Road Demonstrations. 



325 



The section of road selected for us at St. Clair was a gently slopin<< 

 hillside about one-fourth mile in length, composed largely of "chert" 

 (a hard clay cemented gravel which cannot well be plowed with the 

 ordinary plow except in the spring), and a rather shelly limestone out- 

 crop about half way on the hill. The engine and rooter plow^ were put 

 to work breaking loose the chert, and with the help of hammers, crowbars 

 and picks, also tore up the limestone ledges. By striking the limestone 

 outcrop on the up-grade pull, the point of the rooter plow would catcli 

 under a slab of stone. The engine would then be backed to the plow and 

 driven forward wdth full force of steam. This enabled the engine to 

 strike with the length of the hitch chain and with sufficient power to 

 rip out a large section of the shellj^ stone. The large grader with 

 traction engine pawer was used to draw in the loose material. Two 



After drag demonstration at Cape Girardeau. 



men with rock hammers were kept busy w^ alking over the work breaking 

 up the larger pieces of rock and gravel as they appeared on the surface. 

 The light 4-horse grader and 2-horse drag were used to put on the 

 finishing touches and dressing. The w^hole surface was then completed 

 by rolling. 



South Missouri contains considerable soil of this nature and half 

 our work on the trip was of a similar character. The above outlines the 

 methods generally used. This soil itself if properly shaped and worked 

 is, in many instances, a fairly good road building material for country 

 travel. In earth road work no plows were used, but the usual method of 

 earth road work was employed. When necessary to move material along 

 the road any distance our scrapers were brought into play except on one 



