so  concerned  ab  lut 
their  County's  rights,  and  were  so  much  opposed  to 
lodging  power  in  the  State  Highway  Commission  that 
they  defeated  the  be.st  part  of  the  bill. 

The  last  General  Assembly  passed  ten  road  liills. 
ilost  of  them  were  good  ones. 

I  desire  to  speak  briefly  of  the  changes  in  the  Auto- 
mobile law,  which  I  had  the  honor  of  revising.  Tliis 
revised  law  re(|uires  every  motor  vehicle  to  carry  two 
numliers.  If  the  owner  sells  or  exchanges  his  car  he 
may  send  Ids  certificate  of  registration  to  the  State 
Auditor  and  by  payiug  a  fee  of  50c.  can  have  his  num- 
ber transferred  to  another  car.  If  tlu^  new  car  is  of  a 
greater  horse  power  he  is  required  to  pay  the  dift'cr- 
ence.  If  it  is  a  lower  horse  power  he  loses  the  differ- 
ence. 

Non-resident  owners  and  operatoi's  are  subject  l<i 
the  same  laws  as  resident  owners  and  operators.  No 
person  luider  16  years  old  shall  operate  a  motor  ve- 
liicle  in  North  Carolina.  The  operator  must  be  compe- 
tent physically  and  mentally.  No  person  shall  operate 
M  motor  vehicle  when  intoxicated,  (u-  in  a  race,  or  un- 
der bet  or  wager.  Every  motor  vehicle  driven  on  the 
highways  of  the  State  shall  be  provided  with  adequate 
brakes  in  good  working  order,  and  sufficient  to  control 
such  vehicle  at  all  times.  All  motor  vehicles  shall  car- 
ry .suitable  and  adecpiate  bells  or  boi'ns  for  signalling, 
and  shall,  during  the  period  of  half  an  hour  after  .sun- 
set until  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  display  at  least 
two  lights  on  the  front,  and  a  red  light  visible  on  the 
rear.  It  is  not  necessary  to  keep  these  lights  burning 
when  car  is  standing  under  the  rays  of  light  so  it  can 
be  plainly  seen. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  driver  of  a  motor  vehicle 
when  meeting  or  jjassing  a  vehicle  drawn  by  draft  ani- 
nuils  to  keep  his  car  under  perfect  control,  and  upon 
lieing  signalled  nuist  bring  his  car  to  a  stop. 

No  person  shall  operate  a  motor  vehicle  on  the  pub- 
lie  roads  of  this  State  recklessly,  or  at  a  rate  of  speed 
greater  than  is  reasonable  and  proper,  having  regard 
for  the  traffic,  use  and  width  of  highway;  or  so  as  to 
endanger  the  property  or  life  of  any  person,  provided 
a  rate  of  speed  in  excess  of  18  miles  per  hour  in  the 
residential  portion  of  any  city  or  village,  and  a  rate 
of  speed  in  excess  of  10  miles  per  hour  in  the  business 
section  of  any  city,  or  village  and  a  rate  of  speed  in 
excess  of  25  miles  per  hour  on  the  public  highways, 
out  of  corporate  lindts  of  any  city,  or  village  shall  be 
deemed  a  violation  of  this  law. 

It  is  unlawful  to  run  a  car  on  the  public  highways 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  any  city  or  village,  with 
the  nuiffler  cut  out  open. 

No  pci'son  shall  place  or  deposit  any  glass  or  other 
injiu'ious  olistruction  upon  the  public  highways  of  the 


September,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


17 


State.  No  motor  vehicle  shall  be  left  standing  within 
15  feet  of  a  fire  plug  unless  in  the  actual  possession  of 
some  person  competent  to  move  it  at  a  moment's  no- 
tice. 

No  person  operating  a  motor  vehicle  on  the  public 
highways  of  this  State  shall  use  any  lighting  device 
with  over  four  candle  power  equipped  with  retlectors, 
unless  the  same  are  designed,  deflected  or  arranged  so 
that  no  part  of  the  beam  or  reflectian  will,  when  meas- 
ured 75  feet  or  more,  rise  above  42  inches  on  a  level 
surface  on  which  the  vehicle  stands.  This  does  away 
with  one  of  the  most  dangerous  features  of  automobil- 
ing. 

Before  the  passage  of  this  law  an  automobilist  never 
knew  when  he  was  going  to  be  held  up  for  violation  of 
SDine  town  ordinance,  or  local  statute.  The  legislature 
made  this  law  Statewide.  No  city  or  town  has  any 
right  to  pass  an  ordinance  or  local  statute  inconsistent 
with  it. 

These  are  the  principal  changes  in  the  Automobile 
Law,  which  in  my  opinion  gives  us  the  l)est  automo- 
bile law  the  State  has  ever  had. 

Road  Work  Left  to  Counties. 

Prior  to  the  10th  of  last  January,  when  any  Comity 
or  township  desired  to  issue  bonds  or  raise  special  tax- 
es to  improve  its  roads,  it  went  to  the  Legislature  for 
this  authority.  Upon  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution- 
al Amendment,  the  Legislature  was  prohibited  from 
granting  further  local  legislation  in  regard  to  roads. 
It  therefore  became  necessary  in  order  not  to  stop  the 
road  improvement  of  the  State,  to  pass  a  general  law 
authorizing  Counties,  Townships,  and  road  districts  to 
issue  bonds  and  levy  taxes  for  the  general  improve- 
ment of  the  roads,  and  to  provide  machinery  for  car- 
rying on  the  work. 

With  this  in  view,  Senator  Bennett  and  I  introduced 
what  we  thought  to  be  an  ideal  bill.  I  desire  to  give 
credit  to  Dr.  Pratt  and  Mr.  Fallis  for  much  of  the  good 
that  was  in  the  bill.  However,  the  bill  finally  became 
law,  after  being  amended  so  as  to  rob  it  of  its  strongest 
points,  chief  of  which  was  to  take  from  the  State  High- 
way Commission  much  of  the  authority,  proposed  t .) 
give  it.  There  is  much  good  in  the  law  as  it  was  pass- 
ed. 

This  law  is  designated  as  Chapter  284  of  the  Public 
Laws  of  1917.  It  authorizes  and  directs  the  Board  of 
(,'ounty  Commissioners  of  any  County  to  call  an  elec- 
tion upon  the  petition  of  100  free  holders  of  said  Coun- 
ty, for  the  purpose  of  determining  whether  or  not  a 
bond  issue  shall  be  granted,  or  whether  or  not  a  spec- 
ial road  tax  shall  be  levied.  It  provides  that  the  peti- 
tion shall  state  the  amount  of  bonds  proposed  to  be 
issued,  or  the  amount  of  special  tax  proposed  to  be 
levied,  the  approximate  number  of  miles  of  road  that 
is  proposed  to  be  improved,  and  that  no  election  shall 
be  held  until  the  County  Board  of  Commissioners  has 
been  notified  by  the  State  Highway  Commission,  in 
writing,  that  the  amount  of  bonds  proposed  to  be  is- 
sued, or  special  tax  levied,  will  be  sufficient  to  construct 
or  re-construct  and  improve  approximately  the  num- 
ber of  miles  proposed.  It  further  provides  that  the 
maximum  amount  of  bonds  issued  under  this  act  in 
such  county  together  with  all  bonds  previously  issued 
and  remaining  inipaid,  shall  in  no  case  exceed  10%  of 
the  total  assessed  value  of  the  County,  and  that  the 
amount  of  special  taxes  raised  shall  in  no  case  exceed 
50c.  on  the  .I^IOO.OO  worth  of  propertv,  and  $1.50  on  the 
poll. 

This  act  vests  full  power  and  authority  in  the  County 
Commissioners,  or  road   commissioners,  or  board  hav- 


ing charge  of  the  road  work,  for  issuing,  and  selling 
the  road  bonds  authorized  by  said  election,  and  the 
said  County  Road  Commission,  or  board  having  charge 
of  road  work  in  the  County,  shall  proceed  to  issue  and 
sell  the  bonds,  or  levy  the  special  tax  as  called  for  in 
said  election. 

Whenever  it  is  desired  by  any  townships  in  any  coun- 
ty, and  so  stated  in  the  petition  calling  for  the  election 
for  bonds  or  special  tax  levy,  the  money  arising  from 
the  sale  of  bonds  or  from  the  tax  levy  shall  be  expend- 
ed in  each  township  pro  rata  to  the  assessed  valuation 
of  property  in  each  township. 

Providing  For  Road  Improvements  in  Tov/nships. 

Since  June  7,  1917,  in  any  county  that  has  not  taken 
advantage  of  this  law  and  issued  bonds  or  levied  spe- 
cial taxes,  the  townships  in  such  county  may  proceed 
to  take  advantage  of  the  provisions  of  this  law  under 
the  following  conditions: 

The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  any  County 
not  having  issued  bonds  or  levied  taxes  under  this  law. 
upon  the  jDetition  of  25  free  holders  of  any  township  for 
the  issuing  of  bonds  or  special  tax  levy,  for  construc- 
tion or  re-construction  and  building  public  roads  and 
bridges,  shall  make  an  order  providing  for  the  holding 
of  an  election  to  determine  whether  or  not  said  town- 
ship shall  issue  bonds  or  levy  special  tax,  said  election 
to  be  held  under  the  same  conditions  as  provided  for 
in  the  Coimty  election. 

Changing  From  Towmship  to  County  Unit. 

The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  any  County 
in  which  township  lionds  have  lieen  issued  and  sold  for 
the  construction  of  roads,  shall,  upon  petition  of  100 
free  holders  of  .such  Countj'  petitioning  for  a  bond  is- 
sue for  road  improvement  of  said  County,  and  for 
taking  over  the  township  bonds,  make  an  order  for 
holding  an  election  to  decide  whether  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  of  such  county  shall  issue  bonds  pro- 
viding for  funds  for  taking  over  the  township  bonds  al- 
ready issued  for  road  improvement,  and  for  an  addi- 
tional amount  for  construction  of  additional  roads  in 
such  countj',  provided  that  there  is  included  in  the  pe- 
tition the  amount  of  bonds  proposed  to  issue  in  excess 
of  the  amount  required  to  cover  the  township  issue. 
Townships  in  which  the  bonds  have  been  issued  and 
which  are  taken  over  by  the  County,  shall  not  be  sub- 
ject to  any  additional  tax  on  account  of  the  County  is- 
sue, to  refund  the  said  township  bonds,  but  shall  be 
liable  for  its  pro  rata  portion  of  the  County  bonds. 

Wherever  there  has  been  established  in  any  county 
or  counties  of  the  State  a  Road  District  composed  of 
one  or  more  townships  in  one  or  more  counties,  or 
parts  of  one  or  more  townships  in  one  or  more  counties, 
such  Road  District  is  granted  the  same  rights  and  priv- 
ileges for  issuing  bonds  and  raising  taxes  for  road  im- 
provement as  is  given  to  townships. 

Special  or  Local  Road  Districts. 

The  owners  of  (iO^c  of  the  land  area  in  any  joroposed 
district  may  petition  the  commission  having  charge  of 
the  roads  to  lay  out  the  said  district,  and  to  construct 
and  improve  roads  therein.  Upon  receipt  of  said  peti- 
tion, it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  commission  having 
charge  of  said  road  work,  to  lay  out  said  district,  con- 
struct such  roads,  and  to  pay  for  same,  one-third  out 
of  the  Count.v  road  fund,  and  two-thirds  out  of  the 
general  fund  of  the  County.  The  two-thirds  of  the  cost 
shall  be  re-paid  to  the  general  fund  by  a  special  as- 
ses.sment  against  the  land  in  said  district,  which  as- 
sessment shall  become  a  first  lien  upon  said  property. 

For  the  purpose  of  making  an  equal  apportionment 


18 

"W  ■ 

of  tins  special  tax,  all  lands  on  both  sides  of  the  said 
road,  and  within  a  distance  of  880  feet  from  margin 
of  said  road,  shall  constitute  the  first  sul)-division.  All 
lands  out  side  of  the  said  first  sub-division  and  880  feet 
from  its  exterior  margin  shall  constitute  the  second 
sub-division,  and  all  lauds  within  880  feet  of  the  ex- 
terior margins  thereof  shall  constitute  the  third  sub- 
divisiou.  Tlie  laud  lying  in  the  first  sub-division  sliall 
be  assessed  not  over  45%,  the  second  sub-division,  not 
over  35%,  and  the  third  suli-division  nat  over  20%  of 
the  two-thirds  of  the  cost  of  the  construction  work  and 
improvement  in  said  district.  These  improvements 
shall  be  made  upon  the  petition  of  the  owners  of  tiO% 
of  the  land  without  being  put  to  the  vote  of  the  people. 

Petition  For  County  Road  Commission. 

Upon  the  petition  of  100  free  holders  of  any  L'ouiity 
asking  for  the  creation  of  a  County  Road  Commissiun, 
tlie  board  of  County  Commissioners  shall  provide  for 
such  an  election,  to  decide  wlietlier  or  not  the  .said 
Road  Commi.ssiou  be  created.  lu  event  that  the  major- 
ity of  the  votes  cast  shall  l)e  for  the  creation  of  a  Coun- 
ty l^oad  Commission,  or  for  road  bonds,  or  for  special 
road  tax,  tlie  Commission  shall  be  created,  and  the 
Board  of  County  Commissioners  is  authorized  at  their 
next  regular  meeting  to  proceed  to  carry  out  the  wish- 
es of  the  voters. 

Appointment  of  Road  Commissioners. 

The  road  commission  shall  be  composed  of  three  mem- 
bers, one  of  whom  shall  be  a  member  of  the  minority 
jjolitical  party  of  the  county,  and  shall  be  appointed 
by  the  Board  of  County  C^ommissioners.  One  member 
sliall  be  appointed  for  two  years,  one  f(U'  four  years, 
and  one  for  six  years.  Thereafter  the  appointments 
shall  l)e  for  six  years. 

[\i  Counties,  Townships,  and  Road  Districts  which  al- 
ready have  road  commissions,  or  other  commissions  or 
board  which  has  charge  of  the  road  work  and  desire  to 
i-ctain  such  commission,  then  such  desire  shall  be  stated 
ill  prlition  praying  for  bond  issue,  or  special  road  tax. 
In  that  event  the  commission  stated  in  the  petition  shall 
liecome  the  road  commission  for  all  purposes. 

The  Commission  having  charge  of  roads  is  authoriz- 
ed to  employ  expert  engineers  at  such  compensation 
as  may  be  fixed  by  them.  The  County  Engineer  may 
at  anytime  request  the  advice  of  the  State  Highway 
Commission  in  solving  cpiestious  which  may  arise.  Such 
advice  shall  be  without  expense  to  the  county  or  town- 
ship. 

Issuing  and  Selling-  Bonds. 

Before  the  selling  (if  any  lionds,  I  hey  shall  be  ad- 
vertised in  some  financial  paper  or  some  newspaper 
with  state  wide  circulation  thirty  days  prior  to  the 
sale,  and  the  State  Highway  Commission,  if  it  so  de- 
sires, may  be  present  in  an  advisory  capacity.  When 
bonds  are  issued  and  sold,  the  Count}'  Commissioners 
shall  levy  annually  at  such  times  as  taxes  are  levied,  a 
special  tax  for  the  County.  Township,  or  Road  District, 
such  an  amount  as  will  provide  sufficient  sum  with 
which  to  pay  the  interest  due  on  bonds  issued,  and  to 
pay  whatever  part  of  principal  of  the  bonds  that  may 
be  due  that  year.  Also  set  aside  an  amount  necessary 
to  provide  for  an  adequate  sinking  fund.  They  shall 
also  levy  an  additional  special  maintenance  tax  suffi- 
cient to  raise  an  anuiunt  equal  to  not  less  than  1%,  or 
more  than  4%  of  the  par  value  of  said  bonds  issued  for 
the  said  road  work,  and  this  amount  sludl  l)e  kept  sep- 
arate and  aiiart  from  other  funds,  and  used  for  the 
])ur|)ose  of  maintaining  roads  built  by  moneys  raised 
I'l'iiin  sale  ol'  bonds  or  special  road  tax. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September,   1917 


UuU  power  is  given  to  bodies  having  control  of  the 
roads  to  enter  on  the  lands  of  any  person,  firm  or  cor- 
poration for  the  purpose  of  laying  oif,  building,  and 
constructing  roads,  and  on  adjoining  lands  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  material  to  construct  said  road.  They 
also  have  a  right  to  cut  trees  that  are  shading  the  road 
\vithin  thirty  feet  from  the  right  of  way  on  each  side. 

The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  is  required  to 
furnisli  to  the  State  Highway  Commission,  as  accurate- 
ly as  possible,  the  number  of  miles  and  style  of  con- 
struction of  the  roads  in  each  county. 

Tlie  members  of  the  County  Roacl  Commission  are 
authorized  to  attend  the  Roacl  Institute  held  anuually 
at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  to  detail  as 
many  employees  as  in  their  judgment  is  wise  to  at- 
tend said  institute. 

Under  the  present  law  the  County  may  adopt  either 
of  the  three  systems  it  pleases,  the  County,  Township 
or  Road  District  system.  The  principal  of  local  self 
government  has  been  well  guarded  in  this  bill,  and  \ 
fear  in  a  great  many  insances  this  in'incipal  is  main- 
tained at  the  expense  of  good  roads. 

North  Carolina  has  made  wonderful  progress  in  the 
past  few  years  in  road  building,  but  we  have  not  real- 
ized the  importance  of  getting  out  of  the  ruts.  We 
should  not  be  satisfied  with  the  present  progress  along 
old  lines,  but  should  realize  and  seize  the  larger  op- 
portunity for  growth  and  development. 

There  was  a  time  in  North  Carolina  when  a  man, 
under  the  law,  had  a  right  to  whip  his  wife,  provided 
he  did  it  with  a  switch  no  larger  than  his  thumb.  He 
then  had  a  right  to  do  almost  anything  he  pleased  with 
Ills  children.  That  day  has  passed.  Public  cuiseience  has 
been  aroused,  and  the  people  have  come  to  realize  that 
the  State  has  an  interest  in  its  children.  The  father 
may  no  longer  mis-use  and  mis-treat  his  children,  be- 
cause the  State  has  a  claim  on  them,  and  expects  them 
in  the  future  to  build  up  its  cities,  develop  its  waste 
places,  and  pay  its  taxes. 

The  Federal  Government  also  has  an  interest  in  them, 
for  Uncle  Sam  will  depend  on  the  children  of  today  to 
fight  his  battles  of  tomorrow. 

For  tliis  reason  wise  laws  have  been  passed  regulat- 
ing Child  Labor,  and  the  State  has  realized  that  it  can- 
not afford  to  sit  still  and  see  its  seed  coru  ground  into 
meal. 

There  was  a  time  when  every  man  thought  he  had  a 
right  to  keep  the  road  through  his  farm  to  suit  him- 
self. Later  it  became  necessary  for  his  neighlior  to 
travel  along  this  road,  and  they  felt  an  interest  in  it. 
From  this  developed  the  community  or  neighborhood 
road  workings,  when  all  the  men  in  the  neighborhood 
would  gather  together  with  pick  axe  and  shovel  and 
work  the  roads.  From  this  developed  the  Couuty  Sys- 
tem. The  people  living  in  the  larger  cities  of  the  coun- 
ty saw  that  in  order  to  develop  their  cities  and  coun- 
ties it  was  necessary  to  have  good  roads  in  all  sections 
of  the  county,  realizing  tliat  no  city  could  develop 
without  good  roads  leading  into  it. 

The  time  is  near  at  hand  when  all  main  pulilic  roads 
leading  from  one  citj-  to  another,  and  from  one  court 
house  to  another  must  be  under  the  control  of  the 
State  Highway  Commission  and  must  be  kept  up  at  the 
expense  of  the  State. 

No  one  deuies  that  the  State  has  an  interest  in  the 
development  and  education  of  its  children.  It  is  equal- 
ly as  mucli  interested  in  the  development  of  its  road 
system.  The  State  can  be  no  better  than  the  average 
county  and  township.  If  this  be  true,  why  has  not  the 
State  an  interest  in  having  every  County  and  every 
Township  developed     to     the  highest  degree?       Why 


September,  ]D17 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  IJOADS 


19 


sliiiiild  not  the  State  supervise  and  pay  for  its  roads, 
when  they  are  one  of  its  main  faet:)rs  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  eommonwealtli  ? 

Incompetency  Still  Remains. 

In  my  opinion  the  weakest  point  in  our  road  law  is 
that  we  have  turned  our  roads  over  to  the  County  or 
I{oad  Commission  comprised  larjiely  of  good  men,  but 
men  witliout  training  in  the  seienee  of  road  building. 
Tliousands  of  dollars  are  being  wasted  annually  by 
good  men  with  the  purest  motives,  but  wasted  none  the 
less. 

This  is  a  day  of  eftieieney,  and  it  has  been  fully  dem- 
onstrated that  there  is  no  ealling  or  profession  requir- 
ing better  training  than  that  of  roail  building.  How 
ean  we  expeet  our  County  :)r  Road  (!ommissioners,  who 
ai'e  l)nsy  looking  after  their  own  affairs  and  who  have 
not  had  the  necessary-  training  to  make  them  efficient 
in  the  art  of  road  building,  to  spend  wisely  millions  of 
dollars  every  year  experimenting  on  roads? 

It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  little  less  than  a  crime  for 
us  to  build  roads  as  some  counties  are  doing,  on  Ijonds 
to  be  i)aid  for  by  future  generations,  and  for  the  lack 
of  proper  supervision  allow  the  roads  t;.i  deteriorate 
and  wash  away  in  two  or  three  .years.  All  this  could 
be  prevented  by  giving  the  State  Highway  Commis- 
sion authority  to  pass  on  the  qualifications  of  the  Road 
Commissi;>ners,  Engineers  and  foremen  of  the  road 
forces  before  tliey  are  appointed  or  employed. 

"Experience  teaches  a  dear  school,  but  fools  Avill 
learn  at  no  other."  The  State  of  North  Carolina  is 
annually  paying  a  frightful  price  for  its  schooling. 
Sooner  or  later  our  people  will  wake  up  and  realize 
this  terrible  waste.  Until  then  it  is  the  duty  of  us  who 
realize  what  is  going  on  to  wage  a  relentless  campaign, 
and  educate  the  people  against  this  great  extravagance. 
As  soon  as  they  realize  that  roads  can  be  built  by  ex- 
perienced and  well  trained  men  much  better  and  at 
half  cost  than  l)y  inexperienced  and  incompetent  men, 
they  will  tlemand  that  we  apply  the  same  Inisiness 
principles  in  road  building  as  are  applied  to  all  other 
enterprises. 


Work  on  Richmond  Road. 

Through  C.  P.  Stine,  general  secri'tary  of  Ihc  Cliam- 
ber  of  ('ommerce  of  the  city  of  Fi-ederickslnirg.  the 
Richmond  Automobile  Club  has  l)een  informed  of  a 
numbci'  of  interesting  facts  in  connection  with  the 
Richmond- Washington  Highway  which  have  not  been 
generally  known.  Mr.  Stine  recently  called  on  the 
Chief  Engineer  of  Public  Roads,  in  Washington,  with 
reference  to  the  unfinished  section  of  the  highway,  gen- 
erally known  as  the  Chappawamsic  Swamp  section.  As- 
sistant Engineer  V.  JI.  Pierce  entered  into  details  by 
referring  to  the  contract  with  Perkhison  and  Finn,  of 
Peterslnirg.  The  contract  called  for  the  comijletion  of 
the  work  by  January  1.  1917  but  on  account  of  con- 
ditions beyond  control,  the  agreement  with  the  gov- 
ernment was  amended  extending  the  time  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  swamp  section  for  a  period  of  sixty 
weather  working  days  from  .March  1,  which  extended 
it  to  July  24.  Since  that  date  a  penalty  of  ^10  per 
diem  has  Iieen  demanded  until  this  road,  or  rather  this 
swamp  stretch  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  is  completed. 
llr.  Stine  read  the  contract,  in  which  is  incorporated 
an   indemnity  bond  of  .^20,000. 

The  public  has  been  under  a  wrong  impression  in 
believing  that  this  portion  of  the  Richmoiul-Wasliing- 
ton  Highway  was  being  rebuilt  directly  liy  the  Virgin- 
ia State  Highway  Commission.     The  government  con- 


trilnited  i|<l(l.000  towards  the  construction  of  the  swamp 
territory-,  and  the  citizens  of  Fredericksburg.  Rich- 
mond a'nd  elsewhere  $6,00(1,  a  total  of  $1."),00().  The 
only  condition  upon  which  the  government  would  c:)n- 
tribute  was  that  it  should  have  entire  charge  and  su- 
pervision of  the  work,  which  has  been  partly  delayed 
on  account  of  weather  conditions  during  the  past  six 
weeks.  It  is  now  stated  that  this  part  of  the  road 
should  be  completed  by  August  1.5,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
the  State  Highway  Commissioner  will  use  his  influence 
in    this    direction. 

The  State  Highway  Commission  assumes  the  respon- 
sibility with  the  government  through  the  ofhce  of  Pul)- 
lic  Roads  for  the  completion  of  another  part  of  the 
Richmond-Washington  Highway — that  section  between 
Jlarumsco  and  Neabsco  Creeks — a  stretch  of  three  and 
one-half  miles  between  Occoquan  and  Dumfries,  by  ar- 
ranging to  secure  the  use  of  fifty  priscmers  on  this  sec- 
tion while  the  Public  Roads  Conunission  will  provide 
the  $12,000  cash  needed. 

At  the  same  time  the  government  will  improve  the 
road  from  Dumfries  to  connect  with  Quantico,  a  dis- 
tance of  four  miles.  The  contractors  who  are  work- 
ing on  the  swamp  are  also  building  this  road,  which, 
when  completed,  will  bring  Fredericksburg  in  direct 
i-oad  connection  with  Quantico.  It  was  stated  that 
when  the  road  was  finally  completed  it  may  become  a 
through  i>ost-road  to  Richmond.  It  nmst  be  borne  in 
mind  that  Prince  "William  County  has  not  contril)>ifed 
anytliing  towards  the  completion  of  the  roads  in  that 
county. 

Secretary  Stine  was  informed  that  the  probabilities 
are  that  the  swamp  section  will  be  completely  restored 
by  August  15,  and  the  other  porti(ni  of  the  road  by  De- 
eeml)er  1,  this  part  being  passable  at  an.v  time  and  is 
not  affected  by  the  rains  like  the  swamp.  It  is  safe, 
therefore,  for  tourists  to  make  the  triii  from  Richmond 
to  Washington,  since  the  bad  section  has  been  reiluced 
to  .such  a  short  distance,  and  this  is  passable. 

Many  tourists  continue  to  visit  Richmond  in  spite  of 
bad  stretches  on  nearly  every  highwa.v  leading  into 
Richmond.  The  Richmond  Automobile  Club  for  some 
months  has  devoted  its  efforts  to  the  improvenn-nt  of 
tlie  roads,  and  at  tlie  same  time  to  map[)ing  out  routes 
of  detour  that  the  bad  roads  might  be  evaded.  Some 
sections  of  nearby  counties,  while  on  highways,  are  now 
being  avoided  by  taking  these  detours. 


Five  Million  for  Six  West  Virginia  Counties. 

Blake  Taylor,  of  Williamson,  has  recently  been  ap- 
pointed District  Assistant  to  the  State  Road  Commis- 
sion of  West  Virginia  and  has  direct  charge  of  the 
road  improvement  in  the  six  South  Westei'n  counties 
of  this  State,  that  is.  Wayne,  ]\Iingo,  W.voming,  ]\lc- 
Dowell  and  fiercer  counties.  These  counties  aggregate 
an  assessed  valuation  of  about  $160,000,000,  and  have 
raised  for  road  construction  almost  .$5,000,000  of  which 
a  little  over  a  $1,000,000  has  been  spent.  The  remain- 
der of  this  amount  will  probably  be  spent  in  the  next 
three  or  four  years  in  the  way  of  improvement.  Other 
counties  are  contemplating  the  raising  of  at  least  .$2,- 
000,000  more  for  road  construction.  While  this  terri- 
tory has  been  inaccessable  except  by  a  railroad  in  the 
past  it  will  soon  have  many  direct  highways  and  be 
opened  generally  to  the  outside  world,  for  touring  and 
traveling.  It  is  a  locality  of  great  scenic  beauty,  moun- 
tainous and  attractive  and  the  construction  of  roads 
in  these  counties  will  undoubtedly  be  of  much  interest 
to  all  tourists  as  well  as  those  who  are  nuiterially  in- 
terested in  this  section  of  the  State. 


20 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September.  1017 


Joints  in  Concrete  Roads. 

Road  Imildei's  have  been  laying  concrete  roads  for 
a  number  of  years  but  they  still  differ  radically  regard- 
iu  the  necessity  of  leaving  joints  across  the  roadways 
every  30  to  50  feet  to  permit  the  concrete  to  expand 
and  contract  with  temperature  and  moisture  chang-»s 
without  cracking.  Some  engineers  believe  tliat  these 
joints  do  not  prevent  cracking  and  that  it  is  better  to 
lay  the  concrete  without  joints  except  where  the  day's 
work  ends.  They  believe  that  the  cracks  in  well-built 
roads  are  unimportant  and  the  most  serious  objection 
t  1  them  is  the  appearance  of  the  black  streaks  across 
tlie  gray  concrete  where  the  cracks  are  filled  with  bit- 
uminous material  and  sand  by  the  repairman.  They 
consider  that  joints  merely  adcl  to  the  nundicr  of  seams 
that  must  be  tilled  with  this  material.  The  publir  rid- 
ing over  roads  with  these  black  streaks  is  liable  to  think 
that  the  pavements  are  failing  when  they  are  merely 
showing  the  natural  effects  of  the  expensiou  and  con- 
traction of  c mcrete.  There  are  more  engineers,  h  nv- 
ever.  who  hold  that  joints  should  be  left  at  regular  in- 
tervals. They  are  placed  aliout  every  30  feet  apart  in 
Connecticut,  for  instance,  where  the  state  road  author- 
ities believe  that  a  straight,  well-made  joint  can  be 
much  more  easily  cared  fen-  than  any  ragged  crack 
which  might  result  if  no  joints  were  used  or  if  the  dis- 
tance between  them  were  lengthened.  The  subject  is 
of  much  interest  to  road  l)uilders.  because  it  is  one  of 
those  features  of  their  work  where  only  the  experience 
of  a  number  of  years  will  give  the  knowledge  to  decide 
cjrrectly  what  is  the  liest  practice. 


Baltimore's  Service  to  Motorists. 

The  Automobile  Club  of  ^laryland  is  doing  a  real 
service  to  autoists  of  Baltimore  and  those  visiting  that 
place  by  distributing  a  card  cintaining  the  following 
rules  which  must  lie  followed  under  the  state  wide  law 
of  ilarylaud: 

Clear  Lens — If  the  motorist  does  not  wisli  to  go  to 
the  expense  of  purchasing  a  non-glaring  lens,  he  can 
readily  comply  with  the  law  by  having  his  headlight 
brackets  tilted  forward  from  ^s  to  ^2  inch,  as  may  be 
necessary,  so  that  the  reflected  beams  of  light  will  not 
rise  more  than  42  inches  from  the  level  surface  on 
which  the  automobile  is  standing  at  a  distance  of  T-o 
feet  in  front  of  the  ear. 

A  clear  glass  lens  may  be  used  when  this  is  done  and 
will  conform  with  the  law. 

Xon-Glaring  Lens — If.  on  the  other  hand,  the  mo- 
torist does  not  care  to  bend  his  lamp  brackets  he  must 
proceed  as  follows,  in  order  to  comply  with  the  law : 

1st.  Brackets — See  that  the  headlight  lamp  brack- 
ets are  not  bent,  so  that  the  axis  of  the  front  of  the 
headlamp,  when  mounted  on  the  brackets  and  measur- 
ed up  and  down  and  from  side  to  side,  will  be  perpen- 
dicular and  horizontal  respectively  to  the  level  surface 
upon  which  the  car  stands. 

2nd.  Bulbs — See  that  the  electric  bulbs  in  the  head- 
lamps are  both  of  the  same  candle  power,  and  prefera- 
bly of  the  same  manufacture. 

3rd.  Focus — See  that  the  electric  bulbs  in  the  head- 
lamps are  properly  focused. 

To  do  this  turn  the  current  into  your  headlamps. 
cover  one  of  them  up.  take  off  the  door  of  the  remain- 
ing headlamp  and  by  means  of  the  focusing  device  move 
the  bull)  either  backward  or  forward  until  the  reflect- 
ed beam  of  light  ahead  of  the  car  is  parallel  with  the 
road.  Then  remove  the  door  of  the  other  headlamp 
and  follow  the  same  instructions.  Then  while  the  doors 
are  still  removed  see  whether  the  reflected  beams  from 


both  lamps  are  parallel  with  each  other  and  parallel  to 
the  level  surface  upon  which  the  car  stands. 

If  so.  both  lamps  are  properly  focused. 

Next  put  on  the  doors  of  the  lamps  containing  the 
non-glaring  lens  you  have  decided  to  use.  and  your 
equipment  then  sh  luld  comply  with  the  law. 

Up  to  the  present  time  non-glaring  lenses  such  as 
;\Iore-Lite,  AYarner.  Osgood.  Lancaster,  Corning  (clear 
glass").  Corning  (novial  glass)  Legalite.  etc.,  have  been 
inspected  by  the  State  Board  of  Headlight  Inspection 
and  duly  approved. 

Tlie  maximinn  candle-power  that  may  be  used  with  a 
Warner  and  More-Lite  is  eighteen. 

A  Ford  car  whose  headlight  ei[uipment  is  operated 
by  a  magneto  connected  with  the  fly  wheel,  and  con- 
tains a  Warner  or  More-Lite  lens,  will  not  comply  with 
tlie  law. 

Dash  Lamps  or  dimmers  containing  reflectors  must 
not  be  used  with  bulbs  over  f(uu-  candle-power. 

The  Real'  Lamp  must  be  s)  mounted  that  the  light 
will  shine  on  the  rear  license  tag  making  all  of  the 
numerals  discernil)le  not  less  than  twenty-flve  feet  in 
the  direction  from  which  the  vehicle  is  proceeding. 

Two  competent  officers  will  test  and  inspect  any  and 
all  lights  on  motor  vehicles  in  the  narrow  street  direct- 
ly opposite  the  Central  Police  Statini.  on  Saratoga 
Street,  just  east  of  Charles,  each  week  night  between 
the  hours  of  eight  and  ten  P.  ^I. 

If  the  lamps  inspected  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
law  the  otticers  will  place  a  seal  on  the  right  head  lamp, 
whicli  will  hold  tlie  user  of  that  vehicle  immune  from 
arrest  so  long  as  his  equipment  has  not  been  changed 
or  altered. 

There  will  be  no  charge  for  this  service. 


Fayette  County  Resumes  Work. 

Road  liiiilding  in  Fayette  county.  Kentucky,  has  re- 
commenced. It  had  been  held  up  since  last  December 
by  many  things  which  convinced  the  tiscal  court  that 
the  best  policy  was  to  suspend  the  work  on  the  county 
roads  entirely. 

The  first  work  of  road  building  will  be  done  on  the 
Leestown  pike.  At  the  lieginning  of  this  year  a  vast 
road  building  program  was  mapped  out  by  the  fiscal 
court  which  hoped  to  make  Fayette  county  the  hand- 
somest road  county  in  the  state.  The  high  cost  of  la- 
bor, the  shortage  of  cars  and  an  injunction  against  the 
operation  of  the  county  asphalt  plant,  brought  by  citi- 
zens, has  held  up  the  work. 

Conrad  Stern,  an  expert  sent  by  the  Trinidad  As- 
l)lialt  Company,  which  is  furnishing  a  large  amount  of 
the  material  whicli  will  be  used,  will  assist  the  county 
officials  and  County  Turnpike  Superintendent  R.  W. 
Davis  in  beginning  again  the  road  building  work.  New 
equipment  recently  bought  by  the  county  has  made 
the  fiscal  court  believe  that  with  the  use  of  this  equip- 
ment the  asphalt  plant  can  be  operated  smokelessly 
and  dnstlessly.  A  dust  protector  has  been  bought  by 
the  fiscal  court,  and  a  smoke  consumer  will  be  added  to 
the  plant. 

The  county  now  had  on  hand.  County  Judge  F.  A. 
Bullock  said  about  600  tons  of  asphalt.  It  will  take 
about  a  carload  of  material  a  day  to  put  into  operation 
the  building  program  of  the  county.  Labor  is  another 
consideration  which  has  held  up  the  action  of  the  fiscal 
court.  But  it  is  hoped  that  evervlhiug  can  be  got  into 
workina'  order  and  the  complete  program  can  be  work- 
ed, making  up  for  the  time  lost  since  last  December. 

County  pikes  will  lie  built  like  the  city  pikes,  it  was 
said  bv  officials. 


September.  1017 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


21 


How  Good  Roads  Help  Greenville. 

Greenville  County,  S.  C,  with  its  good  roads,  is  also 
leader  in  another  respect  and  tlrat  is  in  the  number  of 
automol)i]es  in  the  county.  Aeoording  to  the  figures 
of  the  clerk  of  court,  the  number  registered  has  already 
passed  2,050.  which  is  the  largest  number  of  any  county 
in  tlie  State.  This  is  an  average  of  about  one  automo- 
bile to  every  fifty  inhabitants,  estimating  the  pres- 
ent population  as  being  about  one  hundred  thousand. 

It  is  a  well  kn3wn  fact  that  the  number  of  automo- 
biles in  the  community,  and  that  real  estate  enhances  in 
value  and  good  roads  natui'aliy  follow  in  the  wake  of 
the  automobile.  It  can  hardly  be  said  which  is  respon- 
sible for  the  present  increase  of  Greenville  county,  as  the 
good  roads  and  automobile  are  inseparable.  While  the 
niuuber  of  automobiles  in  use  in  the  comity  was  not  as 
great  then  as  is  now  the  case,  the  is.suing  of  the  bonds 
for  good  roads  was  largely  due  to  the  gr  )wth  of  the 
automobile  industry. 

The  number  of  automobiles  always  is  a  barometer  of 
the  soundness  of  tlie  country,  aut  imobiles  being  sold 
on  almost  a  cash  basis  and  it  necessitates  the  actual  cash 
in  most  instances  to  make  the  purchase.  This  being 
true,  Greenville  eoimty  has  a  decided  boost  in  this  re- 
spect. Rating  the  automobiles  of  the  count.v  at  a  thoii- 
sand  dollars  each,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  total  value  is 
over  two  million  dollars.  At  first  thought  that  figure 
may  sound  almost  as  absurd,  but  it  is  a  safe  bet  that  the 
average  cost  of  cars  is  over  .'fsl.OOO,  for  many  cars  on 
the  streets  were  bought  at  a  figure  above  $3,000. 


War  Will  Boom  Road  Building. 

War  will  boom  the  good  rijads  movement  instead  of 
liaving  a  depressing  effect  on  it,  in  the  opinion  of  S.  il. 
Williams,  sales  manager  of  the  Garford  Motor  Truck 
Company  and  a  nationally  kno^Ti  good  roads  enthus- 
iast. 

Furthermore,  the  good  roads  movement,  without  ref- 
erence to  war  conditions,  has  never  been  more  encour- 
aging than  at  the  present  time,  he  points  out. 

"With  the  country  in  a  state  of  war.  the  road  situa- 
tion is  most  significant."  says  !Mr.  Williams.  "The 
highest  state  of  war  prei^aredness  cannot  be  achieved 
until  our  highways  are  in  a  fit  state  for  motor  vehicle 
transportation  of  great  quantities  of  mimitions  and  ma- 
terials which  must  often  be  transported  long  distances. 
It  is  certain  that  the  railroads  alone  cannot  take  care 
of  the  situation.  Therefore,  it  is  up  to  the  townships. 
counties,  states  and  nation  to  work  harder  and  faster 
than  ever  on  road  improvement. 

"Reports  are  coming  in  constantly  of  important  pro- 
gress in  highway  improvement  in  nearly  every  state. 
The  Minnesota  state  highway  commission,  for  example, 
says  that  fifty-one  of  eight.y-six  counties  in  that  state 
have  already  drawn  all  of  the  state  aid  allotted  in 
1916.  From  50  to  90  per  cent  of  the  cost  of  road  mak- 
ing in  Minnesota  is  paid  by  the  state  and  from  10  to  50 
per  cent  by  the  counties. 

"In  New  York  State,  where  millions  have  been  ex- 
pended on  road  improvement,  it  is  said  that  it  is  now 
possible  for  one  to  travel  in  an  automobile  three  straight 
months  without  leaving  improved  roads. 

"Michigan  reports  that  at  least  1,000  miles  of  state 
rewarded  roads  are  to  be  built  by  counties  under  the 
coimty  road  system  dimng  1917.  ;\Iueli  of  this  ex- 
penditure will  be  on  triuik  line  roads  of  state  and  in- 
terstate importance.  With  the  new  road  mileage  con- 
structed by  townships,  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that 
a  total  of  between  1,200  and  1,400  miles  of  improved 
roads  will  be  reached  this  year, 

"The  good  roads  movement  has   taken   a   spurt   in 


Kentuek}',  where  Hardin  county  has  demonstrated,  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all,  the  enormous  profit  in  good  road 
investments.  Officials  of  that  count}'  claim  a  $500,000 
i-eturn  on  a  $50,000  investment  in  the  forty-four  miles 
of  Dixie  highway  which  passes  throvigh  the  county, 

"Of  this  $500,"000  return  at  least  $21,000  is  traceable 
to  new  money  left  in  that  district  by  tourists.  There 
were  21,000  care,  bearing  license  tags  of  state,s  other 
than  Kentucky,  which  passed  through  there  in  seven 
months  after  the  improvement  of  the  road.  Figurintr 
that  each  car  left  a  dollar  in  money  in  the  coimty,  which 
is  a  very  low  estimate,  the  $21,000  is  olitained.  Farm 
land  in  Hardin  county  has  increased  approximatel.v 
$10  an  acre  since  the  construction  of  the  highway. 
There  are  240  farms  there,  averaging  200  acres  each, 
giving  an  increased  value  of  .$480,000.  Hence  the  $500,- 
(100  return  on  the  $50,000  investment, 

■"The  same  situation  can  be  found  in  many  other 
states  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  whole  country  has 
at  last  awakened  to  the  necessity  of  good  roads  and  the 
profits  derived  thereby.'' 


Shorten  Jefferson  Highway. 

A  conference  called  by  W.  E.  Owen,  irood  road  com- 
missioner of  Arkansas,  was  held  in  Eureka  Springs, 
Ark.  recently  to  consider  a  cut  off  of  the  Jeft'ers  in 
Highway  to  shorten  the  route  and  build  a  good  road 
tlirough   the  center  of  Arkansas   ainl  Louisiana.      The 


Costs  One-Fifth  as  Much  as 
a  Wheel  Road  Grader 


**Our  County  Commissioner  says  the  Martin  Ditcher  and 
Grader  is  better  than  the  large  expensive  wheel  grader?;."  writes 
H.  D.  Boston.  Stevens  Point.  Wis.  And.  think  of  it.  a  MARTIX 
costs  onlvlo  as  much.  Simple.  EfiHcient.  Jladealmost 
entirely  of  steeL    Practically  indestructible.  f 

,  Road 

Ditcher 
and 
Grader  I 


Write  OS  for  catalog.    Leam  how  yon  can  gret  a  . 
fle-t  of  53/a7-(!7i3forthepriceofonewheelgraiier. 
Also  l._-am  our  Special  Terms  to  Connty  Commis- 
sioners and  Road  Contractors.  Wnte  tonight, 

OWENSBORO  DITCHER  &  GRADER  CO. 
Bos    2S4       Owensboro,  Ky, 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


SOT'TTTKKX  nnoi)  TiOADR 


Soptembpr,  1917 


jjr(i|)(i,sril  new  I'oad  leaves  the  Jefferson  Highway,  as 
iiDW  surveyed,  at  or  near  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  and  eon- 
nects  witli  tlie  road  again  at  Alexandria  or  ]Marksville, 
J/a..  shoi'tening  the  distance  m^re  than  three  hundred 
miles.  The  main  road  goes  through  Shreveport.  The 
i-oad  as  shorteni'd  will  pass  throngh  Little  Rock.  l:>as- 
ti'op  ajid  ]\ronro(». 

l)i'.  Watson  has  wrilleii  I  lie  following  lettei-  1(]  the 
,\ews-Star  giving  an  arc  mnt  of  the  meeting  at  Kni'i'- 
ka  Springs,  outlining  the  plans  and  asking  for  the  fnll 
co-operation  of  the  citizens  oF  .Monroe  in  an  I'tfort  to 
put    llirough    the    |)lans: 

At  the  reipiest  of  ,Mr.  \V.  K.  Owen,  good  roads  c  )in- 
missionei'  of  the  state  of  Arkaiisjis.  ilaycu'  W.  T.  Hall 
of  Piasti'op  and  myself,  attendeil  a  con\-ention  at  Eu- 
reka Springs,  Arkansas,  on  July  'Jith,  iMth  and  l26th. 
The  convention  was  called  hy  the  Arkansas  road  com- 
mission for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  Ozark  cut- 
off of  the  Jett'erson  higliAvay.  At  that  convention  Ai-- 
kansas  determined  to  build  the  road  to  the  Louisiana 
line,  but  the  exact  point  of  said  terminus  for  the  state 
of  Ai'kansas  wa.s  not  fixed,  at  request  of  I\Ir.  Hall  ami 
myself  the  exa<-t  point  was  not  designated  as  Ave  want- 
ed the  I'oad  Iniilt  to  a  given  point  to  intersei't  ilore- 
lioiise  parish  through  the  town  of  llastroj).  theiu'c  to 
.Moni'oe.  La.,  through  ()uai-liita  ]>ai'ish.  From  there  the 
i-oule  will  lie  determined  by  the  citizens  f  i  intersect 
the  main  .left'ersini  highway  at  jMarksville.  La.,  where 
it  is  alreadv  established.  This  cut-off  will  shorten  th" 
highway  1272  miles  throu.gh  the  state  of  Arkansas  ami 
70  miles  through  thi'  state  of  [jouisiana,  making  in  all  a 
shortening  of  the  main  I'oute  '■'A'J.  miles. 


Road  Work  Ordered. 


Tih'  lioyd  ('ounty.  Ky..  P'iscal  eoni't  at  theii'  i-eceiil 
mei'ling  made  the  fol|n\\ing  appi'opriat  ion  I'oi'  I'oads; 
and  the  eonnty  engineer  is  orderi'd  t  i  proceed  \vilh  the 
work  at  oiu'c  : 

East  Work  district.  sf-SOd.dO. 

J-5ridge  at  ;\ravity,  ajiprox.  ^f'JdOO. 

Princess  ditsrict',  JJ<^il)(U)(). 

Straight   ("reek  road.  :f-40().(l(). 

Catlettsburg  disti-ict:  ('atliMts  ereels',  ( 'anminsbui'g 
I'oad  to  Scott  Hill,  l>ig  Sainh-  road  to  {:)[>  of  England 
Hill.  .+-_'r)0().(Hl. 

Sunnnit   disti-ict.     T'his  iindudi's   Doide  r  lad,  *S(1().(I0. 

(:hadwi(dvs   Creek   district,  .$5(10.00. 

Whites  Creek  district.  .+400.00. 

Cannonsbnrg  district.  .^^liOO.dO. 

Ashland  district,  Pollard  and  Oakxiew  only,  Jt'l!,Odd. 
This  is  for  I'esurfacing  slag  I'oads. 

Big  Sandy  district.  +-r)()0.dO. 

Rush   district.  ^|<SOO.d(). 

Hoods  district,  including  new  eul\ei-t.  ^'JiiO.dd. 


Road  Building  Conditions. 

The  e.xtraordinai'y  demand  for  labor  foi'  certain 
classes  of  nninufacturing  during  the  last  two  years  has 
produced  idianges  in  practically  e\ei'y  industry  and 
calling.  The  supply  of  labor  foi'  agriculture  is  scanty- 
and  its  high  price  nuikes  the  price  of  agi'icultural  pro- 
ducts high.  The  same  cmdition  exists  in  all  classes  ol' 
public  w(n-ks.  One  of  the  few  oi-ganizations  which  has 
recognized  its  importance  is  the  New  Voi'k  State  Road 
Builders'  Ass  )ciat  ion.  The  cost  of  road  building  in 
that  state  has  been  nnuuiting  rapidly,  lai'gely  as  a  I'e- 
sull  i)['  the  cost  of  labor.  The  association  accordingly 
ma  lie  a  yrvy  eai'eful  investigation  of  the  situation  dur- 
ing the  winter  and  completetl  arrangements  for  sup- 
plying to  its  meiidiers  any  laborers  they  need  at  >(i2.;jd 


Anything  But  a 
Permanent  Culvert 
Is  a  Waste 

of  Money 

Put  your  appropriation  into  pipe 
that  will  last  a  life  time — not  into 
some  make-shift  that  can't  possibly 
last  more  than  5  or  10  years. 

Pay  a  small  percentage  more  for  the 
installation  of 


UQ       CAST 
.     »3.     IRON 


PIPE 


"The  Pipe  That  Outlasts  the  Ages" 

and  you'll  never  have  to  worry 
about  it  again.  The  U.  S.  Culvert 
goes  in  to  stay.  There  is  no  trouble 
from  corrosion  or  frost. 

Let  us  prove  to  you  the  savings 
you'll  eifect  by  installing  the  old 
reliable  U.  S.  Cast  Iron  Culvert 
Pipe.  Write  for  a  copy  of  our  book- 
let D  entitled  "Reducing  Ultimate 
Culvert  Costs." 

UNITED  STATES 


IRON 


PIPE 


FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 


712  E.  Pearl  St.,  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 


SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia.  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W  Oliver  Bldg. 
ChicaKO.  122  So.  Mijh.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  Buildinfr 
Birmingham,  Ala.,Am. Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo.  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


Sopteinlior,  1917 


ROFTITERN  GOOn  KOAOS 


23 


pel'  (lay.  Padranes  are  (leiiininliiig'  iiioi-c  than  this  al- 
ready, hut  the  association  helieves  that  by  co-opera- 
tive action  the  !|!2.50  figure  can  I5e  maintained. 

The  significance  of  the  situation  was  p:)iiited  out  as 
follows  in  a  recent  issue  of  ""T'lie  Contractor:" 

"The  big  road  building  states  have  oiillions  of  dol- 
lars in  uncompleted  road  .jobs  carried  over  from  last 
year.  To  complete  this  woi'k,  contracted  for  at  the 
wages  and  prices  of  twelve  months  ago.  will  test  the 
business  ability  and  tinaucial  strength  of  the  best  fitted 
contracting  firms.  Unless  lal)or  and  the  r.)ad  material 
industries  are  enlisted  to  help,  many  of  the  eonti'aetor.s 
face  bankruptcy.  Unless  towns  and  coiuities  and  states 
stretch  the  limits  of  the  prices  they  will  pay  for  good 
roads,  neither  thes(>  contractoi's  noi-  others  will  take 
CDutracts  for  new  road  work.  It  is  vital  that  road 
building  should  go  on.  The  farmers,  who  are  planting 
increased  acreages,  need  roads  for  marketing  their 
nudtiplied  crops.  The  dealers  who  will  buy  aiul  dis- 
tribute these  crops  need  roads  in  an  <'\c\]  more  vital 
way.  The  manufacturers  of  road  materials  and  ma- 
chinery need  continuance  of  road  eonstruetian  to  keep 
their  bu.siness  going.  There  should  be  an  immediate 
mobilization  of  forces  to  prosecute  road  construction." 

One  of  the  men  who  has  been  giving  his  services  to 
the  coinitry  for  the  last  two  years  is  Howard  E.  Coffin, 
He  is  the  man  who  carried  out  the  wonderful  investi- 
gation of  the  manufacturing  resources  of  the  country 
so  that  the  government  knows  where  each  re(iuirement 
of  its  military  and  naval  forces  can  be  met  most  speed- 
ily and  economically.  His  judgiment  of  conditions  de- 
serves great  weight.  Consequently  his  recent  asser- 
tion that  it  was  time  to  stop  the  ill-considered  talk 
about  reducing  the  programs  for  necessary  road  im- 
provements in  different  parts  of  the  country,  should  be 
taken  to  heart.  The  same  thing  was  recently  urged  by 
E.  A.  Deeds,  one  of  the  manufacturers  who  has  made 
Daj'ton  famous.  He  is  now  givmg  his  time  to  the  gov- 
ernment, and  as  a  member  of  ^Munitions  Standards 
H.tard  of  Hie  Council  of  National  Defense  he  has  seen 
the  danger  of  hysterical  economy.  He  holds  that  the 
normal  functioning  of  industries  is  the  best  assurance 
of  our  ability  to  prosecute  the  war  successfully,  and  he 
has  persuaded  his  fellow  directors  of  the  Miami  Con- 
servancy District  to  proceed  with  the  costly  Dayton 
Hood  protection  works  notwithstanding  the  war. 

The  enormous  waste  of  money  on  poorly  planned  ami 
poorly  managed  public  works  should  he  stopped,  of 
course,  but  the  economical  improvement  of  roads  in  or- 
der that  the  life  work  of  the  nation  may  proceed 
smoothly  is  a  branch  of  public  endeavor  as  important  as 
the  increased  cultivation  of  the  land  and  the  better- 
ment of  rail  and  water  transportation  facilities. 


Automobiles  and  Morals. 


Auttnnohiles  ami  g  )od  roads  have  been  the  primary 
cause  of  somewhat  lowering  moral  standards,  accord- 
ing to  reports  from  Roanoke  and  Botetourt  counties 
says  the  Roanoke,  Va.,  Times.  It  is  intimated  that 
drastic  steps  must  be  taken  to  curb  the  evils  in  this  sec- 
tion. .Society  people,  it  is  alleged,  are  connected  with 
scandal  recently  unearthed. 

"T'he  situation  is  becoming  truly  alarming."  said  a 
man  recently,  who  is  in  a  position  to  observe  the  con- 
ditions," and  it  is  a  matter  that  demands  the  attention 
of  the  authorities.  "If  half  that  is  going  on  within  a 
radius  of  twenty  miles  of  Roanoke,  with  the  assistance 
of  automobiles  and  good  roads — yes,  if  half  I  personally 
know,  with  the  nanres  of  the  persons  involved — were 
made  public,  it  would  create  a  sensation  beside  which 


The  Picture  Tells 


Fur  cutting  down  banks  or  cleaning  out  dit  :hes  the  Russell  Center 
Shift  lateral  adjustment  of  the  Blade  is  <iuick  acting,  handy,  simple  and 
strong.  On  the  "Standard'"  size  the  blade  may  be  extended  5  1-2  feet 
outside  center  of  draft.  TheSliding  Block  and  Oscillating  Link  hold  the 
blade  rigid  wherever  set.  Don't  buy  a  Road  Machine  before  you  ex- 
amine this  and  other  features.    Our  1917  Catalog  gives  them. 


RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 

REPRESENT.\T1VES  IN  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


Mm  Raitaf  %\m 

1358  Miles  Operated  in 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

Serving  Such  Important  Cities  as  Charlotte, 
Asheville,  Winston-Salem,  Raleigh,  Greens- 
boro, Durham,  Salisbury,  Goldsboro,  Hender- 
sonville,  Waynesville,  Sanford,  Lexington, 
Burlington,  Statesville,  Gastonia.  Etc.,  Etc. 

FROM  THE  MOUNTAINS  TO  THE  SEA 

Modern  Equipment.  Steel  Electrically  Lighted 
Pullman  Cars,  Dining  Cars,  Complete  Through 
and  Local  Train  Service. 

THE  MOST  FAMOUS  TRAINS 
IN  THE  SOUTH 

The  New  York  and  New  Orleans  Limited. 
The  Birmingham  Special.  The  Augusta  Special. 
The  United  States  Fast  Mail. 

SOUTHERN  PROSPERITY  IS  ON  THE 

SOUTHERN  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 

Agencies  in  All  the  Principal   Cities  of  the 

United  States. 

W.  H.  TAYLOE,  H.  F.  GARY, 

Pass.  Traffic  Manager,  Gen'l  Passenger  Agent, 

Washington,  D.  C  Washington,  D.  C. 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


September.  1917 


any  nmrder  trials  our  courts  ever  have  known  wouUl 
pale  into  iusiguilicanee.  IIoi;ses  are  springing:  up  along' 
the  highways  leading  out  of  Roanoke  in  eomnmnities 
inhabited  only  by  honest,  upright  people,  which  are 
I'un  by  disreputable  people  for  immoral  purposes,  and 
if  some  of  the  people  who  frequent  them  would  once 
get  their  names  into  the  papers,  there  would  be  a  social 
revolution   in   Roanoke." 

From  the  inf  )rmation  given  by  the  visitor,  who  lives 
on  the  Cloverdale  road,  it  is  apparent  that  road  houses 
are  in  operation  at  several  points  near  this  city.  Hi' 
stati'd  that  a  negro  family  occupied  a  house  on  his 
place,  which  was  within  sight  of  his  home.  He  suspect- 
ctl  from  the  number  of  automobiles  that  stopped  in 
front  of  his  tenant's  house  that  there  was  something 
radically  wrong,  so  he  decided  to  confirm  his  suspic- 
ions. 

He  returned  to  his  home  one  afternoon  ab::)ut  5:3(1 
o'clock  and,  seeing  two  automobiles  in  front  of  the  ten- 
ant 's  house,  he  decided  to  make  an  investigation.  He 
was  very  much  surprised  to  find  within  a  prominent 
man  of  this  city — a  married  man —  and  a  young  wo- 
man, the  daughter  of  one  of  his  business  friends.  The 
family,  he  continued,  is  a  prominent  one  here.  A  mar- 
ried woman,  whose  husband  was  not  in  the  party,  also 
was  found  in  the  house.  Another  woman,  who  hid  her- 
self, was  later  found.  The  entire  party,  said  the  visitor, 
had  been  drinking.  Obeying  the  pkmdings  of  those 
found  in  the  house,  the  man  took  no  steps  to  have  ar- 
rests made. 

However,  the  negro  family  vacated  on  short  notice, 
and  a  negro  woman,  who  had  charge  of  the  house,  was 
heavily  fined  in  the  .justice's  court  at  Cloverdale. 

The  visitor  remarked  that  he  was  determined  to  de- 
vote his  best  efforts  to  securing  laws  in  Botetourt  and 
R  )anoke  counties  which  will  mitigate  as  far  as  possible 
this  evil,  which  is  growing  at  an  alraming  rate.  He 
stated  that  he  owed  it  to  society  and  to  his  neighbors  to 
assist  in  breaking  up  the  disgraceful  practices.  Per- 
sons in  his  neighborhood,  said  he.  are  positively  sub- 
.iected  to  insult  by  some  of  the  occurrences. 

rnnocent  automobilists  suffer  on  account  of  those 
I  lull  are  guilty,  it  is  alleged,  and  are  sometimes  treat- 
ed  with  discourtes.v. 


Hauling  Costs  Still  Too  High. 

"The  public  roads  throughout  the  country,"  says  J. 
]•].  I'eunypacker,  "which  constitute  the  primary  means 
of  ti-ansportation  for  all  agricultural  products,  for  many 
millions  of  tons  of  forest,  mine  and  manufactured  pro- 
ducts, and  which  for  a  large  percentage  of  farmers  are 
the  only  avenues  of  transportation  leading  from  the 
])r>int  of  production  to  the  point  of  consumption  or  rail 
shipment,  have  been  improved  to  only  a  slight  extent. 
By  reason  of  this  fact,  the  prevailing  cost  of  hauling 
over  these  roads  is  about  23  cents  per  ton  per  mile. 
More  than  350,000,000  tons  are  hauled  over  these  roads 
each  year  ,and  the  average  haul  is  about  eight  miles, 
from  which  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  our  annual  bill 
for  hauling  over  the  public  roads  is  nearly  $650,000,000 
The  cost  per  ton-mile  for  hauling  on  hard-surfaced 
roads  should  not  exceed  13  cents.  It  is  therefore  evi- 
dent that  if  our  roads  were  adequately  improved  a 
large  annual  saving  in  the  cost  of  hauling  would  result. 

