MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



SOME FINE LIMESTONE ROADS. 



An article condemning limestone roads has 

 been going the rounds of the state press re- 

 cently. The article makes no distinction in 

 the quality of limestone rock, but condemns 

 limestone generally. There are some lime- 

 stone roads in Michigan which do not deserve 

 this condemnation. They are located in Ant- 

 rim county, and every stranger who uses 

 them has the same thing to say about the 

 highways that they are the best roads in the 

 state and that it is a pleasure to drive over 

 them. The quality of these roads has been 

 demonstrated to the residents of the county 

 since they were built some of them being 

 four years old and the pride with which 

 Antrim county people refer to these roads 

 shows where they stand on this particular 

 quality of limestone. These roads, and a 

 number of roads in Mason county were built 

 with Petoskey crushed limestone, which is of 

 high quality. 



There are two kinds of limestone that have 

 been used in the state of Michigan in the past 

 few years, viz., Calcite stone and Dolmite. 

 Dolmite stone is generally found throughout 

 the different states, but in greater quantities 

 in Wisconsin than any other state. This Dol- 

 mite limestone runs very high in magnesia 

 and low in calcite carbonite. The product of 

 the Petoskey Crushed Stone Company is Cal- 

 cite limestone, which runs very high in car- 

 bonate of lime with little, if any, magnesia. 

 This, according to expert opinion, gives the 

 road a greater wearing surface than one that 

 runs high in magnesia. Magnesia easily 

 powders up by the action of wheels and blows 

 away, while the stone of a calcite nature 

 wears down and fills the voids, instead of 

 blowing away. All macadam roads are dusty, 

 which is unavoidable, but roads built of hard, 

 heavy calcite stone are less dusty than those 

 built of lighter material. - 



A road north of Hart in Oceana county. This road is two miles 

 long. It was built four years ago and the stone used was Petoskey 

 crushed . limestone, furnished by the Petoskey Crushed Stone 

 Company. Although the read has seen hard service, it is in the best 

 of condition today. This road was cqnstructed under the super- 

 vision of J. K. Flood, of Hart township. Mr. Flood takes great 

 pride in showing this road to visitors, as he believes it is one of the 

 best roads in the state. 



A road in Elk Rapids township, Antrim county, built 

 of Petoskey crushed stone. It is one of the best constructed 

 roads in Michigan. Although in use for four years, it has 

 not yet needed any repairs, which speaks highly for the con- 

 struction and the material used. W. N. Curry, township 

 highway commissioner, supervised the building of the road. 

 With the exception of a stretch of one and three-quarter 

 miles of road, which will be built next year, Elk Rapids 

 township roads are all stone roads. 



MICHIGAN'S STATE 



FAIR A LEADER 



Michigan's state fair this year will take 

 the lead among great state fairs of the coun- 

 try in that an immense good roads exhibit, 

 a novelty at state fairs, will be in operation 

 throughout the week. This exhibit was the 

 result of the suggestion made at the national 

 good roads convention at Columbus last year 

 at which time it was brought out that state 

 lairs offered the best possible means of reach- 

 ing the farmers, good roads officials of the 

 towns and others who should show interest in 

 good roads. 



A thousand feet of improved highway will 

 be laid on the state fair grounds during the 

 week. Raw ground will be taken, and the 

 spectators can see every operation attendant 

 on making modern roads. There will be all 

 manner of improved road machinery shown 

 in operation and there will be lectures during 

 the operations by George D. Marshall, the 

 government good roads engineer, who has 

 been detailed to handle the Michigan exhibit. 



Supt. V. V. Green of the machinery and 

 implement division of the state fair has sent 

 uut personal letters to the 1300 good roads 

 ctticials of the state, calling their attention 

 to the good roads display and inviting them 

 to spend as much time as possible there dur- 

 ing the fair. 



Field stone, gravel and slag will be used in 

 the making of the modern roads and there 

 will be every opportunity of studying the gov- 

 ernment methods of testing materials used <n 

 road construction. Road rollers, graders, 

 crushers and other machines will be used and 

 it is expected this good roads display will be 

 one of. the most interesting ever put on any- 

 where in the country. 



MAKES FINE RECORD. 



Chippewa county was bonded in April, 

 1904, for $25,000 to build the steel bridges 'of 

 the county, and in addition to this, each and 

 every year from 1904 to 1908, two mills were 

 raised for building and graveling roads. Dur- 

 ing this period it was not necessary to use 

 any of the graveling fund for the building of 

 bridges. When William Godfrey assumed the 

 duties of the office of county road commis- 

 sioner, Jan. 1, 1909, there was not one cent 

 of bridge money in the treasury, as it had 

 all been used, and in that year he had less 

 than two mills to build and repair the bridges 

 and take care of the roads of the county. 

 This present year, 1910, he had two mills and 

 no bridge fund. Notwithstanding this short- 

 age of funds, Mr. Godfrey has made a record 

 he has reason to feel proud of. 



MICHIGAN ROAD NOTES. 



The new stone road into the Epworth as- 

 sembly grounds, near Ludington, has been 

 completed. The new road was constructed 

 in the best possible manner under direction 

 of Frank Sheperd. 



The Deputy County Surveyor of Lake coun- 

 ty has surveyed the highway and established 

 grades on the road south from the Webber 

 township hall, four miles north of Baldwin 

 to the gravel road near the West school house. 

 This road will be graded and graveled this 

 fall. This will make a graveled road from 

 the court house at Baldwin to the town hall 

 4 miles north. 



