OFFICE OF PLTBLIC ROADS. 751 



prairie land and also sandy soil land. The valuation of the county 

 is $7,500,000 on real property, the road mileage approximately 300, 

 and the county has a population of 8,000. It is necessary to reach 

 the communities of Buckholts, Yarrellton, Minerva, Ben Arnold, 

 and Burlington by the proposed road system. Recommendations 

 for the issuance of bonds and the administration of their proceeds 

 were submitted. The administration was considered in detail. Gen- 

 eral suggestions concerning the use of available road material, the 

 location of roads, the construction of culverts and bridges, and 

 definite methods of construction and maintenance were supplied. 

 An estimate of the cost of constructing nine special roads, including 

 culverts, amounting to $23,895, was 'given to the county. The total 

 amount involved was $248,749, and an issue of bonds for this expendi- 

 ture was recommended. 



Mineral County, W. Va. — An inspection of the roads in Mineral 

 County was made during March, 1911, and certain recommendations 

 were submitted. The recommendations involved the designation of 

 various individual roads to be improved, the methods of their im- 

 provement and their cost, and also the location of permanent cross- 

 drains and the method of treating additional specified roads. De- 

 tailed drawings were furnished and a road map of the county pro- 

 vided. This work involved an examination of the present condition 

 of the public roads in the county and a study of the county road 

 administration provided by the State laws. Under the provisions 

 of these laws certain suggestions for the effective operation of road 

 administration were made. An analysis of the county valuation 

 and its distribution, together with the road-tax rate and the distribu- 

 tion of mileage, form a part of the services rendered. 



Abundant road material was found in this county, fairly well dis- 

 tributed, and included limestone and extensive deposits of gravel of 

 various grades. The proper selection of these materials was advised. 



EXHIBITS AND ROAD-IMPROVEMENT TRAINS. 



An interesting feature of the year's work was the exhibits dis- 

 played by the office at expositions and on road-improvement trains. 

 These exliibits consisted of models illustrating various types of im- 

 proved roads and road-building equipment, similar to those which 

 were prepared and displayed by this office at the Alaska- Yukon- 

 Pacific Exposition. 



The object of these demonstrations was to arouse interest in better 

 roads and to instruct farmers and road officials in the fundamental 

 principles of road construction and maintenance. 



The models illustrate the construction of earth, sand-clay, gravel, 

 macadam, brick, and bituminous-macadam roads. They are built to 

 exact scale and are about 3 feet wide and 5 feet in length. The ex- 

 hibits also include models of quarries with miniature crushing plants 

 in actual operation. Other models show macadam roads, on which 

 miniature steam rolkrs — built to scale — are in constant operation, 

 illustrating the proce'ss of rolling. 



One of these exhibits was displayed at Knoxville, Tenn., during 

 the Appalachian Exposition, from September 12 to October 12, 1910, 

 and another at Chicago, 111., in the Coliseum, at the National Land 