"The  dift'erence  between  23  cents  and  33  cents  is  10 
cents,  which  is  the  ton-^miile  tax  of  poor  roads  which 
the  city  people  pay,  for  most  of  the  hauling  is  toward 
markets  or  shipping  points  and  the  cost  of  this  hauling 
is  part  of  the  total  expense  of  products  of  the  land  to 
the  consumer.  The  total  is  about  $280,000,000,  which 
tlu'  45, 000. 000  people  living  in  the  cities  and  towns  of 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  of  Red  Cross  Explosives  and 
modern  road   machinery,  w^ill,  in  many  cases, 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  * 'Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
v^rith  modern  road  building  machmery  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for   *ROAD   CONSTRUCTION 

and   MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont   de   Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


^.otiTmiw 


EXTRA 

lot.  STRENSTH 


Si'Sc^ij&Li^l.-S 


"Armco"  Iron  Calvert  installation  in  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

Labor  Saving 

Scarcity  of  laborers  and  higher  prices  is  now  a  condi- 
tion faced  by  all  public  work. 

"ARMCO'^oKeoCULYERTS 

meet  such  a  condition  because  they  are  easily  transported 
and  installed  by  fewer  men  than  are  necessary  for  other 
types  of  construction. 

For  all  that,  they  are  Built  to  Last.  Their  material  is 
the  purest  and  most  durable  of  irons  and  their  construc- 
tion is  the  recognized  standard. 

For  full  information  on  Rust- Resisting  "Armco" 
Iron  Culoeris  Flumes,  Siphons,  Sheets,  Roofing 
and  Formed  Products,  write 


Resists  Rust 


ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME    MFRS.   ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


September,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


the  United  States  pay  annually  on  account  of  poor 
roads.  This  averages  over  six  dollars  a  year  per  per- 
son." 


"Word  comes  from  Salt  Lake  City  tj  Los  Angeles 
that  auto  touring  in  the  intermountain  west  this  year 
will  be  exceedingly  heavy.  Little  Zion  Canyon,  a  vir- 
gin spot  for  tourists,  is  dividing  honors  with  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park  as  an  objective  paint.  During  the  lasl 
winter  the  Utah  state  authorities  have  built  a  new 
road  connecting  Little  Zion  canyon  with  the  Arrow- 
head trail  at  Anderson's  ranch,  twenty-five  miles  north 
of  St.  George,  and  this  undoubteldy  will  be  a  great  in- 
ducement to  many  transcontinental  tourists  to  make 
Southern  California  the  Pacific  coast  terminus  of  their 
trip,  as  it  will  give  them  an  opportunity  to  pass  through 
one  of  the  most  fascinating  and  hitherto  unknown 
areas  of  scenic  wonders  in  the  world. 


The  State  Highway  Department  of  Ohio  has  .just 
published  a  corrected  highway  of  the  state  showing 
the  development  of  inter-county  highway  systems. 
This  state  has  been  affording  valual)le  state  aid  and  the 
counties  have  been  responding  splendidly  and  they 
now  have  well  under  way  a  complete  system  of  inter- 
coimty  roads — roads  that  start  somewhere  and  gn 
somewhere. 


The  American  Highway  Association  points  out  that 
the  towns  are  lagging  behind  the  country  in  the  mat- 
ter of  roadways.  Hundreds  of  towns  in  the  country 
may  be  approached  over  good  smooth  highways  only 
to  find  rough,  bumpy  or  muddy  streets. 


Gaston  Count>,  North  Carolina,  has  awarded  the  con- 
tract for  thirty-six  miles  of  asphalt  roads  to  be  built 
b.y  the  penetration  method  on  the  macadam.  It  is  pur- 
posed to  treat  the  entire  system  of  macadam  roads  by 
this  method.     The  less  traveled  roads  are  of  sand  clay. 

Roy  T.  Brown,  engineer  and  superintendent  of  road 
construction  for  Davidson  county,  N.  C,  has  resigned 
and  accepted  the  position  of  assistant  state  highway  en- 
gineer of  South  Carolina.  He  was  succeeded  by  N.  S. 
.Mullican,  an  engineer  of  considerable  experience  in 
building  North  Carolina  roads.  New  construction  will 
cease  and  the  entire  energy  of  the  road  forces  turned 
toward  better  maintenance. 

A  celebration  was  held  recently  at  Ridgeerest,  N.  C, 
the  top  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  upon  the  completion  of  the 
Central  Highwa.y  of  North  Carolina  across  the  Blue 
Ridge.  From  Ridgeerest  to  Asheville  the  road  is  being 
built  of  concrete. 

The  Maxwell  Tt)uring  Bureau  of  New  York  advises 
all  northern  motorists  who  are  thinking  of  visiting  the 
Southern  training  camps  to  make  the  trip  down  the 
Shenandoah  pike  and  throgh  Roanoke,  Va. 


HIGHWAY  ENGINEEES. 

Highway  Engineers  and  Instrumenfinent  of  experience 
are  invited  to  file  applicati:)n  for  employment  with  this 
Department.  Blank  form  of  application  furnished  up- 
on request. 

Virginia   State   Highway    Commission, 

Richmond,    Va. 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  by  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.    It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


26  SOI'TTIKRX  GOOD  T70ADS  September.  1917 


IF  there  is  anything  about  our  trade  with  your  county  that 
doesn't  exactly  suit  you,  we  are  always  ready  and  willing  to 
do  everything  in  our  power  to  make  it  right.  Unfortunately, 
some  folks  think  because  they  are  dealing  with  a  company 
there  should  never  be  any  mistakes  and  all  things  should  run 
along  in  ship-shape  order  at  all  times.  This  would  be  the  case  if 
what  we  desired  could  be  obtained.  Since,  how^ever,  we  are 
only  human,  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another  will  occur  and  our 
only  recourse  is  to  rectify  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 

"To  err  is  human; 

To  forgive,  divine." 

However,  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  quality  of  our  "GEN- 
UlNE  OPEN  HEARTH  IRON"  (99.8759^  Pure  Iron-Copper 
Alloy)  Culverts.  Whether  Black  or  Galvanized  we  stand  back 
of  every  foot  we  make  and  guarantee  it  to  give  more  lasting  ser- 
vice than  any  other  Culvert  Pipe  made,  when  installed  under 
identical  conditions. 

A  postal  card  to  us  or  to  J.  H.  Slaughter,  Yarborough  Hotel, 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  will  result  in  the  merits  of  our  Product  being 
placed  before  you  in  a  courteous,  business-like  manner.  To  deal 
with  us  once  is  to  become  a  life-time  customer. 


The  Newport  Culvert  Co.,  Inc. 

Newport,  Ky. 


<souIhei^\l, 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  October,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Road  Building  Serial  Bonds  Save  Money 

Tables  and  Diagrams  Show  That  Sinking-Fund  and  Annuity  Methods 

Cost  Tax  Payers  Many  Millions 

By  M.  O.  ELDRIDGE 

Office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural   Engineering,  Wasbington,  D.  C. 


DEFINITE  eomparisous  between  the  ultimate  costs 
of  different  types  of  bond  show  that  the  serial 
type  is  most  desirable.  Especially  in  local  road-im- 
I^rovement  work,  wliere  the  sinking  funds  lead  to  many 
troubles,  serial  bonds  are  greatly  to  be  preferred.  The 
tables  and  charts  given  herewith  make  it  possible  for 
anyone  to  verify  the  conclusions. 

Bond  issues  ought  to  be  resorted  to  only  where  they 
cannot  be  avoided.  It  should  be  a  fundamental  rule 
in  the  financial  operations  of  a  county  or  township  that 
all  current  expenses,  such  as  for  the  maintenance  of 
roads,  be  paid  from  the  proceeds  of  an  annual  tax  levy. 
Furthermore,  if  a  township  or  county  is  able  to  levy 
a  sufficient  tax  to  improve  all  of  the  roads  required  in 
a  reasonable  length  of  time  without  imposing  too  great 
a  burden  on  the  taxpayers,  it  should  bj-  all  means  adopt 
this  course. 

T'he  only  defense  that  can  be  offered  for  a  local  bond 
issue  rests  upon  the  common-sense  principles  of  pay- 
ment by  installment  and  of  capitalizing  undeveloped 
resources.  If  a  system  of  roads  is  to  be  built,  it  is  us- 
uallj'  of  common  advantage  that  the  people  who  may  be 
called  upon  to  pay  the  bills  should  be  permitted  to  dis- 
tribute their  contributions  over  a  period  of  years  and 
that  all  who  share  in  the  benefits  should  also  share  in 
the  burdens. 

Engineering  Considerations  of  Road-Building 
Economics. 

Before  a  community  invests  its  money  in  a  system  of 
roads,  it  should  consider  the  traffic  area  of  the  road  or 
roads  to  be  improved;  the  present  and  future  traffic  in 
ton-miles  per  annum,  the  estimated  cost  of  hauling  per 
ton-mile  at  present  and  what  it  probably  will  be  re- 
duced to  by  the  improvement ;  the  roads  to  be  improved ; 
the  approximate  cost  of  the  improvement  as  borne  out 
by  surveys  and  estimates  made  by  a  competent  high- 
way engineer;  the  probable  effects  of  the  improvement 
on  farm  values,  school  consolidation  and  attendance, 
community  betterment  and  the  rural  delivery  of  the 
mails;  and  whether  the  work  can  be  carried  on  by  di- 

Reproduced  courtesy  Engineering  News-Record. 


rect  taxation  or  whether  it  is  desirable  to  resort  to 
credit. 

A  comprehensive  study  of  these  facts  will  enable  a 
community  to  determine  whether  it  can  afford  to  in- 
vest its  money  in  good  roads,  how  much  it  can  invest 
profitably,  how  many  miles  of  road  it  should  build, 
what  type  of  roads  it  would  be  most  economical  to  con- 
struct, which  roads  should  be  improved  first,  and  wheth- 
er it  would  be  wise  to  proceed  under  a  cash  basis  nv 
whether  it  would  be  best  to  issue  bonds. 

If  the  people  decide  that  it  would  be  wise  to  issue 
bonds  and  distribute  the  burden  over  a  period  of  years, 
then  they  should  determine  with  careful  forethought 
what  kind  of  bonds  should  be  issued,  whether  long- 
term  or  short-term,  whether  sinking-fund,  annuity  or 
serial  bonds,  and  what  taxes  should  be  imposed  in  or- 
der to  extinguish  the  debt. 

Financial  Status  of  Community  Should  Be  Carefully 
Weighed. 

In  determining  the  question  of  term  or  life  of  a  bond 
issue,  consideration  should  be  given  not  only  to  the 
character  of  the  improvement  to  be  financed,  but  also 
to  the  ability  of  the  township  or  county  to  dispose  of 
the  debt  as  quickly  as  possible,  without  imposing  too 
great  a  burden  upon  the  taxpayers.  The  indebtedness 
should  be  liquidated  at  a  rate  at  least  equivalent  to 
the  depreciation  of  the  improvements  thus  financed. 
The  payments  should  be  so  distributed  over  a  period 
of  years  as  to  avoid  the  two  extremes  of  excessive  or 
debt  beyond  the  life  of  the  utility,  in  order  to  obtain 
confiscatory  levies  on  the  one  hand  to  pay  oft'  the  debt 
too  quickly,  and  the  extension  on  the  other  hand  of  the 
a  low  annual  tax  rate.  A  revenue  measure  that  makes 
sudden  and  rapid  changes  in  the  rates  of  taxation  is 
the  occasion  of  unnecessary  inconvenience  and  vexa- 
tion to  the  taxpayer. 

Many  road  bonds  are  issued  for  terms  of  30  years 
and  over  in  order  to  obtain  a  low  annual  charge  for  in- 
terest and  principal.  An  examination  of  the  chart.  Fig. 
1,  and  Tables  I,  II  and  III  will  show  that  very  little 
advantage  is  gained  by  fixing  the  term  of  a  bond  long- 
er than  25  or  30  yeai-s.     On  the  other  hand,  if  bonds 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  EOADS 


October,  1911 


are  paid  off  earlier  thau  20  or  25  years,  the  average 
auuual  cost  of  interest  and  principal  will  be  so  high 
as  to  necessitate  the  levy  of  an  annual  tax  which  might 
in  some  eases  be  considered  excessive. 

Term  and  Character  of  Bonds  Shoidd  Be  Limited  by 

Statute. 

In  some  of  the  states,  during  the  past  few  years  the 
term  and  character  of  bonds  have  been  fixed  by  statute. 
In  ^laryland.  for  instance,  state  bonds  for  public  roads 
must  be  paid  off  in  15  years,  even  though  the  roads  eon- 


Z5 


5  zo 


1 

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1 

1 

8 

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I'l 

-100,000 Dollar  SlrlongFijnd  iot^l^rSeanng^'AU) 



I  \ 

-  "        n     Annuity  Bond 

-  "        n     Sena!       " 

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\ 

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1 

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(        \ 

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1 

20        25 
TERM     IN 


30        55 
VEAPS 


40 


45 


50        65 


Fig  1.  Little  Advantage  is  Gained  Through  Bonds  Run- 
ning More  Than  25  Years. 

strueted  from  the  proceeds  are  the  most  permanent  and 
(lural)le  that  it  is  possible  to  build.  The  method  of 
l)ond  amortization  adupted  by  ^Maryland  is  referred  to 
by  the  legislature  as  the  Serial  Annuity  plan.  Of  $1.- 
500,000  bonds  bearuig  date  of  Aug.  1.  1916.  Series  A. 
amounting  to  $90,000.  becomes  due  Aug.  1,  1919 ;  Se- 
ries B.  amounting  to  $94,000.  becomes  due  Aug.  1,  1920. 
Each  year  the  amount  retired  exceeds  the  amount  re- 
tired the  previous  year,  so  that  the  last  payment.  Ser- 
ies M.  which  becomes  due  on  Aug.  1,  1931  (15  years 
from  the  date  of  issue),  amounts  to  $144,000.  The  in- 
terest on  the  outstanding  indebtedness  is  paid  each 
year:  the  total  payments  are  practically  the  same  each 


year.     The  same  method  of  retirement  was  also  adopt- 
ed for  the  $1,500,000,  bearing  date  of  Feb.  1,  1917. 

Bonds  Limited  to  Life  of  Improvement. 

New  Jersey  and  Delaware  are  the  only  states  in 
which  the  terms  of  bonds  is  limited  to  the  probable  life 
of  the  improvement  for  which  the  bonds  are  issued. 
The  term  of  municipal  bonds  in  New  Jersey  is  fixed  bj' 
the  law  of  1916  as  follows:  For  stone,  concrete  and 
iron  bridges,  30  years;  for  roads  and  streets  built  of 
concrete  6in.  thick  or  of  block  of  any  material  or  sheet 
asphalt  laid  on  concrete  foundation,  20  years;  for  bitu- 
minous concrete  construction.  15  years;  for  waterbound 
macadam,  penetration  metluid,  10  years;  and  f:)r  grav- 
el, 5  years.  The  New  Jersey  law  also  provides  that 
all  bonds  shall  be  paid  in  annual  installments,  com- 
mencing not  more  than  2  years  from  the  date  of  issue 
— in  other  words,  deferred  serial  bonds.  In  Delaware 
40-year  sinking-fund  bonds  may  be  issued  for  state 
highways,  provided  they  are  constructed  with  such 
materials  that  with  proper  maintenance  they  may  be 
expected  ta  last  40  years. 

Between  1882  and  1912  the  method  for  bond  retire- 
ment (sinking  fund  or  serial)  was  optional  in  the  State 
of  ^Massachusetts.  Since  1912  the  use  of  sinking  funds 
has  been  prohibited,  the  serial  bond  has  been  made 
compulsory  and  the  maximum  term  lias  been  reduced 
from  30  to  15  years. 

Between  1894  and  1904  the  state  highway  bonds  of 
ilassaehusetts  were  issued  with  sinking-fund  provis- 
ions. From  1905  to  the  present  time,  serial  or  defer- 
red serial  bonds  have  been  issued.  All  of  these  bonds, 
amounting  to  about  $8,700,000.  bear  not  less  thau  3% 
and  not  more  than  4%  intei'est. 

California  Issues  50-Year  Bonds. 

California  state  highway  bonds  authorized  in  1910. 
and  amounting  to  $18,000,000,  were  issued  as  deferred 
serials,  with  the  maximum  term  of  50  years.  Addition- 
al state  highway  bonds,  amounting  to  $15,000,000,  au- 
thorized in  1916.  are  to  be  issued  imder  the  same  con- 
ditions. 

The  $2,000,000  state  highway  loan  authorized  by  the 
legislature  of  Utah  during  the  early  part  of  1917  is  to 
be  retired  by  the  serial  method  and  in  not  to  exceed  20 
years. 

As  indicated  aliove,  the  tendency  in  some  of  the  states 
during  the  past  few  years  has  been  to  adopt  serial 
bonds  and  to  reduce  the  term  of  the  debt  somewhat  in 
jn-oportion  to  the  life  of  the  improvement.  The  case 
of  New  York,  however,  may  be  cited  as  a  striking  ex- 
ception to  this  tendency.     The  New  York  state  high- 


TABLE  I.  ANN'UAL  COST  OF  SINK- 
ING FUND  BOND 
Average  annual  cost  of  a  $100,000 
sinking-fund  bond  bearing  3,  4,  5  or 
6%  interest,  with  sinking  fund  draw- 
ing 3%%  interest,  and  bonds  maturing 
at  different  periods  from  5  to  50  years. 


Annual  Costs  of  Three  Kinds  of  Bond 

TABLE  II.  ANNUAL  COST  OF  AN- 
NUITY BOND 
Average  annual  cost  of  a  ?100,000 
annuity  bond  bearing  3.  4,  5  or  6%  in- 
terest, and  maturing  at  different  pe- 
riods from   5  to  50  years. 


TABLE  III.  ANNUAL  COST  OF  SE- 
RIAL BOND 
Average  annual  cost  of  a  $100,000 
serial  bond  bearing  3,  4,  5  or  6%  in- 
terest, and  maturing  at  different  pe- 
riods from  5  to  50  years. 


Term 

Term 

Term 

in 

m 

in 

Years 

3^r 

47f 

5% 

&7c 

Years 

3% 

47c 

57c 

6% 

Years 

37c 

47c 

57c 

6% 

5 

21,648 

22,648 

23,648 

24,648 

5 

21,835 

22,463 

23,097 

23,741 

D 

21,800 

22,400 

23,000 

23,60C 

10 

11,524 

12,524 

13,524 

14,524 

10 

11,724 

12,329 

12,950 

13,586 

10 

11,650 

12,200 

12,750 

13,300 

15 

8.1S3 

!l,183 

10,183 

11,183 

15 

8,377 

8,994 

9,634 

10,296 

15 

8,267 

8,800 

9,333 

9,866 

20 

6,536 

7,536 

8,536 

9,536 

20 

6,722 

7,358 

8,024 

8,718 

20 

6,675 

7,100 

7,625 

8,150 

25 

5,567 

6,567 

7,567 

8,567 

25 

5,743 

6,401 

7,095 

7,823 

25 

5,560 

6,080 

6,600 

7,120 

30 

4.937 

5,937 

6,937 

7,937 

30 

5,102 

5,783 

6,505 

7,265 

30 

4,883 

5,400 

9,917 

6,434 

35 

4,500 

5,500 

6,500 

7,500 

35 

4,654 

5,358 

6,107 

6,897 

35 

4,400 

4,914 

5,429 

5,943 

40 

4,183 

5,183 

6,183 

7,183 

40 

4,326 

5,052 

5,828 

6,646 

40 

4,037 

4,550 

5,063 

5,576 

45 

3.945 

4,945 

5,945 

6,945 

45 

4,085 

4,826 

5,626 

6,570 

45 

3,756 

4,267 

4,778 

5,289 

SO 

3,763 

4,763 

5,763 

6,763 

50 

3,887 

4,655 

5,478 

6,344 

50 

3,530 

4,040 

4,550 

5,060 

October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


way  bonds  authorized  in  1906  and  1912  respectively, 
for  a  total  of  $100,000,000,  were  issued  with  sinking- 
fund  provisions.  These  bonds  bear  from  3  to  41/2% 
interest,  and  are  to  run  50  years  before  any  of  the 
bonds  are  retired. 

Types  of  Bonds. 

The  various  types  of  bond  may  be  briefly  described  as 
follows : 

Sinking-Fimd  Bonds — I'nder  the  sinking-fund  plan, 
none  of  the  bonds  are  retiral)le  until  the  end  of  a  defi- 
nite period,  and  the  entire  sum  raised  bears  interest 
for  the  entire  life  of  the  bond.  The  county  or  munici- 
pality pays  interest  on  the  money  so  borrowed  and  in 
addition  sets  aside  each  year,  as  a  sinking  fund,  an 
amount  which  when  invested  at  compound  interest  will 
be  sufficient  to  retire  all  the  bonds  when  they  become 
due. 


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100,000  DCLLARS.ZO  YEAR  4  PER  CENT   SINKING   FUND    BOND 


Fig.  2.    Sinking  Fund  Bonds  Bear  Interest  on  Full  Sum 
For  Whole  Life. 

The  method  of  disposing  of  a  20-year  sinking-fund 
bond  is  shown  graphically  by  the  chart,  Fig.  2. 

In  this  particular  case  the  bonds  bear  4%  interest 
and  the  sinking  fund  bring.s  3i/'2%,  compounded  an- 
nually. The  annual  payment  for  interest  amount  to 
.$4000,  or  a  total  of  .|S0,,000,  and  the  annual  deposit  for 
sinking  fund  amounts  to  $3536,10,  or  a  total  of  $70,722, 
making  a  grand  total  for  interest  and  sinking  fiuid 
$150,722, 

Annuity  Bonds — T'he  annuity  bond  is  similar  to  the 
method  employed  by  home  buyei-s  in  large  cities,  by 
which  they  pay  a  fixed  amount  each  mouth,  a  portion 
of  which  is  used  to  pay  interest,  and  the  balance  is  ap- 
plied on  the  mortgage.  The  annuity  method  is  similar 
to  the  sinking-fund  method  in  that  the  total  outlay  for 
the  payment  of  interest  and  principal  remains  constant 
each  year  from  the  time  the  bonds  are  issued  until  they 
are  paid  ofl".  The  amount  paid  for  interest,  however,  is 
relatively  large  at  first,  and  consequently  the  annual 
payment  on  the  principal  is  relatively  small ;  but  as  the 
principal  is  gradually  paid  off  the  annual  interest 
charges  diminish.  This  is  brought  out  graphically  in 
Fig.  3,  which  represents  a  $100,000  4%  20-year  annuity 
bond. 

In  this  case  the  total  outlay  for  interest  and  princi- 
pal the  first  year  would  be  $7358,  of  which  $4000  would 
be  for  interest  and  $3358  for  principal.  The  second 
year  the  interest  would  amount  to  $3866.  and  the  pay- 
ment on  principal  would  be  $3492,50,  and  so  on  to  the 
twentieth  year,  when  $283  would  be  the  interest  charge, 
and  $7075  would  be  the  final  payment  on  principal, 
making  in  all  $147,163.50,  of  which  $47,163.50  woulcl 
be  the  interest  charge. 

The  formulas  used  in  computing  bond  issues  by  the 


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Years 

lOQOOO  DOLLARS,  20  YEAR   4  PER   CENT.  ANNUITY  BOND 

Fig.  3.    Interest  Payments  Decrease  on  Annuity  Bonds 

sinking-fund  and  annuity  methods  are  contained  in 
Bulletin  Xo,  136  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  which  may  be  easily  obtained. 

Serial  Bonds— In  the  codicil  to  Benjamin  Franklin's 
will,  written  in  1/89,  he  left  .$5000  each  to  the  cities  of 
Philadelphia  and  Bo.ston,-to  be  invested  for  two  cen- 
turies, the  income  to  be  lent  to  young  married  artificers. 
These  loans  were  to  be  repaid  in  ten  equal  annual  in- 


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100,000  D0LLARS,20YEAR4PER   CENT  SERIAL    BOND 

Fig,  4.     Serial  Bonds  Lessen  Interest  Payments 

.stallments,  with  interest  at  5%  per  annum.  Thus  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  was  one  of  the  first  to  recognize  the 
eeonomy  and  desirability  of  serial-bond  retirement.  If 
the  principle  laid  down  by  Franklin  for  the  retirement 
of  personal  debts  were  more  frequently  applied  to  the 
retirement  of  public  debts,  both  state  and  local,  millions 
of  dollars  would  be  saved  annually  to  the  taxpayers  of 
the  United  States. 

Under  the  serial  plan  a  certain  amount  of  the  bonds 
is  retired  each  year  the  interest  on  the  remaining 
amoiuit  outstanding  is  paid,  and  the  bonds  retired  cease 
to  be  an  interest  charge  on  the  commimity.  The  method 
of  retiring  $100,000  of  20-year  4%  serial  bonds  is  sho^ivn 
graphically  by  Fig.  4. 

In  this  case.  .$5000  would  be  paid  on  principal  each 
year.  The  interest  for  the  first  j-ear  would  be  $4000; 
for  the  second  year,  $3800.  and  so  on.  decreasing  by 
$200  each  year,  until  the  twentieth  year,  when  $5000 
on  principal  and  $200  on  interest  would  dispose  of  the 
debt.  Tlie  total  outlay  would  be  $142,000.  of  which 
.$42,000  would  be  for  interest. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  when  a  county 
issues  20-year  bonds  under  the  conditions  given,  it 
would  save  $3559  for  each  $100,000,  by  using  the  an- 
nuity method,  or  $8722  by  using  the  serial  method,  in- 
stead of  the  sinking-fund  method;  but  when  the  inter- 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  1917 


est  rate  is  higher  than  i%  and  the  term  is  longer  than 
20  years  the  saving  would  be  considerably  greater. 

A  set  of  curves  showing  the  total  cost  of  $100,000  of 
bonds  bearing  interest  at  3.  4.  5  and  6%  by  these  three 


340 
520 
300 
280 

S    260 

_] 
—i 

^     240 

z 

o    220 

z 

P    200 

o 

^     l«0 

o 

t- 

160 
140 
120 


TOTAL  COST    OF  A 

IOO.OOODolkir5cralBond(iti4i&6%lnterKt 

"       "A/inufty    "    "  3.4&&6"     "     * 

„      "Sinking  Fund  Bond  at5i4,556%lrTt 

Phncipol  6  Inlcnret- Payments  made  Annually 

*  Sinking  Fund  Bsinng  3^%  Compounded  Annually 


-^ 


^ 


100 

5  10  15  20  25 

TERM     IN 

Fig.  5.    Relative  Costs  of  Various  Bond  Types 

methods  to  be  paid  off  at  the  end  of  any  year  from  the 
fifth  to  the  fiftieth  year  is  shown  by  Pig.  5.  The  sink- 
ing-fund bond  curves  are  computecl  on  the  theory  that 
the  sinking  fund  brings  3i'->%  interest  compounded  an- 
nually. The  economy  of  the  serial  bond  is  strikingly 
shown  by  these  curves.  The  exact  figures  on  which  the 
curves  are  based  are  presented  in  Tables  4.  5  and  6. 

An  examination  of  the  curves  will  show  that  a  serial 
bond  bearing  5%  interest  will  cost  approximately  the 
same  if  paid  off  at  the  end  of  the  forty-first  year  as  a 
4%  annuity  bond  retired  at  the  same  time.  If  the  bonds 
are  paid  oft'  at  any  time  after  the  forty-first  year,  the 
4%  annuity  bond  would  be  more  expensive  than  the  5% 
serial.    The  5%  serial  will  cost  approximately  the  same 


as  the  4%  sinking  fund,  if  they  are  both  paid  oft'  at  the 
end  of  the  twenty-eighth  year. 

Why  the  Sinking-Fund  Method  is  Bad. 

The  chief  objection  to  the  sinking-fund  bond  is  that 
its  principles  are  so  frequently  violated,  sometimes  wil- 
fully and  deliberately,  and  sometimes  through  igno- 
rance. The  strongest  argument  against  sinking-fund 
bonds  is  the  wanton  mismanagement  which  so  frequent- 
ly accompanies  the  handling  of  the  sinking  funds.  It 
is  not  uncommon  for  counties  to  issue  long-term  sink- 
ing-fund bonds  without  providing  a  sinking  fund  for 
the  retirement  of  the  bonds  when  they  may  become  due, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  term  to  issue  refunding  bonds 
on  the  same  basis.  In  such  cases,  the  total  outlay  for 
interest,  before  the  debt  can  be  canceled,  may  amount 
to  twice  or  three  times  the  original  cost  of  the  work 
performed. 

Xo  individual  could  acquire  a  sound  financial  repista- 
tion  in  the  commimity,  if  he  continually  renewed  his 
indebtedness.  The  same  is  also  true  to  a  certain  extent 
of  a  corporation  or  a  body  politic.  That  millions  of 
dollars  of  refunding  bonds  are  issued  annually  in  the 
United  States  is  a  proof  that  the  sinking-fund  method 
of  financing  is  unsound. 

Danger  of  Mishandling  the  Sinking  Fund. 

Numerous  cases  might  be  cited  of  counties  and  mu- 
nicipalities which  have  made  poor  use  or  no  use  at  all 
of  the  sinking  fund.  The  existence  of  a  sinking  fund 
is  a  constant  temptation  to  local  officials  to  use  it  for 
purposes  other  than  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended. The  sinking  fund  will  not  progress  satisfac- 
torily unless  it  receives  constant  and  careful  attention, 
which  may  not  always  be  possible  in  counties  where  lo- 
cal officials  are  frequently  changed.  Hon.  John  "Weeks, 
of  ^Massachusetts,  in  a  speech  in  the  United  States  Sen- 
ate on  Feb.  22,  1917,  made  the  statement:  "Public 
sinking  funds  have  proved  too  precarious  for  sound  fi- 
nancing." 

If  a  coiuity  has  issued  sinking-fund  bonds,  it  should 
make  it  an  inflexible  rule  to  deposit  annually  in  the 
sinking  fund  a  pro  rata  amount  sufficient  to  retire  the 
bonds  at  maturity.  If  a  sinking  fund  is  created  by  the 
law  that  creates  the  debt,  a  public  creditor  has  an  as 
sured  method  of  securing  payment,  and  if  the  sinking 
fund  is  created  this  usually  necessitates  the  levying  of 
an  annual  tax  for  the  purpose.  Unless  required  by 
law,  the  levying  of  this  tax  is  frequently  overlooked 
by  public  offtcials  who  desire  to  establish  a  reputation 
for  economy;  and  even  if  the  tax  is  levied  and  a  sink- 
ing fund  is  established,  the  funds  in  manv  cases  have 


TABLE  IV.     TOTAL  COST  OF  SINK- 
FUND  BOND 
of  a  $100,000  sinking-fund 
3.   4,   5   or   6%    interest, 
fund  drawing  3%%,  and 
different   periods   from   5 


Total  cost 
bond  bearing 
witli  sinking 
maturing  at 
to  50  years. 
Term 

in 
Years  3% 
5  108,241 
115.241 
122,738 
130,722 
139,185 
148,114 
157,494 
167,309 
177,540 
188,169 


10 
15 
20 
25 
30 
35 
40 
45 
50 


4% 
113.241 
125,241 
137,738 
150,722 
164,185 
178,114 
192,494 
207.309 
222.540 
238,169 


5% 
118,241 
135,241 
152,738 
170,722 
189,185 
208.114 
227,494 
247.309 
267.540 
288,169 


6% 
123,241 
145,241 
167,738 
190,722 
214,185 
238,114 
262.494 
287.309 
312,540 
338,169 


Total  Costs  of  Three  Kinds  of  Bond 

TABLE  V.  TOTAL  COST  OF  ANNU- 
ITY BOND 
Total  cost  of  a  $100,000  annuity  bond 
bearing  3.  4.  5  or  6%  interest,  and  ma- 
turing at  different  periods  from  5  to 
50  years. 

Term 

in 
Years     3%  4%  5%  6% 

5  109,177  112,316  115,487  118,698 

10  117.236  123.291  129.505  135.868 

15  125.650  134.912  144.513  154,444 

20  134,431  147,163  160,485  174,369 

25  143,570  160,030  177,381  195,567 

30  153,058  173,490  195,154  217,947 

35  162,888  187,521  213,751  241,409 

40  173,050  202,094  233,113  265,846 

45  183,833  217,181  253,178  291.152 

50  194,327  232,751  273,883  317,221 


TABLE  VI.  TOTAL  COST  OF  SERIAL 
BOND 
Total  cost  of  a  $100,000  serial  bond 
bearing  3.  4,  5  or  6%  interest  and  ma- 
turing at  different  periods  from  5  to 
50  years. 


Term 
in 

Years  3% 
5  109,000 
116,500 
124,000 
131,500 
139,000 
146,500 
154.000 
161.500 
169,000 
176,500 


10 
15 
20 
25 
30 
35 
40 
45 
50 


4% 
112,000 
122,000 
132.000 
142.000 
152,000 
162,000 
172,000 
182,000 
192,000 
202,000 


5% 
115,000 
127,500 
140,000 
152.500 
165,000 
177,500 
190,000 
202,500 
215,000 
227,500 


6% 
118,000 
133,000 
148,000 
163,000 
178,000 
193,000 
208,000 
223,000 
238,000 
253,000 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


not  been  properly  and  promptly  invested,  wbile  in  other 
cases  the  funds  have  been  used  to  pay  current  expenses, 
or  for  other  improvements,  and  when  the  day  of  reckon- 
ing c  lines  insufifieient  funds,  or  no  funds  at  all.  are 
available  to  meet  the  obliiaration. 

Some  Features  of  Serial  Bonds. 

About  the  only  advantage  which  the  sinking-fund 
bond  has  over  the  serial  bond  is  that  the  annual  pay- 
ments for  interest  and  principal  remain  constant  each 
year  from  the  date  of  issue  to  the  date  of  payment.  The 
annuity  bond,  however,  possesses  the  same  advantage, 
and  at  the  same  time  is  not  so  expensive  as  the  sinking- 
fund  bond,  although  more  expensive  than  the  serial 
bond. 

Under  either  the  sinking-fund  or  the  annuity  plan,  a 
uniform  tax  rate  covering  a  period  of  years  will  pay 
the  interest  and  retire  the  bonds  as  they  become  due, 
provided  the  assessed  valuation  remains  constant.  How- 
ever, as  taxable  valuatiDUs  usually  increase  rapidly  af- 
ter extensive  improvements  have  been  made,  there  does 
not  appear  to  be  any  particular  advantage  in  a  imiform 
tax  rate.  The  rate  will  naturally  adjust  itself  to  the 
valuation  and  to  the  needs  of  the  community. 

The  only  real  disadvantage  of  a  serial  bond  is  that 
the  annual  payment  for  principal  and  interest  is  rela- 
tively large  at  first,  necessitating  a  relatively  high  tax 
rate,  which,  however,  is  gradually  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum as  the  bonds  are  paid  iff.  But  the  economy  of  the 
serial  bond  far  outweighs  this  disadvantage. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  a  sinking-fund  bond  will 
.sell  to  better  advantage  than  a  serial  bond.  That  this 
is  not  always  true,  however,  is  shown  by  the  fact  tha" 
the  tirst  issue  of  New  Tork  City  serials,  made  in  1915 
and  amounting  to  $21:.000.n00.  obtained  a  higher  pre- 
mium than  a  50-year  sinking-fund  issue  of  .$46,000,000 
floated  at  the  same  time. 

Tlie  selling  price  of  a  bind  depends  upon  several 
factors.  If  a  bond  bears  5%  interest  and  the  bond 
buyer  wishes  to  make  5%  interest  on  his  investment,  he 
cannot  afford  to  pay  more  than  par.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  bond  would  naturally  sell  at  par.  If  he 
wishes  to  make  more  than  5%,  he  cannot  afford  to  pay 
as  much  as  par,  in  which  case  the  bond  would  sell  at  a 
discount:  while  if  he  is  willing  to  make  less  than  5^, 
he  can  afford  to  pay  a  premium.  The  amount  of  pre- 
mium that  he  can  afford  to  pay  will  depend  upon  the 
term,  the  interest  rate,  the  character  of  the  bonds,  the 
condition  of  the  bond  market  and  the  degree  of  credit  or 
security  which  the  community  selling  the  bonds  can 
oft'er. 

Example  Shows  Value  of  Serial  Bonds 
Assuming  an  issue  of  $100,000,  20-year  bonds,  bear- 
iag  5%  interest,  and  that  the  bond  buyer  is  willing  to 
make  -41  ^/c  interest  net.  which  condition  may  be  con- 
sidered typical,  then  the  bond  buyer  can  afford  to  pay  a 
premium  of  about  $3884.  if  the  bonds  are  issued  as 
serials,  or  $6504,  where  the  loan  is  paid  off  at  the  end 
of  the  term,  such  as  a  sinking-fund  bond.  Tables  VII 
and  YIII  show  the  premium  which  the  bond  buyer 
can  pay  where  he  is  willing  to  net  from  4  to  5i2%  inter- 
est on  bonds  which  bear  from  4  to  o^'^'^c  interest  for 
each  of  the  two  tj-pes  above  referred  to.  where  the  term 
is  20  and  25  years.  These  figures  are  based  on  formulas 
contained  in  Bulletin  136  of  the  U,  S,  Department  of 
Agriculture  and  on  the  theory  that  the  interest  is  paid 
annually. 

It  will  he  seen  from  the  above  that  sinking-fund  bonds 
possess,  in  the  eases  referred  to,  a  slight  advantage  ov- 
er serial  bonds,  in  so  far  as  the  premium  is  concerned. 


But  by  subtracting  the  premiums  from  the  total  cost 
in  both  cases  it  appears  that  the  serial  bond  still  has 

TABLE  VI       PRBillUil  ON  BONDS  RETIRED  AT  EXPIRA- 
TION. 
Premium.?  on  $100,000  bonds  which  are  retired  at  the  end  of  20 

or  25  years,  with  interest  paid  annually 
Term  Interest 
of      Rate  of  If  Bond  Buyer  Nets 

Bond     Bond  4%  4%%  5%  hV^'Jc 

20  47o  0  ?6,503.97*       ?12.462.21*       117,925.57* 

20  4%  6,795.16  0  6,131.10*         11.950.38* 

20  5  13.590.33       6,503,97  ')  5,975,19'' 

20  51-^         20.385,49     13,007,94  6,231.10  0 

25  4  0  7.414,10*         14,093,94*         20,121,89* 

25  4%  7,811,04  0  7,046.07*         13,413,93* 

25  5  15,622,08       7,414,10  0  6.706,96* 

25  5%         23,433.12     14,828,21  7,046,97  0 

*Discount, 

the  advantage  from  the  taxpayer's  standpoint.  For  in- 
stance, if  the  premiums  are  deducted,  the  total  cost  of 
the  20-year  5^(  serial  a1iove  referred  to  is  $15,602  less 
than  the  20-year  straight  terminable  bond,  and  for  the 
2o-vear  bond  the  serial  has  the  advantage  over  the 
straight  terminable  by  $21,292  for  each  $100,000  of 
binds  issued. 

Sinking-Fund  Bonds  Are  Still  Widely  Used. 
The  most  desirable  and  ucniKiniical  type  of  bond  for 
county  road  and  bridge  work  appears  to  be  the  serial 
form.  It  is  not  always  advisable,  however,  to  begin 
paying  off  a  bond  the  first  year  of  the  loan.  The  finan- 
cial obligations  of  a  county  should  be  so  arranged  as 
to  make  the  burden  comparatively  light  at  the  very  out- 

TABLE  VII.      PRE:MIUM   ON   BONDS   RETIRED  ANNUALLY 
Premiums  on  ?100,000  bonds  with  terms  of  20  and  25  .>-ears, 
which  are   retired  by  equal  annual  payments,  with 
interest   paid  annually 
Term  Interest 

of      Rate  of  If  Bond  Buyer  Nets 

Bond     Bond  4%  4%%  5%  d%% 

20  4%  0  ?3,884,48*       57,537,79*       |10,976,75* 

20  41/2         14,006,05  0  3,768,89*  7,317,83* 

20  5  8,012.09         3,884,48  0  3,658.92* 

20  5%         12,018,14         7,768,96  3,768,89  0 

25  4  0  4,520,80*         S,724.S4*         12,639,35* 

25  4%  4.688.96  0  4.362.42*  8,426,23* 

25  5  9.377.92         4,520.80  0  4,213,12* 

25  5%         14,066,88         9,041,59  4,362.42  0 

*Discount. 

set,  thus  giving  the  people  a  chance  to  develop  their 
resources,  adjust  themselves  to  the  new  conditions  and 
realize  some  of  the  advantages  from  the  improvements 
before  beginning  to  liquidate  the  debt.  This  may  be 
done  by  deferring  the  first  payment  from  three  to  six 
years.  Even  if  this  is  done  and  the  interest  on  the 
debt  before  liquidation  begins  is  added  to  the  total  cost, 
the  serial  bond  is  ordinarily  more  economical  than  the 
sinking-fiuul  bond. 

There  are  only  10  states  in  which  serial  bonds  are  spe- 
cifically provided  by  law  for  local  road  and  bridge 
work.  The  general  bonding  laws  of  15  states  provide 
for  sinkiug-fimd  bonds,  and  in  four  of  them  the  bonds 
may  be  issued  subject  to  call.  In  13  states  the  laws 
are  indefinite  as  to  the  class  of  bonds  that  may  be  is- 
sued. There  are  10  states  in  which  practically  no  bonds 
are  issued  for  local  road  and  bridge  purposes. 

On  Jan,  1,  1915.  the  total  road  and  bridge  bonds 
outstanding  in  the  United  States,  exclusive  of  cities, 
amonuted  to  approximately  $230,000,000.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  at  least  $160,000,000  of  these  bonds  were 
of  the  sinking-fund  variety;  that  the  average  term  was 
25  jears:  and  that  the  average  rate  of  interest  was  5%. 
If  these  bonds  had  been  issued  as  serials,  for  the  same 
term  and  bearing  the  same  rate  of  interest,  it  would 
have  resulted  in  a  total  saving  of  approximately  $42,- 
000,000,  or  an  average  annual  saving  of  $1,680,000, 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  1917 


Permanent  Roads  Transform  Florida 

Land  of  Everglades  and  Muck  Blossom  as  a  Rose  and  Products  Help  Feed  the 
Nation— Good  Roads  Have  Solved  Problems  of  Transportation 

in  Land  of  Eternal  Summer 


Floritla.  land  of  beautiful  .suiiunei'  twelve  months 
in  the  year,  is  rapiiUy  bec-oming-  tlie  world's  greatest 
play  groiuid.  but  it  is  also  beeoniing  something  more 
important  than  that  to  the  residents  jf  the  state.  Flor- 
ida is  becoming  one  of  the  great  food  producing  states 
of  the  world.  Florida  oranges  and  grape  fruit  go  into 
a  majority  of  the  states  of  the  Union  and  into  other 
jjarts  of  the  world  in  untold  numbers.  In  the  early 
months  of  the  year,  while  the  northern  portions  of  our 
great  country  are  gripped  in  snow  and  ice  and  old 
•Jack  Frost  hilds  the  land  in  his  unrelenting  grip,  Flor- 
ida lieans.  tomatoes  and  cabbages  give  promise  to  the 
inhabitants  that  gentle  spring  time  is  winging  her  way 
upward  from  the  land  of  Everglades. 

The  denomination  of  Florida  as  the  land  of  the  Ev- 
erglades is  a  misnomer  now,  thanks  to  good  roads  and 
drainage.  Millions  of  acres  that  just  a  very  few  years 
ago  were  either  too  wet  for  cultivation  or  too  remote 
from  shipping  points  to  be  considered  in  the  agricul- 


tural scheme  have  now  been  reclaimed  by  good  roads 
and  drainage.  T'he  latter  could  bring  the  lands  into 
fit  state  for  cultivation  but  no  amount  of  drainage 
could  change  their  isolation.  Unsettled  sections  gave 
not  yet  enough  promise  for  the  coming  of  new  railway 
lines,  although  railroad  development  has  been  rapid 
and  has  played  a  magnitieent  part  in  building  up  tliis 
most  southern  state  in  the  Union. 

Roads  built  of  temporary  material  could  not  stand 
the  amount  of  moisture  to  which  they  would  be  subject, 
nor  were  they  practicable  vrhere  the  base  was  largely 
muck.  Permanent  roads  were  the  only  thing  Florida 
could  build  profitably  and  the  state  has  been  fortunate 
in  this  respect.  Thej'  have  built  several  thousand  miles 
of  the  finest  permanent  roads  on  the  continent  and 
though  the  cost  has  been  heavy,  the  taxpayers  will  not 
be  burdened  with  high  maintenance  costs. 

The  effect  of  permanent  roads  on  Florida  has  already 
been  magical.     Great  trucking  fields,  containing  hun- 


Asphaltic  Concrete  Pavint;  Along  Indian  River  in  Volusia  County,  Florida.     Shell  shoulders  ;  Concrete  Curb 


Octnber,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


Concrete  Paving,  New  Smyrna,  Florida 


dreds  of  thousands  of  acres  in  the  aggregate,  have  been 
opened  tn  eiiltivation.  ]More  thousands  of  acres  in 
formerly  remote  sections  have  been  planteil  in  citrus 
trees.  The  value  of  products  increase  by  the  millions 
every  year.  The  resources  of  a  state  where  tlie  soil  is 
practically  inexhaustible  and  where  three  or  four  crops 
can  be  grown  in  a  year  are  almost  incalculable. 

Another  great  benefit  has  already  accrued  to  tliis 
state  from  the  construction  of  permanent  roads.  "Where- 
as a  few  years  ago  Florida  was  noted  for  perhaps  a  half 
dozen  great  beach  resorts,  the  state  is  now  dotted  with 
wonderful  resorts  in  all  sections.  Good  roads  lead  from 
the  coast  to  the  interior  and  the  thousands  of  automo- 
biles going  there  annually  afford  to  the  tourists  the 
pleasures  of  inland  hunting  and  fishing  and  of  surf 
bathing  in  the  same  vacation.  This  has  permitted  of 
a  wider  development  of  the  resorts  and  consequently 
has  placed  the  wonderful  pleasures  of  this  El  Dorado 
land  within  the  reach  of  people  of  more  moderate 
means. 

As  yet  thousands  of  motoring  tourists  are  held  back 
from  the  north  and  west  during  the  winter  time  by 
mud  barriers  in  other  states.  With  encouraging  rap- 
iditv  manv  of  these  are  being  removed  and  ere  lonsr 


all-year  i-oads  will  open  the  way  between  n(n'th  and 
south  and  S(nith  and  west  and  the  thousands  who  come 
down  will  leave  a  benefit  not  only  in  Florida  but  in 
every  state  traversed.  The  increase  in  value  of  pro- 
ducts will  pay  over  and  over  again  for  Florida's  roads 
and  those  counties  with  apparently  little  resources,  who 
banked  on  their  tmdeveloped  wealth  and  is.sued  mil- 
lions in  bonds  have  been  vindicated  as  citizens  of  un- 
usual wisdom. 


B.  K.  Coghlan  has  resigned  as  associate  professor  of 
highway  engineering  at  the  Agricultural  and  ilechan- 
ical  College  of  Texas.  He  is  captain  in  the  Engineer 
Officers'  Reserve  Corps  and  has  been  ordered  to  Fort 
Leavenworth. 

E.  O.  Francisco,  who  was  assistant  professor  of  civil 
engineering  at  the  Agricultural  and  ilechanical  Col- 
lege of  Texas  during  the  last  session  .has  been  coonnis- 
sioned  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Engineer  Officers'  Re- 
serve Corps  and  has  been  ordered  to  Fort  Leavenworth. 


Florida  road  boosters  are  now  going  after  a  perma- 
nent through  highway  from  Jacksonville  to  Tampa,  the 
entire  length  of  the  state. 


Street  Scene  in  New  Smyrna,  Florida,  Concrete  Paving 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  1917 


Road  Work  in  a  Progcssivc  Florida  County 

By  H.  C.  DAVIS,  County  Engineer 


BROWARD  COUNTY,  created  by  act  of  the  Florida 
Legislature  iii  i\Iay,  1915,  has  already  earned  a 
favorable  reputation  with  the  motor  tourist  for  the  ex- 
cellence of  its  road  system.  Before  the  details  of  or- 
ganizing the  new  county  government  had  been  com- 
pleted, the  citizens  almost  vmanimously  voted  to  bond 
for  $350,000  for  the  construction  of  a  system  of  hard 
surfaced  lateral  roads  and  bridges,  to  connect  the  far- 
ming districts  with  towns  and  shipping  points,  and  to 


H.  C.  DAVIS 
County  Engineer,  Broward  County,  Fla. 

provide  easy  access  to  the  splendid  bathing  beaches 
which  are  found  all  along  the  twenty-five  mile  Atlantic 
Ocean  front. 

For  twentj-  five  miles  the  asphalt  surfaced  Dixie 
Highway  crosses  the  eastern  end  of  the  county  from 
North  to  South ;  incidentally  this  twenty  five  miles  is 
the  central  link  of  an  unbroken,  170  miles  stretch  of 
asphalt  pavement  extending  from  Stuart  on  the  North 
to  Florida  City  at  the  extreme  Southern  tip  of  the  Uni- 
ted States. 

The  new  cunstruction  which  is  at  present  well  along 
towards  completion,  together  with  the  few  miles  of  old 
lateral  roads,  comprising  a  total  of  122  miles  of  paving, 
besides  opening  up  large  areas  of  rich  farming  land,  al- 
so provides  several  interesting  detours  for  the  tourist. 
One  recently  completed  link  makes  it  possible  to  leave 
the  Dixie  Highway  at  Fort  Lauderdale  and  detour  ov- 
er pa^'ed  ntads  fifteen  miles  AVest  into  the  Everglades, 
returning  by  an  cntii'ely  different  route  either  to  Dania 
or  Hallandale. 


The  Board  of  County  Commissioners  have  recently 
placed  a  large  order  for  Lyle  Signs,  and  within  thirty 
days  all  of  these  main  roads  and  laterals  will  be  plainly 
and  permanently  marked  with  the  destination  and  mile- 
age at  everj'  crossing  and  angle. 

Each  of  the  five  principal  towns  is  now  connected 
with  the  Atlantic  Ocean  beach  by  paved  road  and  steel 
drawbridge  across  the  Florida  East  Coast  navigation 
canal.  Playgroitnds,  casinos,  'bathing  pavilions  and 
(jther  conveniences,  in  most  cases  free  to  the  public 
have  been  provided,  where  citizen  and  tourist  may  en- 
joy salt  water  bathing  in  the  warm  waters  of  the  Gulf 
Stream  ever.y  day  in  the  year. 

In  the  construction  of  the  new  roads  especial  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to  the  permanence  and  stability  of 
the  roadbed,  bridges  and  culverts.  Wherever  possible 
steel  bridges  and  culverts  of  "Armeo"  iron  with  con- 
crete headwalls  have  been  installed.  Selection  of  this 
culvert  material  was  made  only  after  thorough  inves- 
tigation as  the  climate  in  this  section,  especially  near 
the  ocean  is  very  hard  on  all  metal  construction.  Four 
carloads,  aggregating  over  1000  feet  of  various  sizes  of 
full  circle,  riveted  "Armco"  pipe  have  already  lieen 
used  and  the  purchase  of  more  is  contemplated. 

In  the  matter  of  rust  resistance,  the  writer  has  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  one  twelve  foot  section  of  "Armco" 
Iron  culvert  that  was  installed  in  1912  by  the  City  of 
Fort  Lauderdale  as  the  oittfall  of  a  combined  sanitary 
and  storm  water  sewer.  This  pipe  discharged  into  a 
l)rackish  tidewater  stream  and  was  alternately  submerg- 
ed and  exposed,  twice  every  daj'  until  the  spring  of 
1915,  when  owing  to  alterations  in  the  sewer  plan  it 
was  torn  out  and  used  for  a  year  as  a  temporary  cul- 
vert under  a  street  crossing.  That  piece  of  pipe  is 
now  in  the  storage  yard  awaiting  the  next  call  to  ser- 
vice, and  while  slightly  battered  at  the  ends  from  rough 
handling,  shows  not  a  sign  of  rust  even  under  the  rivet 
heads. 

The  illustration  shows  two  sections  of  36  incli  pipe 
being  installed  under  a  fill  on  the  line  of  the  Dixie  High- 
way; this  fill  and  the  culverts  will  replace  an  old  tim- 
ber trestle  350  feet  long,  eliminating  a  continual  main- 
tenance expense.  Three  similar  trestles  have  been  re- 
placed by  f^lls  and  culverts  during  the  present  summer. 
The  water  in  the  road  ditches  in  the  elevation  is  from 
one  of  the  Everglades  drainage  canals,  and  at  the  time 
the  photograpli  was  made  was  being  held  back  to  over- 
flow farming  land  on  both  sides  of  the  road  for  pur- 
poses of  irrigation. 


Road  to  Aid  in  War  Work. 

To  consider  auxiliary  shipping  measures  of  war  pro- 
ducts in  the  event  of  a  possible  car  shortage,  a  meeting, 
called  by  R.  C.  Ilargreaves,  teniporai'ily  associated  with 
a  committee  of  the  council  of  national  defense,  was 
held  at  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce. 

Those  present  represented  the  state  highways  de- 
partments of  the  states  of  Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan, 
Penns.vlvania,  New  York,  Virginia,  as  well  as  district 
engineers  from  the  office  of  Director  of  Public  Roads 
Logan  W.  Page,  and  the  U.  S.  Army  Engineer  corps,  R. 
D.  Chapin.  chairman  Good  Roads  committee.  National 
Automobile  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  William  E.  Metz- 
ger,   chairman  of  the  Good  Roads  committee,  Detroit 


October.  ]917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


II 


Earth  fill  and  two  36-inch "Armco"  culverts  replacing  350  feet  of  timber  trestle  on  the  line  of  the  Dixie  Highway  in  Broward 
County,  Florida.  The  water  is  held  back  by  flood  gates  to  overflow  the  farm  land  on  each  side  of  the  road  for  irrigation.  Spoil 
bank  of  one  of  the  Everglades  drainage  canals  may  be  seen  through  the  pine  trees  in  the  distance. 


Board  of  Commerce;  A.  A.  Templetoii,  pre.sident  of  the 
Board  of  Conimerre ;  Captain  Clalbraith.  and  William 
Inglis,  with  whom  R.  C.  Hargreaves  is  assoi-iatcd  in  the 
present  emergency  war  work. 

A  comprehensive  plan  of  assendjling  supplies  at  im- 
portant industrial  centers  was  outlined,  and  the  routes 
over  which  such  products  would  travel  by  motor  trucks 
destined  for  joort  terminals  was  discussed  in  detail.  A 
typical  oljject  lesson  of  unpreparedness  was  cited  in 
the  Detroit-Toledo  road,  where  a  stretch  nine  and  a 
quarter  miles  in  length  still  remains  impassable  for 
heavj'  traffic. 

What  this  particular  stretch  might  mean  in  loss  of 
^Michigan  blood  in  foreign  fields  was  vividly  described 
by  Hargreaves.  Great  enthusiasm  was  aroused  through 
a  wire  received  from  Governor  Sleeper,  pledging  his 
support  in  the  effort  to  immediately  put  this  road  in 
passable  shape. 

T'iie  governor  says:  "I  deem  this  matter  to  be  of  ut- 
most importance  to  state  and  country.  I  am  willing  to 
do  anything  I  can  to  further  the  cause." 

ilessrs.  Inglis.  Metzer,  Hargreaves  and  the  otficer 
present  from  the  United  States  Engineer  corps  will  in- 
spect this  road  and  it  is  regarded  as  a  certainty  that 
the  governor  will  have  complete  public  support  in  tak- 
ing such  sums  from  the  war  preparedness  finid  as  will 
make  this  road  fit  for  trucks  to  carry  Liberty  motors, 
shells  and  such  other  supplies  as  ^lichigan  is  contribut- 
ing toward  winning  the  war. 


visin-s  of  Will.  Kankakee  and  Iro(|ui)is  enunties  adopted 
resilutions  calling  for  a  snfKcient  tax  levy  to  pave  the 
Dixie  highway  with  either  concrete  or  brick  from  Chi- 
cago to  Danville. 

The  conference  at  Joliet  cinched  the  improvement 
and  the  Dixie,  it  is  believed,  will  be  the  first  built  un- 
der the  government  and  state  aid  plan,  which  appropri- 
ates i|i()l-1.000  for  the  improvement,  providing  the  re- 
maining one-fourth  of  the  estimated  co.st  is  paid  by  the 
counties  traversed  by  the  highway. 

Each  county  will  pay  for  the  actual  cost  of  construc- 
tion. Under  this  plan  Will  county,  with  32. Ii  miles  to 
build,  will  pay  .^26.500:  Kankakee,  with  2-1  miles  to 
build.  •t<)7.2()0.  and  Irocpiois.  with  28.1  miles  to  Iniild. 
$94,500. 

These  were  the  only  terms  acceptable  to  Will  county 
and  Kankakee  and  Iroquois  counties  agreed,  although 
it  raised  the  assessment  of  each  countv  somewhat. 


Dixie  Highway  on  Illinois. 
The  Dixie  highway  is  assured  in  Illinois.     On  Sep- 
tember 11,  at  the  annual  meeting,  the  boards  of  super- 


Louisiana  Ward  Continues  Work. 

The  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  third  ward  voted  recently  an 
additional  jf^aO.OOO  for  good  roads.  This  is  to  be  added 
to  the  $l-'^().(l(l()  voted  several  years  ago  but  found  in- 
sufficient for  their  needs.  The  ward  has  already  ''^4 
miles  of  graveled  road  and  will  add  -12.  making  a  total 
of  75. 

The  cimtract  for  construction  has  been  given  to  S. 
A.  Gano,  and  the  engineering  work  to  T.  S.  Shields. 

The  parish  is  rapidly  becoming  a  network  of  good 
roads,  the  best  sign  of  prosperity  and  the  greatest  at- 
traction to  the  prospective  settler. 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  IDn 


Achievements  in  Tennessee 

By  T.  J.  MURRAY 


I)  OAD  f'ONSTRrf'TION  iu  Tennessee  covering  the 
\j  [x^rioil  ;)!'  the  last  fifteen  years  has  been  a  most 
remarkable  achievenieiit  in  the  development  of  the  re- 
sources of  Tennessee.  .Middle  Tennessee  having  con- 
structed macadam  and  gravel  roads,  also  a  large  mile- 
age of  toll  pike  roads  immediately  following  the  Civil 
War,  and  in  some  instances  prior  was  the  first  build- 
ers of  macadam  roads  in  Tennessee  of  any  consequeuce. 
East  I'ennessee  realizing  the  necessity  of  improved 
I'oads  to  develop  her  resources  has  been  perhaps  the 
greatest  roadbuilding  section  in  the  South  during  the 
last  twenty  years.  Every  caunty  in  East  Tennessee  has 
issued  bonds  for  road  and  bridge  construction.  The 
total  bonded  indebtedness  for  highway  and  bridge  j^ur- 
poses  in  Tennessee  is  $20,000,000.  .+"5,000,000  of  this 
fund  l)eing  in  operation  and  unexpended  at  this  time 
on  contrai'ts  pending  and  ti  be  let  during  1!)17. 

The  1017  Tennessee  Legislature  passed  a  bill  levying 
one  mill  on  all  assessable  property  in  Tennessee  for 
road  purposes  to  be  expended  by  the  State  Highway 
Department  in  eo-operation  with  funds  available  from 
the  Federal  Aid  Road  Act  approved  July  11.  1916.  The 


amount  of  fumts  for  Tennessee  from  the  Federal  ap- 
propriation is  .iiT,712,:<()2.20  from  July  IDlti  to  July 
1!I21,  an  average  of  .$428,000  for  the  next  four  years. 
Tennessee  not  having  passed  the  necessary  legislation 
ti)  receive  this  fund  until  this  year.  The  total  funds 
available  under  the  provisions  of  the  one  mill  act.  .$7.')il,- 
000  annually;  funds  available  from  the  automobile  reg- 
istration license  $350,000;  average  total  for  the  next 
four  years  from  state  and  federal  funds,  $1,528,000; 
grand  total  to  be  expended  in  Tennessee  through  the 
State  Highway  Department  will  be  $6,112,000  in  next 
i  years. 

The  automobile  fund  is  used  by  the  Department  wher- 
ever possible  in  the  maintenance  of  c:instructed  roads 
of  any  type  of  intercounty  site  importance. 

The  Federal  Aid  road  system  of  Tennessee  is  ap- 
proximately ](iO0  miles  with  2')%,  of  same  practically 
constructed. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  one  mill  bill  each  county 
in  the  state  is  guaranteed  as  much  as  $25,000  from 
state  or  federal  funds.  Federal  aid  projects  are  being 
surveyed  and  will  be  submitted  to  the  government  for 


Nine-Foot  Brick  Paved  Road  With  Rock  Shoulders.     Two-Mile  Tangent  on  St.  Petersburg-Largo  Road,  Pinellas  County,  Fla. 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


13 


approval  in  several  counties  in  the  near  future.  The 
funds  received  from  the  Federal  Government  will  be 
the  first  to  be  expended  by  the  Department  in  order  to 
take  advantage  of  the  provisions'of  the  Federal  Act,  t) 
have  the  first  years  appropriation  expended  at  the  end 
of  the  third  year. 

