BUKEAU OF PUBLIC ROADS. 425 



Boi-n in TJicliinond in 1870, lie Toreivecl tlie foundation of liis scien- 

 tific trainino- in the Virginia Polytechnic Institnte and the Lawrence 

 Scientific School of Harvard University, and began his real work, 

 Avhicli made hiin one of the ])ioneers of scientific road hnilding in 

 the United States when, in 1898. Natlianiel S. Shaler, then pro- 

 fessor of geology at Harvard and cliairman of tlie Massachusetts 

 State Highway Commission, made him geologist and testing en- 

 gineer of the commission. In this office he made the first extensive 

 scientific investigation of road-building materials conducted in this 

 country. He improved the French machines for testing the hard- 

 ness of rocks and their resistance to Avear, and evolved the Page 

 machine for testing tlieir resistance to impact. Tests of the binding 

 pi-operty of rock dust and of the toughness of rock were develo|)ed 

 in his Massachusetts laboratory, and subsequently Avere improved 

 under his direction in the laboratory of the bureau. 



After 7 years of valuable Avork in Massachusetts ]Mr. Page Avas 

 invited to become chief of the Division of Tests in the Bureau of 

 Chemistry in order to conduct scientific study of road building on a 

 national scale, and Avhen, in 1905, it was decided to consolidate all 

 branches of highAvay work, he Avas made director of the Office of 

 Public Roads. From a small begimiing the Avork of the office 

 developed and extended until at his death it was cooperating in 

 road construction Avith eA^ery State in the Union. 



^Ir. Page realized early that in order to bring al)ont an era of 

 good roads the people nuist know about them. He organized a divi- 

 sion of lectures and exhibits, and Avith a force of trained men Avent 

 into the country to spread the doctrine of good roads before State, 

 count} , and town officials, farmers, bankers, and merchants. Throiigli 

 the building of numeious experimental roads of different types of 

 construction and studying the service to which they Avere subjected 

 true facts regarding disputed features and materials of road building 

 Avere ascertained. With the early indications of the destructive in- 

 fluence of automobiles upon roads came studies of the nature of this 

 wear and the publication of articles urging more durable forms of 

 construction to meet the neAv conditions. 



During all these years State after State established higliAvay de- 

 partments, and to not a few of these in their formative stages Mr. 

 Page lent great and much-appreciated assistance. The dei)artments 

 as they were formed necessarily passed through many of the same 

 stages of groAvth that characterized the groAvth of the Office of Public 

 Roads. There was no official connection betAveen the Federal and 

 the State organizations, but there Avas a great deal of voluntary co- 

 operation, and the Office of Public Roads was looked to by many of 

 the State organizations to help solve perplexing problems. Finally 

 in 191G the Federal aid road act Avas passed and the administration 

 of the act delegated to the Office of Public Roads by the Secretary 

 of Agriculture. This act brought to road building national recogni- 

 tion, and was the logical outcome of all the yesterdays of endeaA'or 

 (jii the part of the Federal and State organizations. The great in- 

 crease in the duties and responsibilities throAvn upon Mr. Page by 

 this act, which were further intensified by the Avorries and perplexi- 

 ties Avhich mounted higher and highei- after Avar Avas declared, Avould 

 have overtaxed a constitutioii nmch more rugged than his. It is a 



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