SLEDS AND SLED-HAULING 



169 



water from freezing. Sprinklers are filled either by gravity from 

 a spring or brook, or else water is drawn up in a barrel by means 

 of a cable and horse draft. 



The rutting and sprinkhng are done by a special crew who 

 usually operate at night and whose sole duty is to keep the road 

 in shape for hauHng. Under ordinary circumstances, in addition 

 to such men as are required continually at points where grades 

 must be sanded, or snubbing devices operated, one man can 

 keep two miles of main road in repair. One four-horse team and 

 two men can operate the sprinkler on from 4 to 6 miles of road. 



Fig. 41. — A Sprinkler being filled with Water from a Brook. Maine. 



The average monthly maintenance charge on a 6-mile haul on a 

 Maine operation was approximately $75 per mile. Other work 

 required to maintain a two-sled road consists of shoveling out 

 deep drifts after storms, banking and skidding up roads on side 

 hills, where the sleds "slough" to one side and keeping a snow 

 covering on bridges. 



After one season's work a road requires a general overhauUng 

 to prepare it for the next winter's use. This work is done early 

 in the fall at the time road building begins. Bridges are strength- 

 ened where necessary, the roadbed built up on slopes where 

 weaknesses have become apparent, sags occasioned by the last 