In  several  counties  of  the  state  appropriations  are 
being  made  to  co-operate  with  the  state  financially  in 
the  construction  of  federal  aid  projects. 

It  is  very  probable  that  there  will  be  in  the  1918 
program  several  miles  of  higher  type  construction  than 
has  usually  been  built  in  Tennessee  by  county  funds. 

The  registration  of  aut(nn(il)iles,  whieh  is  also  under 
the  direction  of  the  State  Highway  Department  shows 
50,000  motor  driven  vehicles  registered  in  Tennessee 
up  to  September  1,  1917. 


Rountree  Completes  His  Tour. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Rountree,  Secretary  of  the  Hiiiildicail  Na- 
tional Highway  Association,  arrived  at  hea(b|uartrrs 
October  1,  after  a  two  week's  tour  in  an  automoljile  es- 
corted by  committees  from  various  towns  between  At- 
lanta and  Washington  inspeeting  the  two  proposed 
routes  of  the  Bankhead  Highway  between  those  twii 
cities. 

Secretary  Rountree  has  traveled  over  1400  miles,  vis- 
ited 60  odd  towns  and  cities,  delivered  addresses  in  48 
towns,  consulted  with  mayors,  committees  of  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  Automobile  and  Good  Road  clubs  in  re- 


1  u  ■ 

^■hJ 

Hi 

Group  on  inspection  trip  of  the  du   Pont   road   just   previous   to 

presentation  of  twenty  miles   of  concrete   pavement   to 

the   State   of   Delaware.     Mr.  Coleman  du  Pont 

builder  and  donor,  is  the   tall   figure   in 

the  center 

gard  to  the  Bankhead  Highway  and  arranged  details 
with  them  in  regard  to  the  official  pathfinding  party 
that  will  start  from  Washington  on  October  :30th  to 
officially  designate  the  Bankhead  Highway. 

Secretary  Rountree  is  ciuite  pleased  over  his  prelim- 
inary inspection  of  the  Bankhead  Highway  and  speaks 
in  the  most  glowing  terms  of  the  enthusiasm  and  inter- 
est manifested  by  the  people  along  the  route..  He  was 
shown  many  courtesies,  being  escorted  by  special  com- 
mittees from  city  to  city.  Six  banquets  were  given  in 
his  honor,  besides  being  entertained  by  mayors  and 
leading  citizens  of  different  towns.  Secretary  Roun- 
tree will  proceed  to  prepare  a  report  of  his  inspection 
and  forward  to  Washington  and  he  will  also  commence 
to  arrange  details  of  the  Pathfinding  party  which  will 
officially  designate  the  Bankhead  Highway. 

Tbe  tentative  plan  is  for  the  party  to  leave  the  cap- 
itol  steps  at  Washington  on  Tuesday  morning,  October 


30th,  at  9  o'clock.  Before  departing,  it  is  expected 
that  President  Wilson,  Secretary  of  War  Baker,  Secre- 
tary of  Agriculture  Houston,  will  all  make  short  talks 
and  extend  messages  of  good  wishes  for  the  success  of 
the  Pathfinding  party  which  will  consist  of  two  gov- 
ernment engineers,  two  distinguished  citizens  living 
east  of  Washington,  a  representative  of  the  American 
Automobile  Association,  ex-Congressman  T.  S.  Plow- 
man, President,  and  J.  A.  Rountree,  Secretary  of  the 


The  Original  Mason  and  Dixon    Line    Stone,    Near   Shelbyville, 
Del.     Photo  of  Delaware  Side  of  Stone 

Bankhead  National  Highway  Association.  As  guests 
of  the  Association  accompanying  the  party  will  be  Sen- 
ators Bankhead  of  Alabama,  ]\Iartm  of  Virginia,  Over- 
man of  North  Carolina,  Smith  of  South  Carolhia,  Hoke 
Smith  of  Georgia,  members  of  Congress  whose  district 
in  traversed  by  the  Bankhead  Highway.  There  will  al- 
so be  in  the  party  a  numlter  of  road  experts  and  news- 
paper correspondents  representing  some  of  the  leading 
metropolitan  dailies  and  magazines.  It  will  probably 
be  the  most  distinguished  party  of  Pathfinders  that  ever 
traversed  a  proposed  National  Highway. 

The  Pathfinder  will  inspect  the  Eastern  route  from 
Washington  to  Atlanta,  passing  through  Fredericks- 
burg, Richmond,  Petersburg,  and  Clarkesville,  Virginia  ; 
Oxford,  Hillsboro,  Durham,  Raleigh,  Henderson 
Greensboro,  High  Point,  Lexington,  Concord,  Spencer. 
Salisbury.  Charlotte,  Gastonia,  North  Carolina;  Spar- 
taidiurg.  Gaffney,  Greenville,  Anderson,  South  Caroli- 
na ;  Hartwell,  Royster,  Athens,  Winder,  Lawrenceville 
on  to  Atlanta.  The  Pathfinding  party  will  stop  at  all 
these  cities  en  route,  make  short  speeches  and  be  enter- 
tained at  manj''  of  these  places  with  banquets  and  lunch- 
eons. 

After  the  partj^  reaches  Atlanta,  they  will  return  to 
Greensboro,  North  Carolina,  starting  on  an  inspection 
trip  of  the  Western  route,  which  passes  through  Reids- 
ville.  North  Carolina;  Danville,  Monte  Vista,  Lynch- 
burg, Oak  Ridge,  Charlottesville,  Orange,  Culpepper, 
Manassas,  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  to  Washington. 


Folks  near  Birmingham,  Ala.,  are  talking  of  appeal- 
ing to  the  Health  Department  to  have  the  road  builders 
stop  using  talc  in  construction^  as  it  grinds  up  into  tal- 
cum powder,  leaves  the  roads  and  goes  into  the  houses 
nearby. 


Europe  after  the  war  is  expected  to  be  a  great  field 
for  road  building.  Engineers  estimate  that  2,000  miles 
will  have  to  be  built  at  once  to  reconstruct  the  war  torn 
countries. 


14 


SOT^TT-TERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October.  1917 


Published  Monthly  by  SOUTHERN  GOOD  RoADS  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  Carolina 

H.  B.  VARNER,  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK,  Sec.  and  TreaB 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  State  Geologist  of  N.  C,  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 

Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORBNZEN,  GREEN  &  KOHN, 
225  Fifth  Avenue.  605  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 

Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Or^an  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENR'X  B  VARNER.  President.  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  FRATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A,  GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary,  Bristol,  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT,  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK,  Secretary.  Columbia.  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


OCTOBER,  1917. 


No.  4. 


GET  THE  ROADS  READY, 

Winter  i.s  aii|>ri)ai'hin,u'  and  with  it  the  eritical  time 
for  tile  road.s  of  the  cdunti-y.  'Sluve  e.speeialiy  is  this 
true  of  many  if  our  Southern  eomnuuiities  that  have 
Iniilt  tiipsi.il  and  sand  ehiy  roads.  Nearly  all  of  these 
have  been  sub.jeet  to  a  heavy  motur  traffic  duriu"-  the 
pa.st  summer  and  much  material  has  l)eeii  carried  away 
at  places,  while  at  nthers  the  du.sty  condition  has  pro- 
duced little  ruts.  The  winter  rains  will  till  these  de- 
pressions with  water  and  the  heavy  wagon  traffic  will 
cut  thi-dugh  easily.  On  most  of  our  Southern  roads  the 
wag-ou  traffic  is  heavier  in  winter  than  in  summer,  and 
our  farmei's  have  not  yet  learned  that  it  pays  them  to 
use  broad  tires.  They  are  going  to  go  on  just  like  the\- 
have  been,  by  putting  a  four-horse  load  on  a  two  horse 
wag  111  u]ion  a  good  road  and  cutting  through  until  the 
road  becomes  impassable.  It  seems  impossible  to  im- 
press folks  wlio  do  such  things  with  tlieir  folly. 

The  only  thing  to  be  done  is  to  try  and  prevent  the 
damage  by  going  to  work  on  the  roads  with  a  ven- 
geance now  and  get  thejii  in  the  best  p  )ssil)le  shape. 
Drag  after  every  fall  raiu  and  resurface  the  sjiots 
where  the  material  has  become  thin.  See  that  the  pine 
tree  shade  is  off  the  roads  where  they  are  apt  to  be  bad. 
Ijook  after  the  side  ditches  ami  cross  drains  now.  Un- 
less such  measures  are  taken  we  are  going  to  hear  pro- 
claimed to  the  world  again  the  absolute  failure  of  these 


roads,  the  only  kind  some  of  our  counties  can  yet  afford. 
If  they  go  to  pieces  it  will  be  because  of  negligence  that 
is  little  short  of  criminal,  for  it  amounts  to  official  was- 
tage of  the  people's  money. 

Southern  Good  Roads  has  frequently  hammered  on 
this  sub.jeet;  but  it  is  of  vital  importance  to  the  roads 
just  now  and  means  hundreds  of  thousands  and  even 
millions  of  dollars  to  the  South  right  now.  With  high 
prices  prevailing  on  food  and  fuel  it  is  important  that 
no  mud  emi.iargo  interfere  with  prompt  distribution. 


Bankhead  Pathflnding  Tour  November  1. 

About  November  1,  from  the  front  steps  of  the  Na- 
tional Capitol  in  Washington,  there  will  depart  south- 
ward automobiles  containing  many  notables.  Such  de- 
parture will  indicate  the  real  beginning  of  the  inspec- 
tion of  prospective  routes  for  the  Washington-Atlanta 
division  of  the  Bankhead  National  Highway. 

Senator  J.  II.  Bankhead  while  en  route  from  Wash- 
ington to  liis  home  in  Jasper,  spent  several  hours  in 
Birmingham  recently.  He  expressed  hope  that  inas- 
much as  the  prospective  Bankhead  Highway  has  nine 
cantonments  loaeted  on  it,  that  highway  will  be  nom- 
inated by  official  act  of  the  government  a  military  road. 

On  the  trip  November  1st.  the  following  senators 
have  agreed  to  go :  Bankhead  of  Alabama,  ilartiu  of 
Mrginia,  Overman  of  North  Carolina,  Smith  of  South 
Carolina,  and  Smith  of  Georgia.  House  members 
frini  these  states  will  also  take  part  in  the  exploration. 
In  addition.  Senator  Bankhead  is  hopeful  that  Newton 
I).  Baker,  Secretary  of  War.  will  agree  to  go  as  the 
representative  of  the  executive  branch  of  the  govern- 
ment. It  is  arranged  at  present  for  President  Wilson 
to  address  the  pathtinders  as  they  are  preparetl  to  leave 
the   capitol. 

Senator  Bankhead  states  that  arrangements  have 
Ijeen  made  for  Jlr.  J.  A.  Riuntree,  Secretary  of  the 
Bankhead  National  Highway  Association,  to  go  over 
the  two  routes  from  Washington  to  Atlanta,  deliver  a 
series  of  speeches  and  make  all  necessary  arrangements 
for  the  great  tour  of  the  pathtinders.  He  started  on  this 
t.iur  on  September  17th. 

Senator  Bankhead  stated  that  the  indications  are 
that  Congress  will  adjourn  aliout  Octolier  15th,  al- 
though on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  the  war  situa- 
tion, no  accurate  estimate  can  be  made.  The  revenue 
bill  is  now  in  Conference  Committee  and  it  is  a  ques- 
tion when  they  will  report.  He  expressed  himself  as 
being  delighted  with  the  progress  that  is  being  made 
in  promoting  the  Bankhead  National  Highway. 


County  Begins  Permanent  System. 

Gaston  county.  North  Carolina,  has  at  last  entered 
upon  the  construction  of  permanent  roads  and,  bar- 
ring the  possibility  of  a  serious  set  back  to  business  and 
industries  generally  by  the  present  war,  the  next  year 
or  two  will  see  many  miles  of  permanent  asphalt  roads 
constructed  in  the  county.  Already  the  work  of  build- 
ing aliout  -io  miles  of  this  character  of  roads  has  been 
commenced.  A  contract  has  been  let  to  Sam  B.  Finle.v, 
of  Atlanta,  who  now  has  a  force  at  work  on  the  New 
Hope  road  southeast  of  Gastonia.  This  first  stretch 
of  road  is  being  built  from  Babington  heights,  a  eauple 
of  miles  out  from  the  eity,  back  towards  Gastonia  and 
will  connect  with  t1ie  city's  asplialt  paving  on  Franklin 
avenue  at  Cluirdi  slri'ct. 

On  newly  constructed  macadam  where  there  is  a  sol- 
id  lied   in  good  repair,  the  surfacing  method  will   be 


Oetnher,  1917 


SOITTIIERN  GOOD  ROADS 


15 


used.  For  instance,  this  method  is  to  be  applied  to 
tlie  new  road  connecting  Stanley  and  IMount  Holly,  a 
distance  of  six  and  a  half  miles.  On  the  New  Hope 
road  the  penetration  method  is  being  used,  this  includ- 
ing two  operations  instead  of  one  as  does  the  surfacing 
method: 

Sj  far  the  following  stretches  of  road  have  been  de- 
cided Tipon  for  permanent  work  of  this  character : 

T'he  New  Hope  road  from  Gastonia  to  IJelmont,  11  or 
12  miles. 

P>om  Iloyle's  Bridge  through  Dallas  up  the  Cherry- 
ville  road  to  a  point  west  of  the  county  home,  six  miles. 

Belmout  through  ilonnt  Holly  to  a  point  near  Lucia, 
six  miles. 

From  the  Lincoln  county  line  througli  Cherryville  to- 
wards Bessemer  City,  six  miles. 

Stanley  to  iloiint  Holly,  six  and  a  half  miles. 

It  is  stated  that  this  character  of  road  has  been  thor- 
oughly tested  and  has  been  found  to  be  the  most  dur- 
able and  best  alround  road  for  the  country.  Fulton 
comity.  Georgia,  in  which  is  located  Atlanta,  has  this 
type  of  road  exclusively.  The  cost  of  the  penetration 
method  is  about  $2,000  per  mile  and  that  of  the  sur- 
facing less  than  half  that  amount. 

It  is  an  accej^ted  theory  in  every  section  of  the  coun- 
try now  that  it  is  not  only  impractical  but  expensive 
to  construct  either  the  sand-clay  or  old-style  macadam 
roads.  Vehicular  traffic,  especially  as  regards  autos, 
has  grown  to  such  proportions  that  only  permanent 
roads  are  now  worth   considering. 

T'his  is  a  long  step  forward  for  Gaston  county  and 
the  action  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  in 
taking  this  step  will  undoubtedly  meet  with  general 
approval. 


Asheville  Interested  in  the  Dixie  Highway. 

T'he  opening  up  of  the  ea.steru  division  of  the  Dixie 
highway  from  Lexington  to  Knoxville.  is  claiming  the 
energetic  attention  of  the  Dixie  Highway  association, 
and  every  effort  is  being  exerted  by  that  organization 
now  to  raise  $50,000  to  secure  a  like  amount  from  the 
Kentucky  state  highway  department  to  complete  the 
link  of  the  Dixie  highway  between  these  points  men- 
tioned, says  the  Asheville  Times. 

One  hundred  dollars  from  F.  L.  Seeley,  of  Asheville, 
has  .just  been  acknowledged  by  Gen.  A.  F.  Sanford! 
the  secretary  of  the  Knoxville  branch  association,  and 
in  a  recent  interview  in  the  Knoxville  Sentinel  V.  D.  L. 
Robinson,  secretary  at  Chattanooga,  stated  that  with 
the  completion  of  the  eastern  branch  this  fall  he  pre- 
dicted from  5.000  to  10,000  automobiles  would  pass 
through  Knoxville  south,  while  each  following  year 
the  number  of  cars  through  this  section  would  double 
and  treble,  and  that  such  travel  would  spend  in  Knox- 
ville alone  from  $250,000  a  year  at  the  start  to  more 
than  half  a  million  dollars,  adding  that  "The  attrac- 
tions of  Asheville  and  the  Land  of  the  Skv  country  of 
North  Carolina  and  East  Tennessee  will  lure  thousands 
of  tourists  over  the  eastern  division  during  the  summer 
as  well  as  fall  months,  in  addition  to  the  motorists  who 
are  Florida  bound." 

The  board  of  trade  is  that  asking  other  hotels  in 
Asheville  and  that  section  to  make  an  investment  in 
the  completion  of  the  Dixie  highway,  eastern  division, 
inasmuch  as  it  will  directly  enormously  benetit  Ashe- 
ville in.  opening  up  the  route  into  Asheville  from  the 
west  which  will  be  worth  more  in  actnal  cars  coming 
to  Asheville,  it  is  claimed,  than  all  the  roads  coming  in- 
to Asheville  from  the  south  and  east.  Not  only  Ashe- 
ville, but  every  town  and  community  in  western  North 


Carolina,  for  motoring  parties  scatter  all  over  this  wes- 
tern section  when  they  come  here  and  from  Asheville 
they  will  go  to  Florida  via  Greenville  or  Spartanburg 
and  Atlanta,  at  which  point  they  again  strike  the  reg- 
ular charted  route  of  the  Dixie  highway,  ilen  and  in- 
terests who  would  like  to  see  the  completion  of  this 
eastern  link  of  the  Dixie  highway,  which  means  better 
entrance  into  Asheville,  it  is  earnestly  hoped  will  write 
the  board  of  trade  if  interested,  and  if  possible,  send 
a  contribution  for  worwarding  to  the  Dixie  Highway 
association,  eastern  division. 


Big  Program  for  Louisiana. 

W.  P.  Parkhouse,  president  of  the  New  Orleans  Au- 
tomobile Dealers'  Association,  lays  stress  on  the  ne- 
cessity for  a  big  1018  road  building  program  in  Louis- 
iana, and  urged  the  importance  of  highway  reconstruc- 
tion work. 

The  interview  foil  iws : 

"Last  fall  plans  were  made  for  a  large  amount  of 
new  road  con.struction  and  the  reconstruction  of  many 
Louisiana  roads  which  were  pretty  well  worn  out  or  in 
need  of  more  durable  surfacing.  The  cost  of  maintain- 
ing the  latter  roads  was  so  great  that  it  was  economi- 
cal to  reconstruct  them  and  thus  cut  down  the  animal 
cost  of  keeping  them  in  good  condition.  The  suniHior 
is  half  gone  and  a  considerable  part  of  these  improve- 
ments has  not  been  undertaken  because  of  labor  and 
material  conditions.  It  is  impracticable  to  carry  oat 
the  1917  road  program  in  these  localities.  That  is  no 
reason,  however,  for  allowing  the  old  road.s  to  bee  ime 
impassalile. 

"It  is  good  reason,  on  the  other  hand,  for  straining 
every  resource  to  maintain  them  in  as  serviceable  con- 
dition as  possible.  When  conditions  become  readjust- 
ed, as  they  surely  will  be  soon,  the  really  important 
roads  of  the  country  will  have  the  attention  due  them, 
and  the  cost  of  reconstruction  and  new  construction 
will  be  reduced  if  the  old  roads  have  not  been  allow- 
ed to  go  to  pieces. 

"It  is  not  the  kind  of  work  which  is  attractive  to  the 
road  builder,  whose  joy  lies  in  l)uilding  something  new, 
in  creative  endeavor.  But  it  is  the  kind  of  work  that  is 
needed.  The  road  builder  must  be  content  to  work 
with  what  he  has,  to  keep  the  old  roads  in  service  even 
though  his  neighbors  criticise  him  for  not  accomplish- 
ing the  impossible  task  of  maintaining  them  in  as  good 
condition  as  new  roads,  jnst  as  they  are  criticising  ev- 
erybody these  days  who  is  doing  his  bit  for  the  pulilic." 


Monument  to  Road  Builder. 

Horatio  S.  Earle  of  Detroit  was  honored  at  a  meet- 
ing near  Cass  City  Friday,  August  24,  in  a  manner 
which  he  himself  said,  "so  far  as  I  know,  was  never 
done  for  any  other  man  while  yet  living  here  on  earth." 

The  occasion  was  the  unveiling  of  a  monument  of 
granite  weighing  six  tons,  in  memory  of  the  "Father  of 
Good  Roads  in  ^Michigan,"  erected  at  the  westerly  end 
of  the  first  mile  of  state  reward  built  in  Michigan,  one 
mile  east  of  Cass  City. 

Eleven  organizations  took  part  in  the  purchase  and 
the  exercises,  viz:  ^Michigan  State  Good  Roads  Associa- 
tion; "West  Michigan  Pike  Association;  Dixie  Highway 
Association  ;  Wolverine  Paved  Way  Association  ;  Mack- 
inaw Trail  Association  ;  Detroit-Chicago  Highway  As- 
sociation ;  Oloverland  Trail  Association;  East  Michigan 
Pike  Association ;  Western  Jlichigan  Development  Bu- 
reau:  Northeastern  ifichigan  Development  Bureau  and 
Detroit  Automobile  Club. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  1917 


Trans- Alleghany  Association 


The  most  successful  meeting  of  the  Trans-Alleghauy 
Good  Roads  Association  helcl  in  its  history  was  the 
third  annual  conventirin  at  White  Sulphur  Springs,  "W. 
Va..  last  month. 

The  convention  was  called  to  order  by  President 
('ieorge  W.  Stevens.  At  the  recjuest  of  Mr.  Stevens,  S. 
P.  Puffer  acted  as  secretary  in  the  absence  of  Albert 
Siduev  Johnston,  who  arrived  later  from  Union.     Seat- 


A.  S.  Johnston,  of  the  Monroe  Watchman ;  R.  T.  Wood- 
house,  of  the  Ronceverte  Times  and  Charles  Hodel,  of 
the  Raleigh  Register. 

After  a  short  speech  by  Governor  MacCorkle  explain- 
ing the  organization  and  aims  of  the  Trans-Allegheny 
Association  and  the  Midland  Trail  Association,  Presi- 
dent Stevens  called  for  a  report  from  each  county  in 
West  Virginia  which  will  be  traversed  or  touched  by 


Beautiful  Mountain  Lake  on  Midland  Trail  in  Fayette  County,  West  Virginia 


ed  iK^ar  the  president  were  Former  Governor  W.  A. 
MacCorkle.  vice  president  of  the  association,  and  De- 
catur Axtell,  of  Richmond,  who  is  the  treasurer;  T.  S. 
Scaulon  and  A.  D.  Williams,  State  Road  Commission- 
ers for  West  Virginia. 

Prom  every  directiini  good  roads  boosters  and  en- 
thusiasts liad  gathered.  Next  to  the  Charleston  con- 
tingent .Berkley  furnished  the  largest  single  delega- 
tion and  representatives  were  present  from  Roncevert, 
Lewislmrg.  Union  and  from  the  western  counties  of 
Virginia.    Among  the  representatives  of  the  press  were 


these  rapidly  developing  highways.  Reports  were  made 
on  behalf  of  these  counties  as  follows: 

T.  S.  Scanlon,  for  Cabell ;  J.  T.  Garrett,  for  Putnam ; 
]\r.  P.  ]\Ialcolm,  for  Kanawha;  Leslie  Bayliss,  for  Fay- 
ette; A.  D.  Williams,  for  Summers;  J.  W.  Johnson,  for 
Monroe;  Judge  S.  W.  Ilinkle,  J.  S.  McWhorter,  E.  D. 
Smoot  and  John  C.  Dice,  for  Greenbrier;  Judge  T.  J. 
ilcGinnis  and  C.  L.  Scott,  for  Raleigh. 

Valuable  facts  and  data  were  compiled  from  these  re- 
ports and  the  announcement  was  made  by  Acting  Sec- 
retary Puifer  that  out  of  170  miles  of  Midland  Trail 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


1 


Picturesque  Spot  on  Midland  Trail  in  Fayette  County,  West  Virginia.     T.  F.  Maloy,  Road  Engineer 


lietween  the  Virginia  and  Kentucliy  lines  113  are  al- 
ready built,  leaving  57  miles  yet  to  be  constructed  and 
much  of  it  yet  to  be  provided  for.  Of  these  57  miles 
sixteen  are  in  the  Cabin  Creek  district  of  Kanawha 
county. 

Stirring  speeches  were  made  by  Governor  ]\IacCorkle, 
S.  P.  Puffer,  Secretary  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  Com- 
missioners Scanlon  and  Williams,  and  bj'  the  repre- 
sentatives from  Allegheny,  Rockbridge,  Augusta  and 
other  counties  in  old  Virginia.  The  most  instructive 
address  was  probably  made  bj'  Commissioner  Williams 
who  spoke  from  long  experience  in  the  road  work  of 
the  state  and  explained  the  astounding  progress  whicli 
has  been  made  in  the  building  of  Class  A  roads  in  the 
last  four  years. 

In  his  closing  address  Governor  llacCorkle  was  un- 
usually eloquent  in  pleading  for  the  construction  of 
ample  highways  leading  toward  the  giant  federal 
plants  which  are  being  constructed  at  Charleston.  He 
stated  that  the  world  will  make  a  path  to  the  city  that 
holds  these  plants.  S.  P.  Puffer  moved  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  of  three  for  each  missing  link  of 
the  ]\Iidland  Trail  and  pleaded  earnestly  for  definite 
action  to  complete  the  road.  Secretary  Johnston  read 
the  report  of  Treasurer  Axtell  showing  a  balance  of 
about  $635  in  the  treasurer. 


Good  Roads  And  Bad  Streets. 

There  was  a  time  not  so  long  ago  when  the  only 
smooth  roadways  were  to  be  found  on  the  streets  of 
cities  and  towns  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  while  to- 
day there  are  many  districts  where  the  good  roadways 
are  in  the  country  and  the  streets  have  wretched  pave- 
ments. It  is  an  interesting  fact  to  observe  in  such  dis- 
tricts that  along  witli  the  good  roads  go  good  looking 
farms,  while  with  the  p.ior  streets  go  dusty  stores  and 
scraggy  lawns. 

It  is  not  true,  of  course,  that  road  building  has  pro- 
gressed faster  technically  than  street  paving.  Both 
have  developed  greatly  of  late.  But  the  countrj-man 
lias  shown  his  realization  of  the  value  of  good  roads 
mjre  than  the  townsman  has  shown  the  appreciation 
of  smooth  and  clean  pavements.  The  eountrynmn  is 
dragging  his  dirt  roads  and  in  some  places  is  oiling 
them,  and  is  voting  bond  and  taxes  for  expensive  t.vpes 
of  construction,  which  he  is  convinced  will  enable  him 
to  save  money  where  the  travel  is  heavy,  while  the 
townsman  is  content  to  bump  over  holes  and  let  every 
wandering  breeze  fill  his  house  and  store  with  dust.  Ts 
it  difficidt  to  decide  which  of  the  two  is  the  more  pro- 
gressive 'I 


The  Lincoln  Highway  association  will  spend  $157,000 
building  a  road  over  the  Great  Salt  lake  desert. 


18 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October.  1917 


Construction  in  West  Kentucky 

Over  Half  Million  Dollars  is  Now  Being  Spent  by  Eight  West  Kentuclcy  Counties 

in  Higtiway  Construction  and  Improvements 


THE  I'adncan  Sun  of  recent  date  contains  an  inter- 
esting .snniniary  of  the  roail  improvements  under 
way  in  the  First  Congi'essional  District.  The  ligures 
were  compiled  by  L.  1).  Ilolling'sworth.  The  Sun's  ar- 
ticle is  as  follows : 

■"Over  half  a  million  dollars  is  being  spent  by  eight 
West  Kentucky  counties  for  good  roails.  The  sum  of 
$613,000  in  round  numbers,  is  tied  nji  in  contracts  al- 
ready finished,  or  in  process  of  construction,  or  read.y 
to  be  let.  Practically  all  of  it  is  under  State  aid,  and 
the  greater  portion  is  from  bond  issues. 

"Is  West  Kentucky  interested  in  good  roads.'  With. 
$613,000,  approximately,  devoted  to  the  cause,  it  would 
appear  that  she  is  most  assuredly,  most  vitally,  inter- 
ested in  good  roads. 

Based  on  approxinuite  figures  given  t)ut  by  Division 
Engineer  L.  D.  Ilollingsworth,  of  Paducah,  the  vast 
sum  that  Western  Kentucky  is  spending  iov  the  im- 
I^rovement  of  her  highways  is  apportioned  as  follows 
among  the  various  counties : 

"McCracken— ^ITo.OOO. 

"Graves— $50,000. 

"Ballard— $400,000. 

"Pulton— $40,000. 

"Caldwell— $20,000. 

"Crittenden- $8,000. 

"I-Iickmau— $10,000. 

"Calloway— $10.0(10. 

Work  is  Rushing. 

"Each  of  these  eight  counties  is  in  the  midst  of  im- 
portant road  pro,iects  right  now.  Nearly  every  one  of 
them  is  a  bee  hive  of  road  industry.  Contracts  are  be- 
ing rushed  in  double  cjuiek  time  to  put  the  roads  in 
shape  for  winter.  An  idea  of  .just  what  each  county 
is  doing  may  be  had  from  Engineer  Holliusworth,  who 
returned  two  days  ago  from  Ballard  and  other  counties 
where  he  inspected'  road  work. 

"Wonderful  progress  is  shown  in  Ballard,  where  a 
$300,000  bond  issue  attests  the  interests  in  roads.  Bal- 
lard will  have  completed  75  miles  of  road  improvements 
this  fall — every  mile  of  it  a  perfect  ,job. 

"Graves  county  has  finished  plans  for  the  Federal 
aid  road  to  Fancy  Farm.  These  plans  were  signed  by 
Division  Engineer  Hollingsworth  Tuesday  night  and 
were  sent  at  once  to  Frankfort  for  the  approval  of 
State  Commission  of  Public  Roads  Rodman  Wiley.  Tliis 
contract  will  involve  something  like  $75,000.  Work, 
has  liegun  on  the  last  tM'o  miles  of  the  ]\Iayfield  and 
Paris  road,  whii-h  will  be  finished  in  60  days  according- 
ing  to  Engineer  Ilollingsworth.  This  will  give  Graves 
a  perfect  thoroughfare  to  the  county  line,  a  distance  of 
23  miles. 

Fulton's  Big-  Job. 

"Fulton  connt.\-  is  woi-lcing  on  the  State  line  i-oad 
from  Fulton  to  Hickman. 

"Surveys  are  being  pushed  in  Ilicknuiii  county,  ami 
one  is  now  ready  for  letting  at  Clinton.  A  sui've.v  is 
l)eing  made  of  tlie  Fu]ton-Did\ed(nn  I'oad.  The  Duke- 
dom road  is  now  under  contract  to  the  county  line. 

"Surveys  have  been  started  for  road  work  in  Callo- 
way county,  and  soon  this  county  will  he  actively  en- 
gaged in  road  improvements. 


"Caldwell  county  has  .just  completed  $7,000  worth 
of  work  and  is  ready  to  place  a  new  $3,000  contract. 
She  contemplates  spending  $4,000  more,  making  about 
$20,000  all  told.  Caldwell  has  finished  her  contract  on 
the  Eddyville  road,  is  almost  ready  to  complete  part 
of  the  Cadiz  road,  and  is  ready  to  let  a  second  jDortion 
of  the  Cadiz  road. 

"Plans  in  Crittenden  county  have  not  yet  lieen  ajv 
proved,  Init  when  they  are.  this  county  will  get  down 
to  business  in  earnest. 

"Livingston  and  llarshall  counties  are  at  present  in- 
active. Carlisle  awaits  a  settlement  of  the  Federal 
roads  question  liefore  expending  any  money  upon  its 
highways." 

Kentucky  Counties  Active. 

Road  improvement  A\iirk  is  lieing  done  by  nearly  all 
of  the  Purchase  counties  of  Kentucky.  Work  is  being 
started  in  Calloway  county  on  two  roads.  The  survey- 
ing has  already  been  finished  and  everything  will  be 
ruslied  to  completion.  The  i-oad  from  P'ulton  to  Hick- 
man, in  Fulton  county,  is  Ix'ing  improved  with  rock 
from  the  Katter,iohn  quarry.  In  ilcCracken  county 
Contractor  L.  R.  Figg  is  rushing  work  on  the  Mayfield 
road.  Two  miles  of  road  this  side  of  Leader  Hill' have 
already  been  improved  and  work  has  been  started  on 
the  road  near  St.  Johns.  Here  work  will  be  somewhat 
retarded  because  of  the  difficult  hills  that  will  be  en- 
countered. Forces  of  men  have  been  put  to  work  re- 
pairing the  Noble  road  and  clearing  for  work  in  the 
vicinity  of  liigh  Point  bridge  will  be  made  at  once.  A 
new  concrete  bridge  will  lie  constructed  there  in  a  short 
time. 

The  germ  of  road  improvement  has  spread  to  near- 
by counties  outside  of  the  Purchase  and  plans  are  al- 
ready on  foot  for  the  improvement  of  the  Marion- 
Princeton  road  and  the  Marion-Madisonville  roads  in 
Crittenden  county. 


Texas  County  Sets  Example. 

To  furnish  employment  for  drouth-stricken  farmers 
and  to  keep  intact  the  population  of  Tom  Green  coun- 
ty, this  Texas  county  will  spend  $250,000  in  the  con- 
struction of  good  roads.  Bonds  to  that  amount  will 
be  issued  immediatel.w  The  labor  cost  will  be  less  than 
it  would  have  been  at  this  time  last  year,  and  less  than 
it  will  lie  at  this  time  next  year,  in  every  likelihood. 
Farmers  who  have  been  foi-ced  into  idleness  by  the 
drouth  will  get  a  chance  to  earn  money  that  they  sore- 
ly need,  and,  moreover,  be  enabled  to  stay  in"  Tmii 
Green  county,  whereas,  without  the  employment  that 
will  thus  lie  given  them,  they  would  be  e.unpelled  to 
emigrate.  Here  are  three  highly  beneficial  eil'ects  of 
this  decision,  which  conunend  it  as  a  business  proposi- 
tion, as  a  philanthropic  one  and  as  an  industrial  one 
atl'ecting  the  whole  county. 


Iowa  Adopts  Patrol  System. 

Iowa  has  no  state  roads,  but  the  main  roads  in  each 
comity  are  called  county  roads  and  the  work  done  on 
them  is  controlled,  to  a  considerable  extent,  by  the 
state  highway  commission.  Although  they  carry  a 
heav.\'  traffic,  a  large  proportion  of  them  are  earth  roads 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


19 


and  their  maintenance  is  a  matter  requiring  horn  skill 
and  eonseientionsness.  In  order  to  make  it  certain  that 
this  maintenance  shall  be  as  good  as  possible  a  law  went 
into  effect  in  Jnly  requiring  all  the  county  i-oads  to  be 
under  patrolmen,  giving  their  entire  time  to  the  work 
from  the  beginning  of  the  season  in  the  spring  until  its 
close  in  the  fall,  and  such  additional  time  as  the  county 
supervisors  may  consider  necessary.  To  each  of  these 
patrolmen  is  allotted  as  many  miles  of  road  as  it  is  con- 
sidered possible  for  him  to  maintain  in  good  condition. 
He  must  go  over  all  this  mileage  at  least  once  a  week. 
He  is  required  to  drag  the  roads  after  each  rain  and  at 
such  other  times  as  may  be  necessary.  He  must  keep 
the  openings  of  culverts  and  ditches  clear,  and  the 
roadway  free  from  loose  stones,  holes  and  ruts.  The 
law  requires  him  to  give  particular  attention  to  the 
approaches  of  bridges  and  culverts,  which  must  be  kept 
smooth  and  free  from  bumps.  Tliis  system  is  substan- 
tially that  used  on  the  state  roads  of  New  Hampshire, 
which  are  famous  for  their  excellent  condition  and  their 
very  low  annual  cost.  It  has  taken  some  years  to  build 
up  such  a  system  of  maintenance  in  New  Plampshire 
and  the  progress  of  the  work  in  Iowa  will  be  watched 
with  much  interest  by  road  builders  in  other  states 
where  maintenance  now  receives  little  attention. 


Motor  Taxes  Help  Roads. 

In  1916  there  were  1,067,332  mire  motor  cars  regis- 
tered in  the  United  States  than  in  1915.  This  was  an 
increase  of  43  per  cent.  The  gross  total  of  registered 
cars,  including  commercial  cars,  was  3.512,996;  the 
number  of  motor  cycles  registered  was  250,820.  The 
several  states  collected  in  registration  and  license  fees, 
including  those  of  chauffeurs  and  operators,  a  total 
gross  revenue  of  $25,865,369.75.  Of  this  amount  92  per 
cent,  or  $23,910,811,  was  applied  directly  to  public 
roads  in  43  states,  according  to  figures  compiled  by 
the  office  of  public  roads  of  the  United  States  depart- 
ment of  agriculture. 

The  figures  for  1916  correspond  very  closely  with 
the  annual  percentage  increase  of  motor-car  registra- 
tion of  the  last  three  years.  This  yearly  increase  has 
averaged  40  per  cent  in  the  number  of  cars  and  50  per 
cent  in  revenues. 

When  viewed  over  a  period  of  years,  the  increase  in 
motor  car  registration  and  gross  revenue  has  been  re- 
markable. In  1906  the  total  state  registrations  were 
approximately  48,000  cars,  on  account  of  which  the 
several  states  collected  in  fees  and  licenses  a  total  gross 
revenue  of  about  $190,000.  Only  a  small  part  of  this 
was  applied  to  road  work.  In  1916  the  $25,865,369.75 
collected  formed  nearly  nine  per  cent  of  the  total  ru- 
ral road  and  bridge  revenues  of  the  state. 

Recent  years  have  shown  an  increasing  tendency  to 
put  the  spending  of  the  motor-car  revenues  directly  in 
the  hands  of  the  state  highway  departments. 

Maintenance  Being  Neglected. 

Southern  Good  Roads  is  in  receipt  of  a  letter  from 
Mr.  J.  A.  Harps,  a  well  known  manufacturer  of  Green- 
field, Ohio,  which  contains  s nne  valualjle  comment  on 
the  road  situation.  An  excerpt  from  this  letter  is  as 
follows : 

I  of  course  have  been  given  the  credit  of  being  a  good 
roads  enthusiast,  and  probably  am  justly  entitled  to 
same,  inasmuch  as  I  built  ten  miles  of  thirty-foot  sand 
clay  roads  in  your  state,  and  put  in  two  concrete  and 
steel  bridges,  at  my  own  expense.  I  just  returned  from 
a  trip  from  this  point,  going  east  to  Wheeling,  south  to 


Cumberland,  Washington,  D.  C,  Richmond,  Raleigh, 
and  Pineview,  N.  C.,  returning  via  Washington,  Phila- 
delphia, Ilarrisburg,  over  the  Lincoln  Highway,  and  it 
is  remarkable  to  see  the  improvement  in  roads  during 
the  past  eight  or  ten  years,  especially  in  North  Carolina 
and  Virginia,  and  much  of  this  development  of  course 
is  due  to  the  auto.  If  the  revenue  that  is  received  from 
auto  license  was  properly  used  in  constructing  and 
maintaining  roads,  it  would  be  only  a  short  while  until 
the  entire  country  was  a  network  of  well-constructed 
and  properly  maintained  highways. 

I  find  that  the  maintaining  of  the  highways,  especial- 
ly in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  is  sadly  neglected 
in  most  places.  I  would  urge  you  to  give  this  matter 
some  prominence  in  your  publication  and  try  and  get 
the  state  to  adopt  some  policy  of  maintaining  roads  af- 
ter they  have  been  constructed. 


A  Road  to  Yesterday. 

Back  in  the  unthreaded  mountains  of  southeastern 
Kentucky  a  little  school  is  trying  to  build  a  road  from 
Yesterday  to  Today,  writes  Ethel  De  Long  in  the  cur- 
I'cnt  issue  of  American   Motorist. 

Continuing.   ]\Iiss  de   Long  says: 

"Who  knows  but  what  a  few  years  hence  you  may  be 
driving  a  Pierce-Arrow — certainly  a  Ford — up  John 
Pox's  'Kingdom  Come.'  or,  more  reluctantly,  down  to 
the  mouth  of  Devil's  Jump  Branch,  that  rm:s  into  Hell- 
fer-Sartin.  And  the  tour  books  and  A.  A.  A.  maps  soon 
will  be  telling  you  just  how  to  get  from  Possum  Trot 
to  Frying  Pan,  or  from  Squabble  Creek  to  Red  Bird, 
where  now  only  little  trails  wind  through  the  laurel 
and  the  rhododendron. 

"This  is  the  world  of  the  eighteenth  century,  where 
the  lore  of  the  spinning  wheel  lingers  even  today,  and 
many  a  home  still  has  its  pile  of  hand-woven  blankets 
and  'kivers. '  The  fatty  pine-torch  lights  the  evening 
meal  if  the  glow  from  the  fire-place  is  not  enough ;  for 
electric  lights  are  known  only  as  matters  of  hearsay, 
well  described  by  a  small  visitor  to  a  city  as  follows: 
'You  mash  in  the  wall  and  lights  come  out,  and  you 
mash  hit  in   'ag'n  and  they're  plumb  gone.' 

"Fancy  a  jaded  and  sophisticated  motorist  in  search 
of  new  sensations  by  the  mere  crossing  of  a  mountain, 
leaving  the  twentieth  century  and  meeting  an  ancient 
code  of  hospitality!" 


Pennsylvania  Joins  Good  Roads  States. 

Road  work  in  Pennsylvania  for  1918  and  1919  will 
cost  the  state  $17,000,000,  this  amount  having  been  ap- 
propriated by  the  Legislature  for  the  purpose.  More 
than  a  third  of  this  sum  will  come  from  automobile  tax 
revenues  and  will  be  used  onl.y  for  the  maintenance  of 
established  state  roads.  A  half-million  dollars  will  be 
used  in  taking  over  privately  owned  toll  roads,  two  of 
those  being  considered  being  on  the  route  of  the  Lin- 
coln Highway  in  York  and  Lancaster  counties. 

The  sum  of  $6,000,000  is  allowed  for  new  road  con- 
struction, according  to  Lieutenant-Governor  Frank  B. 
McClain.  Pennsylvania  State  Consul  of  the  Lincoln 
Highway  Association.  It  is  aimed  to  include  the  im- 
provement of  twelve  miles  of  road  in  Beaver  county 
on  the  route  of  the  Lincoln  Highway  in  the  work  to 
be  done,  this  being  the  only  section  of  the  Lincoln  High- 
way in  the  state  that  is  not  hard  surfaced  and  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Highway  Department. 


Col.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  has  charge  of  the  construc- 
tion of  five  miles  of  military  road  from  Spartanburg, 
S.  C,  to  Camp  Wadsworth,  near  that  place. 


20 


^^OUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  1917 


Program  Ninth  Annual  Session  Southern 

Commercial  Congress,  New  York 

October  15, 16  and  17 


:\r()ii(lav.  Octolier  l.'i.  Id  A.  ,M,— Hotel  Astor— OPEN- 
ING SESSION. 

Invoctition — Dr.  Randolph  MrKiin.  Washinylon,  D.  C. 

Intri)(liK-tory — Hon.  Osear  Strauss. 

Welcome  from  Southern  Society  of  New  York — H(iii. 
William  A.  Barber,  President  of  Society.  . 

New  York  City's  AA^elcome — Hon.  John  Purroy  Mitch- 
el,  Mayor. 

Welcome  from  New  York  State — Hju.  Chas.  S.  Whit- 
man, Governor  of  New  York. 

Address — Hon.  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

Response  for  the  South — Hon.  Duncan  l'.  Fletcher, 
Presiilent   Southern  Commercial  Congress. 

Following'  this  session  a  uncheon  will  l)e  tendered  at 
12:30  P.  U.  at  Hotel  McAlpin.     Admission  by  card. 

AFTERNOON  SESSIONS— Four  sections  will  lie 
held  at  the  Hotel  Astor  at  2  :30  p.  m. 

Advertising  discussion  will  I)e  featured  by  addresses 
by  ilr.  Herbert  S.  Houston,  CHiairmau  National  Adver- 
tising Advisory  Board;  JMr.  St.  Elma  jMasseugale.  of 
Atlanta,  Ga. ;  Hon.  James  H.  Preston,  Mayor  of  Balti- 
more, Md. ;  Mr.  Lindsay  Russell,  of  New  York ;  Mr.  Ed- 
win Bird  Wilson,  of  New  York  City.  Followed  by 
round  table  discussion. 

Woman  's  Auxiliary  will  be  addressed  b,v  Miss  Louise 
G.  Lindsle.y,  Mrs.  Chas.  B.  Alexander.  Jliss  Nan  G. 
Keusett,  Mrs.  Moultrie  Mordecai,  Hon.  Jeaunettc  Ran- 
kin and  Mrs.  Kate  Walter  Barrett. 

Section  devoted  to  discussion  of  "Response  of  South- 
ern Business  to  the  AVar  Emergency"  will  be  address- 
ed by  Mr.  Thos.  S.  Southgate,  First  Vice-President  Com- 
mercial Congress;  Mr.  Edward  N.  Breitung,  New 
York;  ilr.  Philip  H.  Gadsden.  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Mr. 
II.  S.  Shelor,  Oklahoma ;  j\lr.  S.  T.  Morgan,  Virginia ; 
Air.  Julian  S.  Carr.  North  Carolina;  Mr.  W.  H.  Saund- 
ers, Treasurer  Southern  Commercial  Congress;  Air. 
Leland  Hume,  Second  A^ice  President;  Air.  Albert  P. 
Bush.  Alabama. 

Engineering  and  Research  section  will  be  addressed 
by  .Mr.  P.  V.  Stephens,  Consulting  Engineer,  New  A^ork 
Cil\  ;  Ah'.  Irving  T.  Bush,  New  A'ork  Citv ;  Air.  Calvin 
AV.  Kice,  Secretary  A.  S.  AI.  E. ;  Dr.  Chas.  H.  Herty. 

EVENING  SESSION— Hotel  Astor,  8  P.  AI.— House 
of  Southern  Governors.  Addresses  by  the  following 
governors:  Hon.  Richard  I.  Alanning,  South  Carolina; 
Hon.  J.  J.  Cornwell,  AVe.st  Virginia;  Hon.  R.  G.  Pleas- 
ant. Louisiana;  Hon.  Carl  E.  Alilliken,  Alaine;  Hon. 
Walter  E.  Edge,  New  Jersey;  Hon.  Samuel  W.  AlcCall, 
Alassachusetts.  Tlie  concluding  address  is  by  Hon. 
John  Barrett.  Director  General,  The  Pan  American 
Union. 

9  :30  P.  AL— Reception  at  The  AValdorf  in  honor  of 
the  House  of  Southern  Governors  and  The  Southern 
Commercial  Congress  tendered  by  The  New  A^ork 
Southern  Society. 

TUESDAY,  OCTOIiER  Ki. 
AIORXIXG    SESSION— Hotel    Astiu',    10    A.    AI.— In- 
troductory address  by  Hon.  W.  F.  AlcCombs.    Address- 
es by  Air.  H.  B.  A^arner,  Editor  of  Southern  Good  Roads, 
Lexington,  N.  C. ;  Gen.  T.  Coleman  DuPont,  N.  Y. ;  Air. 


Geo.  Diehl,  Buffalo;  Air.  John  Temple  Graves,  AYash- 
ington,  D.  C. ;  Hon.  AVm.  J.  Harris,  Chairman,  Federal 
Trade  Commission;  Senator  Thos.  S.  Alartin.  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  Air.  Giles  B.  Jackson.     The  Alayor's  recep- 


tion  will  folhiw  at  the  Citv  Hall,  from  1  t( 


P.  AI. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION— GOOD  ROADS  CONFER- 
ENCE—Hotel  Astor,  2  :30  P.  AI. 

Hon.  W.  F.  AlcCombs  will  preside  and  addresses  will 
be  delivered  by  Judge  T.  E.  Patterson,  Chairman. 
Georgia  Highway  Department;  Hon.  Rodman  AViley, 
Commissioner  of  Kentucky;  Hon.  W.  S.  Fallis,  State 
Highway  Engineer  of  North  Carolina;  lion.  X.  A.  Kra- 
mer, State  Highway  p]ngineer  of  Alississippi;  Hon.  II.  G. 
Shirle.v,   Chief  Engineer,   Alaryland. 

At  the  same  hottr  the  Cotton  Conference,  Agricitltur- 
al  Conference  and  War  Problems  Conference  Avill  be 
held  and  addresses  by  men  of  national  prominence. 

At  8  P.  AI.  a  banquet  will  lie  tendered  at  the  Hotel 
Astor  in  honor  of  the  Diplomatic  Representatives  of 
the  Allies  of  the  LTuited  States.  Diplomatic  represen- 
tatives of  a  dozen  nations  will  be  present.  Hon.  Wm. 
Howard  Taft  and  Ambassador  Jusserand  are  among 
the   dinner  speakers. 

AVEDNESDAY,  OCTOBER  17. 

Problems  affecting  agricttlture  and  finance  in  their 
i-i'lation  to  the  world   war  will    be  discusseil  at    Hotel 


"Armeo"  Iron  Calvert  installation  in  Little  Rock,  Ark. 


Labor  Saving 


Scarcity  of  laborers  and  higher  prices  is  now  a  condi- 
tion faced  by  all  public  work. 

"ARMCO'^.'r^&I^.CULVERTS 

meet  such  a  condition  because  they  are  easily  transported 
and  installed  by  fewer  men  than  are  necessary  for  other 
types  of  construction. 

f^r  all  that,  they  are  Built  to  Last.  Their  material  is 
the  purest  and  most  durable  of  irons  and  their  construc- 
tion is  the  recognized  standard. 

For  full  information  on  RuU-Resisling  "Armco" 
Iron  Culverls  Flumes,  Siphons,  Sheets,  Roofing 
and  Formed  Products,  write 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME   MFRS.  ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


Resist  RuJ 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


21 


Astor,  beg-iiuiin-j:  at  10  A.  M.  From  12:30  to  1:30  a  re- 
ception will  be  held  at  Columbia  University,  Hon.  Nich- 
olas Murray  Butler  is  chairman  »f  the  reception  com- 
mittee. At  1  P.  M.  a  luncheon  will  be  tendered  at  Ho- 
tel McAlpin  in  honor  of  Hon.  W.  P.  G.  Harding  and 
Hon.  George  W.  Norris. 

AFTERNOON  SESSIONS— Hotel  Astor  2:30  P.  M. 
— Conferences  will  be  held  on  Education  Insurance, 
Agriculture,  Engineering  and  Research  and  by  the  Wo- 
man's Auxiliary.  Some  of  the  most  interesting  speak- 
ers of  the  Congress  will  make  addresses. 

The  general  evening  session  will  be  devoted  to  ad- 
dresses by  Audiassador  Bakiimeteff,  Mr.  Frank  A.  Van- 
derlip,  Hon.  W.  P.  G.  Harding,  Mr.  John  Clausen,  Hon. 
Robert  L.  Owen,  Mr.  Hamilton  Holt  and  Hon.  L.  S. 
Rowe. 

On  Thursday,  October  ISth,  the  delegates  remaining 
over  will  be  guests  at  a  complimentary  concert  at  Wan- 
amaker's  Auditorium.  The  program  will  be  by  South- 
ern artists  now  residing  in  New  York  City.  The  great 
organ  will  be  played  by  Alexander  Russell,  of  Tennes- 
see. 


Big  Amounts  for  Illinois  Roads. 

The  funds  made  available  by  equal  appropriations 
from  the  Federal  government  and  the  State  of  Illinois 
have  been  detinitely  allotted  by  the  Department  of 
Public  Works  and  Buildings,  acting  in  conjunction  with 
the  board  of  Highway  Aclvisers,  as  follows : 

$1,413,000  to  the  National  Old  Trails  Road  beginning 
at  the  Indiana  State  line  and  connecting  ilarshall. 
Greenup,  Effingluini.  Vandnlia.  Greenville.  Cullinsville 
and  East  St.  Louis. 

.$1,020,000  to  the  Lincoln  Iliglnvay  connecting  Chica- 
go, Wheaton,  Geneva,  DeKalb,  Rochelle,  Dixon,  Sterl- 
ing, Morrison  and  Fnlt  ni. 

.$2,215,000  to  the  Chicago-Springfield  Road  connect- 
ing Chicago,  Joliet,  Morris,  Ottawa,  LaSalle,  Peoria, 
JIason  City  and  Springfield. 

$!)SS.00d  to  the  Springticld-East  St.  Louis  Road  con- 
necting Springfield.  Carlinville.  Slannloii.  Pjilwardsville 
and  East  St.  Louis. 

$614,000  to  the  Dixie  Highway  connecting  Chicago, 
Chicago  Heights,  ilomence,  Watseka  and  Danville. 

$400,000  to  the  road  from  Chicago  to  the  Wisconsin 
line  connecting  Chicago,  Waukegan  and  Zion  City. 

These  allotments  cover  the  amount  to  be  received  to 
and  including  July  1.  1!)2().  availalile  as  follows: 

$1.32(i,00O  availalile  Julv  1.  1!)17. 

$1,32H,000  available  July  1,  11)18. 

$1,76:),()00  available  Julv  1,  11)1!). 

.$2,209,000  available  July  1,  1920. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  anniunts  allotted  Avill  pay  two- 
thirds  of  the  cost  of  the  improvement  on  each  road. 
The  counties  through  whicli  the  roads  pass  will  be  ex- 
pected to  furnish  the  remaiiuler  of  the  cost.  Construc- 
tion will  not  be  commenced  on  any  road  until  a  suffi- 
cient amount  has  been  so  ]irovided  to  complete  the 
route  through  its  entire  length.  Preference  in  starting 
construction  will  be  given  to  the  roads  in  the  order  in 
which  money  for  completion  of  entire  road  is  provided. 

If  the  people  shall  approve  tlie  $60.(100,000  Bond  Is- 
sue at  the  November,  1!)18  election,  those  counties  eon- 
tribntiug  to  the  cost  of  these  roads  will  be  entitled,  as 
provided  by  said  law,  to  reimbursement  from  that  fund 
for  money  contributed.  Tlie  present  State  aid  allot- 
ment may  be  used  by  the  counties  to  assist  in  financing 
these  roads  and  should  the  State  Bond  Issue  fail,  future 
state  aid  allotments  may  be  used  to  reimburse  counties 
to  one-half  of  the  amount  contributed. 


Southern  Appalachian  Good  Roads  Convention  in 
Nashville  Octol)er  Ki-lDth.  All  indications  point  to  a 
large  attendance.  Many  automnbile  parties  have  [ilan- 
ned  to  attend. 

SALESMEN— INCREASE  YOUR  INC0:\1E  SELL- 
ing  higii  grade  tractor  oils,  auto  oils  and  l)oilcr  com- 
pounds to  tractoi'  ownei's  ;iml  operators.  Liberal  ccjm- 
mission  basis. 

THE  MOHAWK  REFINING  COAIPANY, 
3ni.  ( 'JcNi'land,    Oliio. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


The  Picture  Tells 


For  cutting  down  banks  or  cleaning  out  ditches  the  Russell  Center 
Shift  lateral  adjustment  of  the  Blade  is  quick  acting,  handy,  simple  and 
strong.  On  the  "Standard"  size  the  blade  may  be  extended  5  1-2  feet 
oatside  center  of  draft.  TheSliding  Block  and  Oscillating  Link  hold  the 
blade  rigid  wherever  set.  Don't  buy  a  Road  Machine  before  you  ex- 
amine this  and  other  features.     Our  1917  Catalog  gives  them. 


RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 

REPRESENTATIVES  IN  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


22 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October.  1917 


Standardize  Road  Building. 

Representatives  of  twenty-one  States  recently  took 
part  in  a  conference  at  "Washington  with  the  staff  of 
Logan  AValler  Page,  director  of  the  United  States  Office 
of  Public  Roads,  who  has  charge  of  the  administration 
of  the  Federal  Aid  Road  Law.  They  assembled  in  or- 
der to  bring  about  greater  uniformity  in  the  require- 
ments for  the  materials  used  in  road  building  and 
maintenance.  At  present  there  are  unnecessary  varia- 
tions in  tliese  requirenu^nts,  which  place  a  useless  bur- 
den on  their  producers,  increase  their  cost  in  some  cas- 
es and  render  it  difficult  to  apply  the  experience  gained 
in  one  state  to  the  problems  of  another. 

It  is  imwise  to  carry  standardization  in  road  work 
beyond  the  point  where  conditions  governing  the  se- 
lection of  materials  are  uniform,  for  local  differences 
exist  which  make  it  desirable  to  require  for  the  same 
type  of  road  materials  differing  in  some  respects.  By 
means  of  this  conference  it  has  been  possible  to  sepa- 
rate the  features  where  there  should  be  general  agree- 
ment from  those  in  which  local  conditions  make  it  de- 
sirable to  permit  some  lattitude.  The  results  are  con- 
sidered of  great  value,  not  mily  in  enabling  the  United 
States  Office  of  Public  Roads  to  co-operate  most  closely 
with  the  various  states  through  an  intimate  under- 
standing of  their  special  needs,  but  also  in  establishing 
greater  uniformity  in  the  road  work  done  in  the  differ- 
ent States. 

There  are  a  number  of  organizations  which  have 
been  devoting  attention  to  standard  specifications  for 
road  materials,  and  the  conference  adopted  their  stand- 
ards when  they  were  considered  reasonably  satisfac- 
tory. In  the  recommendations  of  the  conference,  the 
tests  w^hich  were  considered  really  necessary  in  order 
to  show  whether  materials  are  satisfactory  have  been 
included,  but  no  others.  A  large  number  of  tests  of 
road  materials  have  been  proposed,  but  the  number 
adopted  by  the  conference  is  comparatively  small, 
iloreover,  the  conference  has  not,  as  a  rule,  recom- 
mended limiting  values  for  specific  tests,  because  no 
one  set  of  limits  can  be  used  satisfactorily  in  all  parts 
of  the  country.  What  has  been  done  is  to  bring  stand- 
ardization of  materials  up  to  the  limits  where  it  ceases 
to  be  desirable,  and  tlien  to  standardize  the  methods  of 
testing  and  of  reporting  the  results  of  tests  where  dif- 
ferent requirements  nmst  be  adopted  to  meet  local  con- 
ditions. 

Other  conferences  \\-ill  be  called  by  the  United  States 
Office  of  Public  Roads  as  a  part  of  its  program  for  be- 
coming thoroughly  familiar  with  the  practice  of  differ- 
ent states  in  road  building  and  for  developing  uniform- 
ly high  standards  for  highway  work  thnuighout  the 
country.  Arrangements  for  printing  the  recommen- 
dations of  the  first  conference  have  already  been  made 
by  Director  Page  in  order  that  they  may  be  available 
for  road  officials  as  early  as  p;issible. 


Big  Organization  for  Good  Roads. 

The  United  States  Cluinilier  of  f'diiiinerce.  with  a 
membership  of  400.000.  comprised  of  tlie  leaders  of  ev- 
ery line  of  business  in  America,  have  put  the  force  of 
their  influence  liehind  the  promotion  of  public  high- 
ways. In  view  of  the  fact  that  important  good  roads 
moves  are  expected  to  be  made  in  Congress  within  the 
coming  months,  this  resolution  is  all  the  more  signifi- 
cant. The  text  of  the  rcsohition  adopted  at  the  War 
Convention  of  the  ('haml)er  of  Commerce  of  the  United 
States,  held  in  Atlantic  City  September  lS-21.  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

Whereas,   It  is  essential  that  all   the  transportation. 


OAD  BUILDERS 

County  Supervisors 

Roafl  liiiiMiriK.  dirt  movini;.  grading,  excavat- 
iiitj;.  ti;iTiilliiiq;  sand  or  gravel  is  now  a  snap— 
ci-niKiiuic.i.l  and  quick. 

The  Sj.itulding  2-in-One  Road  Machine  is 
just  \\'hat  you  need,  what  you  have  been 
I  toking  for.    Everyone  who  sees  it  says 
it's  a 

Wonderful  New  Machine 


Write 
lor 
Circular 


-IN-    I 

ROAD     I 

iMACHINEI 


LOADS  li  YARDS 
in  30  Seconds 

Four  horses  and  one  man  handle  it  in  ordi- 

'  nary  flirt — with  a  tractor  it  works  anywhere. 

Nn  [(lowing,  just   lower  blade,  start    your 

h'lrsi's  or  tractor,  machine  does  the  rest  in 

30  s('i-imds.    To  unload  push  levpr    with   foot 

and  machine  spreads  dirt  evenly  where  wanted- 

Cost  of  Moving  Dirt 
Reduced  50% 

All'>wing  SIO.OO    for    tractor.    S7.50  for 
njterator,  S7.50  for  man  to  operate  ma- 
chine, average   20  loads   ofl'o    yds.   per 
hour  according  to  haul,  that  means  300 
j'ds.  in  10  hours.     Now  figure  your  cost 
per  day  and  your  profit.     Your  answer 
will  jjrove  that  the  Spaulding  2-in-One 
at  its  low  cost  is  a    great  investment, 
a  big  di\'idend  payer  for  road  men,  con- 
'  traclors.   supervisors,    a    machine    you 
J  should  investigate.  Write  today  for  par- 
r  ticiilars  and  literature.  Jobbers  and  Deal- 
wTite  for  special  offer  on  open  territory. 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  of  Red  Cross  Elxplosives  and 
modern  road   machinery,  wril],  in  many  cases, 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  "Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
with  modern  road  building  machinery  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for  'ROAD   CONSTRUCTION 
and  MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont   de   Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


EXTRA 

40^  STRCNaTH 


October,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


2r? 


facilities  of  the  nation  should  be  brought  to  the  High- 
est state  of  efficiency  in  order  that  food  stuffs  may  Ije 
moved  most  economically  from  the  farm  to  the  market 
that  manufactured  products  he  moved  at  the  lowest 
cost  from  the  factory  to  the  consunun-,  and 

Whereas,  The  Public  Highwaj's  offer  a  good,  prompt 
and  economical  means  to  supplement  transportation  by 
rail  and  water,  therefore 

Be  it  Resolved,  That  the  pr(unpt  impr  ivement  of  our 
Public  Highways  is  important  aud  should  be  forwarded 
in  every  proper  way. 


Woman  Raises  $30,000  Road  Fund. 

The  $30,000  fund  which  ;\Iiss  Celia  Cathcart  engaged 
to  raise^to  build  Pine  ^louutain  road  in  Kentucky  has 
been  subscribed.  This  fulfills  the  condition  upon  which 
the  State  Aid  Fund  provides  a  similar  amount  for  the 
construction  of  a  road  acro.ss  Pine  Mountain,  connect- 
ing the  Settlement  School  and  isolated  comnuniity  with 
the  railroad.  Miss  Cathcart  asks  that  the  Louisville 
people  who  pledged  themselves  to  give  $6,000  to  the 
fund,  send  in  their  money,  addressed  to  her  at  Sidell, 
111.,  where  the  fund  is  being  kept  until  all  pledges  are 
paid. 

Concerning  her  recent  trip  to  Pine  ^fountain  Miss 
Cathcart  writes :  ' '  When  I  went  to  school  the  first  of 
August,  a  few  hundred  dollars  of  the  fund  were  still 
lacking.  The  children  were  eager  to  know  how  near 
the  end  was.  Nine-year-old  Linda,  who  had  gone  home 
with  me  for  a  visit  the  year  before,  was  especially  anx- 
ious. 'I  have  a  cpiarter  for  you.  Miss  Cathcart,'  she 
said,  her  brown  eyes  sparkling  with  delight.  A  quarter 
is  a  large  sum  for  a  child  at  Pine  Mountain  to  have, 
since  payment  for  all  work  is  credited  to  the  account, 
there  being  no  exchange  of  cash.  "A  quarter!  Why, 
Linda,  where  did  j'ou  ever  get  so  much  monej'?'  I  asked 
'Hit's  the  cjuarter  Mr.  A.  gave  me  when  I  was  at  your 
home  last  spring ! '  A  carefully  hoarded  treasure,  the 
greatest  she  possessed,  was  thus  offered  to  a  big  cause, 
the  bigness  of  which  even  her  young  mind  grasped.  But 
I  could  not  take  it.  'Mr.  A.  has  given  $500  for  the  road, 
and  I  think  he'd  rather  you'd  use  that  quarter  for 
something  else,'  she  was  told." 


Road  Funds  in  Nebraska. 

Nebraska  will  have  available  in  the  next  two  years 
for  the  building  of  good  roads  in  the  state  nearly  $1,- 
500,000.  This  amount  includes  federal  appropriations 
of  approximately  $750,000. 

The  third  federal  appropriation  for  government  aid 
in  road  building  has  just  been  announced.  It  totals 
$319,445.25  and  is  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30. 
1919.  The  two  previous  appropriations  were  $106,- 
481.75  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1917,  aud  $212,- 
963.50  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1918. 

State  Engineer  Johnson,  who  also  holds  the  position 
of  state  highway  commissioner,  has  been  since  June  1 
almost  constantly  in  consultation  with  county  boards, 
relative  to  improvement  of  the  roads  in  the  various 
counties. 

No  contracts  for  road  building  will  be  let  until  after 
January  1. 


The  building  of  army  cantonments  is  providing  a 
number  of  communities  with  fine  stretches  of  perma- 
nent roads.  It  has  been  found  that  nothing  less  than 
asphalt  or  concrete  or  some  equally  as  permanent  ma- 
terial is  worth  anything  as  an  army  road. 


An  Ounce  of  Proof 

Is  Worth  a 

Ton  of  Theory 


We  don't  insist  on  furnishing  the 
proof  to  you  that  U.  S.  Cast  Iron 
Culvert  Pipe  is  the  most  economical 
in  the  long  run.  Ask  any  engineer 
how  long  it  will  last.  He  will  no 
doubt  say  "The  first  Cast  Iron  Pipe 
ever  made  is  still  in  use  after  250 
years  of  constant  service.  The 
makers  of  U.  S.  Cast  Iron  Pipe 
haven't  been  on  earth  that  long,  but 
the  first  pipe  ever  turned  out  by 
their  foundries  is  still  giving  good 
service. 


u.  s. 


CAST 
IRON 


PIPE 


are  not  weakened  or  pitted  by  cor- 
rosion. They  are  not  injured  by 
frost.  Furnished  in  all  convenient 
lengths,  4  ft.,  6  ft.,  8  ft.  and  12  ft.  in 
all  diameters.  «, 

Don't  delay  sending  for  your  copy 
of  "Reducing  Ultimate  Culvert 
Costs."    Send  for  a  copy  today  to 


UNITED  STATES 

CAST     DIDC  AND 

IRON      r  IrHi     FOUNDRY 

COMPANY 

712  E.  Pearl  St.,  BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 


SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  York,  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W.  Oliver  Bldg. 
Chicago,  122  So.  Mich.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  Building 
Birmingham,  Ala., Am.  Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buflfalo.  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


October,  191/ 


An  All -Asphalt 

PAVEMENT 

Presents  many  advantages  over  any  other  form  of  con- 
struction. The  bituminous  base  distributes  the  impact  of 
traffic  throughout  the  whole  pavement,  prolonging  the  life 
of  the  surface  and  making  it  more  pleasant  to  ride  over. 
Temperature  changes  do  not  effect  it.    It  is  waterproof. 

B  I  T  O  S  A  N 

A  sheet  asphalt  surface  laid  upon  a  base  of  stiff,  rubbery 
asphalt  mixed  with  sand  or  gravel  is  the  most  highly 
developed  form  of  all-asphalt  pavement. 

It  is  rigid,  unyielding  and  durable  and  has  proven  itself  capable  of  bearing 
strains  far  in  excess  of  normal  traffic  requirements. 

While  laying  a  Bitosan  pavement  at  Falmouth,  Mass.,  an  asphalt  plant 
weighing  over  thirteen  tons  was  hauled  over  the  Bitosan  base  before  the 
top  was  put  on  without  injuring  it. 

All  last  winter  and  during  the  present  spring  a  caterpillar  tractor  hauled 
three  steel-tired  wagons  with  loads  aggregating  over  sixteen  tons  over 
one  of  the  Bitosan  Roads  on  Cape  Cod,  Mass.  A  recent  inspection  shows 
all  of  these  to  be  in  good  condition. 

In  the  sandy  districts  along  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  and  in  the  State  of 
Florida  Bitosan  can  be  laid  for  less  than  any  first-class  pavement. 

Correspondence   Invited 

The  United  States  Asphalt  Refining  Co. 

90  West  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


Chicago  Philadelphia  Boston  Montreal 

Main  Refinery :     Baltimore,  Md. 


BV^I 


.souIhernl, 

GgodRoJsds 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishinsr  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  November,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Southern  Appalachian  Convention 

Interstate  High^vays  Urged  for  Industrial  and   Commercial  Benefit  and  As 

Necessary  to  Our  National  Defense 


THERE  is  enough  idle  land  in  the  State  of  Tennes- 
see to  feed  this  nation  which  cannot  he  farmed 
until  you  get  better  roads  to  it.  We  must  not  only  feed 
this  nation,  but  the  nations  in  the  war,  and  the  critical 
part  is  the  road  between  the  farmer  and  the  market," 
said  A.  D.  Williams,  ehairmau-engineer,  West  Virginia 
Road  Commission,  at  the  ninth  annual  convention  of 
the  Southern  Appalachian  Good  Roads  Association, 
held  at  Nashville.  Teun..  October  16-18. 

"There  is  not  a  strategic  point  in  the  United  States 
from  the  Canadian  border  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  that 
has  a  road  or  bridge  that  can  move  a  modern  army.  It 
is  necessary  in  the  scheme  of  preparedness  for  this  na- 
tion to  have  a  system  of  military  roads,"  was  the  state- 
ment of  John  Craft,  Mobile,  Ala.,  at  the  second  day's 


HON.    JOHN   CRAFT 
Pre3ident  Alabama  Good  Roads  Association 

session,  while  on  the  third  day  D.  M.  Clark,  Greenville. 
N.  C,  said  that  the  Southeastern  section  of  this  country 
should  bj'  all  means  be  connected  up  with  a  system  of 
national  roads  for  the  quick  movement  of  troops  in  the 
event  that  our  Southern  shores  should  be  attacked. 

Governor  Tom  C.  Rye,  Tennessee,  Avelcomed  the  dele- 
gates, expressing  the  belief  that  the  meeting  would  be 


helpful  to  the  State  of  Tennessee  as  well  as  to  all  the 
contiguous  territory,  and  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown  extended  the 
welcome  on  behalf  of  the  Nashville  Automobile  Club, 
under  whose  auspices  the  convention  was  held  Dr. 
Brown  said  that  $20,000,000  had  been  spent  in  Tennes- 
see in  the  last  10  years;  that  the  State  had  $3,000,000 
available  during  the  next  four  years,  to  which  would 
he  added  $1,750,000  that  would  come  from  Federal  aid ; 
that  the  required  materials  were  at  hand,  and  that  the 
prime  need  of  the  Southern  section  was  good  roads, 
particularly  those  connecting  centers   between  States. 

Henry  Roberts,  president  of  the  Southern  Appalach- 
ian Good  Roads  Association,  said  there  must  be  more 
concerted  action  than  there  had  been ;  that  Southern 
men  must  get  away  from  the  idea  that  they  were  self- 
sufficient :  they  must  learn  what  they  had  at  home,  and 
wake  up  to  the  possibilities  that  lay  around  them  in 
order  that  they  might  be  active  and  industrious  in 
spreading  the  news  elsewhere,  so  that  people  from  oth- 
er sections  mig^it  be  attracted. 

J.  T.  Bullen,  District  Engineer,  United  States  Office 
of  Public  Roads,  speaking  on  road  maintenance,  said 
that  a  good  many  people  had  the  idea  that  when  a  road 
was  built  it  would  .just  natiu-ally  take  care  of  itself. 
He  described  the  distinction  between  maintenance  and 
repairs  as  being,  on  the  one  hand,  those  operations  that 
are  necessary  to  keep  a  road  to  type,  and  on  the  other, 
those  operations  that,  after  a  road  has  been  neglected 
and  allowed  to  deteriorate,  are  necessary  to  restore  it. 
He  said  it  was  fairly  easy  to  get  a  eomuumity  to  make 
an  investment  for  roads,  without,  however,  making  any 
provision  for  maintenance,  and  that  it  was  a  better 
business  proposition  to  lay  aside  annually  some  of  the 
road  appropriation  for  maintenance  rather  than  to 
wait  a  few  years  and  permit  a  road  to  deteriorate  and 
then  try  to  get  a  separate  sum  of  money  for  renewals. 

Maintenance  Must  Come  First. 

D.  H.  Winslow  of  the  HighM'ay  Department  of  North 
Carolina  spoke  on  gravel,  sand,  clay  and  earth  roads, 
urging  that  proper  provision  be  made  for  supplies  along 
the  roads,  and  saying  that  in  his  State  additional  road 
money  had  been  refused  until  it  was  learned  how  to 
care  for  the  roads  already  built. 

Under  the  general  subject  of  Statemaintained  road 
systems,  addresses  were  made  by  J.  Parks  Worley, 
Senator  of  Tennessee,  speaking  for  the  farmer;  Miss 
Josephine  A.  Pearson,  president  Ladies'  Auxiliary,  Dix- 
ie Higihway,  Cumberland  Divide,  for  the  women ;  John 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


November,  1917 


E.  Edgerton,  president  Tennessee  ^Manufacturers'  As- 
sociation, from  the  industrial  and  commercial  stand- 
point, and  bj'  Arthur  Crownover,  chairman  Tennessee 
liig-hway  Cmnmissiou.  from  the  standpoint  of  the  State. 
Assistant  Chief  Engineer  Norcross  of  the  United 
States  Forest  Service  said  that  good  roads  and  trails 
were  needed  in  the  forests,  and  that  the  Service  is  vi- 


MR.   D.    H.    WINSLOW 
Maintenance   Engineer   North  Carolina  Highway  Commission 

tally  interested  in  them.  We  have  to  have  good  roads 
and  trails  to  get  out  the  lumber  Avhich  we  sell,  and  to 
enable  the  sheep  herders  to  get  supplies  to  their  flock ; 
also  tliey  are  necessarj'  in  the  event  of  forest  fires  to 
get  men  and  eciuipment  quickh^  to  tlie  place  where  the 
fires  are  to  be  fought. 

Support  for  Military  Roads. 

.Jiiliii  ('i-aft  asked  the  assoi-iatimi  lo  fiidorsc  the 
Chamberlain-Dent  Highway  bill,  and  to  use  personal 
effort  with  representatives  at  Washington  in  its  behalf. 
He  spoke  of  the  important  part  good  roads  had  played 
in  the  present  war  and  some  others,  and  the  value  of 
good  roads  to  a  community  of  reason  of  touri.st  iiavel, 
saying  that  a  system  ot  military  roads  would  serve  far- 
mers, merchants  and  tourists. 

G.  II.  Ingram  of  the  Southern  P>itludithir  Co.,  who 
presided  at  the  session  in  which  this  address  was  made, 
said  this  matter  was  one  of  the  mo.st  important  that 
had  cotne  before  the  convention,  and  the  sub.iect  was 
referred  to  the  committee  on  resolutions,  who  subse- 
quently reported  favorably  on  it.  Prior  to  the  adoption 
of  the  resolution,  A.  G.  Batchelder,  executive  chairman 
of  the  American  Automobile  Association,  explained  in 
part  the  operation  of  the  proposed  measure  and  the 
reasons  for  its  consideration.  He  said  that  at  the  pres- 
ent time  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  has  no  authority 
to  build  roads  for  military  purposes ;  the  Secretary  of 
War  has  no  authority  to  ))uild  any  road  for  any  'pur- 
pose;  the  States  and  counties  have  no  money.  The  War 
Department  ought  to  have  some  authorit.v  over  roads 
where  military  movements  might  be  afl:'ected.  This 
measure  gives  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  acting  on  the 


advice  of  his  engineers,  the  power  to  recommend  that 
certain  roads,  which  he  will  select  as  having  definite 
military  value,  Avill  receive  attention  on  consulting  with 
the  iiighway  departments  of  the  States.  In  general,  the 
idea  is  that  of  nation-wide  roads.  Federal  built  buil1 
and  Federal  maintained. 

C.  B.  Scott.  Assistant  Iiighway  Commissioner  of  Vir- 
ginia, read  an  interesting  report  of  his  experience  with 
convict  labor  in  road  construction  and  maintenance, 
presenting  some  figures  to  show  what  had  been  accom- 
plished with  this  class  as  compared  with  free  labor  and 
describing  the  construction  of  labor  camps  and  the 
care  of  convicts.  The  cost  of  road  work  was  relatively 
low  when  convicts  were  employed,  and  it  was  possible 
to  work  them  all  winter,  owing  to  the  mildness  of  the 
climate,  even  as  far  noi-th  as  his  State. 

Dr.  A.  H.  Purdue,  State  Geologist  of  Tennessee,  made 
an  able  address  on  the  road  materials  to  be  found  in 
that  State. 

.Malcolm  11.  Crump,  Bowling  (ii'i-en,  Ky.,  sjioke  about 
the  rock  asphalt  found  in  liis  State.  He  saicl  that  some 
of  it  had  been  i)rought  to  Nashville  as  long  as  30  years 
ago,  but  that  the  material  had  been  before  the  public 
particularly  in  the  last  two  years.  ITe  described  it  as 
existing  in  enormous  quantities  in  l^eds  from  5  to  oO 
feet  thick  as  a  sharp  sand,  each  face  of  each  grain  be- 
ing coated  with  bitumen,  and  that  the  only  proljlem 
connected  ■with  it  was  to  get  the  material  out,  as  it  was 
not  near  a  railroad  and  had  to  be  brought  out  by  river. 
He  said  the  area  covered  by  the  material  was  30  miles 
long  and  10  miles  wide,  and  that  there  was,  therefore, 
enough  of  it  to  surface  every  road  in  the  ilississippi 
Valley.  A  road  surfaced  with  it  slnuild  last  fm-  10  years 
with  very  little  maintenanre. 

Benefits  of  Federal  Aid. 

A.  G.  Batchelder,  speaking  on  the  subject  of  Federal 
aid,  said  that  good  roads  were  an  investment  for  any 
State,  and  quoted  the  experience  of  New  York,  where, 
lie  said,  there  had  been  spent  last  year  b.y  automobile 
tourists  from  .$15,000,000  to  $18,000,000,  "which  was  a 
good  return  on  the  .$100,000,000  spent  by  the  State  foi' 
the  roads.  He  gave  the  figures  for  a  number  of  States, 
showing  what  the  tax  was  for  building  and  maintain- 
ing roads,  and  quoted  some  statistics  to  show  the  tre- 
mendous growth  of  automobile  travel,  both  pleastire 
and  business,  along  some  well-known  roads.  ;\Ir.  Batch- 
elder  made  the  sitggestion,  which  was  later  commented- 
on  by  other  speakers,  that  a  way  might  be  found  to  use 
interned  Germans  for  road  work,  and  in  the  event  of 
tlie  passage  of  the  Ciiamberlain-Dent  bill  that  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  might  be  authorized  to  emplo.y  them. 
And,  speaking  of  the  Federal-aid  law,  he  said  that  it 
would  doubtless  continue  effective  if,  in  operation,  it 
UK'ant  that  I'eal  roads  affording  communicati(ni  lietween 
States  were  pro.jected,  the  States  nmking  their  plans 
imder  a  State  tax  that  would  allow  the  stronger  coun- 
ties to  aid  the  i^oorer  ones,  the  whole  proposition  being 
one  that  woidd  bring  people  into  the  territories  affect- 
ed through  a  big  plan  of  connected  roads. 

A.  D.  Williams  spoke  on  closer  co-operation  between 
State  in  highway  plans  and  standardization  of  road 
work,  saying  a  large  sum  of  money  could  be  saved  the 
Southern  States  by  a  complete  system  of  co-operation 
between  them ;  i.  e..  between  the  highwa.v  department? 
of  the  entii'e  country,  whereb.v  the  experience  of  one 
cngiiu^er  miglit  be  available  to  other  engineers,  and 
wlun'e  the  plans  of  one  might  be  used  by  others  under 
similar  conditions.  He  said  the  Federal-aid  law  will  be 
of  benetit  to  the  variotis  States,  but  the  biggest  aid  will 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


not  be  the  $75,000,000  provided  by  that  Act,  but  wil! 
be  the  general  scheme  of  staadardization  that  will  nec- 
essarily ensue  imder  its  operation. 

D.  M.  Clark,  Greenville,  N.  C,  spoke  on  uniform  fi- 
nancing for  roads,  explaining  a  bill  introduced  by  him 
in  his  State.  This  law  provides  for  the  issuance  senu- 
annually  of  bonds  in  the  amount  of  $400,000  at  4  per 
cent,  the  monej-  being  loaned  to  the  comity  or  town- 
ship applying  for  it  at  5  per  cent.  The  difference  of  1 
per  cent,  goe.s  into  a  sinking  fund  for  the  reduction  of 
each  subsequent  semi-annual  issuance.  Tlie  bonds  run 
for  41  years.  At  the  end  i)f  40  years  the  amount  ')f  the 
1  per  cent,  sinking  fund  amounts  to  $397,298.42,  leav- 
ing only  $2,701.58  of  new  nuuey  reijuired  to  make  up 
the  next  semi-annual  issuance,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
bond  period  the  bonds  are  retired  with  a  surplus  amount 
of  money  that  can  be  diverted  to  anotiicr  purpose.  Tn 
general,  the  plan  is  to  use  the  credit  of  the  State  in 
borrowing.  If  the  plan  could  be  extended,  tlie  credit 
of  the  National  Government,  might  l)e  utilized  for  the 
benefit  of  the  States,  and  through  tliem  extending  down 
to  the  counties  or  townships. 

The  closing  session  was  devoted  to  a  discussion  of 
economic  roads.  Prof.  R.  D.  Kneale,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  speak- 
ing on  bituminous  roads ;  G.  R.  Ramsey,  Orlando,  Fla., 
on  brick  roads,  and  Burdette  Woodyard,  Parkersburg, 
W.  Va.,  on  concrete  roads.  Mr.  Kneale  gave  a  number 
of  figures  to  show  the  economy  of  bituminous  roads, 
and  said  their  biggest  merit  lay  in  the  fact  that  the}' 
could  be  continuously  maintained  at  low  cost.  Mr. 
Ramsey  made  a  statement  of  the  quantities  and  extent 
of  various  kinds  of  road  laid  in  Florida  and  the  results 
of  tests  made  on  brick  pavement.  Mr.  Woodyard  spoke 
of  his  experience  with  concrete  roads,  but  prefaced  his 
paper  with  the  statement  that  local  coiulitions  in  all 
cases  would  determine  the  character  of  the  road  to  be 
built.  He  advocated  14-foot  road  as  a  means  of  reduc- 
ing speed  and  minimizing  careless  driving. 

During  the  sessions  rep(ni:,s  were  made  of  inspection 
totirs  along  some  of  the  higliways,  and  progress  reports 


were  presented  by  representatives  of  highway  depart- 
ments of  various  states. 

The  Officers  Elected. 

The  officers  elected  for  the  ensuing  year  are: 

President,  A.  D.  Williams,  Morgantown,  W.  Va. 

Secretary-Treasurer,   H.   II.   Jones,   Nashville,   Tenn. 

State  Vice-Presidents:  T.  E.  Patterson,  Atlanta,  Ga. 
D.  M.  Clark,  Greenville,  N.  C. ;  Burdette  Woodyard 
Parkersburg,  W.  Va. ;  J.  M.  MacBeath,  ileridian,  Miss. 
G.  R.  Ramsey,  Orlando,  Fla. ;  S.  G.  Kitchens,  Baltimore 
Md. ;  Peter  L.  Atherton,  Louisville,  Ky. ;  John  Craft 
Mobile,  Ala. ;  R.  T.  Brown,  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Z.  D.  Dun 
lap,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Executive  Committee :  C.  B.  Scott,  Richmond,  Va. 
James  Maret,  Mt.  Vernon,  Ky. ;  J.  J.  Murray,  Nashville 
Tenn.;  F.  H.  Murray,  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  W.  S.  Keller 
Jlontgomery,  Ala. ;  R.  D.  Kneale,  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  H.  B 
Varner,  Lexington,  N.  C. ;  W.  S.  Fallis,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 
Henry-  R.  Shirley,  Baltimore,  Md. ;  X.  A.  Kramer,  Jack 
son,  Mis-s. ;  W.  P.  Cocke,  Tallahassee,  Fla. ;  Henry  Roh 
erts,  Bristol,  Va. ;  A.  G.  Batcheldei',  Washington,  D.  C. 
Dr.  M.  H.  Fletcher,  Asheville,  N.  C. 

Following  the  election,  announcement  was  made  that 
the  next  annual  meeting  would  be  held  in  Asheville, 
North  Carolina. 

Tlie  Nashville  Automobile  Club,  Dr.  C.  S.  Brown, 
president,  was  the  host  of  the  convention.  The  ar- 
rangements made  by  it  were  entirely  adequate  for  the 
occasion.  Credit  nmst  be  given  to  the  convention  sec- 
retary', II.  H.  Jones,  for  his  work  in  connection  with 
the  meeting. 


The  Arkansas  State  Highway  Commission  has  sent 
out  preliminary  plans  for  one  of  the  costliest  roads  ev- 
er contemplated  in  the  State.  The  proposed  road  is  in 
Phillips  County  and  is  approximately  six  miles  in 
length.  It  will  connect  Helena  and  West  Helena  and 
will  cost  $28,950  per  mile,  or  $140,986.94  for  the  entire 
road. 


Albright  Road,  Ringwood  District,  Preston  County,  West  Virginia.     Aspiialt  Macadam  Penetration 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


Florida's  Improved  Roads 

By  WILLIAM  F.  COCKE 

IX/IIILE  the  official  records  sluw  that  the  State  of  improved  roads  completed  and  under  eonstructiou  in 

"^    Florida  leads   all  states   in   the   expenditure   per  the  State. 

capita  for  road  improvement,  up  to  the  present  time  rp,^^  ,_,^j^j  issues— county  and  districts— from  which 

there  has  been  no  centralized  authority  over  road  and  j.-^^^^^  ^^.^^^.^  ^igrived  for  the  improvement  of  these  roads, 

bridge  eonstructiou  and  maintenance  m  this  State.    All  an^o^^ufed  to  approximately  !t^l7,600.000.    The  total  area 

road  and  liridge  work  has  been  under  the  exclusive  su-  ,_,£  Florida   is  54,861  scpare  miles.     The   bonded  area 

pervision  and  control  of  Boards  of  County  Commission-  pq^^alled  68  per  cent,  or  37,120  square  miles;  the  area 

ers.     Bach  Board  consists   of  five  members   and   each  ^^^  bonded  equalled  32  per  cent,  or  17,741  square  miles, 

member  has  made  his  individual  district  a  separate  road  r^j^^  bonded  area  equalled  23,756,800  acres,  making  an 

unit.     TTiere  have  been  fifty-two  counties  m  the  State,  average  of  74  cents  per  acre  of  bonded  indebtedness  for 

and,    consequently,    two    hundred    and    sixty    separate  j.^ig^^i  improvement. 

road  and  bridge  units.     The  last  legislature  created  two  r^.^^^  materials  used  and  the  mileage  of  each  on  the 

new  counties  and  there  are  now  ten  additional  units.  ^.^.^^^_,  eoi^pieted  and  under  construction,  according  to 

But  even  with  this  handicap  the  State  has  taken  aucl  IS  ^j^^    ^^^^^   information   obtainable,    up   to    Januarv   1st, 

maintaining  the  lead  in  the  amount  of  money  expended  jc)i7_  ,vas  approximatelv  as  follows: 
per  capita  for  road  improvement. 

Up  to  January  1,  1917,  the  latest  date  for  which  fig-      Modified  asphalt    664  miles 

ures  are  available,  the  total  mileage  of  improved  roads      Vitrified  brick 483  miles 

in  the  State  of  Florida  was  approximately  7,968  miles.      Concrete    35  miles 

of  which  6,312  miles  had  l)een  paid  for  with  proceeds  of      Gravel    42  miles 

county  and  district  bond  issues.    The  State  is  prohibit-      Rock   . 1268  miles 

ed  by  a  constitutional  provision  from  issuing  bonds  for      Rock,  oil  treated   ^9L  miles 

such  purpose.     The  same  authority  .shows  that  on  the      Shell    •j3b  miles 

same    date   there    were    approximately    1,256    miles    of      Sand-ela.v 1J44  miles 

road  under  construction  to  be  paid  for  with  the  pro-      Graded  earth  roads 4158  miles 

ceeds  of  bond  issui^s,  making  a  total  of  9.224  miles  of  But  the  State  of  Florida  now  has  a  State  Road  De- 


Asphaltic  Concrete  Paving  Along  Indian  River,  Volusia  County,  Florida 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


partment.  and  working  under  additional  authority  con- 
ferred by  the  legislature  which  adjourned  June  1,  1917. 
this  Department  will  very  shortly  be  in  a  position  to 
inaugurate  what  is  destined  to  be  a  new  era  in  road 
eoustruetion  and  maintenance  in  Florida. 

The  -State  Road  Department  is  now  given  authority 
to  designate  certain  roads  as  State  Roads  and  certain 
other  roads  as  State  Aid  Roads.  To  meet  the  amount 
of  Federal  aid  allotted  to  Florida  for  road  construction 
or  improvement  the  legislature  jirovided  a  special  levy 
of  one-half  mill  per  annum  on  tlie  assessed  value  of  all 
taxable  property  within  the  State.  The  fund  to  be  de- 
rived from  this  special  levy,  plus  the  amount  of  Fed- 
eral aid  funds  allotted  the  State,  is  to  be  used  under 
the  exclusive  supervision  and  control  of  the  State  Road 
Department. 

Single  Tax  on  Automobiles. 

One  of  the  new  laws  enacted  by  the  1917  Legislature 
establishes  a  single  State  license  tax,  or  registration 
fee,  on  automobiles  and  all  other  motor  driven  vehicles. 
This  will  do  away  with  county  and  municipal  licenses 
on  such  vehicles  for  private  use,  M'hich  have  hereto- 
fore been  permitted  and  whicli  have  proven  such  a  nui- 
sance to  motoring  tourists. 

Fifteen  per  cent  of  the  amount  collected  as  State 
registration  fee  is  to  he  used  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  State  Road  Department  and  eighty-five  per  cent  is 
to  be  used  for  maintenance  of  the  roads  and  bridges  in 
the  respective  counties,  but  is  to  be  expended  solely 
under  the  supervision  of  the  State  Road  Department. 
The  funds  are  apportioned  to  the  counties  on  the  basis 
of  the  total  amount  of  State  taxes  of  all  kinds  paid  an- 
nually by  each  county. 

Authority  is  also  given  the  State  Road  Department 
to  work,  on  the  roads  designated  as  State  or  State  Aid 
roads,  three  hundred  State  convicts.  These  will  he  lo 
cated  in  camps  of  approximately  fifty  men  each  and 
as  the  counties  in  which  they  are  to  be  worked  mvist. 
under  the  law.  provide  an  amount  equal  to  fifty  per 
cent  of  the  cost  of  the  work  to  be  done  under  the  su- 
pervision of  the  State  Road  Department,  this  will  re- 
sult in  quite  a  large  amount  of  work  being  done  in  ad- 
dition to  that  to  be  paid  for  with  Federal  and  State 
fimds. 

As  the  funds  to  meet  the  Federal  aid  and  the  auto- 
mobile license  funds  will  not  be  available  until  after  the 
first  of  January  1918,  the  State  Road  Department  is 
now  engaged  in  perfecting  plans  for  inaugurating  the 
new  methods  of  road  construction  and  maintenance. 
T'he  County  Commissioners  will  still  retain  supervision 
and  control  over  all  roads  not  designated  by  the  State 
Road  Department  as  State  roads  and  State  aid  roads. 


Fort  Smith  Highway  Center. 

A  national  highway  in  eight  directions  out  of  Fort 
Smith,  Ark., — that  is  the  dream  of  a  few  daj's  ago  that 
now  is  almost  a  reality.  Fort  Smith,  the  converging 
point  of  four  continental  hard  roads,  could  but  become 
the  best  known  road  city  in  the  south,  and  it  is  well  on 
the  way. 

When  the  three  natituial  highways  now  assured  are 
completed  through  Fort  Smith,  and  when  the  cit.v 
awakes  to  its  opportunity  and  lands  the  other.  Fort 
Smith,  will  have  hard  roads  in  eig'ht  direction — the  Jef 
ferson  highway  north  to  Winnipeg  and  south  to  New 
Orleans;  the  Lakes-to-Coast  scenic  highway,  or  Choc- 
taw trail,  south  to  Galveston  and  north  to  Chicago ;  the 
Albert  Pike  highway  northwest  to  Pike's  Peak,  Colo- 
rado, and  southeast  to  Hot  Spring,  or  fui'ther;  and  the 


Bankhead  highway  east  to  Little  Rock.  Memphis,  Birm- 
ingham. Atlanta  and  Washington,  and  west  to  Araaril- 
lo.     These  things  are  not  hot  air.     They  are  facts. 

Already  three  of  them,  the  Jefferson,  Lakes-to-Coast, 
and  Albert  Pike,  are  building.  Improvement  districts 
are  building,  in  process  of  formation  or  being  agitated 
all  along  their  routes  through  the  state.  Tlie  Bank- 
head  highway  is  almost  complete  to  Little  Rock,  and  it 
is  only  a  matter  of  time  until  it  is  completed  on  through 
Fort  Smith  and  out  into  the  west,  probably  toward 
Amarillo.  Texas. 

When  these  ft)ur  highways  are  finished.  Fort  Smith 
will  be  on  the  route  of  every  tourist  who  starts  south 
on  any  of  them.  The  Arkansas  Jefferson  highway  and 
the  Choctaw  trail  will  reach  the  city  over  the  same 
road  through  this  county  and  a  goodly  portion  of  the 
state.  Tourists  from  central  Texas  will  u,sually  take 
the  Choctaw  trail,  or  Lakes-to-Coast  road,  and  those 
from  eastern  Texas,  Louisiana  and  other  gulf  states 
will  come  via  Arkansas  Jefferson  or  Bankhead.  The 
Albert  Pike  road  eventually  will  be  extended  to  a  coast 
port  somewhere  in  the  southeast,  and  already  is  being 
built  across  northern  Oklahoma,  into  the  heart  of  the 
Colorado  tourist  country.     The  Bankhead  route  would 


Concrete  Road,  Near  El  Paso,  Texas 

prove  of  immense  lienefit.  and  organizations  already 
are  being  formed  lietween  here  and  Little  Rock  to  pro- 
mote that  road. 


Expenditures  on  the  Dixie  highway  during  till 7  for 
such  purposes  as  resurfacing  with  asphalt  and  macad- 
am and  sand  clay,  together  with  soil  treatment,  grad- 
ing and  resurfacing,  total  $4,100,000.  The  total  mile- 
age of  all  divisions  is  5300.  Looking  at  the  expenditure 
from  individual  states  in  1916,  Illinois  expended  $265.- 
000;  :\Iichigan  $600,000-  Ohio  $515,000;  Indiana  $130.- 
000;  Kentucky  $(i25.000;  Tennessee  $225,000;  Georgia 
$25,000  and  Florida  $1,500,000. 

Testing  crews  of  the  B.  F.  Goodrich  Rubber  Company 
have  .just  completed  a  six  months  tour  of  all  the  roads 
of  the  nation,  many  of  which  they  have  sign-posted. 
They  distance  they  covered  would  girdle  the  globe  200 
times.  They  have  seen  evidence  of  the  past  year's  road 
building  and  are  optimistic  over  it.  The  Pacific  coast 
they  found  to  have  the  best  roads  and  Elaine  the  worst. 
The  tours  were  made  for  the  purpose  of  giving  auto 
owners  advice  on  prolonging  the  life  of  tires. 

There  is  one  automobile  to  every  two  people  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  seven  cars  for  every  two  miles  of  public 
road,  according  to  the  statement  of  Denny  O'Xeil.  State 
Highway  Commissioner. 


SOUTHER  X  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


Road  Improvement  in  the  South 

Speech  of  Editor  H.  B.  VARNER,  of  Lexington,  N.  C,  Before  Southern  Commercial 

Congress,  Tuesday,  October  16th 


No  eiiliigy  of  Southern  achievement  in  highway  im- 
provemeut  eould  be  more  impressive  than  the  bare 
statement  of  what  has  been  aeeomplished  during  the 
past  few  years.  Twentj-  years  ago  not  a  single  South- 
ern State  had  a  semblance  of  a  state  highway  depart- 
ment, and  not  a  dollar  of  state  appropriation  went  tn 
aid  the  counties  and  townships  in  the  construction  and 
maintenance  of  their  highways.  There  was  no  correla- 
tion of  the  work  of  one  county  with  that  of  another 
I'ouuty.  or  of  one  township  with  that  of  another  town- 
ship :  no  helping  hand  extended  by  the  rich  counties  to 
the  poor  counties:  no  extension  of  the  services  of  skill- 
ed engineers  so  as  to  reach  the  many  places  where  they 


EDITOR  H.  B.   VAKNER 
Southern  Good  Roads,  Lexington,  N.  C. 

were  needed;  there  was  no  exchange  of  useful  informa- 
tion, so  that  each  county  might  profit  by  the  successes 
and  failures  of  other  counties:  there  was  no  co-opera- 
tion between  the  cities  and  the  rural  sections  in  the  im- 
provement of  highways  leading  int)  the  cities.  Sum- 
ming up  the  .situation  as  it  existed  20  years  ago.  we  may 
say  that  in.stead  of  co-operation  there  was  extreme  in- 
dividualism :  instead  of  system  there  was  confusion,  in- 
stead of  skilled  knowledge  there  was  local  politics ;  in- 
stead of  equitable  cost  sharing  there  was  the  extreme 
of  inec[uitable  cost  apportionment.  That  there  was  a 
minimum  of  attention  paid  to  the  improvement  of  the 
highways  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  entire  South 
was  spending  annually  not  more  than  .$15,000,000.  or 
an  acreage  of  only  about  $20  per  mile  of  road,  and  this 
covered  not  merely  maintenance,  but  the  constructiDU 
of  both  roads  and  bridges  as  well.  Against  this  depres- 
sing picture  of  conditions  as  they  were,  we  can  today 
point  to  a  record  of  progress  in  the  immediate  past  of 
which  the  South  may  well  be  proud. 

Today  there  is  not  a  single  Southern  State  that  is 
without  a  .state  highway  department,  thus  bringing  to 
the  problem  of  road  improvement  the  powerful  agency 
of  the  state  government  to  supplement  and  guide  the 


efforts  of  the  counties  and  their  subdivisions.  Not  all 
of  the  Southern  States  are  appropriating  state  funds  to 
aid  in  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  high-ways, 
but  a  number  of  them  have  carried  the  policy  of  state 
aid  to  a  point  where  the  aggregate  expenditures  run 
far  into  the  millions  and  the  successes  obtained  have 
been  notable.  Of  those  I  might  mention.  Maryland, 
with  its  superb  system  of  State  roads;  Virginia,  which 
lias  for  10  years  been  building  roads  with  the  aid  of 
State  funds,  luitil  now  the  length  of  State  aid  roads  ex- 
ceeds 5.000  miles,  and  a  policy  has  been  adopted  of  wea- 
ring these  many  tSate  aid  roads  into  a  connected  State 
system :  Kentucky,  which  began  its  state  aid  policy  in 
1912.  has  already  completed  some  1.800  miles  and  has 
upwards  of  $2,000,000  of  State  funds:  Alabama  has  for 
6  years  been  carrying  on  in  a  limited  degree  the  policy 
of  State  aid  and  has  completed  upwards  of  800  miles  of 
State  aided  roads  during  that  time ;  Georgia  has  been 
giving  the  aid  of  its  State  convicts  to  road  work  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  Louisiana  for  7  years  has  been 
granting  state  aid.  with  the  result  that  over  800  miles 
of  roads  have  been  constructed  under  the  direction  of 
the  State  Highway  Department.  The  other  Southern 
States  may  be  expeteed  to  do  even  more  than  emulate 
this  progre.ss.  as  the  entire  South  is  moving  forward  in 
highway  w-ork  at  a  speed  which  is  constantly  accelerat- 
mg  and  under  a  policy  which  is  constantly  broadening 
and  developing. 

A  Gigajitic  Increase. 

As  against  the  .$15,000,000  exjienditure  of  20  years 
ago,  the  Southern  States  expended  in  1916  a  total  of 
$67,000,000.  an  increase  of  450  per  cent.  In  that  one 
year  the  South  constructed  10.000  miles  of  sand  clay 
road  in  addition  to  the  expenditures  for  road  mainte- 
nance. Twenty  years  ago  the  South  had  practically  no 
improved  road  mileage.  Such  as  .she  had  were  the  old 
toll  roads  of  Kentucky.  Virginia  and  Tennessee,  which 
survived  the  ravages  of  time,  and  in  addition  to  these 
a  few  county  road  systems  built  by  progressive  counties 
in  contrast  to  the  general  situation  of  extreme  stagna- 
tion. Even  10  years  ago  comparatively  little  progress 
had  been  made  in  the  construction  of  improved  high- 
ways. In  that  brief  period  of  time  the  Southern  States 
have  constructed  more  than  80,000  miles  of  surface 
roads,  of  which  -15.000  miles  are  composed  of  hard  ma- 
terial, such  as  gravel,  macadam,  brick,  concrete,  or  oth- 
er hard  pavement.  The  other  35.000  miles  consist  of 
sand  clay  surfacing,  which  considering  the  climatic 
and  traffic  conclitions  of  the  South,  frequently  serve  ev- 
ery purpose  that  a  more  costly  hard  road  would  serve. 

To  appreciate  more  fully  the  magnitude  of  this  10- 
year  road-building  achievement,  comparisons  are  nec- 
essary. Every  generation  is  told  of  the  marvelous 
roadbuilding  achievements  of  the  Romans,  as  tlie  great 
road-builders  of  all  ages  and  all  places.  For  nearly  500 
years  Rome  expended  a  tremend  lus  proportion  of  her 
energy  and  her  wealth,  and  the  labor  of  sub.iect  nations, 
in  the  building  of  great  military  highways,  radiating 
from  the  imperial  city.  When,  at  the  height  of  her 
power,  the  total  length  of  the  great  Roman  roads  ag- 
gregated about  50.000  miles.  True,  the  construction 
was  far  more  massive  than  that  of  the  highways  which 
are  built  todav,  but  it  served  the  needs  of  traffic  little. 


November.  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


if  any  better,  than  the  modern  types  of  highways.  Next 
in  the  order  of  time  as  the  great  road-building  nation 
were  the  French.  Begun  under  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 
France  has  eon.structed  a  system  of  highways  which 
has  been  and  is  regarded  as  a  model  of  a  connected 
highway  system  for  other  nations  t3  follow.  In  the 
building  of  her  national  system  France  was  engaged 
for  over  a  century,  and  yet  the  national  roads  which 
form  the  backbone  of  the  French  system  comprise  less 
than  24:.000  miles.  Thus  in  10  years  the  Southern  States, 
with  their  record  of  45.000  miles  of  hard-surfaced  riads 
constructed  by  Rome  in  500  years,  and  have  construct- 
ed nearly  double  the  mileage  of  the  French  national 
system.  aU  this  in  addition  to  the  building  of  So.W) 
miles  of  sand  clay  roads.  In  order  that  this  compari- 
sjn  may  be  perfectly  fair,  however,  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  France  has  tens  of  thousands  of  excellent 
roads  which  are  not  comprised  in  the  national  system, 
and  it  is  probably  true  that  many  of  the  lateral  Roman 
roads  would  be  considered  equivalent  to  roads  which 
would  be  called  improved  in  this  age.  After  making 
such  due  allowance,  however,  the  fact  remains  that  the 
Southern  States  have  accomplished  a  truly  remarkabk 
roadbuilding  progress,  considering  the  time  which  they 
devoted  to  the  work  and  the  work  and  the  difficailtie- 
which  their  system  of  extreme  localization  have  madi^ 
it  necessary  to  overcome. 

Just  n  )w  road-building  and  management  in  the 
South  are  in  a  transitional  stage,  in  which  the  old  pol- 
icy of  extreire  localization  is  gradually  giving  way  to 
the  more  enlightened  and  more  effective  policy  of  skill- 
ed and  centralized  control,  and  in  which  the  old  con- 
ception jf  the  highway  as  a  purely  local  utility,  to  be 
financed  out  of  local  funds,  is  giving  way  to  the  reali- 
zation that  each  mUe  of  highway  is  of  far-reaching  and 
economic  importance,  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  citi- 
zen who  dwells  not  only  miles  away,  but  thousands  if 
miles  away  from  its  boundaries. 

Before  the  invention  of  the  automobile  it  would  have 
required  a  gift  of  the  seer  to  visualize  the  vast  pulsing 
army  of  tratfic  which  now  m:)ves  back  and  forth  over 
our  entu'e  highway  system,  with  a  radius  of  travel,  not 
doubled  or  trebled,  but  multiplied  many  times  over  so 
that  the  boundaries  which  formerly  marked  the  units  of 
taxation  and  authority  are  utterly  and  entirely  antiqu- 
ated and  inadequate,  i  million  automobiles  with  a  hun- 
dred-mUlijn  horsepower,  and  with  motor  trucks  and 
tractors  just  beginning  to  unfold  their  possbdities.  com- 
prise a  mighty  force  of  mechanical  power  and  a  potent 
factor  that  has  made  and  will  continue  to  make  for  the 
systematic  and  efficient  development  of  our  imported 
highways. 

Not  only  has  the  motor  vehicle  so  greatly  increased 
the  radius  of  travel  as  to  make  necessary  financial  aid 
from  the  state  and  supervision  by  the  state  essential 
for  the  construction  or  maintenance  of  highways,  but 
it  has  developed  problems  of  construction  and  mainte- 
nance which  call  for  the  best  skill  oi  specially  trained 
highway  engineers,  and  in  consequence  the  Siuthem 
States  are  gradually  assembling  in  their  state  highway 
departments  efficient  corps  of  these  highway  specialists. 
Importance  of  Trunk  Lines. 

Gradually  it  has  dawned  upon  our  highway  adminis- 
trators that  just  as  France  possesses  as  the  backbone  oi 
its  highway  system,  a  selected  mileage  of  the  most  im- 
portant highways,  and  just  as  every  raUroad  system 
has  its  main  lines,  its  feeders,  and  its  secondary  lines; 
just  as  the  Eastern  States,  which  have  been  longest  in 
the  work  of  highway  construction,  have  found  it  neces- 
sary to  select  the  most  important  highways  as  state 


trunk  lines,  the  Southern  States  must  concentrate  their 
state  activity  on  those  highways  forming  a  connected 
whole  on  which  the  great  bulk  of  the  state's  traffic  most 
be  carried.  Thus,  as  I  have  already  mentioned.  ^lary- 
land  is  nearing  the  completion  of  its  State  system:  Tir- 
ginia  is  welding  its  scattered  miles  of  State  aid  roads 
into  a  connected  system :  West  Virginia.  Kentucky. 
Tennessee.  Alabama.  Louisiana.  Texa.s.  Arkansa.s.  and 
Missouri,  all  now  have  legislative  authorization  and  are 
working  toward  the  completion  of  connected  state  high- 
way systems. 

Perhaps  the  mo.st  powerful  incentive  from  outside 
the  b;«rders  of  the  states  was  the  passage  of  the  Federal 
Ai.1  Rnal  A.---  ;r.  Jnl".  loif;.      That  a-t  re.iiired  as  a 


One  of  Tennessee's  Splendid  Highwavs 

condition  to  participation  in  its  benefits  by  the  respec- 
tive states  that  they  should  have  state  highway  depart- 
ments and  that  all  the  work  on  which  Federal  funds 
were  to  be  expended  should  be  done  under  the  direction 
of  the  state  highway  department,  subject  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  Federal  engineers.  With  an  appropriation 
of  f75.000.CM30.  covering  5  fiscal  years,  the  amount  of 
money  it  thus  made  available  to  the  states  was  an  in- 
ducement for  them  to  throw  overboard  the  old  policy 
of  extreme  licalization.  thus  during  ttie  past  winter 
more  construction  and  beneficial  legislation  was  passed 
by  the  Southern  States  as  a  result  of  this  act  than  in 
any  5-year  period  in  their  history. 

The  incredible  progress  made  in  the  whole  field  of 
transportation  in  modem  times  is  the  most  striking 
feature  jf  modem  civilization.  It  is  not  that  we  have 
shortened  distance,  but  that  we  have  shortened  time. 
that  counts  so  tremendously  in  the  working  out  of  hu- 
man problems.  We  do  not  customarily  speak  of  the 
distance  between  New  York  and  Washington,  for  ex- 
ample, but  the  time  between  New  York  and  Washing- 
ton. If  by  these  amazing  developments  in  iiur  trans- 
portation system  we  are  enabled  to  do  in  one  day  what 
we  formerly  did  in  5  days,  it  is  as  though  we  had  pro- 
longed our  lives  from  three  score  and  ten  to  five  times 
three  score  and  ten.  or  that  we  were  working,  not  with 
one  pair  of  hands,  but  with  five  pairs  of  hands,  because 
in  this  deeting  span  of  existence  time  is  vital. 

A  quaint  entry  in  the  Journal  of  the  Upper  House  of 
Maryland,  dated  May  14.  1695.  iUustrares  pointedly  the 
comparison  between  transportation  of  those  days  and 
of  today.  It  reads:  "Sallary""  of  fifty  dollars  "to  ilr. 
John  Perry,  the  post,  for  carrying  all  public  messages 
and  Paquettes  eight  times  a  year  betwixt  Potomack 
and  Philadelphia."  Twenty-two  years  later  the  mail 
from  Boston  to  Williamsburs.  Va..  was  delivered  onlv 


10 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


November,  1917 


every  four  weeks  in  summer  and  every  eight  weeks  in 
winter. 

A  Rich  Field  for  Investment. 

Xo  section  of  the  United  States  offers  richer  returns 
for  wise  investments  in  road-building,  and  no  section 
oifers  fewer  problems  to  solve  in  the  construction  and 
upkeep  of  improved  roads.  Very  little  of  the  territory 
comprised  in  the  Southern  States  is  unproductive.  The 
land,  as  a  rule,  is  well  watered,  the  soil  is  fertile,  and 
the  climate  is  suitable  for  the  prjductiou  of  every  kind 
of  crop  from  the  fruits  of  the  tropics  to  the  grains  and 
timbers  of  cold  Northern  climes.  The  entire  Southern 
territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  is  within  24  hours 
reach  liy  fast  train  of  the  great  Eastern  centers  of  pop- 
ulation. ■\\'ith  their  millions  of  consumers,  with  their 
great  ports,  with  their  mills  and  factories,  ready  to  use 
or  to  ship  every  product  which  the  South  can  deliver, 
so  that  it  is  merely  a  problem  of  producing  from  the 
facilities  that  are  at  hand  and  moving  these  products 
over  gold  roads,  railroads,  and  waterways  to  points  of 
consumption  and  ports  of  shipment.  The  South  is 
fairly  well  equipped  -with  railroads  and  its  energies 
should  be  devoted  more  and  more  to  supplementing  the 
railroads  by  a  superb  system  of  improved  public  roads. 

I  have  -stated  that  the  problems  of  road  construction 
and  maintenance  are  more     casilv     overcome     in     the 


South  than  in  almost  any  other  section  of  the  country. 
This  is  true,  first,  because  the  climatic  conditions  of 
most  of  the  Southern  States  is  such  that  work  can  be 
conducted  throughout  practically  the  entire  year;  sec- 
ond, because  of  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  the  roads 
are  not  sub.ieet  to  the  tremendous  destructive  powers 
of  fro.st  as  is  the  case  in  the  N  irthern  and  Western 
States;  third,  the  negro  laborers  of  the  South  are  a 
source  of  supply  relatively  cheap  and  efficient,  and  ac- 
customed to  hard  outdoor  manual  labor;  fourth,  the 
convict  labor  force  of  the  South  may  be  worked  to  ad- 
vantage on  the  public  roads  because  it  is  for  the  most 
part  drawn  from  a  class  used  to  outdoor  manual  labor, 
and  can  be  worked  practically  throughout  the  year, 
thus  effecting  economy  in  operation :  fifth,  sand  clay 
and  gravel  roads  may  be  constructed  at  low  cost  be- 
cause of  the  mdd  climatic  condition,  and  materials  for 
this  form  of  construction  exist  abundantly  in  a  very 
large  portion  of  the  Southeastern  States.  For  the 
hard-surfaced  roads,  the  Valley  of  Virginia  is  well 
equipped  with  limestone,  as  is  Kentucky  and  a  large 
part  of  Tennessee.  Northern  Alabama  has  chert  in 
abundance.  I\Iissi,ssippi  ha,s  excellent  gravel.  -Georgia 
has  limestone  in  the  north,  gravel  in  the  east,  and  sand 
clay  in  the  South. 

Today  we  have  come  to  that  eifeetive  period  in  hand- 
ling of  our  great  task  of  building  and  nuiintaining  tlie 


Overhanging  Ledge  on  Midland  Trail,  Fayette  County,  West  Va.     Photo  by  T.  F.  Maloy,  Road  Engineer 


Novenilier,   1917 


S  0  T'  T  II  E  R  N  GOOD   R  0  A  D  S 


11 


highways  of  the  nation  where  every  unit  of  the  givern- 
nient,  from  the  township  to  the  J'eileral  (ioverument  it- 
self, is  sharing  a  portion  of  the  liurden  ami  is  fultilling 
a  measure  of  the  duties.  The  South,  long  the  strong- 
hold if  loc-al  economy,  has  within  the  past  10  years 
eome  to  a  full  realization  of  this  wonderfully  efficient 
adjustment  of  burdens  and  duties,  and  gradually  we 
are  coming  to  hear  less  complaint  on  the  part  of  the 
local  townships  and  districts  aliout  county  interference, 
less  complaint  by  the  c  >unties  about  state  control,  and 
less  opposition  from  the  states  to  receive  the  helping 
hand  of  Federal  aid  because  of  a  financial  invasion  of 
".state  rights."  I  look  for  a  progress  in  road  improve- 
ment throughnit  the  Southern  States  during  the  next 
10  years  that  will  make  even  the  remarkable  achieve- 
)iient  of  the  past  10  years  seem  eommonplace.  With 
the  happy  combination  of  soil,  climate,  laljor.  road  ma- 
terials, and  the  marvelous  amount  and  richness  of  its 
products  to  be  marketed,  the  South  can  do  mire  and 
reap  more  than  any  other  section  in  the  entire  world. 
Ten  yeai-s  from  now  the  traveler  wlio  starts  South  from 
Washington  will  find  it  possible  to  reaeh  every  state, 
every  important  city,  and  every  pr  iductive  section  of 
the  South  without  leaving  a  hard-surfaced  road,  and  he 
will  see  sucli  a  boundless  measure  of  the  wealth  of  for- 
est, mine  and  farm  flowing  out  over  this  wonderful 
highway  system  as  to  banish  all  thought  of  want  and 
privation  to  any  nation  of  the  world,  for  this  will  be 
enough  and  to  spare  for  all. 


A  Labor- Saving  Device  on  California  Roads. 

The  California  Highway  Commission  has  introduced 
a  method  of  saving  labor  in  one  detail  of  road  work, 
which  is  generally  useful.  The  commission  buys 
all  the  materials  used  on  the  r  lads  it  builds  and  fur- 
nishes them  to  the  contractors.  It  owns  a  large  num- 
ber of  motor  trucks  into  which  the  materials  are  de- 
livered from  the  railway  cars.  It  is  desirable,  of  course, 
to  keep  such  expensive  equipment  as  motor  trucks  mov- 
ing all  the  time,  for  they  are  earning  nothing  when 
standing  idle.  In  order  to  load  them  (juickly  at  the 
sidings,  when  ordinary  shoveling  is  the  method  of 
transferring  the  materials  from  the  ears  to  the  trucks, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  several  men  available  for  this 
\^-ork.  and  when  the  loading  is  not  going  on  these  men 
must  have  other  work  provided  for  them  or  they  will 
be  idle.  In  order  to  reduce  the  number  of  men  needed 
t^  a  minimum,  the  comu)ission  has  devised  a  system  of 
boxes,  which  are  placed  along  one  side  of  the  car  to 
be  imloaded.  The  outer  side  of  these  boxes  can  be 
opened  like  the  tail  of  a  dump  wagon.  A  man  is  em- 
ployed steadily  filling  these  boxes,  whether  a  truck  is 
waiting  for  a  load  or  not.  When  a  truck  arrives  it  is 
driven  alongside  the  car  and  the  boxes  are  tipped  up  by 
a  long  lever,  the  outer  side  is  released  and  the  contents 
dumped  into  the  truck,  which  takes  about  five  min 
utes.  The  truck  then  starts  oft'  on  another  trip  and 
the  .shoveler  in  the  car  fills  the  boxes  again.  This  sys- 
tem can  only  be  used  to  advantage  when  enough  trucks 
are  used  to  permit  the  car  to  be  unloaded  promptly,  but 
where  such  conditions  exist  it  is  stated  to  give  good 
satisfaction  and  involve  very  little  expense  for  the 
equipment. 


Federal  Apportionment  for  1919. 

That  the  government  appreciates  the  benefits  deriv- 
ed by  the  construction  of  good  roads,  particularly  the 
development  of  rural  post  roads,  is  evidenced  by  the 
appropriation  made  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  July  30. 


1019.  The  apportionment  announced  by  the  secretary 
of  agriculture  is  .$14..")50.()0().  of  which  sum  Texas  re- 
ceives the  lai'gest  amount.  !i;876.986.70.  and  Delaware 
the  smallest  $24,411.99. 

That  the  apportionment  is  being  greatly  increa.sed 
each  year  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  initial  amount 
imder  the  act  for  the  year  ending  June  30.  1917.  was 
$4,850,000.  This  was  "increased  t  )  $9,700,000  for  the 
1918  apportionment  or  over  K'O  percent  increa.se.  New 
York  is  .second  in  the  li.st  and  is  to  receive  $749,674.20 
to  construct  roads  so  that  the  rural  districts  will  be 
served.  Pennsylvania.  Illinois.  Ohio  and  Missouri  are 
next  in  order,  and  their  share  is  over  the  $500,000  mark. 
The  apportionments  are  as  follows: 

Sum 

State —  apportioned. 

Alabama $      313.456.47 

Arizona    205.540.5^ 

Arkansas    250.018.47 

California 456.167.23 

Colorado 257.2 , 8.92 

Connecticut    92.216.45 

Delaware    24.411.99 

Florida   1 .0,/23.88 

Georgia 403,909.45 

Idaho    182.471.55 

Illinois    658.823.48 

Indiana 406.230.18 

Iowa    4.34.653.61 

Kansas    429.131.88 

Kentucky   292.984.62 

Louisiana   203.755.29 

.Maine    144.807.42 

^laryland    130.871.43 

Mas.sachusetts   221.261.85 

Michigan    435.356.37 

-Minnesota    428.865.40 

^lississippi   268,751.60 

.Mi.ssouri   508.603.98 

Montana 298.520.89 

Nebraska    319.445.25 

Nevada   . 193.229.S2 

-New  Hamp.shire   62.610.11 

New  Jersev   177.357.22 

New  Y  u-k   749.674.20 

North  Carolina   342.556.47 

North  Dakota   229.585.91 

Ohio    558.043.42 

Oklahoma    346.489.34 

Oregon    236.332.74 

Peunsvlvania    690,145.78 

Rhode  Island 34.972.38 

South  Carolhia   215.014.08 

South  Dakota    243.175.61 

Tennessee    340.663.51 

Texas    876.986.70 

rtah 170.763.17 

Vermont     68.128.92 

Virginia    298.120.77 

Wa.shington 216.530.19 

West  Virginia 159,713.89 

Wiseonsiu    382,707.20 

Wyoming 193,805.78 

Total $14,550,000.00 

This  is  the  third  apportionment  under  the  act.  For 
the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30.  1917.  the  apportionment 
was  .$4,850,000.  For  the  fiscal  year  1918  $9,700,000  was 
appropriated. 


12 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


Prison  Labor  is  Efficient 

West  Virginia  Highway  Cominission  Gives  Fine  Example  by  Work  Done  in 

Kanawha  County 


TI-IE  ALL-ABSORBING  question  before  the  mind  of 
every  person  interested  in  road  construction  is 
tlie  question  of  efficiency  and  cost.  The  abnormal  la- 
t)or  situation,  the  question  of  transportation  of  mate- 
rials and  the  fond  supplies  has  ])laced  every  man  in- 


West  Virginia  State  Prison  Camp  No.  3 

terested  in  road  construction  at  his  wits  end  to  produce 
the  greatest  results.  A  fair  test  of  what  can  be  done 
with  prison  labor  is  shown  by  the  report  for  the  nine 
months  of  State  Prison  Camp  No.  3  in  Kanawha  county, 
West  Virginia,  under  the  supervision  of  Division  En- 
gineer. 'Slv.  P.  J.  Walsli.    The  following  tables  show  the 


Honor  Men  — Engineer,  Foreman  and  Camp  Guard.    Supt.Maloy 
Supporting  Head  of  His  Trusty  Hound 

average  number  of  prisoners  for  each  month  the  total 
number  of  meals  and  the  meals  consumed  by  visitors, 
wliich  include  tlie  guards  and  engineers: 


•Jan.  .  .  . 

.16 

1.630 

84 

(!    158.94 

.0975c. 

3 

0 

Feb.    . 

.15 

2,412 

68 

186.01 

.232c. 

0 

2 

ilarch 

..14 

1,480 

91 

732.82 

.089e. 

3 

0 

April    . 

..15 

1.566 

108 

180.19 

.115c. 

0 

0 

:\r.-iv  . 

.14 

1 ,5S3 

134 

201 .03 

.127c. 

0 

0 

June    . 

.1:^ 

1,528 

152 

27.i..54 

.17c. 

0 

5 

July 
Aug. 
Sept 
Total  ..  . 
Average  K 


..12 
..23 
...21 


1.507 
2,595 
2,326 
15,627 
1,736 


266 
236 
231 

1.367 
1.52 


205.75 
410.07 
357.35 

2,107.70 
233.96 


.136e. 

.16e. 

.153c. 

.134c. 

.134c. 


0 
1 

1 
11 


3 
5 

2 

17 


First  column  figures,  average  number  of  prisoners; 
second,  total  nundjer  meals;  third,  meals  to  visitors: 
the  fourth  cohunn  shows  the  total  cost  of  food  sup- 
plies per  month.  The  tilth  colunui  shows  the  cost  per 
meal.  T'he  sixtli  column  shows  the  number  of  prison- 
ers returned  to  the  penitentiarj-  for  violating  the  hon- 
or rules.  The  seventh  column  shows  the  niunber  of  days 
sickness. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  average  for  the  en- 
tire nine  months  was  sixteen  men.  The  average  cost 
per  meal  was  13.4c.  The  total  number  of  days  sickness 
for  one  man  for  the  entire  nine  months  was  seventeen 


Another  View  of  Honor  Men  at  Work  at  Camp  No.  3, 
Kanawha  County,  W.  Va. 

days,  which  shows  the  healthful  occupatim  of  camp 
life  under  the  projier  sanitary  rules.  T'he  prisoners 
were  furnished  to  the  county  by  the  State  authorities, 
the  county  bearing  all  expense,  including  transporta- 
tion, board  and  clothes.  The  total  cost  of  the  camp  and 
the  operation  of  the  prisoners  for  the  entire  period  ag- 
gregates $13,611.77.  This  includes  $400  of  cement  in 
stock,  a  mule  team  cost  .$600,  three  set  of  harness  at 
$75  per  set,  five  hear  of  hogs  at  an  average  of  $30  per 
head,  and  camp  equipment  estimated  at  $600  or  a  cred- 
it of  $2,075.  The  total  quantities  of  material  moved 
upon  the  work  valued  at  the  prices  bid  for  a  similar 
piece  of  work  on  the  same  road  adjoining  work  done 
by  the  prisoners  is  shown  in  the  following  table:  Total 
amount  of  money  expended  to  October  1st,  $13,611.77 
Value  of  Woi'k  done  using  unit  prices  of  contract  let 
on  road  of  similar  renditions,  Sept.  1916,  $16,778.  26 
Quantities  of  Materials  lloved: 

13.749  cu.  yds.  linclassifi^ed  @  50e $  6,8744.50 

5,082  eu.  yds.  Borrow,  {a'  67c 3,404.94 

12,844  cu.  yds.  Overhaul  («  02c 256.88 

215  Lin.  ft.  French  Drain,  @  25c 53.75 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


13 


231.92  cu.  yds.  Concrete  Masonery.  @  $15.00  3,478.80 
32  cu.  yds.  Reinforced  Concrete  Masonery  @ 

20.00 .' 640.00 

55.5  Lin.  ft.  18iii.  i)ipe,  @  1.75 97.13 

194  Lin.  ft.  12in.  pii.e,  @  90 174.70 

89  Lin.  ft.  (iin.  pipe,  @  29 25.81 

60S  Lin.  ft.  4in.  pipe,  (a;  24 145.92 

$15,152.33 

Extra  Work 1,625.95 


$16,778.28 
The  extra  work,  amounting  to  $1,625.95  was  calcula- 
ted at  actual  cost.  Therefore,  after  allnving  the  cred- 
its t;he  actual  cost  of  the  work  by  prison  labor  would 
be  approximately  70%  of  the  price  bid  in  1916,  which 
amount  i.s  about  70%  of  the  prevailing  price  bid  for 
such  work  at  the  present  time,  which  would  make  ap- 
proximately 50%  saving  for  prison  labor  over  and 
above  prevailing  prices. 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  preceding  tables  will  dem- 
onstrate the  value  of  prison  labor  in  road  construction. 
At  the  end  of  the  calendar  year  a  complete  analysis  of 
the  figures  will  be  made  and  published. 


Biggest  Single  Road  Project. 

Construction  work  on  the  Arkansas-Louisiana  liigh- 
way,  provided  for  under  the  Arkansa.s-Louisiana  High- 
way Improvement  District,  and  said  to  be  the  largest 
district  in  the  United  States,  will  be  begun  within  a 
few  weeks.  Validity  of  the  district  has  been  upheld 
by  the  Arkansas  supreme  court. 

The  new  highway,  the  district  for  which  was  formed 
by  a  special  act  passed  by  the  1917  legislature,  will  be- 
gin at  the  Jefferson-Lincoln  county  line,  at  the  termi- 
nus of  the  Grady  pike,  and  run  through  Lincoln,  Drew, 
Desha,  Ashey  and  Chicot  counties  to  the  Louisiana  line. 
T'he  district  includes  a  system  of  roads  the  total  mile- 
age of  which  is  178. 

Two  and  one-half  million  dollars  worth  of  bonds  are 
to  be  floated  immediately,  with  probabilities  of  an  ad- 
ditional $1,000,000  issue  before  the  wjrk  is  finished. 
Under  present  plans  of  the  various  commissioners, 
bonds  will  be  sold  and  contracts  awarded  at  a  meeting 
in  McGehee  in  about  20  days. 

A  major  portion  of  the  road  will  be  constructed  of 
c^uicrete  with  a  two  and  one-half-inch  asphalt  finish. 
T'he  concrete  road  will  be  built  in  Chicot  and  Desha 
counties,  the  former  with  a  mileage  of  82  and  the  lat- 
ter 40.  The  concrete  base  will  lie  six  inches  thick  and 
14  feet  wide.  Aside  county,  with  25  iniles,  and  Lincoln 
and  Drew  counties  ■\\'ith  15  miles  each,  will  construct 
their  shares  of  the  road  with  macadam,  with  a  water- 
bound  fini.sh. 

Completion  of  the  road  will  give  Arkausa.s  a  highly 
improved  highway  from  Little  Rock  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  State,  a  distance  of  225  miles. 

Work  on  the  Perkins  township  section  of  the  Little 
Rock-Pine  Bluff  road  will  give  an  improved  road  the 
entire  distance  to  Pine  Bluff,  and  out  of  Pine  Bluff  the 
Grady  road  will  lead  to  the  Arkansas-Louisiana  high- 
way. 

State  and  federal  aid  will  l)e  given  the  Arkansas- 
Louisiana  pro.iect.  It  was  the  first  road  district  form- 
ed by  a  special  act  of  the  legislature  to  come  within 
provisions  of  the  Shackelford  law.  The  bill  for  the 
district  was  introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives 
by  Representative  Henry  Thane  of  Arkansas  Citv. 


Economical  Gravel  Road  Maintenance. 

Monlgoniery  Count.v,  Alabama,  has  improved  450 
miles  out  of  a  total  of  700  miles  of  pulilie  roails  with  the 
help  of  only  $825,000  bonded  indebtedness.  All  roads 
which  have  iieen  improved  with  the  proceeds  of  bonds 
are  maintained,  and  a  considerable  mileage  has  been 
improved  from  current  funds.  If  the  average  value 
of  a  mile  of  these  roads  is  taken  as  $5,000,  the  bonded 
indebtedness  amounts  to  only  37  per  cent  of  the  actual 
value  of  the  higliways. 

The  most  interesting  feature  of  the  road  work  in  the 
county  is  the  fact  that  it  has  been  carried  on  to  a  large 
extent  with  statute  labor.  All  men  from  18  to  45  years 
old,  not  physicall.v  disabled,  must  work  10  days  each 
year  on  the  roads  or  paj'  50  cents  a  day  as  a  commuta- 
tion for  tlie  labiir.  Ordinarily  it  is  considered  impossi- 
ble to  olitain  good  roads  with  such  labor,  which  makes 
the  method  followed  in  ]\Iontgomery  county  of  interest. 
According  to  the  County  Highway  Engineer,  Thomas 
Edwards,  the  count}'  is  divided  into  road  dist'-icts,  each 
having  30  to  40  miles  of  highways.  The  work  in  each 
district  is  under  an  overseer,  who  is  furnished  m\.iles. 
wagons  and  road  macliinery,  and  is  made  responsible 
for  the  satisfactory  use  of  the  statute  labor.  At  the  te- 
ginning  of  each  year  he  makes  a  census  of  everybo/>y 
suliject  to  this  road  labor  law,  and  calls  upon  the  viif-n 
as  needed.  Care  is  taken  to  avoid  interfering  andulj" 
with  farming  and  other  pursuits. 

In  this  way  the  tax  is  worked  out  under  competent 
supervision  with  proper  equipment  when  the  condi- 
tions make  the  work  mt)st  useful  to  the  eiunty,  a  meth- 
od very  different  from  the  usual  one  of  working  out 
the  taxes  when  it  is  most  convenient  for  the  men  to  do 
so.  As  all  of  the  w;irk  is  under  the  direction  of  the 
county  official,  this  centralization  of  authority  has 
made  it  possible  to  develop  lai'gc  gravel  pits  from  which 
material  can  be  obtained  economically,  and  to  provide 
motar  trucks,  trailers  and  scarifiers  which  can  be  sent 
to  any  part  of  the  county  where  needed.  This  equip- 
ment has  cut  the  cost  of  delivering  gravel  to  one  fourth 
of  what  it  was  by  teaming,  and  has  reduced  the  cost  of 
scarifying  and  reshaping  gravel  roads  to  as  low  as  $15 
per  mile  in  some  cases. 


Advertiser  Boosts  Recruiting. 

In  this  issue  of  Southern  Good  Roads  the  Austin  ilfg. 
Co..  of  Chicago,  makers  of  the  famous  Austin-Western 
road  machinery,  are  devoting  a  page  advertisement  in 
the  interest  of  recruiting  for  the  Twentj'-Third  Engi- 
neering Regiment  of  the  United  States  army.  The  army 
needs  engineers  as  l>adly  or  perhaps  worse  than  any 
other  type  of  skilled  men  just  now  and  the  only  avail- 
able way  that  bids  fair  of  success  is  through  volunteers, 
for  few  of  the  engineers  are  .subject  to  the  draft.  The 
Twenty-Third  will  be  a  highly  specialized  body  of  men 
and  the  success  of  General  Pershing's  army  ma.y  de- 
pend a  whole  lot  on  the  efSciency  with  which  the  engi- 
neers do  their  work.  L'nless  they  have  sufficient  skill- 
ed men  this  efficiency  will  be  lower  than  it  should.  Tliis 
advertisement  should  be  read  and  pondered  thought- 
fully by  all  engineers.  The  spirit  of  the  firm  making 
this  donation  to  I^^ncle  Sam  is  also  to  be  highly  c.immen- 
ded. 


Virginia,  ilinn.,  lays  claim  to  being  the  best  paved 
city  in  the  United  States,  population  considered.  Tliere 
is  not  a  street  that  is  at  all  populated  that  ii§  not  paved 
with  either  Intulithic  or  wood-block, 


14 


S  0  U  T  II  E  R  X  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1911 


Published  Monthly  by  SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS  PUBLISHING  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  Cabolina 

H.  B.  VARNER.  Editor  and  Gen'l  Manager         FRED  O.  SINK,  Sec.  and  Treas 

DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT.  State  Geologist  of  N.  C.,  Associate  Editor 

E.  E.  WITHERSPOON,  Managing  Editor 

Southern  Representative:    GEO.  M.  KOHN 
1004  Candler  Bldg.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

Advertising    Representatives 
LORBNZEN.  GREEN  &  KOHN. 
225  Fifth  Avenue.  605  Advertising  Bldg.. 

New  York  Chicago 

Subscription  Price $1.00  Per  Year  in  Advance 

Copy  for  Advertisements  should  be  in  our  hands  not  later  than  Fifth  of  month 

Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Road*  Association 

HENR'X  B  VARNER,  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  PRATT,  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS,  President,  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary.  Bristol.  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK.  Secretary,  Columbia.  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


NOVEMBER,  1917. 


No.  5. 


SENTIMENT  FOR  MILITARY  HIGHWAYS. 

The  .seiitiiiK^iit  ill  favor  of  Uiiole  Sam  takiiii;'  a  hand 
in  the  cDnstniction  of  great  military  roads  in  strategic- 
locations  is  growing  apaee.  There  is  no  doubt  of  tbis 
fact,  for  it  is  assuming  eoiicrete  form.  Two  great  liod- 
ies  tliat  met  within  the  past  mmith  placed  their  foree 
behind  the  movement.  The  Southern  Commercial  Con- 
gress, at  New  Y:)rk  City,  and  the  Southern  Appalach- 
ian Good  Roads  ('on\ciitioii  at  Xaslnijlc.  were  lioth 
united  in  this  .stand. 

Hut  not  only  is  the  sentiment  rife  anuuig  good  roads 
cnlhusiasts  who  attend  conventions,  hut  its  substantial 
nature  is  found  in  its  appeal  ti  the  average  citizen. 
Th(>  tremendous  task  iin])osed  upon  the  railroads  in 
moliolizing  our  armies  and  moving  supplies,  even  with 
months  at  their  command  has  created  an  im|)ressiiu] 
upon  the  average  man.  This  tbing  lias  touched  him. 
bei'ause  be  can  no  longer  travel  in  the  same  comfort 
n  ir  ship  and  receive  his  goods  with  the  same  prompti- 
liide.  A  realization  of  what  sort  of  condition  our  coun- 
Iry  might  be  found  in  sliould  the  invader  visit  our 
shores  is  heginning  to  dawn  upon  him.  ]\Ir.  American 
citiz<'ii  knows  today  as  be  ne\'er  knew  before  tbat  speed 
is  vei-y  life  ilselF  in  mililai'y  movements,  and  he  realizes 
.just  as  keenly  that  mi-  railway  system,  the  greatest  in 
the  world,  would   he  far  inadequate  to  a  speedy  task. 


Our  country  is  too  large  and  distances  too  far.     We 
must  have  more  trackage  for  military  movements. 

llow  are  we  going  to  get  this  additional  trackage,  is 
the  question  our  people  are  asking  themselves,  and  they 
arc  finding  tbe  answer  through  only  one  avenue — good 
I'oads  of  standard  guage,  permanent  construction  and 
willi  bridges  over  all  streams  of  sufficient  strength  to 
hold  up  the  biggest  army  trucks  in  use,  Tlie  belt  of 
army  camiis  through  the  east  and  south  should  be 
touched  liy  a  road  that  wouUl  permit  of  such  a  mobo- 
lizati:)ii.  ilaiiy  ti-ains  could  used  for  hasty  assembling  of 
men  if  there  were  a  great  higliwa.y  available  for  army 
truck  traffic,  over  which  these  trucks  and  millions  of 
tons  of  su|>plies  could  be  hurried.  Not  only  would  it 
make  mobolizatioii  easier  and  ([uicker  but  it  would  fa- 
cilitiates  the  movement  of  the  enormous  (juantities  of  re- 
i|iiired  tlaily  sup[>lies  into  these  camps.  The  saving  in 
time  and  transportation  would  pay  the  government  for 
all  the  money  it  might  appropriate  for  sucli  a  road. 

North  Carolina's  Guide-Post  Law. 

Tlie  last  General  Assembly  if  North  Carolina  passed 
a  law  requiring  the  erection  of  guide-posts  by  the  eoiui- 
ties.  many  of  which  have  already  carried  out  the  letter 
of  the  law.    The  text  of  this  act  is  as  follows: 

"That  the  boards  of  county  coniiiiissioners  of  the  sev- 
ei'al  c  lunties  of  this  State  shall,  within  si.\  m  niths  after 
the  ratification  of  this  act  cause  to  be  erected  and  main- 
tained at  tlie  various  crossings  and  forks  of  the  publi<' 
highways  of  each  county  guide-posts  with  proper  in- 
scriptions and  devices  thereon  indicating  the  direction 
to  and  distance  from  the  most  important  town  or  vi- 
cinity within  ten  miles  of  such  guide-posts.  Such  post 
shall  be  of  substantial  timber  and  the  lettering  there- 
on shall  be  not  le.ss  than  two  inclies  in  height  and  of 
legible  character. 

"That  the  cost  of  the  erection  of  such  guide-posts 
shall  be  paid  from  the  county  road  fund. 

"That  in  those  counties  in  which  road  commissions 
have  been  established  liy  law  the  duty  of  the  erection 
of  such  guide-posts  sliall  devolve  upon  said  road  com- 
mission instead  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners, 
eilitate  the  movement  of  the  enormous  quantities  of  re- 
st riy  any  such  guide-posts  .shall,  upon  conviction  there' 
fi>r,  lie  fined  not  less  than  five  dollars  nor  more  than 
twenty  five  dollars." 

Missouri  Road  Must  Be  Well  Maintained, 

The  legislature  of  ilissouri  has  appropriated  a  large 
fund  to  assist  the  counties  in  maintaining  roads  con- 
necting county  seats.  The  state  highway  department 
does  not  purpose  to  allow  this  money  to  be  wasted,  so 
it  has  sent  out  inspectors  t  >  determine  by  personal  ob- 
servation how  the  counties  are  doing  the  work.  Num- 
erous compiaints  were  sent  to  the  department  about 
the  poor  maintenance  of  these  main  roads  and  it  was 
scnnetimes  stated  that  the  funds  appropriated  for  the 
|iurpose  were  being  wasted.  In  addition  to  having 
such  inspections  made  by  its  own  men,  the  state  high- 
way deijartmenf  has  requested  people  living  along  the 
roads  connecting  the  couiitx-  seats  to  report  all  cases 
where  the  maintenance  was  improperly  conducted.  This 
action  is  very  desirable  in  a  state  like  ^Missouri,  where 
a  very  large  part  of  tlie  roads  are  without  surfacing  and 
re<|uire  intelligent  and  faithful  maintenance  if  they  are 
to   be  kept   in   tlie  most  serviceable   condition.     Earth 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


15 


roads  will  eontiiiue  to  serve  the  fanners  of  a  large  part 
of  the  state  for  many  years  to^eome,  for  Missouri  has 
over  96,000  miles  of  rural  roads  and  it  is  a  finaneial  im- 
possibility for  any  considerable  proportion  of  them  to 
be  surfaced  within  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  Consequent- 
ly the  problem  is  to  bring  the  earth  roads  to  the  condi- 
tion of  maximum  efficienc.v,  and  this  is  best  accomplish- 
ed when  the  work  on  the  leading  roads  is  done  under 
the  direction  of  the  state  highway  department.  When 
the  work  on  these  roads  has  been  properly  cn-ganized 
the  methods  will  serve  as  a  model  for  the  organization 
of  the  maintenance  of  the  roads  of  a  more  local  char- 
acter. The  situation  that  has  developed  is  a  good  in- 
dication of  the  value  to  the  state  of  a  strong  highway 
department. 


THE  BANKHEAD  PATHFINDERS. 

Tour  Began  from  Washington  on  October  30th — Two 
Routes  Inspected  by  the  Party — Competition  is  Very 
Keen — Roanoke  Wants  Road  to  Come  That  Way. 

I'^  UK  Pathtinding  party  for  the  liankhead  Highway 
left  Washington  on  Tuesday  morning,  Oct.  30,  on 
their  way  to  Atlanta  to  look  over  proposed  routes  for 
that  road,  which  is  proposed  to  be  a  great  military  high- 
way from  Washington  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  stretching 
across  the  southern  part  of  the  nation  as  a  counterpart 
to  the  Lincoln  Highway  on  the  north.  The  party  as- 
sembled on  the  Capitol  steps  and  were  addressed  brief- 
ly iiy  Secretary  of  War  Baker  and  Secretary  of  Agri- 
culture Houston.  President  WilsDU  was  unable  to  at- 
tend liut  sent  his  best  wishes  and  assured  the  party  of 
his  sympathy  with  the  movement.  Secretary  Rountree. 
government  engineers,  representatives  of  the  Office  of 
Public  Roads,  Senators  and  Congressmen,  newspaper 
nu^n  and  prominent  citizens  composed  the  party  that 
rolled  down  Penns^•lvania  Avenue  for  the  south,  at 
9:30  o'clock. 

The  first  day  was  spent  on  the  trip  between  Rich- 
mond and  Washington,  with  stops  being  made  at  in- 
termediate points.  T'he  first  night  was  spent  in  Rich- 
mond, where  the  party  was  banqueted  by  the  cham- 
ber of  Commerce.  They  found  some  trouble  between 
the  two  capitals.  The  second  day's  .journey  was  from 
Richmond  to  Raleigh.  N.  C.  Stops  were  made  at  Boyd- 
toii,  (,'larksville.  Oxford,  Henderson,  and  other  points 
liefore  Raleigh  was  reached.  The  party  here  were 
guests  at  a  banquet  at  the  Yarborough  hotel  at  eight 
o'clock  Wednesclay  night.  Here  they  were  joined  by 
representatives  of  the  city  of  Durham  and  given  an 
escort.  Stops  during  the  morning  of  the  second  day 
were  made  at  Durham.  Hillsboro,  ilebane.  Burlington 
and  Greensboro,  with  lunch  taken  at  High  Point  as 
guests  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  After  leaving 
High  Point  the  party  was  met  three  miles  south  of  that 
city  by  a  great  cavalcade  of  automobiles  from  Davidson 
county,  who  provided  an  escort.  This  escort  was  ar- 
ranged jointly  by  thV  towns  of  Thomasville  and  Lex- 
ington, through  the  Bankhead  clubs.  Short  stops,  with 
speeches  and  refreshments,  were  made  at  both  places. 
Stops  were  also  made  at  Salisbury  and  Concord,  the 
day's  trip  being  completed  at  Charlotte,  with  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  doing  the  honors  to  the  party.  The 
trip  was  still  imder  way  as  Southern  Good  Roads  closed 
its  forms.  It  was  to  continue  on  to  Atlanta,  which  point 
was  scheduled  to  be  reached  on  Saturday  night,  No- 
vemiber  3rd.  The  party  was  then  to  return  to  Greens- 
boro on  Sunday  and  begin  on  .Monday,  November  5th. 
a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  western     route,     through 


Reidsville,  Danville,  Chatham.  LytU'hlnirg  and  Char- 
lottesville to  Washington. 

A  great  deal  of  rivalry  has  sprung  up  between  the 
proposed  routes  and  the  people  along  the  western  route, 
who  were  a  little  slow  to  organize  at  first,  declare  their 
determination  of  seeing  it  through  to  the  finish.  They 
claim  the  shortest  and  most  feasible  route,  as  well  as 
the  most  picturesque.  The  eastern  route's  strong  talk- 
ing point  is  the  Peterslnirg  cantDument,  with  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  connecting  road  to  the  seacoast  as  Norfolk. 

At  the  eleventh  hour  as  it  were,  a  large  interest  has 
been  generated  by  the  Roanoke  chamber  of  commerce 
and  good  roads  association,  which  are  asking  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  route  from  Winston-Salem  to  Roanoke  and 
on  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  They  advance  that  im- 
portant improvements  are  soon  to  be  made  on  the  road 
between  Roanoke  and  Winston-Salem  and  that  the  fine 
road  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  is  available  as  an  im- 
l>ortant  link.  This  route  would  be  more  beautiful  than 
either  of  the  others  and  one  of  the  shortest.  Beside  it 
would  touch  the  great  iron  producing  belt  at  Roanoke. 


What  Los  Angeles  Good  Roads  Have  Done. 

The  r'eport  of  the  assessor  i)f  Los  .\ngeles  County. 
California,  for  1900  recorded  6  automobiles  and  47,000 
horses  there.  The  county  has  since  then  been  building 
good  roads  very  rapidly.  They  are  not  only  well  grad- 
ed and  smooth  but  many  of  them  are  very  attractive 
on  account  of  the  roadside  improvement  and  the  haiul- 
some  estates  along  them.  The  result  of  these  road  im- 
prDvements  is  shown  by  the  assessor's  report  of  1910. 
when  the  number  of  horses  had  decreased  to  31,000  and 
the  number  of  motor  vehicles  had  increased  to  11,000. 
Recent  figures  from  the  assessor's  office  show  only  20.- 
000  horses  while  there  are  80,000  motor  vehicles  in  the 
county.  The  time  has  gone  by  when  there  can  be  any 
ai'gnment  that  an  automobile  or  a  motor  truck  running 
on  good  roads  is  init  a  cheaper  vehicle  as  well  as  a  far 
more  convenient  one  than  anything  drawn  by  horses. 
This  comparison  in  favor  of  the  motor  vehicles  depends 
considerably,  however,  on  the  road  conditions,  for  bad 
roads  increase  the  cost  of  operating  and  maintaining 
motor  vehicles  to  a  considerable  degree,  while  the  only 
effect  they  have  on  horse-drawn  vehicles,  practically 
speaking,  is  to  make  travel  slower  and  the  maximum 
loads  lighter.  If  the  people  of  a  community  are  to  en- 
joy the  advantages  of  motor  vehicles  to  the  utmost  they 
must  have  good  roads,  and  if  the  latter  are  provided 
there  is  every  proljabilit.v  that  the  records  of  the  asses- 
sor of  Los  Angeles  county  will  be  repeated.  Americans 
are  too  progressive  to  remain  tied  to  the  tail  of  a  horse 
if  something  better  is  available  to  them. 


Sign  Posting  Mojave  Desert. 

Actual  work  of  sign  posting  the  Mojave  desert  east  of 
Los  Angeles  by  the  government,  to  make  travel  safe 
for  motorists  has  begun.  An  appropriation  of  $10,000 
is  available  for  the  work,  this  being  set  aside  by  con- 
gress after  ten  years  of  petitioning  on  the  part  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  make  safe  for 
man  and  beast  the  desert  trail. 

Under  the  direction  of  0.  E.  Meinzer,  in  charge  of 
the  ground  waterways  division  of  the  LTnited  States 
geological  survey,  three  parties  have  started  for  the 
desert.  Every  water  hole  will  be  marked  by  steel  signs, 
reducing  to  a  minimum  danger  of  travellers  suffering. 

It  is  expected  that  the  work  will  be  completed  by 
January  and  that  it  will  stimulate  transcontinental  au- 
to travel,  which  in  the  past  three  years  has  developed 
enormouslv. 


16 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


Federal  Government  Should  Build  Roads 

Address  of  HON.  WILLIAM  F.  McCOMBS  Before  Southern 

Commercial  Congress 


I  esteem  it  an  especial  hnuor  to  preside  over  the  Good 
Roads  conference  of  the  Soutlieru  Commercial  Con- 
gress at  this,  the  most  momentous  time  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  Yonr  organization  which  started  some  nine 
years  ago,  iimrc  nr  less  as  a  local  and  sectional  endeav- 
or, like  most  great  movements  had  a  small  beginning. 
Tlie  great  conferences  which  are  in  progress  now  under 
its  auspices,  have  assumed  naf inn-wide,  indeed  world- 
wide importance.  T'hey  canimt  in  truth  lie  regarded  as 
sectional.     Tlieir  scope  is  national.     It  is  indeed  fortu- 


HONT.  W.  F.  McCOMBS 

Chairman  Now  York  General  Committee  Southern 

Commercial  Congress 

nate  that  we  come  together  to  counsel  with  each  other 
on  the  "organization  aiul  mobilization"  of  this  phase 
of  the  country's  necessity.  For  we  are  entitled  to  feel 
that  we  are  ciu:tril)uting  something  in  the  present  cris- 
is and  are  building  for  the  future.  What  we  are  doing 
here,  is  for  the  good  if  the  nation  and  the  influence  of 
this  Congre.ss  cannot  be  otherwise  than  countrv-wide. 
You  have  done  well  to  select  the  City  of  New  Y'ork 
as  the  gathering  jilace  for  the  Congress.  The  cosmo- 
politan centre  of  the  entire  world,  bids  you  welcome. 
With  eagerne.ss  for  the  truth,  with  open  niind,  it  sits  at 
your  feet.  With  unbounded  generosity  and  hospitalit>-. 
with  no  pre.iudice  and  with  no  purpose  to  serve  except 
as  it  serves  the  country,  it  opens  its  gates  to  you.     The 


only  toll  that  it  exacts  is  the  toll  of  your  good  wishes 
and  your  sound  advice. 

Tlie  time  lias  come  when  to  speak  of  a  man  as  being 
from  a  certain  State  or  a  certain  section  of  the  United 
States,  means  more  than  to  describe  him  in  terms  of  his 
geography.  We  are  united  as  never  before,  in  a  com- 
mon thought,  a  common  impulse  and  a  common  patri- 
otism. We  are  bound  by  a  common  desire  to 
make  every  sacrifice  that  maj'  in  any  way  tend  to  dis- 
sipate and  annihilate  the  forces  that  have  been  set  in 
motion  to  destroy  us  and  to  conserve  and  enhance  in 
moi'ii  gbiri  lus  proportion  the  rich  -heritage  that  has 
come  to  us  through  the  struggles  of  our  forefathers. 

We  are  confronted  at  this  pei'iod  of  our  history  with 
a  great  national  prol)lem.  Indeed.  1  think  1  am  safe  in 
saying  that  no  problem  which  this  country  has  is  more 
vital  to  the  people  than  that  of  good  roacls.  Since  the 
beginning  of  hi.story,  the  development  of  means  of  com- 
nuuiication  has  always  been  the  precursor  of  the  pro- 
gress of  a  natiui,  commercially  and  intellectually. 

Home  reached  the  height  of  its  power  when  Caesar, 
bound  to  the  Capital  in  thought  and  in  material  re- 
sources the  eomimui  assets  of  an  Empire.  Iiy  the  thongs 
of  road  ciuHtruction  which  affected  tlie  uttermost  pro- 
\'inces. 

The  genius  of  Napoleon  recognized  the  vital  idea  and 
the  glories  of  France  were  assured.  Indeed  three  years 
ago  the  life  of  the  French  Republic  was  saved  from  de- 
sti'uction  by  its  system  of  roads.  Had  it  not  been  for 
tlu'  good  roads  of  France,  in  providing  quick  and  safe 
transportation  of  troops,  miuaitions  and  supplies,  in  the 
tirst  day.s  of  the  European  war,  the  Kaiser  would  have 
had  military  headquarters  in  Paris  in  sixty  days.  Eng- 
laiiil  might  have  succumbed  and  in  the  light  of  recent- 
revelations,  the  entire  world,  including  America,  would 
proliably  now  be  ground  luvder  the  Teuton  heel. 

Who  will  be  bold  enough  to  say  that  in  the  life-time 
of  sonic  of  those  here  present.  American  good  roads  will 
not  be  called  upon  to  stand  bet\\een  us  and  degrada- 
tion, as  they  did  at  the  ilarne  ? 

Proliably  our  road  systems,  although  to  my  mind 
ranking  first  as  means  of  communicatiLin,  have  been 
least  developed. 

The  mail  carrier  first  rode  over  the  dim  paths.  Tlien 
the  American  railroads,  through  many  decades  of  hard- 
ships, extended  their  lengths  slowly  through  the  forest 
and  across  the  plains,  carrying  material  progress  ami 
aiding  in  the  spread  of  civilizing  influences.  By  the 
exercise  of  the  unfailing  genius  of  America  and  b.y  the 
constaut  application  of  the  discovered  scientifie  princi- 
ples applying  to  them,  we  find  them,  under  private 
management,  with  complete  knowledge  of  the  types  of 
construction  necessary  to  meet  the  needs  of  each  ex- 
panding locality.  Then  came  the  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone, over  which  America  transacts  much  of  its  busi- 
ness. Finally  in  our  time  we  have  come  to  the  thir- 
uughly  scientific  development  of  the  public  highway. 
It  presents  the  most  open  field  of  all.  The  highways 
belong  to  the  people.  T^iey  are  managed  by  the  people 
without  let  or  hindrance  and  are  free  for  the  use  of  the 
peo]ile.  There  can  be  no  ciuestion  of  their  o^^^lership 
or  of  their  nuuiagement  and  no  debate  as  to  whether 
thev   should   be   privately  controlled  or  publicly  con- 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   R  0  A  D  S 


17 


trolled.    They  are  out  of  polities.    They  are  fascinating 
problems  of  mere  business. 

The  nation,  the  states  and  the  citizens  may  take  up 
the  question  of  further  roads  and  the  maintenance  of 
roads  as  new  (iucstions. 

An  Inviting  Problem  for  America. 

When  1  found  that  America  needs  an  additional  two 
millions  of  miles  of  good  roads  to  bring  the  country  up 
to  efficiency,  1  was  at  first  staggered.  But  the  quickly 
succeeding  thought  was,  what  an  inviting  and  untram- 
melled problem  for  America  !  What  an  opportunity  for 
the  country  to  discover  whether  government  is  really 
fully  competent  to  provide  and  conduct  a  venture  so 
necessary  to  the  common  life ! 

The  developments  of  the  past  decade  seem  amply  to 
warrant  full  success.  And  1  take  it  we  are  here  tn 
point  the  wa}'  to  larger  undertaking. 

We  are  spurred  first  by  the  absolute  fact  that  pros- 
perity and  advancement  of  the  connnon  weal  have  fol- 
lowed closely  upon  the  construction  of  public  roads. 
They  have  always  opened  untried  daors  of  opportunity. 

^lultiplied  examples  are  unnecessary  and  in  the  short 
time  that  1  shall  address  you,  I  shall  merely  advert  to  a 
few. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  difference  of  co.-ts  ot 
transportation  between  our  ordinary  roads  and  hard 
surface  roads  to  centres  of  rail  transportation,  average 
ten  cents  per  ton  mile  in  favor  of  the  hard  roads.  Tak- 
ing into  account  the  average  haul,  this  amount  would 
aggregate  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  millions  of 
dollars,  or  about  six  dollars  per  person,  which  the  peo- 
ple in  the  cities  and  towns  have  to  pay.  Reliable  fig- 
ures show  that  one  to  three  times  the  cost  of  the  iii.- 
provements  of  roads  is  added  to  ad.iacent  tillable  lands. 
Improved  roads  in  eight  selected  counties  in  this  coun- 
try, widely  separated,  show  a  reductiiui  in  the  cost  of 
transportation  from  .33  5-10  cents  per  ton  mile  to  15  7-10 
cents  and  that  such  improvement  has  added  to  the 
attendance  at  school  ten  children  out  of  everj'  one  hun- 
dred. 

One  of  the  great  elements  at  the  base  of  the  present 
high  cost  of  living  is  inadequate  road  transportation. 

A  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  which  is  thirty  miles  b)' 
a  road,  impassable  most  of  the  year  from  points  of  con- 
sumption or  adequate  transportation,  is  of  little  value. 
Five  million  bushels  of  wheat  in  the  middle  of  the  De- 
sert of  Sahara  would  be  of  no  benefit  to  humanit.v  what- 
ever, except  to  the  few  savages  gathered  about  it. 

Not  only  therefore  is  it  to  the  interest  of  the  owner 
that  transportation  be  provided  but  it  is  to  the  interest 
of  the  consumer  that  it  be  mobilized  and  distributed. 
If  distribution  is  undertaken  by  archaic  methods  of 
course  the  high  cost  must  be  written  into  the  price  of 
the  product. 

But  more  important  than  this,  we  must  bring  about 
the  fullest  development  of  the  means  of  intercommuni- 
cation of  thought  and  the  interchange  of  ideas  among 
men. 

The  more  we  talk  face  to  face  with  our  neighbors 
and  they  with  us  and  the  more  neighbors  we  have  with 
whom  to  speak,  the  better  we  are  fitted  for  life.  For  in 
the  major  part,  we  are  all  products  of  the  common 
thought  and  the  common  opinion. 

Out  of  common  opinion  grows  government  and  if  I 
have  not  the  common  opinion  about  things,  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  properly  to  adjust  myself  to  govern- 
ment. If  all  traces  of  local  or  sectional  prejudice  are 
to  be  destroyed  in  me,  I  must  know  what  the  people  in 
the  next  county,  the  next  State,  the  next  part  of  the 


country  and  the  ncxi  nation  arc  thinking  abmit.  1  must 
1)0  shown  that  most  of  them  are  trying  to  be  as  honest 
as  I  am  and  that  they  are  as  interested,  in  every  case, 
in  finding  the  facts  as  f.  We  cannot  sit  alone  in  the 
world.  We  must  move  about  and  it  is  the  duty  of  gov- 
ernment itself  to  provide  us  with  the  facilities,  because 
it  involves  the  very  fundamentfds  of  the  advance  in 
good  citizensliip. 

Good  Roads  Destroy  Illiteracy. 

The  public  road  with  its  free  passage,  opens  the 
readiest  channel  for  this  very  thing.  I  know  I  do  not 
overstate  when  I  say  that  bad  roads  have  been  respon- 
sible for  iiiDTc  illitcrai-y  in  this  I'ltiiiifry  than  an\-  other 


HON.  GEO.  C.  DIEHL 
One  of  the  Leading  Speakers  at  Southern  Commercial  Congress 

single  element,  and  nowadays  illiteracy  should  be  ac- 
counted a  crime.  The  government  that  permits  its  con- 
tinued existence  is  uot  worthj-  of  the  name. 

Let  me  give  3'ou  a  few  facts.  We  have  over  thirty 
million  children  who  .should  be  in  school.  Only  eigh- 
teen million  actually  attend.  The  primary  reason  is 
the  country  roads  that  for  the  greater  part  of  the  school 
year  are  impassable. 

Only  nineteen  per  cent,  of  our  urban  white  population 
of  native  parentage  are  illiterate,  while  of  the  same 
class  in  rural  communities,  where  bad  roads  prevail, 
the  number  is  six  hiuidred  per  cent,  greater.  These 
figures  are  astounding.  Taken  alone,  they  justify  any 
expenditure  Avhieh  may  be  made  by  the  nation  and  the 
states  to  correct  the  evil.  A  thousand  times  a  thousand 
conferences  would  not  be  too  many  if  they  would  serve 


18 


S  0  r  T  H  E  R  X   G  0  0  D   R  0  A  D  ^^ 


November,  191' 


to  remedy  this  cnmlition,  which  demands  the  serious 
consideration  of  tlie  entire  nation. 

Tlie  Congress  of  the  United  States  which  has  just  ad- 
journed, has  appropriated  or  authorized  the  expendi- 
ture of  the  huge  total  of  twenty-one  billions  of  dollars 
for  the  maintenance  of  this  c  )untry  and  for  making  it 
safe  against  the  world.  Perhaps  billions  more  are  to 
follow.  It  is  urgently  necessary  that  it  consider  with 
eare  as  a  part  of  the  preparation  for  national  defense, 
the  concentration  of  great  resources  upon  the  c:>nstruc- 
tion  and  maintenance  of  roads. 

We  are  profoundly  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the 
Federal  Government  must  plan  and  construct  a  great 
system  of  national  highways  and  that  the  States,  the 
counties,  and  the  townships  must  join  in  co-operation 
and  luiite  in  co-ordinating  the  construction  of  the 
o-reater  and  lesser  arteries  so  impin-tant  to  nur  national 
life.  The  constitutional  authority  exists.  When  I  was 
a  student  at  the  Harvard  Law  Scho  )1.  Professor  James 
Bradlev  Thaver.  the  greatest  constitutional  lawyer  of 


Over  a  Bituminous  Macadam  Road  in  Maryland 

his  time,  said  that  the  American  Congress  had  merely 
scratched  the  surface  of  the  eudrmous  power  conferred 
under  the  Inter.state  Commerce  and  Post  Office  and 
Post  Roads  clauses  of  the  Constitutinn  of  the  United 
States. 

T'he  legislation  that  has  since  that  time  been  enacted 
and  .sustained  by  the  Supi-eme  Court  amply  bears  out 
this  statement,  ilany  bills  have  been  enacted  by  the 
Congress  that,  twenty-five  years  ago,  few  would  have 
had  the  temerity  even  to  introduce.  They  have  been 
considered  by  the  Courts  and  their  constitutionality 
has  been  .sustained. 

Under  the  Post  Office  and  Post  Roads  clauses,  the 
Federal  Government  has  extended  vast  aid  in  respect 
of  good  roads.  It  is  desirable  as  a  matter  of  policy  that 
the  laws  now  im  the  hooks  be  regarded  merely  as  a  be- 
ginning. 

As  human  relations  become  more  complex,  it  is  more 
necessary  for  government  to  intervene  in  the  adjust- 
ment of  the  individual  life  to  the  conununal  life  and 
there  is  no  direction  in  which  it  is  now  more  necessary 
than  in  respect  of  highways.  America  is  ready  for  the 
fullest  action  of  government.  America  needs  it.  Amer- 
ica demands  it. 

If  I  have  exceeded  the  proper  linut  of  an  opening 
address.  I  can  only  ask  your  pardon.  I  have  yielded  to 
the  fascination  of  our  subject,  the  solution  of  which  vi- 
tall.v  affects  the  material  comfort  of  every  home,  the 
intellectual  development  of  every  mind,  the  prosperity 
and  safety  of  the  nation  and  the  glorv  of  an  unsullied 
flag! 


Missouri. 

It  is  significant  that  the  first  state  road  constructed 
in  ilissouri  connects  with  the  .state  roads  sj^steui  of 
Arkansas  at  a  point  due  north  of  Harrison,  and  it  is 
estimated  that  wluni  this  road  now  uiuler  construction 
between  the  Arkansas  line  and  Branson.  Taney  comity, 
is  extended  north  to  Springfield,  there  will  be  more 
than  a  hundred  motor  cars  pass  over  it  daily.  Taney 
count.N'.  with  beautiful  Lake  Taneycomo.  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  resort  sections  of  Missouri,  and  tourist 
travel  will  keep  pace  with  the  improvement  of  the 
roads.  This  road  is  also  a  link  in  the  highway  connect- 
ing Springfield  with  Little  Rock  and  Ilot  Springs. 

Assistant  State  Highway  Engineer  J.  P.  Davis,  who 
has  direct  supervision  over  all  road  construction  for 
the  State  Highway  Department,  reports  the  w^ork  pro- 
gressing nicely,  with  arrangements  practically  comple- 
ted to  extend  the  road  north  from  Branson  to  the  Stone 
county  line. 

Following  the  success  of  the  prison  road  camp  in 
^lontgomery  county,  a  number  of  other  counties  in  this 
state  are  making  inquiry  as  to  the  terms  and  conditions 
under  which  prison  labor  may  be  obtained.  The  new 
prison  law  provides  that  state  prisoners  cannot  be  em- 
ployed on  contract  work,  but  they  can  be  furnished  to 
counties  doing  work  by  force  account  at  a  price  agreed 
upon  by  the  State  Prison  Board  and  the  State  High- 
way Department.  The  price  of  this  labor  for  the  pres- 
ent has  been  fixed  at  ifl-^o  per  day,  the  cost  of  trans- 
porting, boarding  'and  housing  the  prisoners  being 
borne  by  the  State  Prison  Board.  Counties  and  road 
districts  are  required  to  ju-ovide  nuichinery  and  ar- 
range for  necessary  teams,  etc. 

This  form  of  labor  is  very  attractive  to  counties,  since 
the  prisoners  are  faithful  and  efficient  workers,  and 
l)eeause  there  is  a  general  scarcity  of  local  labor  for 
road  building  at  this  time.  A  well  organized  prison 
road  camj)  i>rovides  a  force  that  soon  becomes  skilled  in 
the  operating  of  machinery  and  can  thereafter  l)e  de- 
pended upon.  T'his  enables  the  county  or  road  district 
to  proceed  with  plans  for  construction  with  the  assitr- 
ance  that  labor  at  a  fixed  price  will  be  available  to  ex- 
ecitte  the  work  satisfactorily.  Application  for  prison 
laljor  should  be  made  through  county  courts  to  the 
State  Highway  Department  and  the  State  Prison  Board. 

A  meeting  held  in  Colund)ia  on  October  6.  attended 
by  more  than  ;^()(l  delegates  from  counties  traversed  by 
the  National  Old  Trails  road  from  St.  Louis  to  Kansas 
City,  has  resulted  in  a  general  movement  all  along  the 
line  to  hard-siu'face  this  important  cross-state  highway. 
Six  of  the  counties  through  which  this  road  passes  are 
located  north  of  the  ilissouri  river  The  State  High- 
way Department  is  gratified  to  note  this  activity  north 
of  the  river,  since  this  section  of  the  State  has  been 
somewhat  slow  to  take  advantage  of  the  state  and  fed- 
eral aid  to  wliicli  all  counties  are  entitled  as  soon  as 
soon  as  they  (|ualify  by  providing  one-half  the  cost  of 
constructing  the  state  roads. 


The  Ball  Engine  Company,  of  Erie,  Pa.,  has  issued 
specifications  for  the  new  Type  B  Erie  Shovel  which 
will  be  of  interest  to  contractors  and  construction  men. 
The  ])erfection  of  the  autonuitic  "one-man"  control  is 
a  feature  of  the  newest  type  of  construction  ofl:'ered  by 
these  builders.  The  automatic  crowding  device  enables 
the  operator  to  cut  40  below  grade  and,  its  builders 
claim,  reduces  the  work  of  pitmen  to  a  minimum.  A 
number  of  exclusive  Erie  features  are  explained  in  the 
specifications. 


November,  1917 


S  O  r  T  II  K  R  X  G  0  0  D   R  0  A  D  S 


19 


The  Boone  Way 


A  Paper  Read  by  President  JAMES  MARET  Before  Southern  Appalachian  Good 

Roads  Convention  at  Nashville,  Tenn. 


1^  ELLOW  IIIGHWAYIMEN,  (not  of  the  robber  type, 
however)  : 

I  am  in  receipt  of  the  "last  call"  under  date  i>f  Octo- 
ber 9th.  to  the  hoys  in  the  "ditches"  along  the  liisjh- 
ways,  to  attend  the  big  pull  off  at  Nashville.  The  Nash- 
ville Commercial  organization  made  no  austake  ■'vlien 
they  placed  H.  11.  Jones  in  charge  of  the  position  of 
Convention  Secretary. 

Most  regretfully  I  advise  that  I  must  miss  the  pleas- 
ure and  benefit  of  being  present  at  this  convention,  tn 


HON.  JAMES  MARET 
President  Boone  Way  Association,  Mt.   Vernor,  Ky. 

account  of  financial  reasons.  This  will  be  thi-  liiv.t  :;ieet- 
ing  of  the  association  I  have  missed  for  years. 

I  have  made  strenuous  efforts  to  do  my  "bit"  in  jivo- 
moting  interest  in  the  Nashville  meeting  by  privat-i  cor- 
respondence and  newspaper  Avork.  a  line  \\l\h  wliic.h  I 
have  had  some  years  experience  as  publisher  and  scrib- 
bler and  having  friends  in  the  press  service,  who  will- 
ingly gave  me  space,  as  they  have  done  for  six  years 
past,  when  I  get  into  the  work  of  prom  ifing  hii^hwa.vs. 
I  am  credited  with  having  put  Bonne  "Way  on  the  map. 
a  highway  through  the  Cumberlands.  after  f  iur  years 
effort,  and  made  the  routing  of  Eastern  Dixie  Highwa.v 
possible.  This  credit  is  highly  appreciated,  though  I 
must  in  justice  say  it  was  through  the  backing  of  the 
press  which  brought  the  result.  The  idea  of  a  high- 
way through  the  Cumberlands  was  broached  in  the  Com- 
mercial Club,  consisting  of  seventeen  members  in  the 
little  town  of  ^It.  Vernon.  Rockcastle  County.  Ken- 
tucky, on  Jan.  2nd.  1915.  Jim  Maret  is  charged  with 
having  presented  the  proposition  and  he  was  made 
press  agent  and  general  roustabout,  to  look  after  the 
movement.  After  two  years  work  elections  were  held 
in  the  counties  of  South  Eastern  Kentucky,  through 
which  the  proposed  highway  was  to  run  :  the  result  was 
a  bond  issue  of  ^950.000  was  authorized  for  good  road 
purposes. 

The  highway  was  named  Boane  Way  in  honor  of  that 
great  frontiersman,  Daniel  Boone,  the  original  routing 


of  which  was  from  Crab  Orchard,  the  soutli  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Kentuck.v  turnpike  .system,  to  Cumber- 
land Gap,  over  Boone's  Trail  and  the  Old  Wilderness 
Road.  Later  on  the  routing  was  extended  t  >  Louisville 
on  the  north,  and  on  the  south  to  Lexington  and  Boone 
Park.  Davidson  County.  Nortli  Carolina.  (Boone's  ikl 
home  in  1750).  on  the  Yadkin  River.  Following  after 
came  the  routing  of  a  division  of  the  highway,  diverg- 
ing at  ;Mt.  Vernon.  Kentuck.v.  the  home  oi  Boone  Way, 
to  Kenton.  Ohio,  the  last  home  of  that  gallant  old  In- 
dian fighter  and  close  companion  of  Boone  in  the  set- 
tlement of  the  Dark  and  Bloidy  Ground.  Simon  Ken- 
ton. The  latter  routing  includes  Boonesboro.  which  was 
created  by  Boone  and  Henderson  in  April  1775.  at  the 
south  of  Otter  Creek,  on  Kentucky  River.  ^ladison 
( 'ounty.  I'he  D.  A.  R.  have  placed  markers  along  this 
r  lute  from  Boone  Park.  N.  C.  to  Boonesboro.  a  distance 
of  -140  miles,  averaging  ore  marker  for  every  10  miles. 
The  markers  bear  the  foUowiuir  inscriptions — "Boone's 

Trail  1769.  Erected  by  the ^^ D.  A.  R."    The 

names  North  Carolina.  Tennessee.  \'irginia  and  Ken- 
tucky being  used  on  the  markers  to  iiulicate  the  state 
organization,  who  erected  the  markers. 

All  the  grading  on  Boone  Way  through  the  moun- 
tains will  be  completed  in  1917.  except  five  mUes  in 
Rocki-astle  Countv.   Kentuck.v.   on    which   will  be  two 


On  Boone  Way,  Between  Lexington,  Ky..  sr,d  Versaillts 
I  I'opeka  Mixture  Construction  i 

large  bridges.  There  is  a  .-|;100,000  fund  ready  for  push- 
ing the  work  to  completion,  which  will  take  place  in 
1918. 

Dixie  Highway  and  Boone  Way  are  routed  over  the 
same  road  bed.  from  Cumberland  Gap  to  Richmond, 
Kentucky. 

T'he  Boone  Way  Association  of  which  Jim  Claret,  of 
Mt.  Vernon.  Ky..  the  originator  of  this  highway  move- 
ment, is  president  cannot  too  forcibly  express  its  great 
appreciation  of  the  newspaper  boys'  work  in  this  big 
proposition  and  hopes  the  untold  benefits  that  will  ac- 
crue to  our  people  from  the  use  of  this  highway,  will  be 
at  least  some  satisfaction  in  return  for  efforts  put  forth 
in  the  support  of  a  mighty  good  cause. 


The  road  is  to  be  built  of  concrete  and  asphalt.  Its 
promoters  design  it  for  a  street  connecting  the  two 
towns  of  Phillips  Ogunty. 


R  o  r  T 11  p:  R  X  noon  roads 


November,  1917 


Prisoners  in  Road  Honor  Camps 

statistics  Compiled  by  Missouri  State  Higliivay  Officials  Shoiv  System  Works 

Successfully  Where  Tried 


1^  HE  first  state  roarl  i-amp  in  ^Missouri,  usiiiii'  lioiKir 
men  from  the  state  jirison.  was  estalilisheil  at  Min- 
eola,   ]\Iontfri)mery  ronnty. 

Governor  Frederick  L).  (jarilner.  both  in  his  inaugu- 
ral address  and  his  first  message  to  the  49tli  General 
Assembly,  urged  the  use  of  state  prisoners  in  the  eon- 
struetion  of  bettei'  roads  throughout  ilissonri.  M  mt- 
gomery  county  \v;is  the  first  cininty  to  make  formal  ap- 
plication to  the  State  Ilig'iway  Department  and  the 
State  Prison  Hoard  for  the  use  of  prison  lab  )i-  in  road 
work.  The  .Miiieola  special  road  district  hail  \-oted 
bonds  to  pay  one-half  the  cost  of  constructing  the  eight- 
mile  link  of  the  Xational  Old  Trails  road  within  the  dis- 
trict, ami.  liiidiiig  it  imp  issiblc  to  secure  bieal  lalior.  in- 
duced the  county  cmirt  to  malce  formal  application  for 
thirty  nuui  from  the  state  prison  to  assist  in  tlie  work 
of  construction.  Twenty-five  of  those  men  ai'e  employ- 
ed on  the  road,  and  five  of  them  are  detailed  foi'  cook- 
ing, laundry  work,  etc.,  about  the  camp.  The  road 
district  pays  the  State  Prison  Board  $1.25  per  day  for 
each  man  actually  engaged  in  road  work,  and  the  State 
Highway  Dejiartment  will  reindnirse  the  district  for 
one-half  this  anmunt  as  the  work  progresses.  The  per 
diem  paid  for  the  men  actually  employed  on  the  riads 
covers  the  expense  of  housing,  boarding,  and  transport- 
ing the  entii'e  caiup,  and  also  includes  the  salary  of  a 
foreman  sup[ilied  by  the  prison  board,  the  services  of 
the  men  rc(|uired  to  maintain  t'he  camp,  as  cooks,  etc. 


Warden  Gilvin.  of  the  state  prison,  reports  500  men 
now  available  for  road  work,  and  all  counties  desiring 
to  obtain  their  services  should  make  formal  application 
to    the   State   Tdiglnvay    De|)artnu^nt    and    State    Prison 


View  of  the  Du  Pont  Road  Across  Mill  Pond  near  Millsboro,  Del. 

Hoard  thi-ough  their  county  courts.  The  men  will  be 
furnished  upon  the  same  terms  as  th:)se  supplied  to  the 
Mineola  road  district. 

The  honor  system  is  used  exclusively  in  working  the 
men  at  Mineola.     Thev  work  without  guards  and  are 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


Wc  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 


Used  by  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  vs^hich  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

For  Extra  Large  Culverts  and  small  Bridges,  use  POMONA  TERRA  COTTA 
SEGMENT  BLOCKS.     It  is  everlasting— Costs  Less  and  Lasts  Longer. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

Annual  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads 


November,  1917 


S  0  U  T  II  E  R  N  G  O  ( )  1)   ROADS 


21 


not  clothed  in  stripes.  The  camp  is  sanitary  and  attrac- 
tive, and  is  lighted  by  electricity  from  a  small  individ- 
ual plant.  Bathing  facilities  are  •supplied,  and  a  camp 
liarber  calls  "next"  as  the  men  line  up  for  their  twice- 
a-week  shave.  The  food  is  plentiful  and  wholesome, 
mucli  of  it  being  obtained  locally.  Newspapers  and 
magazines  are  provided,  and  the  entire  surroundings 
made  as  attractive  and  agreeable  as  possible. 

These  honor  men  are  an  earnest  and  energetic  lot; 
they  perform  a  faithful  day's  work,  and  show  a  keen 
appreciation  of  the  confidence  manifested  by  the  state 
department  in  thus  giving  them  "another  chance." 

The  following  excerpts  from  a  brief  submitted  by 
A.  C.  McKibbin,  Secretary  of  the  State  Highway  Board, 
to  Governor  Gardner  and  the  State  Prison  Board,  prove 
conclusively  that  the  honor  system  in  working  prison- 
ers on  the  public  roads  is  an  unqualified  success  wher- 
ever it  is  adopted : 

Kansas. 

Honor  camp  of  from  25  to  50  men  maintained  for  two 
years,  with  but  one  escape  during  that  time. 

Oklahoma. 

Seven  honor  camps  of  25  men  each,  in  ditferent  parts 
of  state,  established  for  over  two  years.  Both  long- 
term  and  short-term  men  used ;  average  of  escapes  less 
than  3%. 

Illinois. 

During  the  past  four  years  this  state  has  maintained 
five  honor  road  camps  of  from  25  to  50  men  each,  with 
no  escapes.  State  Highway  Engineer  Marr  says:  "It 
is  evident  that  the  establishment  of  convict  labor  camps 
is  an  economical  way  of  building  roads." 

Colorado. 

Honor  system  used  exclusively  in  working  150  con- 
victs in  five  road  camps ;  some  of  the  camps  300  miles 
from  the  prison ;  percentage  of  escapes  for  biennial 
period  less  than  2%.  145  miles  of  road  constructed  in 
two  years  at  a  saving  to  the  state  of  $465,000. 

Arizona. 

50  prisoners  maintained  in  camp  under  honor  system. 
Saved  the  state  more  than  .$30,000  on  road  construction 
in  one  year. 

Massachusetts. 

60  prisoners  employed  in  road  liuilding  under  honor 
system,  with  no  escapes  since  system  was  inaugurated. 

Montana. 

The  honor  system  used  exclusively  in  working  250 
men  on  roads,  with  average  of  escapes  less  than  3%, 

West  Virginia. 

The  honor  system  used  successfully  in  road  camps 
for  four  years.  Statistics  for  past  year  show  a  saving 
of  25%  over  work  done  by  contract  in  counties. 

Wisconsin. 

Only  two  escapes  within  two  years  under  honor  sys- 
tem, with  235  men  emploj'ed  in  road  construction. 

Texas. 

Honor  camp  of  40  men  maintained  for  two  years, 
with  only  two  escapes  in  that  time.  30  miles  of  road 
constructed. 


The  Texas  highway  commission  granted  federal  aid 
to  Bosque  county  in  the  sum  of  $60,000;  Wichita  coun- 
ty'.$44,000,  and  Johnson  county  $50,000,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  roads  in  these  counties  on  state  highway  No. 
2,  which  is  known  as  the  Meridian  highway. 


Contracts  let  last  month  for  the  construction  of  eight 
miles  in  Washington  anil  Allegheny  counties  in  Penn- 
sylvaia  will  complete  a  continuous  stretch  of  good  roads 
from  Pittsburg  to  Washington. 


SALESMEN— INCREASE  YOITR  INCOME  SELL- 
ing  high  grade  tractor  oils,  auto  oils  and  boiler  com- 
pounds t)  tractor  owners  and  operators.  Liberal  com- 
mission basis. 

THE  MOHAWK  REFINING  COMPANY, 
3m.  Cleveland.   Ohio. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusively 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


The  Picture  Tells 


For  cutting  down  banks  or  cleaning  out  ditches  the  Russell  Center 
Shift  lateral  adjustment  of  the  Blade  is  quick  acting,  handy,  simple  and 
strong.  On  the  '"Standard"  size  the  blade  may  be  extended  5  1-2  feet 
outside  center  of  draft.  TheSliding  Block  and  Oscillating  Link  hold  the 
blade  rigid  wherever  set.  Don't  buy  a  Road  Machine  before  you  ex- 
amine this  and  other  features.    Our  1917  Catalog  gives  them. 


RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 

REPRESENTATIVES  IN  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


22 


S  O  ['  T  II  E  R  N  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


CHEAP  ROADS. 


(By  E.  A.  Sewell.  Engineer.  Pend  (Jreille  L'nunty,  Wash. 

1^  HE  State  of  Wa.shiiigton  may  fairly  he  said  to  be  in 
-  the  development  stage  of  road  making  and  its  prob- 
lems in  I'oad  making  are  far  different  frnm  those  of  tlic 
eastern  or  middle  western  states.  The  primary  need 
of  a  pioneer  statt'  is  mileage  and  more  mileage,  mile- 
age to  open  u]i  iii'w  territory  and  to  inerease  the  as- 
sessed vahuition.  In  onr  rush  to  get  mileage  t;i  devel- 
op a  new  territory  we  are  too  prone  to  overlook  the 
fundamentals  of  road  location  and  eonstruetion.  One 
i)f  the  fundamentals  of  engineering  is  getting  a  dul 
lar's  worth  of  value  for  every  dollar  expended.  Anoth- 
er is  not  spending  any  more  than  is  necessary  to  seeure 
the  desired  result.  A  third  is  d  >ing  woi'k  if  possible 
in  .«ueh  a  manner  that  it  need  not  be  abandoned  or  re- 
plaeeil  when  it  has  beeome  inadequate  for  new  condi- 
tions, but  may  have  a  certain  jiermanent  value  which 
may  be  added  to  as  occasion  require'^.  T'hese  three  ele- 
ments all  must  be  attributes  of  a  truly  r-heap  road. 

When  the  first  settlers  come  into  a  new  locality,  they 
soon  find  the  old  trail  inadequate  for  transportation 
and  usually  widen  it  into  a  wag m  road,  perhaps  chang- 
ing it  a  little  to  avoid  the  worst  grades,  but  for  the  most 
part  following  its  wiiulings.  Whether  this  volunteei' 
work  has  been  done  or  not.  as  s  )on  as  there  are  suffi- 
cient settlers,  they  petition  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners for  a  county  i-oad.  The  board  orders  the 
road  surveyed,  and  here  the  o[)portunities  of  the  ciuui- 
ty  engineer  begin.  The  county  is  new  and  land  values 
are  low.  The  people  are  anxious  for  the  road  and  are 
willing  to  donate  the  right-of-way. 

Too  often  in  the  ])ast  the  tendency  has  been  for  the 
engineer  to  do  the  very  thing  that  the  settlers  would 
do  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  if  left  to  themselves;  that  is. 
to  follow  the  old  ti'ail.  nu)difying  a  few  of  the  worst 
grades  and  cutting  out  a  few  of  the  nu)st  apparently 
needless  curves.  The  result  has  been  that  as  the  county 
has  developed  the  road  has  been  changed  here  and 
there  to  cut  out  the  worst  places,  until  finally,  by  evo- 
lution, it  assumes  a  location  approximating  the  best 
route  for  a  non-surfaced ^-oad,  which  probably  will  re- 
f|uire  further  changes,  if  not  complete  relocation,  when 
it  is  to  become  a  surfaced  highway,  ilore  money  has 
been  wasted  in  changing  ami  rechanging  non-surfaced 
roads  in  this  state  than  would  be  required  to  build  the 
entire  non-surfaced  I'oad  system  we  hnve  today. 

Location  Should  Be  Permanent. 

The  original  location  of  a  non-surfa<'ed  ro;ul  should 
be  made  entirely  pernument  if  possible;  and  where  this 
is  impossible  liecause  of  excessive  construction  expense, 
the  temporary  parts  of  the  location  should  be  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  proper  location  can  be  made  at  a  fu- 
ture date  with  as  little  abandonment  of  old  work  as  is 
possible.  Where  an  old  improperly  located  road  al- 
ready exists,  it  is  far  wiser  to  abandon  it  and  spend 
future  construction  and  maintenance  money  in  the 
|)ropei'  location  than  to  keep  patching  away  at  the  old 
location.  The  cimimissioners  of  Pend  Oreille  county 
have  made  it  a  policy  to  refuse  to  do  any  improvement 
woik  on  old  improperly  located  roads  until  they  have 
been  relocated  properly.  Under  either  of  the  above 
conditions  it  is  usually  an  ea.sy  matter  to-  obtain  right- 
of-way  ade(|uate  to  cover  all  the  needs  for  an\ 
jiossible  width  of  roadway.  In  many  cases  where  the 
fir.st  road  cannot  he  built  on  the  exact  permanent  loca- 
tion it  can  still  be  kept  in  the  right-of-way  if  that  be 


A  Road  Grader 
that  does 

WhatYotfddo! 

If  you  were  pushing  a  loaded  wheelbarrow  up 
an  incline  you'd  brace  yourself — and  lean  your 

weight  against  the  load.  And  that  is  why  the  ADAMS 
Grader,  with  its  adjustable  leaning  wheels,  moves  more 
dirt  with  less  power  than  any  straight-wheel  grader.     The 

ADAMS 

ADJUSTABLE 

Leaning-Wheel 
GRADER 

leans  its  weight  against  the  load.  A  grader's  job  is  to  take 
the  dirt  from  the  ditch  and  force  it  UP  an  incline  to  the 
crown  of  the  road.  It  pushes  dirt  UP  HILL. 
In  actual  road  building  or  maintenance,  ADAMS  Adjusta- 
ble Leaning  Wheel  Graders  are  guaranteed  to  move  more 
dirt  with  less  power  (mold  board  scouring  and  without  side 
draft  on  the  power)  than  any  other  grader  of  same  length 
of  blade. 

The  economy  and  efficiency  of  the  ADAMS  Adjustable 
Leaning  Wheel  grader  can  be  PROVED  by  TEST  on  your 
own  roads,  before  a  sale  is  made.  Write  for  free,  illustrated 
catalog  showing  ADAMS  Adjustable  Leaning  Wheel 
Graders  at  work  under  various  conditions.  Ask  for 
Catalog  G. 

J.  D.  ADAMS  &  CO. 

Road  Building  Machinery        Indianapolis,  Ind. 


Adams  Grader  building  an  Illinois  road 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


23 


of  adequate  width.  I'eud  Oreille  county  has  made  it  a 
rule  never  to  accept  less  than  fotty  feet  as  a  right-of 
waj',  and  we  usually  get  sixty  feet,  and  in  some  cases 
have  obtained  a  hundred  feet  in  mountainous  country. 

In  deciding  on  the  location  of  a  road  the  probable 
character  and  volume  of  traffic  are  all  important.  A 
system  of  through  or  trunk  roads  must  be  laid  out 
whicli  will  eventually  have  a  heavy  traffic  in  both  di- 
rections. These  roads  nianj'  times  are  not  wholly  with- 
in one  county  and  require  co-operation.  Having  heavy 
traffic  in  both  directions,  the  grades  must  be  as  light  as 
practicable  in  both  directions.  I  always  try  to  keep  the 
maximum  grade  of  such  a  road  at  5  per  cent  but  some- 
times in  a  niDUntainous  country  nuist  exceed  this  limit, 
going  sometimes  as  high  as  7  or  even  8  per  cent. 

Branching  out  from  the  trunk  roads  are  the  feeders, 
roads  which  because  of  the  topography  of  the  country 
will  never  be  extended  to  make  through  lines  of  travel, 
but  are  simply  feeders  to^the  main  trunk  roads.  The 
heavy  loads  on  these  feeders  will  always  Ijc  toward  a 
shipping  point,  and  hence  toward  town  or  the  trunk 
road.  Hence  a  heavier  grade  can  Itc  allowed  in  the  di- 
rection of  light  travel  than  in  the  dii'ection  of  heavy 
traffic.  I  have  chosen  5  per  cent  as  the  desirable  maxi- 
mum of  a  feeder  road  in  the  direction  of  heavy  tratfic 
and  10  per  cent  as  the  maximum  in  the  direction  of 
light  traffic,  i.  e.  away  from  the  town. 

After  the  county  engineer  has  made  his  location  and 
it  has  been  apprt)ved  by  the  board  of  counuissioners, 
and  right-of-way  have  been  secured,  construction  is 
generally  a  process  of  evolution.  While  the  location 
depends  largely  on  future  conditions,  the  amount  of 
money  to  be  immediatel.y  spent  on  construction  de- 
pends upon  the  volume  of  traffic  immediately  available. 
Although  in  certain  cases  conditions  exist  Avhich  will 
warrant  the  immediate  construction  of  a  sixteen  or 
twenty  foot  roadbed  on  the  permanent  grade,  in  a 
rough  or  timbered  country  it  is  usually  a  better  policy 
to  get  a  large  mileage  of  passable  road  as  soon  as  pos.- 
sible,  and  then  improve  this  road  as  conditions  require. 
While  on  level  stretches  or  easy  sidehills  we  usually 
build  our  roads  sixteen  feet  wide  at  the  outset,  we  us- 
ually make  steep  sidehills,  rocky  places,  through  cuts. 
and  fills  ten  or  twelve  feet  wide,  and  many  times  leave 
a  cut  aud  fill  on  a  7  or  8  per  cent  grade  where  it  can  la- 
ter be  made  5  per  cent,  and  leave  curves  sharper  than 
the  survey.  Then  as  the  traffic  increases  these  bad 
places  can  be  remedied.  In  l)uilding  narrow  roads, 
however,  turnouts  should  be  provided  at  fre(iuent  in- 
tervals visible  one  from  the  other,  as  sixteen  feet  is  the 
narrowest  road  on  whicli  two  vehicles  can  easily  pass 
and  fourteen  is  the  mininuim  for  safety. 


ROADS  ISSUE  FOR  THE  STATE. 

(By  Wm.   F.   Cocke,  State  Highway   Commissioner  of 
Floridar) 

I  have  read  with  much  interest  the  editorial  in  yom' 
issue  of  September  entitled.  "Georgia  Takes  a  Forward 
Step,"  and  I  think  that  the  p  lints  Avhich  you  bring  out, 
in  regard  to  the  law  which  permits  counties  to  bond 
jointly  and  maintain  intercounty  highways,  are  well 
taken. 

W^hile  this  law  may  never  become  a  potent  factor  in 
the  development  of  a  comprehensive  system  of  state 
roads,  it  is  nevertheless  significant  in  that  it  is  a  feeble 
acknowledgment  of  the  ineft'ectualness  of  county  bond 
issues  as  a  foundation  on  which  to  build  such  a  system, 
and  in  this  way  is  one  step  toward  the  State  as  a  whole 
assuming  its  natural  and  logical  responsibility  for  tiie 


The  Man  Who  Doesn't 
Believe  in  Permanent 
Construction  Won't  Be 
Interested    in    This 


Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that 
thousands  of  engineers  have  made 
tremendous  reputations  because  they 
were  far-sighted? 

These  engineers  didn't  say  "That 
job  ought  to  last  20  or  30  years."  They 
said  "There's  a  job  that  zviU  be  stand- 
ing when  I  am  gone,  because  there  isn't 
a  single  substitute  piece  of  material  in 
it." 

That's  the  point — "No  Substitutes." 
In  your  highway  work  you  use  cul- 
verts. Do  you  try  all  kinds  of  substi- 
tutes on  account  of  their  cheapness? 
If  you  haven't,  you're  an  exception. 
But  you  always  come  back  to  the  old 
stand-by  when  you  found  out  that  a 
low  first  cost  in  culverts  means  heavy 
ultimate  cost. 

Don't  risk  your  reputation !  Don't 
risk  wasting  the  taxpayers'  money  on 
makeshift  culverts  !  Ask  any  high- 
way engineer  about  the  old  reliable 
U.  S.  Cast  Iron  Culvert.  After  all  is 
said  and  done,  Cast  Iron  will  outwear 
any  other  metal  ever  used  for  culvert. 

We  don't  bother  you  with  a  lot  of 
chemical  information.  We  just  point 
to  the  instances  right  in  the  country 
where  Cast  Iron  Pipe  has  been  in  ser- 
vice for  anywhere  from  80  to  111 
years.  Baltimore  holds  the  record  of 
111  years. 

Real  facts — not  theory. 

Send  for  our  culvert  literature. 

Just  drop  us  a  card — foday! 


UNITED  STATES 


CAST 
IRON 


DIDC         AND 

rlriL     FOUNDRY 

COMPANY 

712  E.  Pearl  St. 
BURLINGTON,  N.  J.    .. 


>' 


.^" 


SALES  OFFICES: 

Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
Sew  York.  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W.  Oliver  Bide. 
Chicago,  122  So.  Mioh.  Blvd. 
St.  Liouis,  Security  Building 
Birmingham,  Ala., Am.  Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo,  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


X''' 


V*        r  > 


24 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   ROADS 


November,  1917 


construction  and  maintenance  of  an  efficient  State  hgh- 
way  system. 

Nearly  all  of  the  Siuthern  States  have  ci)U.-;tltiitii.nal 
provisions  which  prohibit  them  as  states  from  bunding 
for  internal  improvement,  but  at  the  same  time  they 
permit  counties,  districts  and  muuicipalit'es  to  'oona 
with  few  or  no  restrictions.  Inasmuch  as  the  po\\er  to 
bond  for  road  improvement  is  granted  to  the  county  by 
the  state,  so  every  dollar  of  Itonds  thus  issued  is  iiased 
upon  the  credit  of  and  is  a  deiit  upon  the  taxable  val- 
ues of  the  State  located  within  the  area  bonded.  This 
condition  is  very  similar  to  that  of  a  large  property 
owner  who  says:  "I  will  not  borrow  money  for  the 
development  of  my  estate,  as  I  do  not  wish  to  encum- 
ber my  property,  and  besides,  if  I  did  so,  the  money 
might  not  be  wisely  expended;  but  1  will  give  to  each 
one  of  my  children  the  power  to  mortgage  his  or  her 
interest  in  my  estate  and  spend  the  money  as  he  or 
she  sees  fit." 

■  A  great  deal  has  been  written  and  said  in  regard  to 
the  ineffieciency  of  County  road  t)fficials.  but  I  can  point 
out  a  great  many  who  are  doing  as  well  or  better  than 
1  could  do  if  iilaced  in  their  position.  The  question 
before  us  to-day  is  not  whether  the  State  road  official 
is  more  competent  than  the  County  road  official,  or 
vice  versa,  but  is  whether  under  the  conditions  as  they 
exist  the  county  or  the  State  is  the  proper  unit  for  the 
development  and  maintenance  of  a  comprehensive  road 
system. 

The  Change  in  Conditions. 

A  few  years  ago  the  road  leading  from  the  shipping 
point  or  market  center  back  into  the  rural  section  was 
the  oidy  class  of  road  to  be  considered,  as  through  trav- 
el, was  so  small  as  to  be  negligible,  and  under  such  con- 
ditions highway  work  was  logically  a  local  proposition. 
Hut  today,  with  the  ever  increasing  use  of  motor  ve- 
hicles, for  the  transportation  of  both  passengers  and 
freight,  comparatively  few  of  our  roads  can  be  consid- 
ered as  of  purely  local  importance.  It  is  the  exception 
to  find  a  progressive  community  without  its  bus  line  for 
passengers  and  truck  line  for  light  freight  plying  be- 
tween neighboring  towns,  and  where,  before  the  atl- 
vent  of  the  motor  car.  the  radius  of  social  intercourse 
extended  at  most  for  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  it  now  ex- 
tends for  a  distance  of  fifty  or  one  hundred  miles. 

The  South  has  always  stood  for  the  principle  of  local 
self-government,  and  this  principle  has  many  arguments 
in  its  favor,  but  the  time  has  come  when  we  must  real- 
ize that  our  highways  are  no  longer  a  local  problem; 
and  if  the  Southern  States  are  to  develop  their  high- 
way systems  in  such  a  manner  as  will  permit  them  to 
keep  pace  with  those  of  the  North  and  the  West,  the 
States  themselves  must  face  their  responsibilities  and 
duties  and  relieve  the  counties  of  a  task  which  is  as  far 
beyond  their  ability  to  handle  as  would  be  tlic  regula- 
tion of  railway  transportation. 


Favor  Compulsory  Maintenance  Law. 

The  (rood  Roads  Committee  of  the  Louisville  Board 
of  Trade  at  a  meeting  recently  adopted  resolutions 
urging  the  next  legislature  to  enact  a  statute  recjuiring 
comities  receiving  State  aid  for  roads  be  compelled  to 
maintain  the  roads  after  they  are  constructed.  This 
action  was  taken  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Louisville, 
providing  a  major  portion  of  the  fund  for  road  im- 
provement, receives  but  little  return  and  that  after 
roads  are  built  inadequate  measures  are  taken  in  many 
counties  to  keep  the  roads  in  good  order. 


Transporting  a  72'  "Armco"  Iron  Culvert  for  the  Kingman 
Oatman  Highway.  Mohave  County.  Arizona 

Easily  Transported 

Conditions  often  make  it  necessary  to  install  culverts 
at  long  distances  from  the  nearest  railroad  point. 

"ARMCO^;^u1^EoCULVERTS 

are  easily  transported.  They  are  labor-saving  in  every 
way.  They  do  not  require  skilled  workmen  to  make 
permanent  installations. 

"Armco"  Iron  Culverts  are  made  to  last  for  they  are 
built  of  a  material  which  is  the  purest  and  most  durable 
of  irons.  Their  construction  is  recognized  everywhere  as 
the  standard. 

For  full  information  on  Ru»t-Hesisting  "Armco" 
Iron  CuloeHs,  Flumes,  Siphons,  Sheets,  Roofing 
and  Formed  Products,  write 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME   MFRS.  ASSOCIATION 

Resist!  Rusi  CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


^oyhro  Mm]  ^fslem 

GREAT  HIGWAY 

OF 

TRAVEL  AND  TRADE 

THROUGH  THE 
SOUTHERN  STATES 

The  entire  main  line  between  Charlotte, 
Concord,  Salisbury,  Lexington,  High  Point, 
Greensboro  and  Washington.  D.  C.  is  now 
double  tracked. 

More  than  half  the  line  between  Charlotte 
and  Atlanta  is  double  tracked,  in  operation, 
and  the  balance  under  active  construction. 

THE  SOUTHERN  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 
OPERATED  FOR  THE  UPBUILDING  OF 
THE  GREAT  TERRITORY  WHICH  IT 
SERVES. 


November,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD   R  O  A  ] )  S 


The  L-onimissioiiei-s  I'Oiu't  of  Hays  eomity,  Texas,  ap- 
propriated $20,000  toward  improving  the  post  road  in 
Hays  county  and  federal  aid  has  been  granted  by  the 
state  highway  eoniniission  to  the  amount  of  $'20,000.  It 
is  expected  that  this  will  put  the  25  miles  of  road  in 
this  county  in  good  condition  and  that  Comal  and  Bex- 
ar counties  will  follow  suit. 


STATEMENT 


C 
C. 


Of  the  Ownership,  Management,  Circulation,  Etc.,  Re- 
quired by  the  Act  of  Congress  of  August  24,  1912, 

of  .Southern  Uciotl  Roads  published  monthly  at  Lexing- 
ton, N.  C,  for  October  1st,  1917. 
State  of  North  Carolina, 
County  of  Davidson — ss. 

Before  me,  a  Notary  Public  in  and  for  the  State  and 
county  aforesaid,  personally  appeared  Fred  O.  Sink. 
who,  having  been  duly  sworn  according  to  law,  depises 
and  says  that  he  is  the  Secretary-Treasurer  of  Southern 
Good  Roads  and  that  the  followiug  is,  to  the  best  of  his 
knowledge  and  belief,  a  true  statement  of  the  owner- 
ship, management  (and  if  a  daily  paper,  the  circula- 
tion), etc.,  of  the  aforesaid  publication  for  the  date 
shown  in  the  above  caption,  recpiired  by  the  Act  of  Au- 
gust 24,  1912,  embodied  in  section  4-43,  Postal  Ijaws  and 
Regulations,  printed  on  tlie  reverse  of  this  form,  to 
wit : 

1.  That  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  publisher, 
editor,  managing  editor,  and  busine.ss  managers  are: 

Publisher  Southern  Guod  Roads  Publishing  C(i.,  Lex- 
ington,  N.  C. 

Editor  H,  B.  Varner,  Lexington,  N.  C. 
Associate  Editor  E.  E.  Wither.spoou,  Lexington,  N. 
Secretary-Treasurer,  Fred  0.  Sink,  Lexington,  N. 

2.  T'hat  the  owners  are : 

IL  B.  Varner,  Lexingtou,  N.  C. 

F.  C.  Varner,  Lexington,  N.  C.  . 
Fred  0.  Sink.  Lexington,  N.  C. 

G.  W.  Johnson,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

3.  That  the  known  bondholders,  mortgagees,  and  oth- 
er security  holders  owning  or  holding  1  per  cent  or 
more  of  total  amount  of  bonds,  mortgages,  or  other  se- 
curities are : 

None. 

4.  That  the  twi)  paragraphs  next  above,  giving  the 
names  of  the  owners,  stockholders,  and  security 
holders,  if  any,  contain  not  only  the  list  of  stockholders 
and  security  holders  as  they  appear  upon  the  liooks  of 
the  company  but  also,  in  cases  where  the  stockholder 
or  securit.v  holder  appears  upjn  the  books  of  the  com- 
pany as  trustee  or  in  any  other  fiduciary  relation,  tlie 
name  of  the  person  or  corporation  for  whom  such  trus- 
tee is  acting,  is  given  ;  also  that  the  said  two  paragraphs 
contain  statements  embracing  affiant's  full  knowledge 
and  belief  as  to  the  circumstances  and  conditions  un- 
der which  stock'holders  and  security  holders  who  do  not 
appear  upon  the  books  of  the  company  as  trustees,  hold 
stock  and  securities  in  a  capacity  other  than  that  of  a 
bona  fide  owner;  and  this  affiant  has  na  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  any  other  person,  association,  or  corporation 
has  any  interest  direct  or  indirect  in  the  said  stock, 
bonds,  or  other  securities  than  as  so  stated  by  him. 

FRED  0.  SINK, 
Secretary-Treasurer. 
Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  25th  day  of 
October,  1917. 

W.  H.  MENDENHALL,  Notary  Public. 


-IN-  f 

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method.  SeMAoad'ing— \oAds  \h  yards  of  dirt  In  30  seconds,  or 
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Our  FREE  BOOKLET* 'Road  Construction 
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EXTRA 

AOf,  STRENfiTH 


2ij  SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS  November,  1917 


IF  there  is  anything  about  our  trade  with  your  county  that 
doesn't  exactly  suit  you,  we  are  always  ready  and  willing  to 
do  everything  in  our  pow^er  to  make  it  right.  Unfortunately, 
some  folks  think  because  they  are  dealing  with  a  company 
there  should  never  be  any  mistakes  and  all  things  should  run 
along  in  ship-shape  order  at  all  times.  This  would  be  the  case  if 
w^hat  we  desired  could  be  obtained.  Since,  how^ever,  w^e  are 
only  human,  mistakes  of  one  sort  or  another  will  occur  and  our 
only  recourse  is  to  rectify  them  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 

"To  err  is  human; 

To  forgive,  divine. 

However,  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  quality  of  our  "GEN- 
UINE OPEN  HEARTH  IRON"  (99.875%  Pure  Iron-Copper 
Alloy)  Culverts.  Whether  Black  or  Galvanized  we  stand  back 
of  every  foot  w^e  make  and  guarantee  it  to  give  more  lasting  ser- 
vice than  any  other  Culvert  Pipe  made,  when  installed  under 
identical  conditions. 

A  postal  card  to  us  or  to  J.  H.  Slaughter,  Yarborough  Hotel, 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  will  result  in  the  merits  of  our  Product  being 
placed  before  you  in  a  courteous,  business-like  manner.  To  deal 
w^ith  us  once  is  to  become  a  life-time  customer. 


The  Newport  Culvert  Co.,  Inc. 

Newport,  Ky. 


GGODRpjVDS 


Published  Monthly 
By  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishinsr  Co. 


Lexington,  N.  C,  December,  1917 


Entered  at  Lexington  Post  Office  as 
second  class  matter 


Motor  Bus  Lines  Connect  Training  Camps 

Witli  Nearest  Cities 

Soldiers  Using  Military  and  Road  Building  Trucks  At  All 
Big  Cantonments  of  the  Nation 


ALL  ROADS  lead  to  the  national  army  cantonments 
anil  the  varions  military  training  camps  these  days 
and  it  is  not  nnnsnal  for  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand 
mothers,  fathers,  sisters,  In-others,  aunts,  uncles,  grand- 
fathers, grandmothers,  wives,  children  and  sweethearts 
to  visit  a  single  camp  on  a  Saturday  or  Sunday.  The 
military  authorities  realize  that  these  visitors  keep  the 
boj's  iu  better  spirits  and  have  issued  an  invitation  to 
the  home  folks  and  friends  to  come  to  the  camps  when- 
ever they  wish. 

The  railroads  and  interurban  lines  entering  cities  lo- 
cated near  the  camps  have  helped  to  swell  the  crowds 
by  offering  excursion  trains,  special  accommodations 
and  reduced  fares  to  all  week-end  visitors.  But  almost 
without  exception  the  cities  which  are  accessible  to  the 
railroads  are  not  nearer  than  from  six  to  twenty  miles 
from  the  camj^s  and  it  is  this  part  of  the  journey  which 
causes  the  greatest  worry  to  the  visitors  iu  finding 
adequate  transportation. 

Home-Made  Pies,  Cookies,  Cakes,  Etc. 

Where  electric  lines  enter  a  camp  the  crowds  have 
been  so  great  that  many  families,  relatives  antl  friends 
after  waiting  hours  to  catch  a  ear  have  decided  to 
walk  or  hire  a  taxi.  ]\Iost  of  the  visitors  come  laden 
down  with  home-made  pies,  cookies,  doughnuts,  cakes, 
candies  and  other  delicacies  for  the  boys  and  an  eight 
or  ten  mile  hike  over  dusty  country  roads  is  nothing  to 
pass  over  lightly. 

Motor  Bus  Lines 

At  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Anniston,  Ala.,  Macon,  Ga.. 
and  other  cities  near  the  camps,  companies  have  been 
organized  to  operate  motor  bus  lines  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  visitors  and  also  the  troops  who  make 
frequent  trips  between  the  camps  and  the  cities.  Most 
of  these  motor  lines  run  day  and  night  on  regular  fif- 
teen minute  or  half  hour  schedules. 

The  Des  Moines  IMotor  Bus  C'ompany  started  to  op- 
erate September  25  between  the  city  of  Des  Jloines 
and  the  national  cantonment  at  Camp  Dodge,  a  dis- 
tance of  17  miles  one  way.  Their  equipment  consists 
of  nineteen  22-passenger  hixurious  White  buses  and 
five  12-passenger  buses.     At  the  outset  a  thirty  min- 


ute schedule  was  maintained  during  all  hours,  day  ami 
night.  The  first  of  Novemiber  this  was  increased  to  a 
bus  every  fifteen  minutes. 

Most  of  the  I)uses  are  of  the  inclosed  type  with  large 
plate  glass  windows  whiidi  protect  the  pa.ssengers  from 
the  dust,  wind  and  cold.  The  windows  also  enable  the 
passengers  to  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  surrounding 
country  and  add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  trip.  The  seats 
are  wide  and  deeply  upholstered.  Special  heaters  con- 
nected with  the  exhaust  of  the  engines  keep  the  buses 
warm  on  chilly  days. 

Soldiers  and  Workmen  Carried. 

The  visitors  arc  nol  the  only  ones  who  patronize  the 
buses.  Hnndreds  of  workmen  are  carried  daily  from 
the  city  to  the  camp  and  l)ack  to  the  city  after  their 
day's  work-  is  done.  There  is  a  steady  stream  of  sol- 
diers going  to  anil  fro  almost  every  hour  of  the  night. 
Officers  who  live  in  the  city  find  the  line  a  great  con- 
venience. 

In  some  sections  the  road  is  extremely  rough.  The 
steep  hills  must  be  climbed  .just  outside  the  city  limits, 
a  few  miles  from  the  camp  the  sand  is  so  deep  that  the 
second  gear  work  is  necessary. 

Each  bus  is  allowed  three  hours  to  make  a  roiuid 
trip.  This  eliminates  all  .speeding  on  the  part  of  the 
drivers  and  insures  the  greatest  safety  for  passengers. 
A  new  thirty  foot  brick  road  is  in  the  course  of  build- 
ing and  when  completed  the  time  for  a  round  trip  will 
be  cut  in  half. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Prop.st  operates  a  similar  l)us  line  between 
Camp  .McOlellan  and  the  city  of  Anniston,  Ala.,  a  dis- 
tance of  "24  miles  for  a  round  trip.  This  camp  is  head- 
quarters for  the  29th  division  of  national  guard  troops 
from  the  states  of  New  Jersey.  Virginia,  JIaryland,  Del- 
aware and  the  District  of  Cohunbia.  Other  White  bus 
lines  are  in  service  at  ^laeon,  Ga..  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and 
Camp  Fun.ston,  Kans. 

Camouflaging  The  Trucks. 

After  breaking  all  records  f(n-  rapid  transportation 
of  materials  used  in  the  construction  of  the  national 
army  cantonments,  motor  truck  companies  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  U.  S.  army  are  now  being  trained  for  the 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


December.  1917 


nmre  seriuiis  angles  of  the  war  wirli  whieh  they  will  be 
l)rought  face  to  face  when  they  are  sent  to  the  front. 

A  large  part  of  the  time  so  far  devoted  to  special 
maneuvers  has  consisted  of  experiments  in  nubile  eam- 
ontlaging.  "With  enemy  airmen  concentrating  their  at- 
tacks on  attempts  to  drop  bombs  on  fleets  of  trucks  on 
their  way  to  the  front,  the  hiding  of  the  fleets  from  the 
air  hawks"  view  by  artificial  means  practically  insures 
the  regular  delivery  of  large  consignments  of  f  lod.  am- 
munition, clothing  and  supplies  to  the  men  in  thc- 
ti'enches. 

The  men  in  charge  of  the  camouflage  experiments  ar  > 
all  seasoned  experts  in  their  particular  lines  of  Imsines^ 
and  merely  attached  to  the  motor  track  divisions  for 
highly  specialized  work.  This  staff  is  composed  jf  in- 
terior decoratoi's.  artists,  photographers,  sign  painters, 
designers,  landscape  artists,  engineers,  architects  and 
others  who  have  made  a  success  in  professions  of  this 
nature. 

Probably  the  greatest  .success  in  this  work  has  been 
achieved  by  Captain  K.  G.  ^lartin  in  command  of  U.  S. 
Truck  Company  Xo.  57  which  is  stationed  at  Camp 
Dodge.  Iowa.  This  train  consist  of  thirty  three  "White 
2-tou  trucks  which  saw  -10.000  miles  of  service  in  ]Mexi- 
co.  "When  the  trucks  were  not  being  used  for  construc- 
tion work  the  camouflaging  experts  have  covered  them 
with  branches  of  trees  and  foliage  to  make  them  invisi- 
ble even  at  a  sh  jrt  distance :  paint  and  canvas  have  been 
used  freely  in  designing  false  tops  to  make  them  blend 
into  the  general  landscape;  smoke  screens  have  been 
experimented  with  and  numerous  :ither  measures  tested 
witli   satisfai-torv   results. 


Other  maneuvers  of  the  truck  companies  have  con- 
sisted of  tests  for  the  rapid  transportation  of  troops. 
It  was  found  that  an  entire  company  of  soldiers  could 
be  loaded  from  the  ground  with  rities  and  equipment 
in  fifteen  seconds.  Experiments  have  also  been  made 
in  field  maneuvers  and  trains  of  trucks  run  in  sections, 
each  section  loaded  with  men  detailed  for  special  duty 
such  as  the  laying  of  signal  lines,  the  placing  of  explo- 
sive charges  and  the  guarding  of  approaches.  In  every 
instance.  Captain  Martin  says,  the  rapid  transportation 
provided   by  the  trucks  proved  efficient  and  satisfac- 

tni'"\- 

Transforming  Cornfields  Into  Cities. 
When  Captain  Martin  and  his  company  arrived  at 
("'amp  Dodge  from  the  U.  S.  Motor  Storage  Detachment" 
at  Fort  Bliss  the  place  was  nothing  more  than  a  typi- 
cal Iowa  cornfield.  There  was  not  a  single  finished 
building  in  the  camp  and  for  several  nights  the  com- 
pany used  the  trucks  as  barracks.  During  the  next  two 
months  the  trucks  worked  twelve  to  eighteen  hours  a 
day  delivering  building  materials,  machinery,  tools  and 
supplies  necessar.v  to  the  construction  of  the  new  wood- 
en city.  In  this  work  they  registered  a  total  mileage 
of  OA'er  225.00(1  miles. 

Camp  Funston,  the  Largest  Cantonment. 

Prol>ably  the  best  example  uf  the  magnitude  of  the 
work  in  the  building  of  a  cantonment  and  the  efficienc.v 
of  motor  trucks  in  transporting  materials  is  found  at 
Camp  Funston.  Kan.  This  is  the  largest  camp  in  Amer- 
ica and  has  accommodations  for  60,000  men.  Three 
thousand  freight  car  loads  were  received  and  unloaded 


Building  a  Real  Military  Road  at  a  Cantonment — Somewhere  in  America 


December.   1017 


S  0  L^  T  H  E  R  N  O  0  0  D  ROADS 


Road  Building  in  Process  at  Army  Cantonment 


at  eleven  hi"-  warehotises  in  sixty  days,  an  average  of 
fifty  ears  a  day.  Five  hundred  worlxinen  were  engaged 
in  removing  tlie  materials  from  the  ears  and  transfer- 
ring them  to  r.  S.  Truck  Companies  No.  46  and  59.  The 
heroic  worlv  on  the  part  of  the  factories  in  turning  out 
the  materials  and  the  railroads  in  rushing  the  freight 
cars  to  the  sidings  in  the  camp  was  more  than  matched 
bj'  the  efficiency  of  the  trvicks  in  delivering  the  mate- 
rials to  the  different  buildings  in  the  31io  square  miles 
of  military  reservation.  Over  four  thousand  buildings 
were  under  constrtiction  at  tlie  same  time  and  materials 
had  to  be  hauled  in  stifficient  quantities  to  keep  ten 
thousand  carpenters  and  workmen  busy. 

Everything  from  the  boxes  of  toothpicks  for  the  mess 
tables  to  concrete  mixers,  electrical  machinery,  water 
mains,  boilers,  bakery  and  laundry  eciuipmeut  were 
hauled  by  the  trucks  in  record  time.  Forty  two  addi- 
tional trucks  of  three  and  five  tons  capacity  were  rush- 
ed from  the  White  factory  in  Cleveland  to  transport 
the  heavy  loads. 

The  hauling  of  27.000,000  feet  of  lumber  in  three 
months  time  was  one  of  the  notable  achievements.  Al- 
most every  day  several  of  the  machines  made  trips  to 
^Manhattan.  Junction  City,  Topeka  and  other  points  20 
to  60  miles  distant  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  to  the 
camp  some  much  needed  materials  or  to  tmload  stalled 
freight  ears  in  order  that  there  might  be  no  delay  in 
the  progress  of  the  work.  Frequently  these  trips  were 
made  at  night.  Over  $3,000,000  in  currency  in  wages 
for  the  workmen  was  hauled  by  the  trucks  under  the 
heavy  guard  from  the  banks  in  Junction  City  to  the 
camp. 


When  the  troops  Ijegaii  pouring  in  the  work  of  the 
trucks  was  diverted  from  the  hauling  of  construction 
materials  to  transporting  foodstuffs,  clothing,  equip- 
ment and  supplies  for  the  regimental  depots  and  eamj) 
exchanges.  Mention  of  a  few  of  the  quantities  hauled 
explains  the  scope  of  the  work.  1.500.000  pounds  of 
fiour;  60,000  pounds  of  butter;  oOO.OOO  pounds  of  su- 
gar; 50,000  cans  of  .jam;  1,000,000  pounds  of  potatoes; 
6,000,000  pounds  of  ice ;  30,000  uniforms,  hats,  shoes 
and  imderwear:  150,000  cakes  of  soap;  50.000  pounds 
of  tobacco;  15ti,00i)  towels:  .■)i;,iii)(i  rombs,  etc..  etc. 
21  Miles  of  New  Military  Roads. 

Government  engineers  from  the  office  of  Public 
Works  in  Washington  are  supervising  the  building  of 
21  miles  of  new  military  roads  through  the  reservation. 
The  main  highwaj's  are  to  be  built  of  bituminous  ma- 
cadam and  the  secondary  roads  through  the  regimental 
units  are  to  be  water-ljound  macadam  with  a  hot  oil 
treatment. 


An  Example  for  Voters. 

To  these  communities  that  are  considering  the  value 
of  road  improvement,  the  following  figures  on  the  value 
of  the  Seven-mile  road  in  Wa.vne  county,  ^lichigan,  are 
jiertinent.  In  thirty-five  miles  of  the  road  just  comple- 
ted, 4-i,800  acres  of  land  lie  within  a  mile  of  the  road. 
Due  to  the  road  alone,  the  increase  in  value  of  this  land 
per  acre  will  be  $25.  This  is  a  total  value  increase  of 
$1.120,000— and  the  road  cost  $875,000. 

Hence,  the  land  profit  alone  derived  from  the  roail 
is  $245,000.  And  the  farmers  paid  but  7  cents  of  each 
dollar  on  the  cost  of  the  road. 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROAD  S 


December.   191' 


Big  Military  Truck  Test 

Interesting  Event  Held  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Ga.,  October  30tli 
Maries  New  Era  in  Our  Military  History 


AN  EFFECTIVK  deiUDiistralinii  (if  ecdiKuiiy  of  time 
and  money  in  the  ti'ansportation  of  sjldiers  and 
army  supplies  lietween  the  departmental  supply  depots 
and  the  large  cantonnients  by  the  use  of  motor  trucks 
was  made  by  the  record  of  six  ti'Ucks  used  in  a  military 
motor  truck  test  between  the  (Quartermaster's  Depot 
at  Atlanta  and  the  regular  army  camp  at  Ft.  Oglethorpe 
on  October  thirtieth.  Tiu-  official  figures  compiled  by 
the  Quartermaster's  l)ei>artment  show  that  eighteen 
soldiers  with  full  marching  ei|uipment  were  transport- 
ed 117  miles  in  five  hours  and  five  minutes  over  the 
Dalton  route  of  the  Dixie  Highway  aiul  V-io  miles  in 
five  hours  and  thirty-two  minutes  over  the  Rome  route. 


The  Start  of  the  Truik    For  Quartermaster's  Department 

The  total  cost  i.if  transporting  tliese  men  averaged  >(5l.0J: 
per  man  each  way  as  against  a  cost  of  $3.82  per  man 
by  railroad,  whicli  does  not  include  the  cost  of  taking 
the  men  to  and  from  the  railway  stations.  The  time 
saved,  even  were  a  special  ti-ain  pi-ovided.  would  amount 
to  at  least  three  hours. 

Lieut.  Col.  II.  -J.  Gallagher,  Dcp :)t  Quarternmster  of 
Atlanta,  who  designed  the  siu'cial  body  which  was 
mounted  on  the  White  chassis  for  the  transijortation  of 
the  soldiers  and  tlieir  marching  equipment,  accompan- 
ied his  report  on  the  test  with  the  statement:  "The 
men  were  left  where  wanted,  fresh,  ready  for  business. 
And  had  their  full  e()uipment  with  them.  No  reasonable 
comparison  can  be  made  lietween  this  metlud  of  trans- 
portation and  any  other.  It  has  fixed  its  place,  in  my 
opinion,  as  superior  to  any  other  means  of  handling  sol- 
diers and  it  is  only  a  f|uestion  of  time  when  it  will  l)e 
a  recognized  institution  in  our  army." 

Sx  two-ton  trucks  loaded  with  clothing  and  hard- 
ware consigned  to  the  Post  Quartermaster,  ]\Iajor  A.  L. 
Bump,  of  F^.  Oglethorpe,  moving  in  transport  train 
formation  in  charge  of  Sergeant  0.  M.  Thomas,  master 
of  motor  truck  trains  at  Ft.  Oglethorpe  with  regimen- 
tal supply  sergeants  from  the  regiments  at  Ft.  Ogle- 
thorpe in  charge  of  each  truck,  made  the  trip  in  eight 
hours  and  seven  minutes  over  the  Dalton  route,  and  in 
nine  hours  and  thirty  minutes  over  the  Rome  route  of 
the  Dixie  Highway.  The  trucks  were  able  to  load  in 
Atlanta  and  deliver  the  sujjplies  where  they  were  need- 
ed without  the  rehandling  necessary  in  freight  ship- 
ments, saving  thereby  from  twelve  to  twenty-four 
liours.     The  cost  of  making  the  shipment  is  imw  being 


cojnputed  by  .Majoi-  Hump,  and  il  is  felt  I  hat  a  material 
saving  will  be  shown. 

Col.  T.  A.  Pearce,  of  Camp  (riirdon.  specially  detailed 
by  the  War  Department,  to  make  a  complete  report  of 
the  test,  and  Ma.jor  Bump,  both  stated  that  it  demon- 
strated the  practicability  of  the  use  of  motor  truck 
trains  between  the  Atlanta  Depot  and  Ft.  Oglethorpe, 
with  some  government  assistance  to  the  counties  in 
providing  an  all-weather  road.  The  same  conditions 
would  apiily  to  deliveries  from  Atlanta  to  Greenville, 
Spartanburg.  Augusta,  and  Macon,  as  these  are  com- 
paratively short  hauls.  Fort  Oglethorpe  could  be  sup- 
plied from  the  Atlanta  Depot  by  the  use  of  two  truck 
trains  of  thirty  trucks  each,  making  the  round  trip  ev- 
ery three  days,  delivering  ]20  tons  of  supplies  in  this 
time. 

The  test  was  held  at  tlie  instance  of  the  Dixie  High- 
way AssDciation  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Chatta- 
itooga  Antom  ibile  Club  and  the  Georgia  State  Vutomo- 
bile  Association,  and  a  large  tiumber  of  arm\  officers 
from  Ft.  Oglethorpe,  Ft.  ilcPherson.  the  Quartermas- 
ter's Department  in  Atlanta,  and  Camp  Gordon.  Among 
the  officers  present  as  observers  were  Col.  Abner  Pick- 
ering, in  command  of  thii'ty  thousand  regulars  at  Ft. 
Oglethorpe;  Col.  T.  A.  Pearce,  of  Camp  Gordon;  Lieut. 
Col.  IT.  J.  Gallagher;  Lieut.  Col.  R.  B.  Powers,  assistant 
Depot  Quartermastei'  at  Atlanta;  Captains  Anderson 
and  Seals,  of  the  Quartermaster's  Depot,  Atlanta;  'Shi- 
jor  A.  L.  Bumii;  Captain  A.  T.  Dalton.  Constrtiction 
Quartermaster  and  Captain  Hodges  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Depot  at  Ft.  Oglethorpe;  ilajor  Gordon  Catts. 
assistant  senior  instructor.  Reserve  Officers'  Training 
Camjt,   Ft.   Ogletliorpc;   Caj^tain  Pierre  Loriot,   of  thr 


The  Motor  Truck  Train    Going   Through    AUatoona    Pass.     The 

Construction  of  This  Part  of  the  Dixie  Highway 

Made  the  Truck  Test  Possible 

French  Army,  an  instructor  at  Fort  Oglethorpe ;  and 
others.  Judge  ]\r.  ]M.  Allison,  president ;  W.  R.  Long, 
Treasurer;  and  V.  1).  L.  Rolnnson,  Secretaiy,  were 
among  the  interested  observers  of  the  test  for  the  Dix- 
ie Highway  Association.  The  Chattanooga  Automobile 
Club  was  represented  by  its  President,  A.  II.  Rogers; 
Chairman,  ilark  K.  Wilson;  C.  D.  Little,  John  E.  Lov- 
ell,  J.  II.  Alday.  John  C.  Pope  of  the  truck  test  com- 
mittee, and  a  immber  of  membei-s  of  the  club  who  drove 


December,  1917 


S  0  U  T  HERN  GOOD  R  0  A  D  S 


to  Atlanta  in  their  ears  and  escorted  the  trucks  on  the 
I'eturu  trip.  The  CTCor^'ia  State  Automobile  Associa- 
tion was  represented  l)y  its  President,  W.  T.  Winn  of 
Atlanta,  Wvlie  West.  Atlanta  Chaii'inan  of  the  execn- 


Left  to  Right  :     C.  D.  Little,  of  Chattanooga  Auto  Club  ;  Wylie 

Frost,  Atlanta,   Chairman   Georgia   Auto   Association; 

Mark  K.  Wilson,  (Chairman  Chattanooga  Auto 

Club  Committee  ;    V.   D.    L.    Robinson, 

Secretary  Dixie  Highway  Ass'n 

tive  board  and  chairiuan  :)t  the  truck  test  committee. 
and  a  number  of  other  prominent  Atlanta  motorists 
and  good  roads  enthusiasts. 

The  Citizens  Auto  Company  of  Chattanooga  furnish- 
ed two  Indiana  trucks,  the  John  Lottridge  Motor  Sales 
Company,  two  United  States  Trucks,  and  the  Superior 


Jlotor  Truck  Works  of  Atlanta,  two  trucks.  K.  T.  Mc- 
Kinstrey  President  of  the  Atlanta  Reo  Company,  fur- 
nished and  drove  a  Reo  truck  to  carry  the  baggage  of 
the  observers,  demonstrating  that  a  light  truck  can 
travel  at  the  best  touring  speed  of  pleasure  cars.  The 
White  truck  used  on  the  transportation  of  the  soldiers 
with  the  special  Gallagher  body  was  built  and  furnish- 
ed through  the  courtesy  of  Robert  Wo'idrutf.  liranch 
manager  of  the  White  Company.  Atlanta. 


Highway  Across  Florida. 

Thai  the  bulk  of  the  m:)ney  to  be  derived  by  Florida 
from  automobile  taxes  will  be  used  in  the  construction 
of  a  highway  fi-om  Jacksonville  west  to  the  Alaliama 
line  was  the  statement  of  W.  F.  Cocke,  state  highway 
commissioner.  ^Mr.  Cocke  said  that  the  commission 
would  insist  that  the  state  highway  pass  tluMUgh  Pen- 
sacola. 

Commissioner  Cocke  and  the  five  mend)ers  of  the 
eonunission  have  been  making  a  tour  of  all  of  the  comi- 
ties to  lie  traversed  by  the  road  for  purpose  of  consult- 
ing county  commissioners  and  citizens.  ;\lr.  Cocke  says 
that  the  first  actual  construction  work'  on  the  state 
highway  had  already  been  commenced  in  Oklaloosa 
county.  He  said  the  work  would  be  carried  on  as  rap- 
idly as  possible. 

W.  S.  Keller,  state  highway  engineer  of  Alabama,  ^Iv. 
Cocke  declared,  has  agreed  to  co-operate  with  the  Flor- 
ida highway  commission  in  linking  up  the  two  highway 
systems  of  the  adjoining  states  in  order  to  get  the  best 
results. 


^.     » 


%\:\  ^ 


-«^Si-/ 


*^v\.- 


>*- 


--V- 


•r-f^-^Wi 


^^^ 


Soldiers  Operating  Big  White  Road  Truck  at  One  of  the  Cantonments 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


December,  lit  17 


Alabama  Good  Roads  Association 


By  J.  A.  ROUNTREE,  Secretary 


THE  tweiity-lirst  annual  si'ssion  of  the  Alabama 
Good  Roads  AssociatiDii  convened  in  Birmingham 
nil  Tuesday,  A'(j\-.  27th.  in  the  Hillman  Hotel.  This  meet- 
iii<;'  was  largely  attended  by  delegates  from  the  sixty- 
seven  comities  in  Alahauia,  as  well  as  representatives 
from  cDmmercia]  bodies,  good  I'oads,  and  automobile 
associations. 

The  meeting  was  thoroughly  a  Inisiness  one,  no  lung- 
winded  speeches  nr  dry  dissertations  on  good  roads 
were  delivered.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  liy 
Hon.  John  O'Neill,  president  of  the  Jefferson  County 
Good  Roads  Association,  who  extended  a  liearty  wel- 
come to  the  delegates  and  visitoi-s  on  l)ehalf  of  that  as- 
sociation. 

lion.  -John  R.  Iloriuuly,  member  of  the  city  commis- 
sion extended  a  cordial  welcome  on  liehalf  of  the  city, 
and  spoke  of  the  great  advantages  to  be  derived  Ijy  hav- 
ing the  association  to  meet  here. 

Hon.  Jerry  Gwin.  president  of  the  Board  of  Revenue 
of  .Jctfersim  county,  which  has  charge  of  the  public 
roads  was  the  next  speaker.  He  told  of  the  great  work 
that  had  been  accomplished  in  Alabama,  invited  the 
delegates  and  officials  to  visit  the  roads  of  the  Imperial 
county  and  assured  thciii  that  every  courtesy  would  be 
cxteiided  to  them. 

Hon.  John  Craft,  president  of  the  Alabama  Go  k1 
Roads  Association  was  introduced  and  took  charge  of 
the  meeting  by  responding  to  the  hearty  welcome  that 
had  been  accorded  the  members  and  delegates.  He 
spoke  of  the  good  roads  cause,  outlined  a  future  plan  for 
(he  associational  work  in  pushing  forward  propaganda 
for  good  roads  in  Alaliama  in  the  future.  His  speech 
was  well   limcil  and  full  of  practical  thoughts. 

Hon.  T.  S.  Plowman,  {^resident  of  tlie  Bankhead  Na- 
lional  Highway  Assaciation  was  introduced  to  tell  of 
the  wonderful  work  that  is  being  accomplished  by  the 
great  Association,  of  which  he  has  the  honor  of  being 
at  the  head.  His  remarks  were  full  of  enthusiasm  and 
well  received  by  the  conventi :)n. 

J.  A.  Rountree.  secretary  of  the  Alabama  Good  Roads 
.\ss;jciatioii,  read  his  anniial  report,  giving  a  resume  of 
I  he  work  of  the  Association  during  the  past  twelve 
months.  This  report  shows  that  the  Alabama  Good 
Roads  Association  has  been  (piite  active  in  promoting 
.good  roads  meetings,  sending  representatives  to  dis- 
trict, state  and  nati  )nal  conventions,  suggesting  va- 
I'ious  movements  for  the  cause  of  good  roads  in  Ala- 
bama as  well  as  doing  lots  of  educational  work.  This 
report  also  showed  that  the  association  was  quite  ac- 
tive in  ]n-om;)tiiig  good  roads  days,  August  1-tth  and 
ir)th,  and  by  its  work  has  established  these  days  per- 
manently among  the  people.  The  reiiort  of  Secretarx- 
K'ountree  is  the  twenty-first  one  that  he  has  made,  as 
he  has  served  the  association  as  its  secretary  all  these 
years.  On  mntimi  'Sir.  Rountree 's  report  was  received 
and  adopted. 

The  roll  of  delegates  and  life  members  was  called  and 
a  very  large  number  answered  to  their  names,  showing 
much  interest  in  the  association. 

The  chair  appointed  the  following  committee  on  res- 
olutions: J.  E.  Pearce.  of  Madison,  chairman,  Jerry 
Gwin.  of  Jefferson.  J.  T.  ilattox,  of  Lemar,  F.  A.  Gul- 
ledge  of  Chilton.  J,ihn  W.  O'Neill  of  Jefferson,  W.  F. 
Fitts  of  Tuscaloosa.  T.  W.  Niehol  of  Mobile.  P.  S.  White 


of  Jefferson.  K.  J.  .Miles  of  Shelby,  G.  M.  Mitcham  of 
Lee,  T.  S.  Plowman  of  Talladega,  Marvin  Pierce  of  Ma- 
rion. II.  A.  Wise  of  Etowah,  C.  B.  Stalnaeker  of  Walker, 
G.  A.  Nelson  of  Morgan,  J.  A.  AVilkerson  of  Autauga. 
A.  n.  Dabbs  of  Pi(diens,  W.  T.  Brown  of  St.  Clair. 

Mr.  Hill  Ferguson  addressed  the  convention  on  an 
exhaustive  plan  of  a  great  system  of  highways  through- 
out the  nation.  He  showed  the  great  benefit  that  a  uni- 
form system  of  highways  would  be  to  Birmingham, 
Ala'bama,  and  the  South.  A  large  number  of  maps  were 
used  to  show  the  system  proposed. 

The  discussion  on  road  building  was  opened  b.v  W. 
F.  Pitts  of  Tuscaloosa  followed  by  quite  a  number  of 
short  talks  from  various  members  of  the  convention. 
The  entire  afternoon  was  spent  on  this  sub.ject.  ilany 
good  and  practical  thoughts  were  presented. 

Many  prominent  good  roads  advocates  and  citizens 
in  all  walks  of  life  attended  the  convention  and  took 
part  in  the  discussions.  The  night  session  was  address- 
ed bv  ]\Iessrs.  J.  B.  Elliott  of  Birmingham.  Prof.  G.  N. 


In    Mobile   County,    Ala.     President  John   Craft,    of    Alabama 
Good  Roads  Association  Shown  in  the  Picture 

Mitcham  of  Auburn.  J.  A.  Shaw,  of  Gewin,  ^Irs.  G.  II. 
Mathis  of  Gadsden.  W.  II.  Thomas,  road  engineer,  of 
Yazoo  City.  ^Mi.ss..  and  others.  Mr.  C.  N.  Wiley  of  At- 
lanta, secretary  of  the  Portland  Cement  Association, 
delivered  a  most  interesting  address  on  permaneiil 
roads,  illustrating  same  with  views  of  cement  roads 
from  all  parts  of  the  emuitry.  His  lecture  was  very 
much  appreciated  and  enjoyed  by  the  entire  bod}'. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  for  the  ensiling 
year:  President.  John  Craft,  Jlobile ;  vice-president, 
John  W.  O'Neill.  Birmingham;  second  vice-president. 
J.  R.  Pierce,  Iluntsville.  third  vice-president  Senator 
John  II.  Bankhead.  Jasper:  fourth  vice-president  Prank 
S.  White.  Birmingham ;  secretary  J.  A.  Rountree,  Birm- 
ingham, J.  B.  Elliott,  treasurer,  Birmingham. 

Vice-Presidents. 

First  district — J.  B.  Bloch,  Mobile;  Second  district — 
K.  J.  Barr.  Troy;  Third  district— G.  P.  Butler,  Opelika; 
Fourth  district — P.  A.  Gulledge.  Verbena  ;  Fifth  dis- 
trict—C.  E.  Thomas,  Prattville ;  Sixth  district— W.  W. 
Ogden.   Sulligent;   Seventh   district — W.   T.   Brown   of 


J)e('enil)er,  1917 


SOU  T  II  E  ]|  X   a  ()  O  D  ROADS 


Raglaiul ;  Eig'litli  district — Wm.  E.  Skeggs,  Decatui' ; 
.\intli  district — Jerr.y  Gwin,  Birmingham;  Tenth  dis- 
trict— W.  C.  navis,  Jasper. 

Executive  Committee — State  at  Large. 

Hugh  i\IeGeever,  Birniiiighani ;  Gov.  Charles  Heuder- 
soH,  JMontgomery,  L.  P.  Scarborough,  Anniston ;  J.  P. 
Kelton,  Oneonta;  B.  H.  Cooper,  Birmingham,  E.  B.  Al- 
mon.  Tuscum1)ia.  .1.  W.  Sheplierd,  Jasper;  ilarvin 
Pierce,  Piereevine.  H.  A.  Elkourie,  Birmingham;  W.  L. 
Waters,  Alexander  City. 

Executive  Committee  by  Districts. 

Pirst  district— J.  K.  Kysei-,  P.iinit  Corn;  AV.  II.  llol- 
eombe,  llobile. 

Second  district — P.  J.  Cooney.  Poley ;  Horace  Hood, 
^lontgomery. 

Third  district— G.  N.  Mitcham.  Anbnrn  ;  D.  C.  Tur- 
nipseed.  Union  Springs. 

Pourth  district— J.  B.  Ellis.  Selma;  L.  II.  Reynolds, 
Clanton,  Ala. 

Fifth  dLstrict— J.  W.  Overton,  Wetumpka.  J.  A.  Wil- 
kerson,  Autaugaville. 

Sixth  district- W.  D.  Seed,  Tuscaloosa ;  W.  P.  Pitts, 
Tuscaloosa. 

Seventh  district — L.  L.  Ilerzberg,  Gadsden ;  ('has. 
Stielfme.yer,  Cullman. 

Eighth  district— G.  x\.  Nelson,  Decatur;  R.  N.  Pettns, 
Iluntsville. 

Ninth  district — Daniel  Greene,  Birmingham;  Job  Go- 
ing, Birmingham. 

Tenth  district— AV.  C.  Sparkman,  Carrollton;  E.  P. 
Goodwin,  Payette. 

The  Association  at  its  concluding  session  at  the  Ho- 
tel Hillman  -went  tni  record  as  favoring  the  withdrawing 
of  convicts  from  private  contract  and  placing  them  on 


Cedar  Point  Road,  Mobile,  Ala. 

the  public  roads.  Also  to  use  exclusively  all  money 
derived  from  automobile  licenses  on  the  public  high- 
ways. The  Association  also  went  on  record  recommend- 
ing the  legislation  to  have  all  road  work  in  the  several 
counties  of  the  State  done  under  the  supervision  of 
competent  highway  engineers.  President  AVilson  was 
endorsed  for  his  war  record.  The  Association  also  was 
very  outspoken  in  the  adoption  of  the  proper  legislation 
that  would  prevent  the  waste  of  money,  and  protect  the 
public  roads  from  being  run  down  and  deteriorating. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  important  resolutions  of  the 
evening  was  a  resolution  from  Senator  White,  recom- 
mending that  all  public  highways  hereafter  be  con- 
structed of  a  permanent  character,  whenever  compati- 
ble with  the  needs  and  financial  conditions  of  the  re- 
spective counties. 


What  the  Chamberlain-Dent  Bill  Provides. 

In  jMfiy,  11)16,  Pi-esident  Henry  ]>.  Joy  of  the  Lincoln 
Highway  association,  after  years  of  serious  considera- 
tion and  study  of  the  road  situation  in  this  country, 
initlined  to  the  American  public  through  the  press  a 
plan  for  a  military  border  highway  running  along  the 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  coast,  the  ilexican  border,  the  Pa- 
cific coast  and  the  Canadian  Ijorder,  and  strategically 
connected  with  inlaid  points  with  a  spider  web  system 
of  federally  planned  and  constructed  highways,  lilie  tlie 
Lincoln  highway,  the  Dixie  highway,  the  Jefferson 
highway  and  other  well-known  important  interstate 
thoroughfares.  The  plan  received  wide  recognition 
and  favorable  comment  from  every  ciuarter.  This  was 
long  before  it  had  become  apparent  to  any  portion  of 
the  American  public  that  the  United  States  would  en- 
ter the  world  war. 

The  suggestions  made  by  the  Lincoln  Highway  as- 
sociation and  given  wide  publicity  by  the  American 
press  have  taken  seed,  and  lately  public  sentiment  in 
every  part  of  the  Union  has  been  reflected  in  congress 
and  liills  have  l)ecn  introduced  booking  towards  some 
|)htii  of  federal  assistance  on  main,  strategic  routes  of 
the  country,  important  in  peace  as  well  as  war,  and 
from  a  social  and  economic  as  well  as  a  military  stand- 
point. 

The  Chamberlain-Dent  bill,  most  definite  of  these 
congressional  proposals,  recently  introduced  into  con- 
gress by  Chairman  Dent  of  the  house  military  commit- 
tee and  in  the  United  States  senate  liy  Chairman  George 
E.  Chamlierlain  of  the  committee  on  military  affairs, 
takes  the  first  definite  .step  towards  the  actual  working 
out  of  the  plan  suggested  by  the  Lincoln  Highway  as- 
sociation. The  bill  will  have  to  wait  consideration 
until  the  regular  session  of  congress. 

Briefly,  it  authorizes  the  secretary  of  war  to  direct 
tlu^  eliief  of  engineers  of  the  war  department  to  prepare 
a  "comprehensive  plan  of  improvecl  highways  through- 
out the  United  States,  designed  primarily  with  a  view 
to  facilitate  the  movement  of  military  troops,  eciuip- 
nient,  munitions  and  supplies  in  time  of  need  and  in 
tiuH"  of  war."  The  plan  provides  for  the  laying  out  of 
"a  continuous  main,  national  highway  to  be  constructed 
and  maintained  at  the  national  expense  along  or  near 
the  Atlantic  seaboard;  thence  along  or  near  the  south- 
ermost  boundaries  of  the  Ignited  States,  and  thence 
along  or  near  the  Pacific  coast  to  a  point  at  or  near  the 
Canadian  line,  with  a  further  view  of  such  marginal 
highway  being  extended  along  the  Canadian  boundary 
of  the  ignited  States." 

The  bill  provides  for  .^2.50,000,000  for  the  work  of 
determining  the  location  of  the  various  roads  and  the 
preparatiun  of  plans  and  estimates,  which  the  secretary 
of  war  is  instructed  by  the  bill  to  present  to  congress. 


Road  Work  Must  Wait  Says  Order. 

Even  the  transportation  of  materials  for  the  comple- 
tion of  roads  under  construction  must  yield  precedence 
to  the  more  important  needs  of  the  federal  government 
in  moving  commodities. 

When  the  Chicago  ]\Iotor  Club  urged  the  suspension 
of  priority  order  No.  2  for  a  period  of  fifteen  days  to 
permit  the  transportation  of  materials  so  that  roads 
now  under  construction  could  be  completed  before  win- 
ter the  reply  came  from  the  Chairman  of  Transportation 
Robert  S.  Lovett  at  Washington  that  the  order  object- 
ed to  would  be  revoked  "as  soon  as  the  critical  stage  of 
necessity  had  passed,  but  in  the  meantime  it  must  re- 
main unimpaired  by  exceptions  in  particular  cases." 


10 


S  0  V  T  II  E  R  N  G  O  0  D  H  O  A  D  S 


December,  1917 


Uniform  Road  Financing 

Address  of  HON.  D.  M.  CLARK,  Greenville,  N.  C,  Before  Southern 
Appalachian  Good  Roads  Convention 


NEXT  to  preserving  self  from  the  wolf  of  poverty, 
I  am  iiitei'ested  in  the  improvement  of  all  roads, 
whether  they  be  highways  or  l)yways.  of  national  or 
to^^^ls1lip  importance.  Therefore,  it  is  not  only  an  hon- 
or to  have  l)een  invited  by  your  distinguished  president 
to  come  out  from  the  old  mother  State  of  North  Caro- 
lina to  speak  to  you  in  the  interest  of  oi;r  common 
cause,  but  a  distinct  pleasure  as  well. 

On  this  suliji'ct  "Uniform  Road  Financing."  much  of 
importance  miglil  be  said,  and  1  am  embarrassed  Ijy 
reason  of  paucity  of  information,  but  of  such  as  I  have 
I  gladly  contrilnite  to  the  greatest  potential  factor  of 
progress  and  i)rosperity. 

The  time  has  now  come  when  everyone,  he  they  pro- 
gressive or  conservative,  must  admit  that  good  roads 
are  tlie  life  arteries  of  our  industrial  and  social  inter- 
course. Init  this  fact  has  only  been  recognized  in  our 
country  during  the  last  few  years. 

In  fact,  until  comiiaratively  recently  we  tolerated 
nuid,  ruts,  steep  hills  and  practieallj-  impassable  roads 
rather  than  give  up  the  old  public  road  system  borrow- 
ed from  England,  but  long  since  discarded  by  the  lend- 
er. That  system  which  conscripts  labor  by  legally 
compelling  every  male  person  between  the  ages  of  eigli- 
teen  and  forty  five  years  who  resides  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts, to  work  on  the  pulilic  roads  a  certain  number  of 
days  every  year,  was  created  by  the  wealthy  lauded 
classes  for  their  own  special  benefit  and  convenience 
and  because  it  taxed  only  certain  individual's  labor  who 
belonged  to  the  lower,  less  fortunate  classes.  And  for 
l)ractically  the  same  reasons  it  was  adopted  in  America 
during  our  early  history  and  has  remained  with  us  ever 
since,  although  thanks  to  progress  it  is  becoming  more 
and  more  a  relic  of  antiquity. 

Injustice  of  Old  System. 

The  injustice  and  especially  the  inefficiency  of  such 
a  system  gradually  da-\\TQed  upon  our  people  as  auto- 
mobiles became  a  reality  and  increased  marketing  de- 
mauds  were  made  on  the  public  roads.  Hence  the  ad- 
vent of  the  bond  issue  and  tax  levy  for  construction 
aiul  maintenance.  But  in  the  improvement  of  roads,  as 
in  all  other  public  matters  necessitating  bonds  and  tax- 
es, progress  was  slow.  And  even  where  there  was  road 
building  in  the  wealthier  more  progressive  communi- 
ties and  trade  centers,  it  was  done  with  the  view  of  the 
development  of  the  immediate  section  and  without  re- 
gard to  the  state  as  a  whole.  In  some  instances  the 
states  have  aided  in  the  construction  of  certain  impor- 
tant highways,  and  in  this  endeavor,  have  received  in 
a  measure,  the  a.ssistanee  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
nu^iit.  But  under  this  plan  there  is  a  lack  of  unity,  and 
while  one  section  is  developed,  another  is  neglected, 
whieh  is  eaused  of  course,  by  certain  inequalities  in 
wealth,  personnel  and  geographical  location.  Thus  un- 
der the  existing  system  general  development  is  neces- 
sarily slow.  Therefore  the  need  of  a  method  of  nation- 
al and  state  financing  whereby  a  uniform  system  of 
connecting  roads  could  be  built  by  every  state,  county 
and  township,  however  remote,  and  at'  the  least  pos- 
sible cost  to  the  iiulividual  tax  payer. 

It  was  to  supply  this  necessity  in  North  Carolina, 
that  the  measure  known  as  the  "States  Aid  Road  Bill," 


which  I  will  discuss,  was  passed  during  the  last  session 
of  our  General  Assembly. 

The  act  is  based  upon  the  fundamental  idea  that 
public  road  improvement  is  predicated  upon  the  fact 
that  the  public  road  is  one  of  the  few  great  instrumen- 
talities of  community  life  with  which  the  government 
is  directl.y  concerned.  That  the  fimctions  of  a  govern- 
ment are  to  secure  peace,  prosperity  and  happiness  to 
its  citizens,  for  the  happiness  of  a  people  depends  pri- 
marily on  the  prosperity  of  that  people ;  and  the  pros- 
perity of  a  people  depends  directly  on  its  industry; 
and  the  industries  of  a  state  or  nation  cannot  reap 
their  full  reward  until  the  Government  utilizes  all  of 
its  instrumentalities  for  their  full  and  free  development. 
For  improvement  in  no  public  facility  will  give  returns 
in  dollars  and  cents  more  quekly  than  improvement  in 
roads. 

As  our  public  roads  involve  the  transportation  prob- 
lem, affect  the  cost  and  pleasure  of  living,  the  exchange 
of  commodities,  the  valuation  of  properties,  the  social 
and  educational  welfare  of  citizens,  and  even  the 
thought  of  a  people,  they  become  the  greatest  instru- 
mentalities of  community  or  national  life.  Therefore 
their  development  is  a  governmental  duty  necessary 
to  the  progress  and  self-preservation  of  the  State  or 
Nation,  and  the  peace,  prosperity  and  happiness  of  our 
people. 

As  the  State  and  Nation  are  the  direct  beneficiaries 
whenever  public  roads  are  developed  in  any  section, 
however  remote,  then  the  State  and  National  Govern- 
ments should  be  the  agencies  through  which  the  uni- 
form development  of  our  entire  public  road  system  is 
financed. 

I  do  not  mean  that  the  National  Government  or  the 
State  should  build  the  roads  or  pay  for  them,  althougii 
it  is  only  fair  that  the  public  road  system,  as  it  concerns 
inter-counties,  inter-states  and  through  highways, 
should  receive  the  same  financial  assistance  as  is  given 
to  canals,  creeks,  rivers,  harbors,  and  railroads.  But 
what  T  do  mean,  is  that  the  State  and  National  Gov- 
ei'nments  should  be  the  agencies  through  which  the 
money  borrowed  for  construction,  is  secured.  There 
are  several  reasons  why  this  should  be  so,  but  princi- 
pally because  of  the  fact  that  the  State  Ivas  a  better 
borrowing  credit  than  a  township  or  county,  and  the 
nation  lias  a  better  borrowing  credit  than  the  states. 

This  fact  is  the  nucleus  of  the  whole  system  which 
bears  my  name.  Everj'  detail  has  been  worked  out  to  a 
mathematical  certainty,  and  the  law  contains  complete 
machinery  for  the  operation  of  the  plan.  In  brief,  the 
system  adopted  in  North  Carolina  is  this : 

The  State  borrows  money  at  4%  interest,  loans  the 
same  to  counties  and  to^^^lsllil)s  at  5%  interest,  payable 
semi-annually,  of  which  -i^'i  is  used  to  pay  the  interest 
iin  the  State  bonds,  and  the  extra  1%  is  carried  to  a 
sinking  fund  that  retires  the  State  bonds  in  41  years. 
The  system  costs  the  State  nothing,  for  the  State  of 
North  Carolina  has  an  almost  unlimited  borrowing 
credit  of  from  31'^%:  to  4%.  and  the  extra  1%.  not  onh^ 
pays  off'  the  bonds  when  due,  but  also  provides  a  sur- 
plus sufticMcid  to  pay  for  any  extra  clerical  assistance 
necessary. 

The  law  in  detail  provides  for  the  issuing,  semi-an- 


December,  1917 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  K  0  A  D  S 


11 


nually,  of  4%  state  honds,  to  run  for  a  period  of  forty 
one  years,  the  initial  issue  iiol  to  exceed  ^400,000.()(). 
Tlie  funds  pi-ovidcd  in  tliis  way  are  made  available  tn 
such  counties  and  townshijis  as  shall  evince  their  pub- 
lic spirit  and  progressiveness  by  voting  in  the  usual 
manner  to  tax  themselves  for  the  purpose  of  building- 
roads.  The  Act  provides  of  course,  the  machinery  for 
petitioning  the  county  CDmniissioners  and  holding  the 
election. 

Big  Saving  to  Counties. 

When  a  county  or  t(nvuship  votes  for  good  roads  lui- 
der  this  law,  the  county  commissioners  issue  no  bonds 
to  be  sold  on  the  market  at  oVa  '^i'  6%,  as  is  often  the 
case  with  the  less  fortunate  localities,  but  merely  gives 
to  the  State  its  certificate  of  indebtedness  for  the 
amount  loaned  to  the  county  itself,  or  for  one  or  more 
of  its  townships,  and  the  county  is  to  collect  annually 
from  the  whole  county,  if  the  county  has  voted  for  the 
loan,  or  from  such  toAMiship  or  townships  as  have  voted 
for  the  loans  from  the  state,  the  5%  interest,  as  it  col- 
lects other  taxes,  and  pay  this  over  to  the  state.  This 
5%  interest  is  all  any  county  or  town.ship  ever  had  to 
pay  for  the  loan,  as  the  extra  1%  difference  in  state 
and  county  interest  provides  the  principal  and  retires 
the  State  lionds  at  maturity,  and  the  county's  or  town- 
ship's certificates  of  indebtedness  are  destroyed  or  re- 
turned to  them  to  be  cancelled. 

In  every  particular  ,the  State  is  amply  pi'otected 
from  loss  by  the  most  stringent  safe  guards.  The  bonil 
or  certificate  of  indebtedness  given  by  the  State  as  se- 
curity for  the  laan,  obligates  the  county  to  pay  to  the 
State  Treasurer  5  per  cent  interest  per  annum,  payable 
semi-annually  on  the  first  days  of  December  and  June 
of  each  year  for  a  period  of  forty  one  years.  As  a 
penalty  for  the  faih^re  of  any  county  to  pay  the  5% 
interest  when  due,  the  Act  provides  for  the  State  Treas- 
urer to  collect  in  addition  thereto  one  half  of  one  per 
cent  of  the  amount  due,  for  every  day  the  same  re- 
mains unpaid.  One  half  of  such  penalty  shall  be  paid 
by  the  county  and  the  other  half  by  the  sherift'  of  such 
delinquent  county.  In  addition  to  this  it  is  also  pro- 
vided, that  if  any  county  or  township  obtains  a  loan 
from  the  State  under  the  bill  and  shall  fail  or  refuse 
to  pay  the  interest  due  on  such  loan  for  a  period  of  thir- 
ty days,  the  amount  due,  together  with  the  penalty, 
shall  at  once  become  due  and  payable,  and  the  State 
Treasurer  is  authorized  to  proceed  to  collect  the  same 
from  such  delincjuent  county  or  township. 

Commissioners  Must  Wake  Levy. 

Criminal  liainlity  is  also  imposed  in  the  following 
language:  "If  any  board  of  county  commissioners 
whose  duty  it  is  to  levy  any  tax  or  taxes  under  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  shall  fail  or  refuse  to  make  such 
levy,  or  to  make  such  rate  of  levy  as  is  required  by  this 
act,  they  and  each  of  the  members  thereof  shall  be 
guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and,  upon  conviction,  shall  be 
tilled  personally  and  severally,  not  less  than  ($200.00) 
each,  nor  more  than  $1000.00)  each,  or  be  imprisoned 
not  exceeding  one  year,  in  the  discretion  of  the  court." 

As  a  safeguard  to  the  State  against  counties  or  town- 
ships borrowing  more  money  than  their  responsibilities 
will  justify,  thus  rendering  them  insolvent,  the  act  pro- 
vides. "No  count}'  shall  be  allowed  to  borrow  money 
under  the  provisions  of  this  act  to  any  amount  which, 
added  to  other  bonded  indebtedness,  exceeds  six  per- 
cent of  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  property  of  the 
county. ' ' 

Tlie   commissioners   of   the    counties   securing   loans 


under  the  act  are  required  to  levy  in  addition  to  the 
five  per  cent  interest,  an  amount  sufficient  to  cover  the 
cost  of  collection  and  disbursement,  and  the  penalty 
to  which  the  county  is  sub.jected,  in  case  such  penalty 
is  incurred,  and  an  amount  sufficient  to  provide  the 
maintenance  fund  wiiich  is  to  run  for  the  duration  of 
the  indebtedness.  Jn  this  way  the  State  is  protected 
against  any  possible  loss,  although  the  money  is  pro- 
vided for  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  a  state 
wide  system  of  modern  public  roads,  at  a  cost  to  the 
counties  or  townships  of  only  5%,  plus  the  maintenance 
cost,  but  with  no  principal  to  be  repaid  and  no  debt  to 
be  passed  on  to  the  future  generations. 

State  Issues  Bonds. 
As  has  been  stated,  to  provide  the  fumls  for  the  op- 
eration of  this  system,  the  State  Treasurer  is  directed 
to  issue  for  the  first  six  months  period  .$400,000.00  in 
4%  bonds,  provided  counties  and  townships  have  voted 
to  tax  themselves  for  good  roads,  and  have  made  ap- 
plications for  loans  under  the  plan  amounting  to  the 
full  issue  of  $400,000.00.  If  less  than  .$400,000.00  has 
been  applied  for  by  the  counties  and  town.ships,  bonds 


The  Du  Pont  Concrete  Road  in  Delaware 

are  issued  only  for  such  sum  as  is  actually  applied  foi-, 
but  if  more  than  that  sum  has  been  applied  for.  the  is- 
sue does  not  exceed  $400,000.00  but  is  apportioned  pro- 
rata among  the  applicants,  the  full  amount  of  the  loan 
applied  for  to  be  made  up  out  of  the  issue  six  months 
later.  In  this  way  the  state  issues  no  more  honds  than 
there  are  applications  to  take  up,  but  at  the  same  tir,.e 
gives  to  each  county  and  to\viiship  equal  opportunit.\- 
to  receive  a  part  of  the  money  as  it  becomes  available 
and  avoids  scrambling  as  to  what  counties  and  town- 
ships shall  be  first  benefitted.  It  is  left  to  them  to  make 
the  move  and  thus  select  for  themselves,  the  result  of 
which  will  be  that  the  most  progressive  and  wide-awake 
cinnities  and  townships,  those  that  feel  most  the  need 
of  the  Goods  Roads  System,  will  be  the  first  to  profit 
by  the  opportunities  thus  made  possible.  It  will  not  be 
left  as  in  the  past,  with  us  in  North  Carolina,  for  those 
communities  w-hich  have  the  most  influence  in  the  leg- 
islature to  obtain  priority,  but  successively  each  coun- 
ty and  township  will  come  in,  in  the  order  they  them- 
selves create,  making  eventually  a  Uniform  State  Wide 
Road  System. 

If  the  State  issued  $400,000.00  in  bonds  semi-annually 
for  forty  one  years  it  would  amount  to  $32,800,000  for 
the  full  period,  a  sum  rather  large  to  contemplate,  but 
not  as  great  by  any  means  as  the  counties  and  town- 
ships in  North  Carolina  would  issue  their  individual 
bonds  for  during  that  period  under  the  old  system,  the 
principal  of  which  would  have  to  be  paid  at  maturity, 


V2 


S  0  U  T  II  E  R  X   ( i  O  0  D   ROADS 


Deceinliei'.   1917 


or  the  bonds  refnmled  by  net  of  the  legislature  and  the 
interest  thei-e  >n  continiU'  to  I'un  until  sueli  tiiiir  as  ihc 
locality  was  able  to  pay  oft'  the  indebtedness.  Ju  proof 
of  which  statenu-ut  1  cite  the  fact  that  Nortli  Carolina 
has.  this  year,  spent  for  rnail  iniprovenieiit  alone,  the 
sum  of  .+5.51(1.000.00.  But  under  this  ]ilan  the  State 
does  not  issue  ^-tOO.dOii.OH  in  lioiuls  semi-annually,  al- 
though that  sum  is  always  available  semi-annually  fnr 
the  stipulated  purposes.  The  reason  is.  there  is  a  sui'- 
plus  ineome  of  one  per  cent  which  goes  to  the  sinking 
fund,  ami  the  sinking  fund  is  invested  in  a  loan  to 
other  ciiunties  ami  townships  as  they  suhse(|uen11y  come 
under  the  system  and  make  applii-atiinis  for  loans.  So 
that,  after  the  first  $400,000.00  is  taken  ui>.  bonds  are 
issued  only  for  an  am  )unt  added  to  the  semi-annual 
sinking  fund,  sufficient  to  total  the  next  ^--tOO.dOO.OO 
semi-annual  loan.  Tliereby  each  subsequent  bond  is- 
sue is  reduced  the  annnmt  of  the  sinking  fund  created 
by  the  l^/i  dift'erence  in  40;  State  bonds  and  '^'/(  einui- 
1y  or  township  bonds.  In  this  way  compound  interest 
1)11  the  sinking  fund  is  secureil  and  semi-annually  re- 
invested. 

How  The  Law  Works. 

As  an  example  of  how  the  plan  w  )rks.  suppose  on 
the  1st  day  of  January.  IDIS.  North  Carolina  should 
issue  .'t;400,600.00.  ■i'/i  bonds,  in  exchange  for  $400,000. 
5%  county  and  township  bonds.  On  July  1st.  of  the 
same  year,  just  six  months  later,  the  5^,  interest  due 
(ui  the  county  and  townshi]i  bnnds  would  be  $10.0tlO.OO, 
whereas  the  4%  interest  due  (jii  the  State  bonds  would 
be  $8,000.00.  leaving  a  surplus  of  $2,000.00,  represent- 
ing the  1%  sinking  funds.  Then  on  the  next  period  of 
the  semi-annual  issue  which  would  be  July  1st  the  State 
would  issue  (uily  $8118.0(10.01)  in  bonds  which  added  to 
the  $2,000.00  surplus,  would  make  up  the  $400,000.00 
semi-annual  loan  fund.  In  this  way  the  liond  issue  is 
reduced  every  six  mouths  in  proprirtiim  ti  the  income 
from  the  l^i  surplus  or  sinking  fund.  And  on  July  1st. 
1!I5S.  the  last  semi-annual  period  under  the  plan,  the 
State  would  issue  only  .$2,701.48  in  liouds.  which  sum, 
;iddcd  to  the  accumulated  1%  sinking  fuml  of  $397.- 
29S.42  would  make  up  the  semi-annual  loan  fund  of 
$400,000.00. 

If  this  plan  was  put  in  operation  on  January  1st. 
litis,  the  principal  of  the  first  .$400,000.00  State  bonds 
would  become  due  and  payable  on  January  1st,  1959, 
at  that  time,  if  every  semi-annual  .$400,000.00  loan  fund 
bail  been  exhausted  by  applications  fnim  the  counties 
and  townships,  tliere  wimlil  be  a  total  iiicoiiu'  from  the 
5%  interest  paid  by  the  counties  and  townships  of 
$820,000.00.  at  the  siime  time  4cf  interest  due  on  State 
bonds  would  amount  to  $312,755.48,  leaving  a  balance 
on  hand  of  $407,244.52.  dut  nf  which  the  first  bond  is- 
sue of  $400,000.00  wiiuld  be  retired,  and  .still  leave  on 
hand  the  sum  of  $7,244.52  surplus,  with  \\-liicli  any  ex- 
tra clerical  assistance  made  necessary  in  the  State 
Treasurer's  office  could  be  paid.  This  surplus  of  $7.- 
244.52  per  year  runs  through  the  entire  maturing  per- 
iod, so  that  if  the  extra  clerical  assistance  did  not  ab- 
sorb the  entire  amount  or  should  not  be  necessary,  the 
State  would  lie  acfiudly  earning  under  the  system.  $7.- 
244.52  each  yf.w  after  the  iiiatiiring  nf  the  bonds  had 
begun. 

Millions  Will  Be  Saved. 
The  saving  feature  of  the  plan,  which  will  amount  t'l 
millions  of  dollars,  is  made  very  apparent  by  the  fol- 
lowing illustration  of  an  actual  fact  under  the  presen* 
system  of  counties  iiutting  their  bonds  on  the  open  mar- 
ket : 


In  1S70  .Mecklenburg  county.  North  Carolina,  issued 
$300,000.00  in  6y,  bonds  to  run  for  a  period  of  20  years. 
In  1890  when  these  bonds  matured  the  county  had  paid 
out  .$.3(10.000.00  in  interest,  but  did  not  have  the  $300.- 
000. 00  with  which  to  retire  the  bonds,  so  l)y  act  of  the 
Legislature  the  bonds  were  refunded  to  run  for  a  per- 
iod of  30  years  or  until  1920,  at  which  time,  about  two 
years  hence.  ^Mecklenburg  county  will  have  paid  out 
in  interest  the  total  siuu  of  $90(').0O0.OO.  and  still  has 
to  provide  the  sum  of  $300,000.00  principal  with  which 
to  retire  and  cancel  the  bonds,  making  a  total  expen- 
diture of  $1,200,000.00  on  the  original  $300,000.00  loan, 
if  this  can  be  done.  But  th.-  probability  is  that  the 
bonds  Avill  again  be  refunded  and  the  county  will  go  on 
paying  the  (5%  interest,  ad-infinitum. 

Now,  if  ^Mecklenburg  county  could  have  gotten  the 
$:{O(i.()0O.0()  under  the  -'States  Aid"  plan,  the  bonds 
wiuild  lia\c  been  automatically  retired  in  41  years  or 
at  maturity  in  1911.  and  at  5^^  interest  the  comity 
would  lia\e  paid  $01 5,000.00  for  the  use  of  the  money, 
and  nothing  more,  the  advantage  of  the  extra  1%  cred- 
it enjoyed  by  the  State  doing  the  work.  In  other  words. 
up  to  1920  the  ciinnty  of  Metd^leiiburg  would  have 
saved  $585,000.00.  provided  the  ciniiity  can  at  that  time 
retire  its  bonds. 

This  is  the  s.vstem  that  we  have  adojited  in  North 
Cariiliiia.  and  while  the  bill  making  it  a  law  bears  my 
name.  1  am  frank  to  admit  that  I  am  not  solely  respoii- 


A  Contrast  of  the  Old   and  New  Methods  of  Transportation.    Ox 

TeamC?)  Days  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.    Superior  Truck 

Made  the  Trip  in  Eight  Hours  and  a  Half 

silile  f:)r  the  sy.stem.  although  i  do  lielieve  it  is  nearer 
perfected  now  than  it  ever  has  been  before.  ,AIr.  W.  S. 
Wilson.  State  Keferenee  Librarian,  of  Kaleigh.  North 
North  Carolina,  assisfeil  me  materially  in  preparing 
and  drafting  the  bill,  and  deserves  much  of  the  credit 
for  the  origin  of  the  plan.  This  law  had  been  recently 
eonsideretl  by  our  supreme  court,  and  in  a  divided  ciuu't 
the  majority  opinion  has  held  that  section  20  which  ap- 
plies to  townships  is  unconstitutional.  This  section 
gives  townships  tl;e  same  lu-ivilege  to  operate  under 
the  system  as  counties  as  a  unit.  To  this  opinion  Chief 
Justice  Clark  dissents  and  has  written  a  vigorous  dis- 
senting opinion,  and  as  this  dissenting  opinion  contains 
all  of  the  arguments  of  both  law  and  facts  in  support  of 
the  system,  I  wish  to  herewith  adopt  that  opinion  as 
an   ap])eiidix  to  this  address. 

Although  as  stateil  the  towiislii])  feature  of  this  plan 
has  lieen  temporarily  knocked  out.  the  good  roads  ad- 
vocates in  N(U-th  Carolina  lun-e  not  given  up  the  tiglit. 
even  on  this  point,  for  during  the  present  term  of  our 
supreme  court  a  motion  to  rehear  supported  by  the 
ipiniiin  iif  s(Oiie  of  the  ablest  legal  talent  in  the  State. 


Decenibor.  1917 


SOUTHERN   n  O  0  D  ROADS 


13 


\\ill  lie  Iddjird.  Thercfdi'e  we  are  expectiiiK  tlie  Act  to 
be  yet  ileelai-etl  eoiistitntioiial  in  the  entirety,  this  year, 
so  tliat  ill  tlie  near  tuture  tlie  great  benefits  possible 
thereunder  may  be  realized  by  townships  as  ^^■ell  as 
counties,  and  tiiat  no  section  of  the  state,  however  pov- 
ert.v  stri(d\eii.  or  remote,  may  l>e  disqualified  luidor  the 
system,  and  prevented  fr  on  shariiiu-  in  tlie  d<.'velopineut 
of  its  natural  resources. 

A  Plan  for  Uniform  System. 
Now  then,  if  a  uniform  system  of  good  ruads  can  be 
developed  for  a  state  under  this  plan,  it  naturally  fol 
lows  that  a  similar  plan  adopted  by  the  Government 
and  extended  throughout  the  country,  would  develop 
a  uniform  system  of  higtiways  for  the  nation.  There- 
fore, by  going  a  step  further  and  applying  the  "State 
Aid"  principle  to  the  nation  we  have  the  government 
exchanging  its  3%  or  even  ^'o'/j,  bonds  for  the  4''/^ 
State  bonds,  and  the  State  in  turn  taking  the  -^'/i  coun- 
ty and  township  security.  The  counties  and  townships 
being  the  agents  :if  and  responsible  to  their  respecti\'e 
State,  and  the  States  lieing  responsible  to  the  I'liited 
States  government.  If  it  should  be  found  necessary  on 
account  of  the  war  to  issue  the  government  bonds  at 
3%%  instead  of  ■i%,  the  period  of  maturity  could  bi' 
lengthened  accordingl.v,  so  as  to  give  the  i^^  ditt'er- 
ence  in  government  and  state  bonds,  longer  to  ai'cum- 
ulate  the  retiring  sinking  fund.  Or.  even  if  on  account 
of  the  war  it  shjuld  be  found  necessary  to  issue  the 
government  bonds  at  as  much  as  4%  the  s.-wstem  could 
still  be  maintained  if  the  government  would  in  this  way 
utilize  its  credit  t)  secure  the  money  at  ■i%  for  sucli 
states  as  could  not  sell  its  bonds  at  4%.  The  states,  of 
course,  guaranteeing  to  retire  the  loan  at  maturity  .pist 
as  it  would  lun'e  done  if  its  Ixnids  had  been  sold  on  the 
open  market  instead  of  being  exchanged  for  govern- 
ment bonds.  At  any  rate  the  benefits  accruing  under 
the  system  will  always  remain  the  same.  f:)r  when  in- 
terest increases  on  government  bonds  in  normal  times 
it  also  increases  on  State  bonds,  and  in  pniportion  conn- 
ties  and  townships  are  forced  to  pay  a  greater  rate  of 
interest  on  their  bonds  sold  on  the  open  market.  The 
saA'ing  remains  the  same  and  the  system  of  credits  is 
not  disturbed. 

The  same  .s.v.stem  has  been  successfully  operated  by 
Great  Britain  to  remove  the  age-long  grievance  in  Ire- 
land of  great  feudal  states  and  absentee  landlordism. 
Bifing  able  to  sell  her  bonds  bearing  2%  interest.  Eng- 
land thus  raised  a  large  sum  with  which  it  liought  up 
vast  landed  estates  in  Ireland  which  it  took  over  by 
purchase  or  condemnation  and  cutting  them  up  in  small 
holdings,  sold  them  to  the  former  tenants  at  the  same 
price  per  acre,  adding  a  sum  of  mone.v  to  each  to  fur- 
nish the  farm,  taking  from  the  tenants  their  notes  bear- 
ing 5'/(  interest.  The  difference  between  the  2%  and 
the  5%  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  at  compound  in- 
terest paid  off  the  purchase  money  for  the  land  and  the 
money  loaned,  and  the  government  cancelled  the  notes, 
giving  the  tenants  fee  simple  deeds,  and  all  of  this  not 
costing  the  taxpayers  a  penny,  and  costing  the  tenant 
less  than   the  rent  ^\•ould  have  been. 

This  plan  is  also  very  similar  to  the  farm  loan  system 
adopted   recently  b.v   Congress. 

Under  the  "State's  Aid"  s.vstem  great  benefits  will 
accrue  to  all  of  our  people  alike,  for  the  dwellers  in 
the  rural  districts  will  lie  relieved  of  bad  roads  whicli 
are  now  the  heaviest  incubus  u|) m  agriculture,  and  in 
addition  will  be  freed  from  isolation,  which  is  the 
greatest  draw-l)ack  to  farm  life.  I'lider  this  system  the 
nation  and  states  will  achieve  not  only  a  modern  sys- 


tem of  public  mads  so  necessary  ti)  the  industrial  de- 
\clopment  of  the  country,  Ijut  as  well,  will  be  further 
prepared  for  war  by  having  a  s.vstem  of  through  high- 
wa.vs  or  military  roads  fni-  the  trans])ortatiiin  nf  troups 
and   supplies. 

The  (ierman  (iovernment  years  ago  foresaw  the  val- 
ue of  military  roads  and  as  a  ci)nse(|uence  today  their 
road  system  is  one  if  their  strongest  defenses,  without 
\vhii-li  they  would  be  unable  to  shift  their  troojis  and 
supplies  sii  readily  frmn  one  point  to  another. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  this  country  was  there 
so  man,v  reasons  wh,^■  there  sh  )uld  be  adopted  some 
national,  state,  and  local  p :ilic,\'  of  financing  that  will 
be  harmonious,  coniprehensixc  and  efficient,  to  improve, 
maintain  and  unify  as  (ine  complete  system  the  public 
thorouglifares  of  the  nation.  ^Ir.  AY.  F.  AlcCombs  in 
his  address  to  the  Southern  ( 'ommercial  Congress  last 
^Monday,  said:  "Amei'ica  needs  1^,00(1. (.100  miles  of  good 
roads  to  In-ing  her  to  maximum  efficieiic,^'  in  this  branch 
of  national  defence." 

Yet  the  jilan  that  I  have  undertaken  to  explain  to 
you  d  les  not  I'cipiire  the  United  States  Government  or 
the  State  to  make  a  single  appropriation.  All  that  we 
ask  for  counties  and  townshi]is  which  are  units  of  the 
whole,  is  the  use  of  the  ci'cdit  of  the  State  and  the  gov- 
ernment, from  which  under  this  plan  a  great  uniform 
s.vstem  (if  toAvnships.  i-imnty.  State  and  National  higli- 
wa.^'s  will  eventually  be  built  U|i  and  maintained. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Conventim.  I  wish  to 
again  thank  ,vou  for  the  privilege  of  behig  heard  on 
this  ijuestion.  If  what  T  have  said  will  be  of  the  slight- 
est value  in  the  advaio'cmcnt  of  the  propaganda  in  the 
interest  nf  which  you  have  assembled.  I  will  have  been 
f'ullx'  repaid  for  my  bmg  trip  to  this  beautiful  I'ity. 


Mexican  Road  Being  Built. 

A  final  liidv  in  the  i'acific  coast  highway  wliii'h  is  fast 
becoming  a  reality  through  Washington.  Oregon  and 
California  is  planned  b.v  Governor  Estaban  Caiitu  of 
the  northern  district  of  Ba,ia.  Cal.  While  at  Algadones 
recentl\'  Governor  Cantu  announced  he  now  is  construc- 
ting a  highway  approximately  1,000  miles  long  from 
Tia  Juana  and  other  points,  below  the  border  to  the 
southern  tip  of  Lower  California,  which  be  hopes  to 
complete. 

"]\Iy  .uTcat  ambitimi.""  said  Governor  Cantu.  "is  to 
go  right  on  with  the  work  I  have  undertaken.  For  the 
last  two  years  I  have  planned  to  construct  a  highwa.v 
frmn  Algadones  to  the  lower  end  of  Ba.ja.  Cal..  by  way 
of  Alexicali.  T'acati.  Tia  Juana.  Ensenaila.  La  Paz  and 
thence  on  down  to  the  very  end  of  ISa.ja,  Cal..  making 
a  boule\"ard  l.tlOO  miles  in  length. 

"A  large  pcu'tion  of  thi.s  highway  already  is  ciiini)le- 
ted  in  the  rough.  B.v  the  time  I  have  finished  it  my 
friends  in  the  United  States  will  have  one  of  the  grand- 
est scenic  rinites  in  the  world  to  travel  over.  And  while 
I  am  doing  that  I  want  to  see  every  acre  of  land  in  Ba- 
.I'a,  Cal..  cultivated  and  developed  by  thrift.w  cnntented, 
peace-liiving  pi-iple. "" 


An  election  held  in  Ward  county.  Texas,  for  the  is- 
suance of  .+80,000  forty-year  bonds  resulted  almost 
unanimously  in  favor  of  the  bond  issue.  These  bonds 
will  be  issued  for  the  purpose  of  improvement  and 
maintenance  of  the  public  roads,  and  especially  for  the 
building  of  the  El  Paso-Fort  Worth  highway  through 
Ward  county  and  the  building  of  the  Alonahans-tirand 
Falls  highway.  State  and  federal  aid  has  been  granted 
tni  these  roads. 


14 


SOUTHERN  GOOD  ROADS 


December.   1917 


Published  Monthly  by  Southern  Good  Roads  Publishing  Co. 

LEXINGTON.  North  Carolina 

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Official  Organ  of  the  North  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

HENRY  B   VARNER.  President,  Lexington.  N.  C. 
DR.  JOSEPH  HYDE  FRATT.  Secretary.  Chapel  Hill.  N.  C. 

Official  Organ  Southern  Appalachian    Good    Roads    Association 

HENRY  ROBERTS.  President.  Bristol.  Va. 
A   GRAY  GILMER.  Secretary,  Bristol.  Tenn. 

Official  Organ  of  the  South  Carolina  Good  Roads  Association 

F.  H.  HYATT.  President,  Columbia,  S.  C. 
FINGAL  C.  BLACK,  Secretary,  Columbia.  S.  C. 


Vol.  XVI. 


NOVEMBER,  1917. 


No.   6. 


SAVE  THE  TIRES  AND  ROADS. 

lJi\''lit  imw  is  ;i  tiiiir  lit'  vi'.-ii'  when  all  drivrrs  of  auti)- 
niiiliilcs  are  ealli'd  iipun  fn  |)i'aetice  ecoiiiuuy  at  evei'.N' 
Inni.  Ill  the  care  of  tire.s  eeoiiDmy  can  be  mailo  to  ad- 
\aiila;ie  and  pai'ticnlai'ly  at  this  season.  The  hard,  fro- 
•',en  sni'faees  of  a  winter  road  do  not  yield  and  bend  with 
'he  weig'ht  of  an  anto  a.s  the  surface  of  a  country  road 
ill  suiniiier.  "Ruts  and  rid^t's  offer  resi.stance  to  the 
I'oree  exert cil  upon  tlieiii.  and  this  tendency  wears  away 
I  he  I'ubbei'  tread  of  a  tii'c  more  rajndly.  Takiiii;-  eorners 
on  two  wheels  and  side  slipping;'  are  expensive  brands 
of  eai-(>lessness,  yet  tlie.v  ean  be  diminished  if  a  driver 
liiil    n-;ilizes  what   the  result    will  be. 

The  same  practice  that  saves  tires  will  also  save  the 
loads  at  a  time  wdieii  they  are  mast  .susceptible  to  de- 
1ei  iiiration. 


$150,000,000  FOR  ROADS. 


Great  Britain's  roads  are  among  the  best  in  the  world. 
America's  i-nads  are  the  worst  that  any  gTeat  nation 
puts  up  witii. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  Great  Hi'itain  has  such  ex- 
cellent roads,  it  wants  them  even  better  than  the.y  are. 
So  the  United  Kingdom  is  going  to  spend  if;  150,000,000 
improving  them.     The  British  people  will  be  satisfied 


with  nothing  less  than  the  best  roads  that  can  be  built, 
especially  for  motor  traffic. 

America  is  the  home  of  the  autoniiibile.  ^Nlotor  trans- 
portation is  becoming  a  more  and  more  important  phase 
of  the  machinei'y  of  communication  in  this  country  of 

magnificent  distances. 

And  yet  there  are  sections  of  the  eniutry — and  some 
of  them  are  very  neai'  the  great  centers  of  populati./iis — 
A\liere  the  I'oads  are  impracticable  for  motors. 

The  ti'oid)le  is  that  road-building  and  I'epaii'ing  ai'e 
left  to  state  or  local  authorities,  while  tlie  need  of  good 
I'oads  is  not  local  but  national. 

What  is  America  doing  to  improve  its  roads,  to  keep 
pace  with  tlie  rapid  growth  of  its  motor  industry  and 
its  motor  transportation? 


Truck  Traffic  Big-  Problem. 

Urgent  nece.s.sity  demands  the  increasing  ratlier  than 
the  curtailing  of  highway  construction,  according  to 
Secretary  Redfield  of  the  department  of  commerce,  wdio 
says  the  fullest  use  of  the  highway  system  of  the  nation 
to  supplement  its  w^aterways  offers  the  only  relief  from 
a  shipping  situation  which  must  become  serious  through 
increasing  governnu'iit  demands  upon  the  railroads. 

The  public  is  forewarned  li>-  Redfield  that  with  rec- 
ord breaking  crops  still  to  lie  moved,  and  greatly  in- 
(■reased  output  by  mills  arid  factories,  the  highwaj's 
must  carry  a  great  deal  more  commerce  than  ever  be- 
fore. \ot  only  will  the  voliime  of  short  distance  haul- 
ing be  much  heavier,  but  a  big  development  in  motor 
truck  traffic  for  distances  of  TOO  miles  and  more  is  l)e- 
ing  noted. 

It  is  therefore  more  important  than  ever  to  liuild 
roads  of  the  most  enduring  type,  according  to  Redfield. 
If  this  is  not  done  the  country  at  large  may  experience 
the  same  fate  as  Burlington  county',  New  Jersey,  where 
I'oads  leading  to  the  cantonment  at  Wrightstown  were 
destroyed  in  a  few  weeks  by  motors  trucks,  he  points 
out.  These  roads  were  not  designed  for  great  traffic 
weights  such  as  are  imposed  by  motor  trucks,  which 
literally  tore  the  roads  asunder. 

"Many  roads  upon  which  motor  truck  traffic  has  be- 
gun will  be  suli.jected  to  sinnlar  stress  in  constantly  in- 
v'reasing  ^'olumc."  says  Secretary  Redfield.  "During 
the  recent  New  Y(n-k-Philadelphia  freight  embargo  sev- 
enty-five trucks  plied  between  these  cities  daily. 

"The  stability  of  roads  subjected  to  motor  truck 
traffic  will  depend  largely  on  the  strength  of  the  foun- 
dation or  liase.  It  is  only  recently  that  this  essential 
has  been  given  full  recognition  in  the  sense  that  bridg- 
es are  designed  with  reference  to  maximum  weight  of 
traffic.  But  when  a  bridge  breaks  down  under  exces- 
sive weight  the  cause  is  readily  understood,  whereas  the 
failure  of  a  road  from  precisely  the  same  cause  is  usual- 
ly attributed  to  faulty  construction. 

"Highway  economy  demands  roads  that  will  with- 
stand both  weight  and  volume  of  traffic — foundations 
that  will  sustain  weight  and  wearing  surfaces  that  will 
resist  abrasion." 


Building  Roads  at  Camp  Shelby. 

The  eniployiiit>nt  of  a  sufficient  numlx^r  of  teams  to 
do  the  work  grading  aiul  hauling  and  distributing  grav- 
el and  other  material  for  a  reservation  as  large  as  Camp 
Shelby.  Jliss.,  is  an  uiulertaking  that  taxes  the  resourc- 
es and  the  skill  of  contractors  in  that  line  of  work  to 


Decpmher.   IDT 


SOUTHERN   0  ()  ()  I )   ROADS 


15 


their  vei'.v  utiiKist,  Init  it  has  been  accomplished  most 
siiccessfnlly. 

C.  .M.  f'ouiiur,  who  is  superintendent  of  roads  at 
Camp  Shell),v,  mastered  this  gigantic  proposition  by  let- 
ting the  teaming  contract  to  J.  N.  George  &  Son  and 
the  success  of  this  part  of  the  undertaking  to  build  a 
military  city  is  shown  liy  the  beauty  of  the  roads  as 
they  now  appear. 

When  it  is  remembei'ed  that  there  are  thirty  miles  of 
roads  inside  the  reservation  at  Camp  Shelby,  which 
were  completed  within  two  months,  the  mind  can  in  a 
measure  grasp  the  enormity  of  the  task. 

Not  only  has  all  this  roadway  been  built,  but  the 
teams  used  there  were  also  required  to  remove  from  the 
grounds  all  the  brush,  logs  and  stumps  that  had  accum- 
ulated in  the  clearing  up  process,  before  the  work  on 
the  roads  could  be  started. 

The  contractors  for  this  part  of  the  work  were  com- 
pelled to  scour  not  only  this  county  but  adjoining  coun- 
ties to  secure  a  sufficient  number  of  teams  for  the  un- 
dertaking. They  even  were  compelled  to  go  as  far 
north  as  Collinsville,  Alabama,  to  get  the  numlier  ci 
horses,  mules  and  wagons  to  serve  their  purpose. 

More  than  five  hundred  teams  and  wagons  and  their 
drivers  were  used  in  the  work.  Tliis  was,  of  course,  the 
cause  of  the  distribution  of  a  large  amount  of  money  to 
the  farmers  of  the  county,  as  they  were  paid  at  the  rtite 
of  five  dollars  per  day  for  their  teams.  Ami  they  have 
worked  faithfully  and  the  task  has  been  completed  and 
Camp  Shelby  has  a  net  work  of  roadway  that  can  l)e 
equalled  by  few  of  the  great  camps  of  the  country.  Of 
the  number  of  teams  engaged  in  the  work  the  contrac- 
tors furnished  about  sixty  of  their  own,  not  including' 
manv  motor  triicks. 


County  Suspends  Road  Work. 

Fayette  county.  Pa.,  county  commissioners  have  an- 
nounced that  during  tlie  duration  of  the  conflict  the  ex- 
tensive road  building  program  in  Fayette  county  will 
be  suspended.  No  new  roads  will  be  constructed  dar- 
ing the  war,  but  it  was  announced  that  roads  now  un- 
der construction  will  be  completed. 

The  action  of  the  county  commissioners  was  decided 
upon  after  a  careful  survey  of  the  business  situation  in 
the  county.  The  scarcity  of  labor  and  the  high  cost  of 
materials  necessary  for  the  construction  of  permanent 
highw^ays  have  made  it  almost  impossible  to  build  many 
roads  next  year,  and  it  was  thought  best  to  entirely 
abandon  the  idea  of  constructing  more  new  highways 
until  there  is  a  change  in  conditions. 

ilany  men  are  being  taken  awa_y  from  the  county  in- 
to the  army  and  navy  and  other  branches  of  the  service 
and  already  there  is  being  felt  a  great  shortage  of  skill- 
ed and  unskilled  labor  throughout  the  coke  region.  Coal 
and  coke  companies  importing  labor  to  the  county  ar.e 
making  complaints  that  they  are  able  to  keep  their  men 
only  with  the  greatest  of  difficulty.  Contractors  on 
county  roads  have  been  experiencing  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  getting  men  for  the  work. 

The  commissioners  feel  that  they  will  be  rendering  a 
service  to  the  country  by  the  suspension  of  the  construc- 
tion program  inasmuch  as  the  men  employed  on  the 
roads  will  be  released  for  other  industries  where  they 
are  needed  to  help  carry  on  the  war. 


for  the  construcli:)n  of  an  asphall  i-oad  from  Fast  Dur- 
ham to  tlu'  intersection  of  the  Red  George  road,  at  Be- 
thesda  school.  This  expenditure  will  be  made  in  ac- 
cepting the  ott'er  of  the  government  in  connection  with 
the  new  highway  which  may  pass  through  this  countj'. 
In  addition,  the  commissioners  have  agreed  to  spend 
a  thousand  dollars  a  mile  for  treating  the  macadam 
roads  over  which  the  new  highway  will  pass  with  a  bit- 
uminous substance,  which  will  make  tlies  roads  among 
the  best  to  be  found  on  the  whole  higliway.  The  Red 
George  road,  one  of  the  routes  to  Raleigh,  will  be  treat- 
ed in  this  manner  from  the  intersection  to  the  Wake 
county  line.  The  Hillsboro  road  in  the  we.stern  part 
of  the  county  from  the  city  limits  to  the  Orange  county 
line,  will  also  be  given  this  tar  and  oil  treatment. 


Road  Enthusiasm  in  Texas. 

Good  roads  enthusiasm  has  reached  a  high  point  in 
Texas.  In  fact  it  touches  every  state  and  almost  every 
community  of  every  state  is  alive  to  the  vahie  of  im- 
proved roads.  And  with  good  roads  has  come  the  great 
state,  national  and  international  highways  to  stimulate 
more  road  building. 

Navarro  county  caught  the  inspiration  quite  some 
time  ago  and  road  district  No.  1  set  the  pace  for  the 
riiunty  by  adopting  a  l)ond  issue  of  $-100,000.  Other 
comimuiities  have  endorsed  road  bond  issues  until  there 
is  scarcely  a  community  in  the  count.v  that  hasn't  im- 
proved roads  or  has  not  authorized  a  bond  issue  for  the 
construction  of  such  roads.  Judge  Lee  Jester  in  a  speech 
made  during  the  campaign  in  this  district,  prophesied 
that  in  a  few  years  Navarro  county  would  present  a  net- 
work of  improved  roads.  That  time  seems  to  be  practi- 
cally at  hand. 

The  enthusiasm  for  good  roads  grows  as  the  days  pass 
and  bond  issue  elections  are  held.  This  is  revealed  in 
the  fact  of  the  large  majorities  given  the  Ijond  issues 
Powell  is  the  latest  example.  When  the  votes  were 
I'ounted  it  was  found  that  only  two  voters  in  that  dis- 
trict had  cast  a  negative  vote.  All  the  others  spoke 
for  improved  roads. 

This  enthusiasm  has  got  down  into  East  Texas  and 
Anderson  countv  is  in  the  enthusiastic  list. 


Durham  County  Improves  Roads. 

The  Durham,  N.  C,  county  commissioners  have  or- 
dered the  expenditure  of  five  thousand  dollars  a  mile 


Construction  in  Indiana. 

The  amount  avaibdib'  for  the  construction  of  three 
market  highways  in  Indiana  will  be  jf!2, 314, 2.50.  Tlic.v 
will  traverse  forty  counties,  and  these  counties  will  be 
called  upon  to  raise  a  like  amount  for  the  construction 
of  the  roads,  according  to  the  state  highway  commis- 
sion. Of  this  amount  $-406, 230  is  federal  money,  which 
will  become  available  in  June. 

F'ollowing  are  the  number  of  miles  in  Highway  No. 
1  to  be  constructed  in  each  county,  together  with  the 
amount  of  the  state  fund  each  county  will  receive :  St. 
Joseph,  19.5  miles,  $83,500;  Marshall,  19.5  miles,  $48,- 
750:  Fulton,  12.7  miles,  $31,750;  Miami,  27.4  miles.  $68.- 
500;  Howard,  8  miles,  $20,000;  Tipton,  42.8  miles.  $32.- 
000;  Hamilton.  18  miles.  $45,000;  :\rarion,  22.8  miles. 
$57,000;  Johnson,  19.5  miles.  $48,750;  Bartholomew. 
23.3  miles,  .$52,850 ;  Jackson.  55.6  miles.  $139,000;  Scott. 
12.8  miles,  $32,000;  Clark,  46.8  miles,  $42,000;  Floyd.  5.7 
miles,  $14,250. 

Following  are  the  mileage  and  allotments  for  High- 
way No.  3;  Wayne,  15  miles,  $37,500;  Henry,17.7  miles, 
$44,250;  Hancock,  17.9  miles.  .$44,750;  Marion,  22.8 
miles,  $57,000;  Hendricks,  18  miles,  $45,000;  Putnam, 
19.8  miles.  $49,500;  Clav.  10  miles,  .$25,000;  Vigo,  11.3 
miles,  $28,250. 


16 


SO  r  T  11  E  R  X    (i  (»()  I)    K  n  A  I)  S 


December.   1917 


Highway  Freight  Trains 

By  H.  COLIN  CAMPBELL,  of  Portland  Cement  Association 


Hr(iIl\VAV  freight  ti'aius  arc  iinw  niiiuinu-  in  tin' 
I'liited  States — running'  over  country  roads,  from 
Alvi-iiii.  Ohio,  to  Bost:>n,  ^Massachusetts,  and  return,  cov- 
ering- a  distance  of  l.'ild  miles  in  a  week. 

Thus,  what  all  the  good  roads  propaganda  for  the 
past  1.")  years  has  failed  to  achieve,  the  freight  c.'ir 
shortage  and  a  national  crisis  have  acconiijlished.  Tht 
])ul)lic  has  been  f(n'ced  to  make  greater  use  of  its  great- 
est transportation  asset — the  country  road. 

The  triud-;  line  from  Akron  to  Boston  is  being  oper- 
ated by  the  Goodyear  Tire  &  Rubber  Co.  It  is  called 
the  "Akr)n  &  T?ostou  Express."  The  pi'esent  equip- 
ment consists  of  '2  White  and  2  Packard  trucks,  of  1'^. 
•'-!  and  ."i  ton  caiiaeit>'.  It  is  planned  to  increase  the 
equii)ment :  antl.  according  to  J.  L.  Snyder,  the  Com- 
pany's efficiency  sjiecialist.  additional  1 1'ucks  are  al- 
ready ordered. 

A  regular  schedule  is  maintaiiu'd.  .M.  1).  Scott,  man- 
ager of  garage,  says  they  are  usually  mi  time.  The 
schedule  calls  for  the  round  trip  (1310  miles)  in  less 
than  one  week.  ilr.  Sydnor  says  that  the  express  e  un- 
panies  do  nut  deliver  stuft'  as  rajiidly  as  that,  and  that 
the  truck  costs  are  competing  with  express  rates.  Tires 
are  loailed  foi'  tlieii'  Rastern  branches  and  cotton  fab- 
rics and  iiiacliinci'y  I'oi'  their  plant  in  Akrim  is  carried 
on  the  return  trip.  Se\ci'al  trips  have  been  made  to 
Washington.  1).  ('..  with  "'wai'  oi'ders"  and  good  time 
was  made. 

^lessrs.  F.  A.  Seibci'ling.  president,  and  i'.  \V.  Litch- 
field, factory  manage]-  ai'e  the  instigators  of  the  move- 


ment. Service  was  started  last  .Vpril  ainl  .Mr.  Sydnor 
hopes  to  continue  through  the  winter  unless  stopped  by 
too  much  ice  and  snow.  There  is  only  28  mih's  of  un- 
impi-ovcd  road,  which  bothers  considerably  in  muddy 
v.eather.  The  jxior  condition  of  some  of  the  old  wood- 
en anil  steel  bridges  is  another  handicap.  I'neumalic 
tires  are  used  exclusively,  at  a  greater  cost  pei-  tire 
mile,  says  ilr.  Snyder,  but  with  less  wear  and  tear  on 
ti'ucks  and  roads. 

The  i'Oiuitr>"  road  is  at  last  conung  into  view  as  "the 
i-ailroad   of  tonn)rrow." 


Lee-Grant  Highway  Proposed. 

Another  highway,  national  in  character,  is  i)roposed 
from  Virginia  to  ^Michigan. 

It  is  the  Lee-Grant  highway,  having  its  eastern  ter- 
minus in  Richmond.  \'a..  and  the  western  in  iFuskegon. 
.Mich.,  stringing  oiU  across  the  eastern  half  of  the  con- 
tinent at  an  angle  that  it  will  cross  se\'eral  other  na- 
tional highways,  principally  the  Dixie  highway,  Lin- 
coln higln\a>-.  National  Old  Trails  and  Pike's  Peak 
Ocean-to-Ocean  highways. 

Starting  from  Riclnnond.  \'a..  the  highway  comes  up 
through  the  District  of  Columbia  and  thence  across 
Pennsylvania,  touching  a  part  of  West  Virginia  and 
then  on  to  Colundnis.  capital  of  Ohio.  From  that  city 
it  goes  on  to  Marysville.  Bellefiuitaine,  Ohio:  Defiance. 
r>ryan  and  Eden.  Ohio;  .Metz  and  Angola.  Indiana,  and 
thence  into   ;\[ichigan. 


1  — Leaving  Akron      2 — Arriving  at  Boston.     3 — On  a  Stretch  of  Bad  Road.     4  — Smooth  Sailing 


Det'eiiilici".   liM' 


SO  r  T  II  F.  1!  N    (I  <H>  I)    i;  o  A  I)  S 


17 


Specifications  For  Asphalt  Paving 

By  CHAS.  A.  MULLEN 

Director  Paving  Department,  lUillon  Hersey  Co.,  Ltd. 


ACIlUTLAlx  iMjiy  (if  a  letici-.  aildresseil  tn  Mr. 
h'l'ank  \\  Smith.  Cliairiiian  nf  tlit-  Sul)-( 'umiiiittet' 
(111  Asphalt  Paving'  (if  the  Aiiierieau  S;icioty  of  .Munici- 
pal liiipi-ovements.  liy  ^Ir.  C  X.  Forrest,  Chief  ("liemist 
of  the  Barber  A.sphalt  Paving  I'Diiiiiaiiy.  under  date  of 
Septembei-  25th.  11)17.  has  recently  been  fm-warded  to 
members  of  the  Ameriean  Society.  This  letter  makes 
the  proposal  that  the  society  s)  amend  its  standard 
specifications  for  asphalt  paving  as  to  differentiate  be- 
tween the  native  asphalts  and  the  oil  as[ihalts:  to  which 
proposal  we  arc  most  emphatically  op|i  i>(m1,  .iinl  oni- 
objections  are  stated  below: 

Mr.  Forrest  advances  sevei-al  reas  uis  foi'  ui-ging  the 
amendments  that  he  proposes;  and  Ihcsc  we  may  take 
up  separately  as  follows : 

B^irst — "To  differentiate  sharply  between  the  two 
kinds  of  asphalt  available  for  sheet  asjihalt.  viz:  Native 
asphalts  and  oil  asphalts." 

Eeply — We  do  not  know  of  any  ditt'ereiice  or  differ- 
ences between  the  hard  crudes  or  native  asphalts  and 
the  soft  crudes  or  oil  asi)lialts,  of  sufficient  interest  to 
the  paving  induslry  from  the  viewpoint  of  (piality  in 
the  resulting  asphalt  cements,  to  make  it  either  neces- 
sary or  desirable  to  divide  asiihalt  pavements  into  two 
classes  along  this  line.  The  native  asphalts  must  lie 
manufactured  into  paving  cements  by  refining  and  flux- 
ing; while  the  oil  asphalts  may  lie  so  manufacttired  by 
refining  only.  No  reason  has  yet  been  advanced  that 
convinces  us  a  pavement  property  laid  of  one  class  of 
material  will  last  longer  or  give  better  service  than  a 
pavement  properly  made  from  material  of  the  other 
class. 

Second — "To   identify,   for  purposes   of  record,   the 
kind  of  asphalt  entering  into  any  specific  piece  of  pave 
ment." 

lieply — ilaterials  may  be  identified,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  record,  in  other  and  more  desirable  ways.  The 
contractor  should  be  re(iuired  to  furnish  asphalt  ce- 
ment manufacturer's  certificate  of  materials  and  meth- 
ods; and  the  city  should  reserve  to  itself  the  right  to 
inspect  both  the  manufacturing  plant  and  its  manufac- 
turing records.  The  sample  submitted  at  the  time  of 
bidding,  or  directly  after,  should  lie  carefully  tested  : 
and  all  shipments  checked  against  such  tests.  Careful 
municipal  records,  showing  gradings  of  aggregate,  liit- 
umen  content,  temperatures,  and  so  forth,  should  be 
kept.  These  things  will  make  a  real  record;  while  the 
specifying  of  a  given  type  of  asphalt  will  not  even  prove 
that  the  type  specified  was  used  in  the  pavement.  A 
specification  is  not  a  record  of  work  executed,  but  of 
work  proposed  to  be  done.  It  estalilishes  promises; 
not  accomplishments. 

Third — "To  permit  municipalities  to  select,  the  kind 
of  asphalt  which,  in  the  judgment  of  their  officials,  is 
best  suited  for  the  t.vpe  of  improvement  under  consid- 
eration. ' ' 

Reply — Standard  specifications,  we  believe,  are  an 
attempt  to  get  away  from  the  condition  where  the  offi- 
cials of  each  city  had  to  select  the  kinds  of  asphalt  that, 
in  their  judgment,  were  best  suited  for  the  t.vpe  of  im- 
provement under  consideration.  ^lost  such  officials 
have  no  proper  facts  upon  which  ti  base  such  a  judg 
ment ;  and  we  knoAv  only  too  well  how  often  such  judg- 


ments are  even  now  based  upon  iiii|iropcr  facts.  The 
differentiating  specifications  suggested  would  make  the 
course  of  the  latter  judgment  easier  to  travel  l)y  seem- 
ing t  I  have  the  justification  of  the  American  Society; 
where,  at  present,  the  official  adojiting  preferential  or 
monopoly  creating  s]ieciHcal  ions  lias  his  own  explaining 
to  do. 

Finirth — "To  pi-eM-ut  c(indemnal  ion  of  asi)li;dt  pave- 
ments as  a  type  because  of  the  failure  of  an  unrecorded 
kind  of  asphalt  to  function  satisfactoril.v. " 

Reply — .\s  a  real  record  of  the  asphalt  used  in  a 
gi\'eii  pavement  can  be  easily  kept  otherwise,  as  a  spec- 
ification is  not  a  real  i  ee  o'd  oF  \\  luit  actually  went  in- 
to a  [lavenient.  and  as  pa\eiiients  improperly  laid  with 
both  types  of  asplialtic  material  have  alread.v  scored 
discreditable  failures  in  some  instances,  we  see  no  mer- 
it in  the  fourth  i-e,isoii  advanced  for  the  ad(i[)ti:iii  of 
specifications  diffentiating  [lavements  to  lie  made  with 
native  and  with  oil  asphalts. 

Fifth — "To  meet  the  existing  demand  of  many  muii- 
ieipalit  ie,-.  pi-ei'ei-rnig  specifications  which  diffei'eiit  iate 
between  native  and  oil  as|ilialts." 

Reply — We  do  not  know  of  any  legitimate  demand 
now  being  maile  for  siiecifications  diff'erentiating  native 
frim  oil  asi)halts.  E.xcept  for  clever  promotion  work, 
probably  no  such  demand  would  exist  at  all.  If  some 
of  those  city  otficiids  now  idamoring  for  diff'erentiating 
specifications  would  c. insult  an  independent  asphalt 
paving  chemist  and  engineer,  instead  of  dependent 
salesmen,  to  iiiul  out  what  is  wrong  with  their  jjave- 
meiits;  the  cities  for  which  they  wirk  would  jirobably 
receive  some  material  benefit,  both  in  (piality  and  the 
economy   of   future  work. 

^Iv.  ir'^orrest  states  "it  is  well  known  that  there  are 
several  essential  points  of  difference  between  the  na- 
tive and  oil  asplialfs  which  can  not  be  covered  in  a 
blanket  specification  for  both  kinds;"  Well,  we  do  ujt 
kno\\'  se\(M'al  such  points  that  are  essential  to  a  degree 
that  would  justify  the  society  in  adopting  specifications 
differentiating  asphalts  along  the  lines  suggested,  and 
we  presume  there  are  others  ({uitc  as  ill-informed  as 
ourselves.  Therefore,  we  would  request  that  iMr.  For- 
rest state  in  detail  the  points  he  has  in  mind  and  the  rea- 
sons they  are  essential  in  the  degree  claimed.  Coming 
from  Mr.  l^irrest,  we  shall  at  least  be  certain  our  time 
will  not  lie  wasted  in  arguments  that  are  merely  selling 
talk;  the  society  is  entitled  to  something  more. 

Specifications — of  the  blanket  form  are  always  un- 
satisfactory at  the  best ;  but  wh,v  diff'ertiate  along  the 
lines  of  native  and  oil  asphalts?  Also,  wiuld  a  blank- 
et specifications  covering  either  all  the  native  asphalts 
or  all  the  oil  asphalts  be  any  more  satisfactorv  ?  It 
would  be  more  logical,  considering  the  public's  point 
of  view,  to  draw  a  speeificatimi  for  each  one  of  each 
type  of  the  asphalt  ;  though,  at  present,  this  does  not 
seem  desirable. 


At  a  special  election  held  in  Reynolds  county.  ^lo..  a 
proposition  to  liond  the  couut.v  in  the  sum  of  .tlttO.OOl) 
for  road  improvement  purposes  was  carried  by  a  vote 
of  6  to  1.  Not  a  single  precinct  in  the  county  voted 
against  the  proposition. 


18 


SO  r  T  II  K  i;  X  (ioo  d  i;  o  a  ds 


December,   1917 


A  Road  Worthy  the  Name 

By  JOHN   HAZELWOOD 
Ctiairman  State  Higtiivay  Commission  of  Wisconsin 


\  (JOOI)  KOAI)  means  a  liii;li\vay  that  can  be  used 
XlL  with  reasonable  ett'ort  by  ordinary  vehicles  all 
seasons  of  the  yeai'.  Two  ruts  with  mud  holes  at  in- 
tervals (1 )  nut  make  a  mad  worthy  of  the  name.  A 
row  of  pit  holes  in  the  spring  and  a  streak  of  dust  in 
the  summer  ilo  not  make  a  road.  To  define  a  good 
road  is  not  a  simple  problem.  To  build  and  maintain 
a  good  road  is  still  more  diffieult  and  requires  skill  in 
plans  and  much  careful  organization  of  work.  A  good 
road  may  be  defined  as  a  highway  with  a  general  al- 
ignment of  tangents  joined  by  regular  easy  curves 
Avith  a  profile  consisting  of  a  series  of  minimum  to 
moderate  grades,  with  adequate  surface  and  sulnlrain- 
age,  with  a  solid  founilation.  shapely,  well  bounded, 
hard,  smooth,  but  not  slippery.  The  building  of  good 
roads  is  no  longer  an  experinu'iit.  Knowing  the  type  of 
road  that  is  wanted,  county  highway  commissioners 
are  now  in  a  position  to  deli\-er  the  goods,  providing 
they  have  sufficient  funds. 

There  is  one  danger  that  might  arise  fi'om  the  exer- 
cise of  credit.  This  is  something  that,  should  be  guard- 
ed against  with  all  the  determination  possible  on  the 
part  of  those  upon  whom  responsibility  is  placed,  and 
that  is  waste  and  extravagance.  There  should  not  be 
at  this  stage  of  the  game  anything  but  a  dollar's  worth 
of  good  roads  provided  for  every  dollar  invested.  A 
county  in  Florida  has  worked  out  a  new  idea  relative 
to  obtaining  bonds  for  good  roads.  The  county  has 
had  careful  surveys  made  of  the  roads  and  has  secured 
from  responsible  bidders  accurate  bids  for  the  work 
that  is  desired  to  be  done.  In  this  way  they  have  been 
able  to  go  to  the  people  in  the  county  and  sell  the  coun- 
ty good  rriads  on  the  same  basis  that  farm  machinery 
and  live  stock  are  marketed.  If  the  people  of  this 
state  are  aware  of  the  exact  cost  of  roads,  there  is  no 
question  in  my  mind  but  funds  would  be  promptly 
forthcoming.  There  has  been,  heretofore,  too  mucli 
working  in  the  dark  relative  to  good  roads.  Definite 
information  should  be  provided  for  our  people  by  those 
who  have  charge  of  this  woi'k,  so  that  thehe  will  not 
be  any  further  tardiness  in  constructing  the  highways 
of  the  state.  There  i.s  no  one  who  has  the  courage  to 
say  he  is  not  in  favor  of  good  roads.  There  is  no  one 
but  will  agree  that  the  necessity  for  good  roads  exists. 
However,  there  are  citizens  of  this  state  who  are  so  un- 
familiar with  the  facts  concerning  the  cost  of  improved 
highways  that  they  are  opposing  the  agencies  that  are 
trying  to  firing  them  about.  ^Many  of  the  farmers  of 
the  state  are  of  the  belief  tliat  in  case  good  roads  are 
built,  it  will  cost  them  their  farms,  and  with  this  im- 
pression in  their  minds,  they  are  in  favor  of  permitting 
the  present  had  roads  to  exist  rather  than  vote  money 
to   bring  about  needed  road  betterment. 

Hdueational  work  must  continue.  Agitation  must 
g  )  on.  We  need  to  prepare  conditions  in  this  state  so 
tluit  our  people  will  be  less  lonely,  more  free  of  drudg- 
ery, and  more  contented.  We  must  press  forward  with 
this  work  that  we  are  in  with  a  determination  that  bet- 
ter opportunities  will  be  provided  for  the  people.  The 
teleplione  and  daily  newspapers  do  not  answer  the  full 
wants  of  the  rural  population.  The  people  of  the  coun- 
try want  to  get  in  touch  with  their  friends  who  live  in 
the    cities    for   commereial,    educational,    religious   and 


social  reasons.  To  furnish  this  means  of  coininunica- 
tion,  this  personal  contact  of  one  indi\idual  with  an- 
other, good  roads  must  be  provided. 

We  know  that  good  roads  mean  good  srhoois,  edu- 
cation and  prosperity  and  that  poor  roaiis  mean  poor 
schools,  ignorance  and  poverty.  Therefore,  we  welcome 
the  g  )od  roads  movement  because  it  means  so  much  to 
those  wlu)  live  in  the  country,  as  well  as  to  those  who 
live  in  the  city.  The  question  is  often  asked:  '"What 
are  we  going  to  do  to  relieve  congestion  in  the  city; 
what  are  we  going  to  do  to  help  those  in  the  coimtry 
to  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the  cities?"  These 
questions  cause  an  unrest.  These  matters  agitate  the 
minds  of  officers  and  citizens  interested  in  the  solution 
of  these  civic  problems.  AH  these  problems  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  good  roads. 

Large  dividends  will  be  reaped  from  the  exercise  of 
credit  and  the  investment  of  the  principal  obtained 
from  the  sale  of  l^onds  in  good  roads.  The  farmer  is  as 
keen  for  dividends  as  the  business  man,  and  if  he  can 
be  shown  returns  will  come  to  him,  he  will  enthusiasti- 
cally support  the  scheme  to  secure  better  roads. 

The  civilization  of  a  nation  can  be  determined  by  the 
condition  of  its  public  institutions.  The  education  and 
culture  of  a  community  can  be  measured  by  the  trans- 
poi'tatiiui  facilities. 


The  First  Military  Highway. 

Michigan,  the  state  whit-li  has  led  in  so  many  war 
jireparedness  movements,  has  come  to  the  fore  again, 
this  time  in  road  building. 

There  is  being  built  today  within  the  state's  borders, 
and  little  more  than  an  hour's  ride  from  Detroit,  the 
first  real  militarj'  highwa.y  to  be  constructed  in  the  na- 
tion since  the  entry  of  the  United  States  into  the  world 
war.  This  road  is  in  ^Monroe  county.  It  runs  from  a 
point  about  one  mile  north  of  Monroe  city  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  Waj'ne  comity  line.  The  route  covers  a 
distance  of  10.7  miles. 

The  enterprise  of  Michigan  citizens,  those  of  Monroe 
and  Detroit,  made  the  highway  possil>le.  T'he  Monroe 
road,  the  city's  only  outlet  to  the  south  and  east,  has 
been  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  capital  of  motordom 
since  the  day  the  motor  car  came  into  being.  Numerous 
efforts  have  been  made  bj'  parties  interested  in  the  de- 
velopment of  good  roads  to  have  this  highway  built.  But 
even  after  the  necessary  funds  were  olitained  one  thing 
and  another  continued  to  ludd  up  the  pro.iect,  until  now 
anofhei-  road-building  season  has  passed  and  there  is 
no  |)aved  I'oute  through  from  Detroit  to  .Monroe  am! 
Toledo, 


The  Commissioner's  Court  of  Hays  county,  Texas,  is 
considering  the  proposition  of  raising  .'f;40,000  in  that 
eoirnty  with  which  to  repair  or  re-construct  the  Austin- 
San  Antonio  Post  Road.  The  State  Highway  Com- 
mission, it  is  stated,  has  been  allotted  $2(1,000  by  the 
Federal  government  for  repairs  on  the  Post  Road,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  damaged  liy  heavy  traffic  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  make  considerable  re-surfacing  neces- 
sary. About  25  miles  of  the  Post  Road  is  in  Havs  coun- 
ty. 


December,  1917 


S  () 


II  VAIN  GOOD   K'  ()  A  I)S 


19 


A  Course  For  Highway  Engineers 


By  ARTHUR  B.  BLANCHARD 
Consulting  Engineer,  New  York 


TIIP]  DEVELOPMENT  of  the  construction  of  higli- 
M'ay.s  in  tlie  United  States  during  the  past  decade 
has  created  a  demand  for  broadly  trahied  highway  en- 
gineers which  far  exceeds  the  supply.  The  present  sit- 
uation is  readily  grasped  when  the  following  facts  are 
analyzi'il.  According  to  a  statement  recently  issued  by 
the  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  of  the  United 
States  "during  the  past  twelve  years  the  annvxal  ex- 
penditures on  the  rural  roads  and  bridges  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  lias  increased  from  about  ifiSO.OOO.OOO  to  about 
$282,0*10,000,  or  an  increase  of  more  than  250  per  cent. 
The  public  roads  of  the  United  States,  outside  the  lim- 
its of  incorporated  towns  and  cities,  have  at  the  pres- 
ent time  a  total  length  of  about  2,452,000  miles,  of 
which  about  277,000  miles  or  11.3  per  cent  are  improv- 
ed with  some  form  of  surfacing.  The  mileage  of  sur- 
faced ri:)ads  is  increasing  at  the  rate  of  about  16,000 
miles  per  annum."  Of  the  forty-eight  states,  forty- 
four  have  highway  dej^artments.  There  are  over  three 
thousand  counties  in  the  various  states.  The  county 
and  township  highway  work  is  in  the  hands  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  highway  officials.  The  twelve  thousand 
municipalities  in  the  United  States  each  has  from  one 
to  twenty  officials  in  charge  of  departments  whose  work 
pertains  to  highwa.vs.  In  the  states,  counties,  and 
towns  certainly  not  over  5  per  cent  of  the  highway 
officials  possess  the  training  and  experience  necessary 
to  efficiently  and  economically  perform  the  duties  im- 
posed upon  them.  With  reference  to  municipalities, 
the  percentage  may  be  increased  to  25. 

The  pul)lic  demand  for  efficient  instruction  in  high- 
way engineering  is  well  expressed  in  the  following  quo- 
tation from  one  of  the  publications  of  the  National  Au- 
tomobile Chamber  of  Commerce:  "It  is  desirable  that 
as  many  institutions  as  possible  should  offer  highway 
courses  in  the  senior  year,  of  not  less  than  three  hours 
a  week  for  the  full  collegiate  year.  Graduates  from 
these  institutions,  who  have  the  executive  ability  and 
other  qualities  that  would  fit  them  for  the  higher  ad- 
muiistrative  positions,  can  then  pursue  their  studies  in 
highway  engineering  in  post-graduate  courses  offered 
in  a  limited  number  of  universities  equipped  with  prop- 
erly qualified  instructors,  apparatus,  etc.  Before  tak- 
ing such  an  advanced  course,  however,  students  should 
have  a  year  or  more  of  actual  experience  in  road  build- 
ing;  otherwise  they  will  be  unable  to  grasp  the  signi- 
ficance of  all  the  lectures  and  studies." 

The  concensus  of  opinion  of  eminent  highway  engi- 
neers to  the  effect  that  more  time  should  be  devoted 
to  highway  engineering  in  civil  engineering  courses 
was  well  expressed  in  1911  before  the  Society  for  the 
Promotion  of  Engineering  Education  by  the  late  Har- 
old Parker,  former  Chairman  of  the  Massachusetts 
Highway  Commission,  who  said:  "I  have  found  in  my 
own  experience  tliat,  although  I  could  get  civil  engi- 
neers well  fitted  for  all  the  work  ordinarily  required 
of  a  civil  engineer,  I  could  not  obtain  a  man  fitted  for 
highway  work  until  years  of  practice  in  the  field  has 
rendered  him  efficient  and  useful.  This  has  been  the 
experience  of  practically  every  commissioner  who  has 
had  charge  of  state  work  and  of  those  who  have  the 
street  departments  in  a  municipality  under  their  charge 
as  well." 


It  is  evident  that  educators  in  American  Institutions 
of  learning  are  rapidly  appreciating  the  necessity  of 
reari-anging  civil  engineering  courses  to  meet  the  pres- 
ent needs  of  the  jirofession.  For  example,  in  1909  only 
50  per  cent  of  the  institutions  in  the  United  States  in- 
cluded a  course  in  highway  engineering  in  their  civil 
engineering  curricula,  while  in  1912  the  percentage  had 
increased  to  85,  and  today  it  is  with  difficulty  that  a 
civil  engineering  course  in  a  first-class  institution  can 
be  found  which  does  not  include,  either  as  a  require- 
ment or  an  elective,  a  course  in  highway  engineering. 

As  the  other  papers  presented  in  this  Symposium 
comprehensively  discuss  the  essentials  of  the  education- 
al training  of  highway  engineers  and  the  requisite 
qualifications  of  engineers  who  are  candidates  for  po- 
sitions with  state,  county,  and  nuniicipal  highway  de- 
partments, contractors,  organizations,  and  in  other 
fields  open  to  specialists  in  this  branch  of  engineering, 
this  paper  will  Ije  prinuirily  devoted  to  a  .statement 
covering  the  subjects  whii/h  slmuld  he  included  in  a 
four-year  civil  engineering  cun-iculnm  in  order  to  qual- 
ify graduates  to  enter  the  field  of  highway  engineer- 
ing. The  time  assigned  to  highway  engineering,  per  se, 
is  based  on  the  fundamental  pi-inciple  stateil  as  follows 
by  Dean  F.  E.  Turneain-e :  "It  is  our  belief  that  high- 
way engineei'ing  shoidd  be  given  relatively  about  the 
same  emphasis  in  a  college  course  as  other  branches  of 
civil   engineering. " 

Subjects  Recommended  For  Inclusion  in  Civil  Engineer- 
ing Courses  to  Qualify  Graduates  for  Highway 
Engineering. 

General  Subjects — Knglish  ( 'omposition  (2  years,  3 
hours  per  week)  ;  Public  Speaking;  English  Literature; 
P'undamentals  of  French  and  German  Grammar  and 
Translation  (3  hours  for  1  semester  for  each  language)  ; 
?]c(in(>mics;  Social  and  Political  Science;  Philosophy; 
Pbysical  and  Military  Training. 

Si'ience — Algebra  ;  Plane  and  Spherical  Trigonome- 
try; Plane,  Solid,  Analytical  and  Descriptive  Geome- 
ti'y;  Elements  of  Calculus;  Freehand,  Jlechanical  and 
Toitographical  Drawing;  Physics  and  Chemistry  (lec- 
tures and  laboratory)  ;  Geology  and  Astronomy  (lec- 
tures and  field  work.) 

General  Engineering — Applied  ileclianirs;  Elements 
of  Electrical  and  ^lechanical  Engineering;  Engineer- 
ing Jurisprudence. 

Civil  Engineering — Plane,  Topographical  and  Rail- 
road Surveying;  Railroad  Engineering:  Strength  of 
JIaterials  (lectures  and  laboratory)  ;  Foundations ; 
ElenuMits  of  Structures  and  Structural  Design;  Ele- 
nuuits  of  Sanitary  and  Hydraulic  Engineering. 

Highway  Engineering — (3  hours  per  week  for  1  col- 
legiate year  in  every  civil  engineering  course,  and  3  to 
6  hours  additional  per  week  for  one  semester  as  elective 
in  certain  institutions,  dependent  upon  local  require- 
ments and  conditions.)  Tlie  following  subjects  should 
he.  included  in  a  highway  engineering  course :  Histor- 
ical Development  of  Highways  (exemplifying  inter- 
relationshi])  between  social  progress  and  improvement 
of  methods  of  transportation  and  travel)  ;  Preliminary 
Investigations,  Surveying  and  Mapping  peculiar  to 
Highwa.v  Engineering;   Traffic    (including  t^'pes,   cen- 


20 


SOUTHERN   GOOD  K  O  A  I)  S 


Deceiiilier.   IHl' 


siis  and  eftVi-ts  uiioii  road  and  pavement  surfaces  and 
foundations)  ;  Design  of  IliLrliways  (including  grades, 
cross-sections,  drainage  and  foundation  problems,  esti- 
mating quantities  and  cost  data)  ;  ^Taterials  of  Con- 
struction (lectures  and  demonstration  laboratory  work 
with  solids,  sands,  gravels.  rock.s.  bricks,  woods,  ce- 
ments, concretes,  and  bituminous  materials)  ;  Construc- 
tion, ilaiiitenancc  and  Preparation  of  Specifications 
(covering  earth,  sand-cla.v,  gravel  and  broken  stone 
r:)ads;  bitnminous  surfaces  on  gravel  and  broken  stone 
roads;  bituminous  nuu-adam.  bituminous  concrete,  as- 
phalt block,  sheet  asphalt,  wooil  block,  stone  block, 
brick,  and  cement-conci'cto  ])avements)  ;  Street  Clean- 
ing and  Snow  Removal;  Car  Tracks,  Pipe  S.vstems. 
Curbs  ami  Gutters;  Ilighwa.v  Structures  (including  de- 
sign, materials,  and  consti'uction  of  bridges,  culverts 
and  retaining  walls)  ;  Com])ai'is  )n  of  Roads  and  Pave- 
ments (including  consideration  of  durability,  sanitary 
qualities,  nruselessness,  slipjieriness.  resistance  to  traf- 
tic.  annual  cost,  records  and  cost  data  forms)  ;  High- 
way Economics.  Administration  and  Legislature. 

In  conclusion  it  is  recommended  that  higlnva.v  engi- 
neering courses  in  civil  en.gineering  curricula  be  given 
by  teachers  who  have  had  experience  in  the  cim.struc- 
tion  and  maintenance  of  highways.  It  is  generally  rec- 
ognized that  the  nmst  efficient  instructors  are  those 
who  have  had  a  combination  of  experience  in  teaching 
and  practice  in  the  liranches  of  engineering  assigned 
to  them.  The  rapid  development  of  the  art  and  science 
of  highway  engineering  makes  this  fundamental  prin- 
ciple partieularly  applicalile  t  i  1be  selectimi  of  instruc- 
tions in  tliis  subject. 


Army  Camps  Create  Road  Problem. 

Besides  the  American  Automobile  association  and 
the  Amerii'an  Association  of  State  Ili.ghway  officials, 
whicli  organizations  were  mainly  respo]isible  for  the 
introduction  of  the  measure,  good  I'oads  associations 
and  commercial  bodies  in  many  states  are  going  on  rec- 
ord as  favoring  the  giving  :)f  authorit.v  to  the  secretar.\" 
of  war  so  that  the  war  department  can  concern  itself 
with  tlu'  substantial  impi'ovement  of  highways  which 
enter  into  present  and  pussible  future  military  refjuire- 
ments. 

Since  numy  of  the  army  cant  miiiients  are  located  in 
southern  states,  it  was  natural  that  the  Southern  Ap- 
palachian Good  Roads  association,  by  its  recent  annual 
meeting  at  Nashville,  should  decide  to  lend  its  energies 
to  ward  the  Chambei-laiii-Dent  bill.  l>ut  the  concern  in 
the  m;ittei'  is  not  coiitined  to  southern  slates,  f  u'  not 
long  ago  the  governor  of  New  Jersey  appealed  to  the 
quartermaster  general  for  federal  help  to  connect 
with  the  principal  roads  leading  into  the  Burlington 
county  cantnnnent.  because  these  ai'tei'ies  wei'e  suc- 
cumbing to  tlie  intense  traffii'  to  which  they  were  being 
subjected,  and  the  ]U'edietioii  was  made  that  unless  re- 
lief was  obtained  thi'  I'na.ls  into  Camp  Dix  \'-ould  be 
impassable  before  the  winter  was  very  far  advanced. 

It  is  not  po.ssible  for  the  secretary  of  agriculture  un- 
der the  provisions  of  the  federal  aid  road  act.  which 
distributes  .tSo.OOft.flOO  among  the  several  states  during 
a  ti\-e  year  period,  to  offer  any  co-o])eratiou  in  the  prem- 
ises, and  the  only  method  of  liandliug  the  situation  is  to 
give  authority  to  the  war  department  so  that  its  engi- 
neering (•iiri)s  can  get  on  a  job  which  it  is  generally  ad- 
mitted is  II  iw  lieing  sadly  neglected.  The  suggestion 
has  been  made  that  the  2000  German  prisoners  now  in- 
terned in  the  south  .'onld  be  utilized  in  I'oads  building. 


Widen  Maryland  Roads. 

The  Mar.^•land  State  Roads  Conunission  will  ask  the 
next  General  Assendjly  to  provide  an  appropriation 
with  which  to  construct  shoulders  for  all  highways 
which  have  been  improved  and  which  will  be  improved 
in  the  future.  The  improvement  will  be  urged  on  the 
ground  that  there  is  a  general  demand  for  wider  roads 
AuDther  argument  will  be  that  many  accidents  can  bo 
a^•oided  by  the  addition   of  the  shoulders. 

The  commission  will  also  recommend  more  strin- 
gent laws  to  regulate  use  of  the  state  roads  by  heavy 
motor-trucks,  which  have  been  destructive  ancl  costl.v. 

The  work  of  building  improved  raads  through  incor- 
porated towns  is  progressing  rapidly.  Half  a  dozen 
towns  are  now  witnessing  the  work.  This  improve- 
ment has  been  retarded  by  the  failure  of  the  several 
towns  to  make  provision  fin-  smo  )th-surfacing  the  space 
between  the  roads  built  by  the  state  and  the  pavements. 


More  Cars  On  Roads  Than  Horses. 

It  has  l)een  known  f  >v  some  time  that  Iowa  has  more 
motor  cars  in  proportion  to  its  population  than  any  oth- 
er State,  and  the  returns  from  the  traffic  census  being 
made  by  the  Iowa  State  College  and  State  Highway 
Conunission  sh  iw  lliese  cars  are  used  very  frequently. 
The  cars  that  give  Iowa  the  record  of  one  ear  to  ever.\- 
ten  inhabitants  are  not  pleasure  vehicles  or  for  Sunday 
use  mainl.N'.  If  the  retui-iis  ^\hicli  include  July  4  are 
thrown  out  because  of  the  unusual  traffic  of  that  day. 
the  ])roi)ortion  of  m  itor  \-eliicles  to  horse  vehicles  us- 
ing the  roads  of  tlie  State  range  from  two  to  one  on  one 
road  to  eighteen  to  one  on  another  r,)ad. 


Road  Builders     Contractors 
Supervisors       Investigate ! 


With  labor  costs  going  higher-men 
harder  to  get-you  can't  afford  to  ig- 
nore the  possibilities  of  the  famous 
Sliauldinfi  2  in  I  /(odd  Alii^liineti.  U 
will  actually  double  or  triple  the  efl'i 
ciency  of  your  outtit-you  can  load, 
haul  and  dump  twice  as  much  dirt,  sand  or  gravel  in  a  day  with  less  help, 
trouble,  expense  or  delay. 

SPAULDING  2-IlN-l  ROAD  MACHINE 

Will  Load  1  1-2  Yards  in  Thirly  Seconds 

Think  what  this  means  in  actual  dollars  and  cents  on  closely  figured,  rush 
job  of  grading  or  road  building:.    Four  horses  and  one  man  to  operate  It  in 
_  ordinary  dirt-no  plowing,  scraping  or  level- 

ing—just  the  Spaulding  machine,  cutting  a 
clean  path— loading  au- 
tomatically and  dump' 
ing  in  a  pile  or  spread 
as  you  wish.  Write  to- 
day for  circulars.  If 
interested  ask  about 
our  Jobbers'  and  Deal- 
era'  proposition. 
Spaulding  Mlg.Co. 
Dept.  230 
Grinnell,  Iowa 


December,  1917 


SOUTHERN   GOOD   K  o  A  I )  S 


Much  Work  on  Dixie  Highway 

By  JOHN  G.  BELONG,  in  Chicago  Tribune 


THE  Dixie  Iliylnvay  frmn  Chicago  to  Florida  is  not 
a  completes  tlioroiiu'lifare  at  tlie  present  time. 
The  officials  of  the  Dixie  Highway  association  do  not 
claim  it  to  be,  nor  dn  they  even  advise  tourists  to  at- 
tempt to  travel  it  this  winter  nnless  such  tourists  are 
prepared  to  undergo  considerable  hardship  in  getting 
over  detours  while  sections  of  the  highway  are  in 
course  of  construction.  This  is  notably  the  case  with 
the  division  between  Nashville  and  Chattanooga. 

After  a  canvass  of  the  progress  made  in  the  various 
counties  the  Dixie  Highway  association  confidently  ex- 
pects to  be  able  to  invite  the  automobile  owners  of  the 
north  to  go  over  the  Dixie  highway  to  Miami  or  any 
resort  city  in  Florida  next  winter,  assuring  them  they 
will  find  a  well  marked  road  which  can  be  traveled  in 
comfort.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  highway  will  be 
completed  by  that  time,  as  the  word  "completed"  in 
this  day  of  heavy  automobile  tralflc  on  main  thorough- 
fares can  hardly  be  applied  to  any  types  of  r  lad  short 
of  one  built  for  permanence. 

As  previousl.v  stated,  victory  at  the  polls  during  Jan- 
uary and  February  on  the  boiul  issues  of  $1,400,000  for 
Irocpiois  and  sj^TOD.OOO  for  Kaid^akee  connt.v.  Illinois, 
and  the  completion  of  two  miles  in  Vermillion  county 
provided  for,  will  insure  a  C(nicrete  and  brick  Dixie 
highway  in  Illinois,  with  the  exception  of  the  short 
mileage  in  Will  county.  It  is  predicted  by  the  Illinois 
Highway  Improvement  association  that  it  will  be  pav- 
ed by  Jan.  1,  1918.  Stretches  along  this  division  at  the 
present  time  are  rather  hard  going. 

Between  Danville  and  Indianapolis.  87..")  miles,  ex- 
tensive improvements  have  been  made  in  the  old  state 
road  through  Crawfordsville,  in  the  way  of  macadam- 
izing the  road.  A  new  concrete  bridge  has  been  built 
over  the  Wabash  river.    This  road  is  travelable  now. 

Between  Indianapolis  and  Louisville,  12-1.2  miles,  a 
tremendous  amount  of  improvement  has  been  made,  in- 
cluding new  concrete  bi'idges  and  s:>me  brick  paving. 
T'he  work  started  to  eliminate  the  bad  grade  and 
stretch  between  Martinsville  and  Bloomington  is  yet 
to  be  completed.  The  tourist  would  have  little  difficul- 
ty in  traveling  this  division  at  the  present  time. 

The  tourist  who  traveled  the  old  Louisville  and 
Nashville  pike  a  year  ago  would  hardly  be  able  ta  rec- 
ognize it  how.  All  of  the  old  Telford  base  laid  in  1838 
has  been  resurfaced,  with  the  exception  of  twenty  miles. 
Before  the  new  surfacing  of  macadam  was  put  on  ten 
miles  an  hour  was  good  speed  over  the  rough  cobble- 
stones. It  is  now  possible  to  make  the  entire  distance 
of  208  miles  in   one  day. 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  stretches  of  the  unsur- 
faced  portion  is  in  Barren  c:)unty,  just  noi'th  of  Howl- 
ing Green.  The  principal  towns  are  Elizabethtown, 
IMunfordville.  Cave  City,  Bowling  Green,  and  Spring- 
field, Tenn. 

The  greatest  drawback  to  through  tourist  travel  is 
between  Nashville  and  Chattanooga,  a  distance  of  140.5 
miles.  It  was  necessary  for  the  Dixie  Highway  asso- 
ciation to  select  an  entirely  new  routing  between  the 
two  Tennessee  cities  in  order  to  insure  a  well  surfaced 
road,  free  of  tolls,  an  easy  crossing  over  the  Cumber- 
land mountains,  and  elimination  of  the  ferry  across  the 
Tennessee  river.  Every  count}'  is  at  work  building  the 
road. 


The  task  of  iniilding  a  highway  over  the  Cumber- 
land mountains  cannot  be  acromplished  in  a  day.  It 
will  require  an:)ther  six  months  before  the  road  can  bi' 
thrown  o])('n  for  travel.  In  the  meantime  the  tourist 
■who  attrinpts  1o  get  south  from  Nashville  faces  a  se- 
rious problem.  The  old  road  through  ]\Iurfreesboro. 
j\Ianchester,  ^lonteagle,  Tracy  City,  and  Jasper  has 
been  going  back  instead  of  showing  improvement. 

In  dry  weather  the  tourist  can  make  the  140  miles 
in  about  twelve  hours'  running  time.  In  heavy  wet 
weather  he  would  be  luidvy  to  get  through  at  all.  Un- 
der siU'h  coiulitions  he  is  advised  to  ship  his  car  be- 
tween Nasliville  and  Chattanooga,  ^^^th  the  assurance 
that  he  is  over  the  worst  of  his  troubles.  If  the  motor 
ist  wishes  to  drive,  a  detour  100  miles  longer  via  Jlur- 
fresboro.  Shelb>ville,  lluntsville,  Alabama,  Scottsboro. 
Stevenson,  and  Jasjier  is  ofl'ered.  The  road  is  good 
to  ILuitsville.  but  only  fair  between  Scottsboro  and 
Stevenson. 

From  Chattanooga  south  the  tourist  will  have  no 
great  difficulty  in  reaching  southern  Georgia  and  Flor- 
ida points.  Between  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta.  123.5 
miles,  on  both  the  Dalton  and  Rome  divisions,  there  is 
about  twenty  miles  of  excellent  graded  road  yet  to  be 
surfaced  which  would  only  require  chains  during  wet 
weather.  Going  the  direct  route  to  Jacksonville  via 
Wayeross,  about  l-'id  miles  of  sand  is  encountered  north 
of  Jacksonville.     This  has  been  all  graded  and  will  lie 


Red  Cross  Explosives 

FOR  ROAD  IMPROVEMENTS 

The  combined  use  otRed  Cross  En  plosives  and 
modern  road  machinery,  will,  in  many  cases. 

Hasten  Construction, 

Save  Labor  and  Lower  Cost  of  Work 

Our  FREE  BOOKLET  "Road  Construction 
and  Maintenance"  gives  practical  data  how  to 
use  explosives  exclusively,  or  in  combination 
with  modern  road  building  machinery  for 
building  new  and  improving  old  roads.  The 
book  should  be  read  by  every  engineer,  road- 
builder  and  highway  official. 


Write  for  -ROAD  CONSTRUCTION 
and  MAINTENANCE"  Booklet 

E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Co. 

Powder  Makers  Since  1802 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE 


i»xa| 


EXTRA 

ACf,  STrtCNfiTH 


22 


SO  V  Til  ERN   noo  1)    i;  ()  A  1)S 


December,   1917 


surfaced  in  the  next  six  months.     In  its  in-escnt  eoiidi- 
tion  it  does  not  present  serious  diificiilties. 

In  reachino-  Avest  coast  points  in  Florida  over  the  wes- 
tern division  iV  mi  .Macon  to  Tallaliassee  via  Thomas- 
ville  some  sand  is  encountered  on  the  present  routing 
open  to  travel  through  Monticello.  Live  Oak.  and  Lake 
City  to  Gainesville.  The  highway  from  ilacon  to  Tal- 
laha.ssee  is  a  lieautiful,  well  surfaced  road.  A  splen- 
did new  road  is  being  built  aloug  the  western  division 
of  the  higliway  in  Floi-ida  south  of  Tallahassee  tlirough 
Perry. 

The  Dixie  highway  fi'om  Atlanta  to  Jacksonville  via 
Savannah  antl  Ri'unswick  is  easily  negotiated  and  of- 
fers wonderful  scenic  attractions.  Kxtcnsixc  impi-nvc^- 
meuts  are  being  made  on  this  link. 

Along  the  eastern  division  of  the  highway,  betwcpii 
Jacksonville  and  lliami.  381  miles,  the  seel  ion  of  the 
road  south  of  Daytona.  in  the  vicinity  of  Oak  Ilill  and 
in  Palm  Beach  rounties.  which  gave  the  early  wintiT 
tourists  so  much  trouble,  has  been  nmde  ti'avelable. 
This  will  be  a  hard  surfaced  road  by  ne\l  I'.ill.  In  an- 
other year  tourisis  will  be  able  to  reach  pi'aclically  any 
point  in  Florida  o\'ei-  a  well  surfai'cd  I'oad  alonti'  the 
Di.xie  highway  and  its  tributaries. 

Another  year  will  witness  the  opi-ning  up  of  another 
division  of  the  Dixie  liighway  for  toui'ists  from  tln'  mid- 
dle north  and  west  to  Chattanooga  and  Fhu'ida.  With 
the  completion  of  the  eastern  divisi  )n  of  the  highwa,\ 
between  Cincinnati  and  Knoxville,  through  the  lilue 
grass  of  Kentucky  and  I  lie  Cumberland  mountains, 
tourists  from  T'liicago  and  points  west  can  go  to  Dan- 
ville and  thence  east  across  Indiana  through  Indianap- 
olis over  a  good  road  to  Dayton,  0.,  and  thence  south 
through  Cincinnati,  Lexington.  Ky. ;  Cumlierland  Gap, 
and  Knoxville  to  Chattanooga.  The  attractions  of  this 
routing  will  rccom]iense  the  tourist  foi-  the  additional 
mileage. 


tiii'c,  as  lo  |)lace.  extent,  cliaractei'  and  elassitication  of 
woi-k  :  and  that  the  county  engineer  be  reipured  to  col- 
lect and  file  all  such  data." 


New  Jersey's  Road  Program. 

^Ia.ior-(.Teneral  George  W.  Goethals.  siipei-vising  en- 
gineer of  the  New  Jersey  higliway  system,  on  which 
^^lo.dOO.OdO  i.s  )ii  be  spent,  has  made  a  report  to  the 
State  Highway  Commission.  In  a  i-epoi-|  lo  Governor 
Edge,  which  embodies  the  Goethals  report.  I  he  commis- 
sion shows  Ihal  till'  direct  tax  will  make  available  $3.- 
165,000  for  the  lii-sl  year's  work,  in  adilition  to  which 
there  will  be  about  ;|il'.(»()0.000  from  I  lie  .Motor  Vehicle 
Department  foi'  I'epair  wiu-k. 

Work  will  be  begiui  in  earnest  abmit  the  Hrst  of  Api'il, 
or  as  soon  as  the  winter  breaks  up.  Roads  leading  to 
Camp  Dix.  al  Wriglitslown.  and  lo  Camp  .Merritt,  at 
Tenatly.  ai'c  already  under  way.  .\l  Camp  Dix  a  four- 
mile  stretch  is  being  built  with  labor  from  the  Kaliwax' 
Refornuitory.  ami  this  will  cost  about  .'l^flO.OOd. 


Better  Road  Accounting. 


Tax])ayers  who  i-ealize  what  a  large  |)art  of  their  tax- 
es are  spent  on  i-oads  and  how  poor  is  the  average  sys- 
tem of  accounting  for  road  funds,  will  be  interested  in 
the  following  resolution  recently  pa.ssed  by  the  County 
FiUgineers'  Association  of  Washington; 

"Some  sy.stem  of  cost-keeping  must  be  devised  where- 
by all  expenditures  frimi  road  funds  fi'om  all  sources 
must  be  classified  and  segregated,  in  order  that  taxpay- 
ers and  I'oad  officials  may  be  informeil  n\'  details  of 
cost,  of  construclion  and  mainteiianee  of  the  \arious 
types,  of  road.  To  lliis  end  we  I'ccoinmeiid  Ihat  all 
vouchers  for  i',)ad  work,  befoi-e  being  idlowed  liy  the 
i-ounty   conimissioiiei's,    shall    slmw   details   of  expendi- 


SALESMEN— INCREASE  YOUR  INCOilE  SELL- 
ing  high  grade  tractor  oils,  auto  oils  and  boiler  com- 
pounds to  tractor  owners  and  operators.  Liberal  com- 
mission basis. 

THE  ]iIOHAWK  REFINING  CO:\IPANY, 
oiii.  Cleveland.  Ohio. 


E.  F.  CRAVEN,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Will  be  glad  to  figure  with  you  on  your  needs 
in  Road  Machinery. 


Rock  Drill 

Builders 

Exclusivel) 

Come 

to 

Specialists 

WOOD  DRILL 
WORKS 

PATERSON,  N.  J. 


The  Picture  Tells 


For  cutting'  down  banks  or  cleaning  oui"  ditches  the  Russell  Center 
Shift  lateral  adjustment  of  the  Blade  is  quick  acting:,  handy,  simple  and 
strong^.  On  the  "Standard"'  size  the  blade  may  be  extended  5  1-2  feet 
aatside  center  of  draft.  TheSliding  Block  and  Oscillating"  Link  hold  the 
blade  rigid  wherever  set.  Don't  buy  a  Road  Machine  before  you  ex- 
amine this  and  other  features     Our  1917  Catalog  gives  them. 


RUSSELL  GRADER  MFG.  CO. 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 

REeRESENT.\TIVES  IN  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITIES 


December,  191T 


S  0  UTII  E  R  N  G  0  0  D  R  ( )  A  I)  S 


Women  As  Auto  Drivers. 

The  woman  nf  Aiiicrica  drives'  her  uiutor  cai-  for 
pleasure.  But  in  Kiiglainl,  A\lipre  tli'j  seuding  of  tli? 
men  to  the  front  has  di'iiwn  'viun^i  ijito  the  field  of 
work,  there  are  among  ihc  ihij-ty  thousand  doing  ser- 
vice for  their  c(nintrv  fi'om  thu  military  standpoint. 
many  driving  even  trucks  as  well  as  cars  of  the  royal 
flying  corps  and  and)ulaiu'es  of  the  Red  Cross. 

A  -woman  drives  the  car  of  England's  premier.  A 
w  nnan  drives  the  car  of  one  of  England's  generals, 
through  shell  fire  and  over  aniue-toru  fields.  A  special 
department  organizes  women's  services  for  the  army. 
Litutenant  General  »Sir  Nevil  Maeready  is  the  head  of 
it. 

Canadian  women  have  augmented  greatly  the  ranks 
of  women  workers  in  the  ambulance  and  other  service 
in  France.  Canada  has  given  a  quarter  of  her  men  and 
more  than  $300,0(1U,<J00  for  the  war  and  is  giving  more. 
Her  women  are  as  strong  in  proj)ortion.  and  you  can 
find  them  driving  or  repairing  the  motor  amlmlance 
that  carries  the  wounded  soldier  from  the  battlefield  to 
the  Canadian  hospitals  in  France. 

The  French  women  have  the  racial  ardor  of  the 
P^rench  for  service  of  the  country.  They  are  di'iving 
the  few  motor  buses  of  the  cities,  acting  as  chauffeurs, 
delivering  for  the  Inisiness  establishments  and.  like  the 
Canadian  and  English  women,  serving  as  Red  Cross 
workers,  both  in  nursing  and  in  driving  the  motor  am- 
l)ulances. 

America,  too.  has  her  pUiee  in  tlie  motor  aml)ulanee 
service  of  women  in  France.  Just  as  the  American  av- 
iators are  fiying  for  France,  si  are  American  women 
aiding  to  a  great  degree  through  the  I'aris  offiee  of  the 
American  fund  for"  French  woimded.  They  bundle 
crates  and  cases  on  Ijaggage  trucks  and  load  the  im- 
mense motor  trucks.  Tliey  are  in  the  transport  ser- 
vice, too.  With  the  women  of  France.  England  and 
Canada  .they  drive  the  m  itor  vans  that  travel  all  over 
the  country  on  good  and  bad  roads  at  any  time  of  the 
day  or  night  that  their  services  are  required. 

Xo  one  can  tell  just  what  service  the  women  of  Amer- 
i^'ci  may  render  to  this  country  before  all  is  said  an 
done.  Whatever  that  service  is.  however,  it  will  find 
the  women  of  America  prepared,  for  the  spirit  that 
makes  for  action  is  manifest  every  day.  says  ilotor 
Age. 


Organization  in  Road  Building. 

While  many  lapers  and  Ixioks  ha\'e  been  written 
about  methods  )f  carrying  on  road  work  if  is  very 
rarely  that  any..iing  on  the  .subject  comes  from  a  con- 
tractor, although  he  is  the  man  who  actually  plans  and 
conducts  the  operations.  As  a  rule,  he  is  so  busy  en- 
deavoring to  complete  his  roads  to  the  satisfaction  of 
file  authorities  and  with  a  profit  to  himself  that  he  is 
disinclined  to  spend  any  of  his  spare  mmnents  telling 
how  he  does  things. 

Once  in  a  while,  however,  a  contractor  will  make  a 
few  comments,  and  when  he  does  so  they  arc  usually 
instructive  to  the  public,  whose  taxes  keep  him  bu.sy. 
For  instance,  John  H.  Gordon,  president  of  the  New 
York  State  Road  Builders'  Association,  recently  made 
some  statements  showing  how  the  character  of  the  la- 
bor employed  on  road  work  influences  its  cost.  The  ul- 
timate success  of  a  contractor  with  financial  resources 
sufficient  for  his  work  depends  on  his  organization  and 
his  plant,  according  to  Mr.  Gordon,  who  ranks  the  or- 
ganization as  the  more  important  of  the  two,  because  a 
good  organization   will   obtain   fair   results   even   with 


I  An  Armco  Iron  Culvert  being  placed  undt  r  the  California 
state  highway  near  Fresno,  California) 

When  War  Makes  Labor  Scarce 

it  is  a  s.Ttisfaction  to  know  tliat  unskilled  men  can  instal 


"ARMCO 


CORRUGATED 


CULVERTS 


quickly  and  efTiciently.  They  are  shipped  without  delay, 
hauled  easily  and  placed  quickly  and  will  last  a  generation. 

Their  unfailing  durability  is  their  chief  recommendation. 
They  are  made  of  "Armco"  Iron  — the  purest  and  most  rust 
resisting  iron  that  can  be  nsed. 

For  full  information  on  Ruit-Resisting  "Armco" 
Iron  Culverts,  Flumes,  Siphons,  Sheets,  Roofing 
and  Formed  Products,  write 

ARMCO  IRON  CULVERT  AND 
FLUME   MFRS.   ASSOCIATION 

CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


Resish  Rutt 


Road      Builders   —  Contractors 
Supervisors —  Inve«ligate! 

With  labur  costs  going  higher  — mtn 
harder  to  get  — you  can't_afford  to  ig- 
nore the  possibilities  ofl  the  famous 

Soouldiiii*  -  in   I  lioad  Ma:h\ne^.     It  will  actually  double  or   triple    1  he  effi- 
ciency of  your  outlit— you  can  load,    haul   and   dump    twice   as   much  dirt, 
sand  or  jravel  in  a  day  with  less  help,  trouble,  expense  or  delay. 
SPAULDING  2-IN  1    ROAD   MACHINE 
Will  Load  1  1-2  Yards  in  Thirty  Seconds 
Think  what  this  means  in  actual  dollars  and  cents  on  closely  figured,  rush 
job  of  grading  or  road  building.    Four  horses  and  one  man  to  operate   It   in 
ordinary  dirt -no  plowing,  scraping  or   level- 
ing—just the  Spaulding    machine,    cutting:   a 
clean  path  — loading  au- 
tomatically and  dump- 
ing in  a  pile  or  spread 
as  you  wish.     Write  to- 
day for  circulars.      If 
interested    ask     about 
our  Jobbers'  and  Deal- 
ers' proposition. 
Spaulding  Mlg.Co. 
Dept.   230 
Grinnel.  Iowa 


1^4 


S  0  U  T  H  E  R  N   G  0  O  D  R  0  A  D  S 


December.   1917 


medioc-re  plant,  while  a  poor  organization  cannut  fnr- 
nish  good  results  under  any  conditions. 

There  are  steam-shovel  engineers  who  will  get  out 
twice  as  much  material  in  a  given  time  as  their  less- 
skilled  confereres.  There  are  auto-truck  drivers  who 
will  get  more  mileage,  carry  heavier  loads  and  preserve 
the  integrity  jf  their  machines  immeasiu'ably  better 
than  the  less-ompeteut  chautt'eui*.  whose  experience 
has  been  brief  and  often  only  with  a  light,  pleasure  car. 
There  are  steam-roller  engineers  who  are  real  road 
builders,  who  know  when  the  subgrade  is  properly  roll- 
ed, when  the  stone  is  consolidated  sufficiently,  and  how 
to  roll  dift'erent  varieties  of  roi-k.  These  men  are  rare, 
and  too  often  the  contractor  has  to  trust  his  expensive 
roller  to  a  man  whose  experience  has  been  gained  in 
running  a  sawmill  or  threshing  engine  and  who  knows 
only  enough  to  keep  up  steam  and  run  the  roller  back 
and  forth.  Rolling  is  perhaps  the  most  important  class 
of  work  in  building  gravel  and  broken-stone  roads,  and 
the  time  spent  in  training  men  into  good  roller  opera- 
tors is  generally  well  expended. 


New  York's  Road  Funds. 


About  twenty  years  ago  a  new  epoch  began  in  New 
York  when  the  State  undertook  the  construction  of  a 
number  of  macadam  roads,  the  cost  being  apportioned 
between  the  state,  county  and  towns  upon  a  50.  35  and 
15  per  cent,  basis.  As  a  substitution  for  the  anticjuated 
practice  of  working  out  the  road  tax.  when  each  town 
abandoned  the  road  labor  plan  and  paid  its  liighway 
tax  in  cash,  the  State  contrilnited  mie-quarter  of  the 
amount. 

Ten  years  afterward  the  road  labor  scheme  was  giv- 
en up  altogether  and  last  year  State  Comptroller  Trav- 
is paid  to  the  several  towns  as  State  aid  $1,950,575.85. 
while  the  total  amount  contril)uted  since  1898  amounted 
to  $17,475,733.09. 

All  of  the  first  highway  bond  issue  of  $50.0(10.000  has 
been  expended  and  of  the  second  $50,000,000.  issued  in 
1912.  practically  all  has  been  spent  or  pledged.  Because 
of  the  policy  adopted  of  disbui*sing  the  first  bond  issue 
in  building  short  disconnected  stretches  of  roads,  a  spe- 
cial appropriation  of  $14,955,000  was  made  necessary 
for  the  purpose  of  connecting  some  of  these  scattered 
pieces  of  roadway.  In  this  way  effort  was  made  to  con- 
nect up  with  through  routes  the  numerous  short  patch- 
es of  improved  roads  upon  which  the  first  great  high- 
way Ijond  issue  had  been  expended. 

^Yheu  the  second  $50.00tl.(l(i(i  bond  issue  was  approv- 
ed, the  law  provided  that  it  be  ajoportioned  among  the 
counties  according  to  population,  area  and  mileage  of 
improved  highways — $20,000,000  being  apportioned  for 
the  State  and  $30,000,000  for  county  highways.  In 
order  to  safeguard  the  issuance  of  such  securities  and 
discharge  the  principal  and  interest,  however,  the  State 
Constitution  requires  the  maintenance  of  sinking  funds. 
This  amounts  to  only  2  per  centum  per  annum,  the  min- 
imum low  rate  being  intended,  doubtlessly,  to  provide 
for  sinking  funds  at  the  ti.ne  of  payment  fifty  years 
from  the  time  approA'ed. 


Truck  Freight  Lines  Inevitable. 

Contrary  to  popular  belief,  good  roads  and  transpor- 
tation constitute  one  of  the  foremost  issues  of  the  war. 
said  H.  C.  Ostermann.  consul-at-large  for  the  Lincoln 
Highway.  T'he  shortage  of  freight  cars  and  the  inabil- 
ity of  the  railroads  to  handle  the  country's  freight  at 
this  time  is  all  the  argument  that  is  needed  to  .show  im 
portance  of  good  roads,  Mr.  Ostermann  said.     ilr.  Os- 


ii 


THE    GNAWING 
TOOTH  OF  TIME" 


Can't    nidke   any   impression    on 
"The  Pipe  that  Outlasts  the  Ages" 


Stop  and  figure  it  out  for  your- 
self. Rust  is  slow  combustion. 
Combustion  can't  take  place  with- 
out oxygen.  Oxygen  doesn't  pene- 
trate beyond  the  surface  of 


U.  S.  fR*o\'  CULVERTS 


That's  why  it  doesn't  rust  beyond 
a  mere  surface  coating  which  is 
protective  instead  of  productive. 

Pipe  that  doesn't  rust  ought  to 
give  excellent  service  almost  in- 
definitely, oughn't  it  ? 

Well,  it  does  .'  Cast  iron  pipe  in 
various  cities  in  the  United  States 
has  lasted  from  80  to  111  years 
and  has  given  excellent  service. 

Pipe  that  lasts  as  long  as  that 
ought  to  be  the  cheapest  pipe  for 
use.  Have  you  ever  looked  into 
it? 

Our  little  book  "98  Years  of  Ex- 
cellent Service"  will  give  you  the 
information  you  want.  Send  for 
If  foday.' 


UNITED  STATES 


CAST 
IRON 


PIPE 


AND 
FOUNDRY 


COMPANY 

712  E.  Pearl  St. 
BURLINGTON,  N.  J. 

SALES  OFFICES  : 


Philadelphia,  1421  Chestnut  St. 
New  Yorlf.  71  Broadway 
Pittsburgh.  Henry  W.  Oliver  Bldg. 
Chicago,  122  So.  Mich.  Blvd. 


St.  Louis,  Security  Building 
Birmingham,  Ala., Am.  Trust  Bldg. 
San  Francisco,  Monadnock  Bldg. 
Buffalo.  957  E.  Ferry  St. 


DcL-eiulier,  1917 


S  0  r  T  II  E  R  N   (4  O  O  D   K  O  A  1)  S 


terniaim  predicted  that  the  i-duiitry  would  soou  see 
large  quantities  rif  freight  being  liioved  by  motor  truck. 
Nothing  ean  do  more  to  arousse  people  to  a  realization 
that  the  coimtry  is  at  war.  he  said,  than  to  see  trains  of 
motor  trueks  passing  through  the  eountry  loaded  with 
war  supplies. 

]\Ir.  Ostermann  is  strong  for  concrete,  ilacadam  roads 
treated  with  various  binding  materials  are  merely  ;t 
waste  of  good  money,  he  declared.  With  the  ever  in 
creasing  traffic,  the  people  who  spend  their  money  for 
macadam  and  other  temporary  roads,  are  merely  fool- 
ing themselves  into  believing  they  are  getting  some- 
thing. The  expense  :>f  repairs  and  rebuilding  soon 
amounts  to  more  than  the  cost  of  a  iirst-elass  road. 


Highway  Legislation. 

No  matter  what  momentous  subject  may  be  before 
the  people  there  are  usually  scores  of  men  who  imag- 
ine they  have  a  remedy  and  seem  to  think  they  can 
solve  any  problem,  regardless  of  whether  they  have 
ever  given  the  sub.ject  serious  study.  They  are  easily 
guided,  in  most  instances,  by  hearsay  talk  and  preju- 
dices and  in  a  majority  of  cases  their  proposed  reme- 
dies, especially  in  highway  work,  would  only  suit  local 
conditions  and  might  be  totally  unfitted  even  in  the  ad- 
joining counties  nnu-h  less  in  the  majority  of  the  eoiin- 
ties  in  the  state. 

The  State  Highway  Department  is  necessarily  com- 
pelled to  work  with  the  officials  of  practically  every 
county  in  the  state  and  can  tell  with  a  great  deal  of 
accuracy  what  laws  are  best  suited  for  the  entire  Com- 
monwealth. 

It  would  be  a  most  unwise  move  on  the  part  of  the 
Dejiartment  officials  to  advise  or  endorse  any  other  than 
the  very  best  laws  on  the  subject  because  they  are  the 
ones,  more  than  anyone  else,  that  have  to  administer  the 
laAv  and  would  be  the  most  adversely  affected  by  bad 
laws. 

To  make  a  long  story  short  every  proposed  highway 
law  should  either  be  drawn  by  the  State  Highway  De- 
partment or  else  have  the  approval  of  the  State  High- 
way officials  before  any  serious  consideration  is  given 
such  bills  by  legislators  or  the  people  of  the  state. 

There  is  yet  needed  some  highly  important  highway 
legislation  which  will  be  brought  before  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Kentucky  legislature  for  consideration  and 
action  thereon. 


Illinois  Counties  Vote  Bonds. 

Advocates  of  good  roads  in  Illinois  were  pleased  ov- 
er result  of  elections  in  Cook  and  other  counties,  which 
decided  to  take  advantage  of  state  and  federal  aid  and 
to  bond  themselves  to  secure  m  my  for  completing  at 
least  part  of  their  road  building  programs. 

While  the  result  in  Cook  was  a  disappointment  in  one 
sense,  it  is.  nevertheless,  a  victory,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
the  only  question  on  the  little  ballot  which  carried.  It 
was  the  country  districts,  however,  that  saved  it,  be- 
cause the  city  wards  favored  it  only  by  a  total  of  twen- 
ty-two votes,  whereas  the  country  towns  rolled  up  a 
majority  of  11,562. 

The  very  fact  that  part  of  the  ^^l.'lOO.OOU  to  be  raised 
for  roads  is  to  be  spent  on  building  a  highway  to  be 
used  as  a  military  thoroughfare  by  the  government 
brought  a  negative  vote  from  those  wards  which  have 
a  heavy  Socialist  vote,  indicating  a  sentiment  against 
war  measures. 

Six  other  counties  have  already  voted  in  favor  oT 
good  roads  bonds,  three  at  the  Novembei'  elei-tion  and 


Roiid  Grndin;;  in  f"i(ink-liri  Cou^l^'.  Oliio 

Moves  More  Dirt 
With  Less  Power 

The   Adams   Leaning  -  Wheel 

Grader  is  the  most  efficient  grader  for 
all  contractors  and  local  road  officials.  It 
does  what  no  straight  wheel  grader  can 
do — moves  more  dirt  with  less  power — 
because  it  leans  its  weight  against  the 
load.  Therefore,  it  is  real  economy  for 
road  building  and  maintenance  work.  The 

ADAMS 

ADJUSTABLE 

Leaning-Wheel 
GRADER 

is  guaranteed,  in  actual  road  building  or 
maintenance,  to  move  more  dirt  with 
less  power  (mold  board  scouring  and 
without  side  draft  on  the  power)  than 
any  other  grader  of  same  length  blade. 

The  economy  and  efficiency  of  the 
ADAMS     Adjustable     Leaning-Wheel 

Grader  can  be  PROVED  by  TEST  on  your  own 
roads,  before  a  sale  is  made.  Write  for  free,  illus- 
trated catalog  showing  AD.A  MS  Adjustable  Leaning- 
Wheel  Graders  at  work  under  various  conditions. 
Ask  for  Catalog  G. 


The  Adams  Leaning-Wheel  Grader  leans 

against  the  load  just  as 
you'd  do  if  you  were  push- 
ing a  loaded  wheelbarrow 
up  a  hill.  Catalog  G 
gives  full  information. 


^^.^KeUjh^ 


J.  D.  ADAMS  &  CO. 

Road  Suildrng  M.ui'hi.-iery 

INDIAI^AVOli.i$. 'I^P. 

,  ,    ...     %ad  Ro  doe*-  th*'  ADAMS  sjradcr 


26 


S  0  U  T  II  E  R  N   G  ( )  0  I)  ROADS 


December,   1917 


three  others  previousl>.  yaiiyaiuoii  eDiuily,  which  em- 
braces the  capital  of  the  state,  has  v:)te(l  for  $500,000 
by  a  majority  of  1.286;  ilason  county,  .$55,000  by  a  ma- 
jority of  504,  and  ]\Ienard  county,  $55,000  by  a  majority 
of  1.053.  Lake  County  decided  to  issue  good  roads 
l)onds  to  the  extent  of  $500,000  at  its  election  of  Octo- 
ber .'riO.  cari'ying  the  measure  by  1,600  out  of  a  total  vote 
of  6,000.  This  money  will  be  used  to  complete  the  Chi- 
cago-Milwaukee road  throTigh  Lake  county  and  also 
l)uild  a  road  from  Waukegan  west  to  Volo. 

On  the  same  day  Winnebago  county  voted  bonds  to 
the  extent  of  $14.5,000. 

Clark  county  on  (_)ctobei'  2.'!  carried  a  boiul  issue  for 
$124,000  by  1.141  votes,  and  this  money  will  be  used  to 
improve  tlie  National  Old  Trails  roiite. 


under  the  direct  supervision  of  tlie  State  Highway  De- 
partment and  this  will  be  spent  on  the  main,  cross-state 
roads  like  the  Lincoln  Highway.  Federal  funds  to 
which  Nevada  is  entitled  under  tlie  Bankhead-Shackle- 
ford  act  will  he  added  to  this  amount,  as  will  $25,000 
appropriated  by  the  last  legislature  frona  the  State  auto- 
anobile  license  tax.  The  State  Highway  Department 
will  have  $54,630  availal)le  for  transstate  roads,  and 
the  eight  counties  in  the  State  through  which  the  Lin- 
coln Highway  is  routed  will  have  $108,300  in  addition 
for  local  road  and  In'idge  work,  wich  can  be  applied  to 
Lincoln  Highway  betternunit.  It  is  thought  that  at 
least  a  (piarter  of  a  million  dollars  of  this  fund  will  be 
used  for  Lincoln  IIigliw;i\'  construction. 


Bicycle  Business  Boosted. 

Tile  I'nited  Stales  govci-iiiiiciil  will  use  100,000  bi- 
clcles  for  war  pui-poses.  Bicycle  builders  of  the  coun- 
try are  looking  foi-ward  to  the  big  order  and  plants  are 
ready  to  assist  in  turning  out  the  bicycles  for  the  army. 
Contracts  for  10.000  already  have  lieen  awarded. 

"Bicycles  are  again  becoming  popular  with  grown- 
ups as  well  as  the  younger  class.  Good  roads  and  well 
paved  streets  make  it  possible  for  boys  and  girls  in  the 
cities  and  the  rural  districts  to  ride  their  bicycles  to  and 
from  school  or  on  shopping  tours  for  the  family  grocer- 
ies. ' ' 


The  American  Highway  Association,  organized  in 
inoO.  was  dissolved  recently,  the  purposes  for  which  it 
was  founded  having  lieen  attained  in  the  opinion  of  its 
otficers.  Suri)lus  funds  remaining  in  the  treasury  of  the 
organization  have  been  invested  in  Liberty  bonds,  the 
interest  of  which  will  be  used  to  purchase  a  prize  to  be 
awarded  annually  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  for 
conspicuous  service  in  the  advancement  of  road  ini- 
pi-ovemeiit   ill  the  Ignited  States. 


Nevada  to  Improve  Its  Main  Highways. 

A  statenu-nt  has  just  been  issued  by  the  Nevada  Tax 
(Commission  indicating  the  funds  available  for  road  im- 
provement under  the  latest  tax  levy.  A  general  7  per 
cent   roail   tax   has  been  levied   for  road  improvements 


It  is  estimated  that  there  are  230.000  miles  of  jiublic 

roads  in   Canada,   but  only  about   3000  are  improved. 

hard   surface  roads.     It  is  also  estimated  that  80  per 

cent,  of  all  the  road  traffic  is  carried  on  17  per  cent,  of 

the  total  road  mileage,  or  approxinmtely  40.000  miles. 

and  it  is  firmly  lielieved  Iiy  those   who  have  made  a 

study  of  the   good  road   problem   that   the   savings  in 

transportation  charges  would  more  than  pay  for  their 

construction. 

1  , 


The  BEST  CULVERT  For  Good  Roads 


We  sell  direct 
at  Wholesale 
Prices 

The  Point 


Used  hy  practi- 
cally all  the  cities, 
counties  &  town- 
ships in  the  State 


COSTS  LESS  AND  LASTS  LONGER 


Our  Vitrified  Shale  Rock  Culvert  Pipe  will  last  50  years — and  longer. 

All  Culverts  furnished  by  us  will  be  replaced  free  at  any  time  which  give  away, 
disintegrate  or  rust,  or  otherwise  fail  when  the  same  have  been  properly  installed  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  and  accepted  manner  for  installing  same. 

POMONA  TERRA-COTTA  CO.,  Pomona,  N.  C. 

<" '.i'.'LcS  °'c<' }"'/<,■,.'     '''"   '  A  rmuot  Capacity,  2500  Car  Loads