No. 4.] COUNTRY ROADS— APPENDIX. 267 



The use of broken stone in layers of assorted sizes over 

 an arched foundation of earth has been recommended by 

 engineering writers and practiced on an innocent public 

 in various places. The theory seems to be that these 

 assorted stones, smaller above the larger to the top, will 

 shut into one another with a telescoping effect under the 

 pressure of travel, and so become very solid. Let us see 

 how this idea looks in a picture : — 





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The foregoing plan, substantially as represented, was 

 faithfully tried with screened broken rock by a city operator 

 under my own observation, With barrows and planks each 

 class of stone was nicely placed by itself in layers to the 

 top. In the words of an eye witness, " The first four-horse 

 load that ran over it knocked our whole summer's work to 

 smithereens!" It had been heavily hand-rolled, — that 

 arch made the road weaker, more tottering ; but perhaps a 

 steam roller, with sections as big as the moon, would have 

 telescoped those stone or ground them to powder. 



Man is a terribly ingenious animal. In his pupae stages 

 he builds, spins and surrounds himself with cocoons of 

 devices which he may cast off and emerge with wings. 

 Everything he does is temporary, but worthy of study. 

 His deeds need not be worshipped except as that 

 strengthens the understanding. Many of his works will be 

 simplified if we consider that he is an industrious creature, 

 and often don't know what to do with his time or money. 

 What he will do, when once his attention is fully turned to 

 country roads, may surpass all his other enterprises. He 

 scarcely realizes, yet, how wide and round the world is ; 

 how many of him there are working, and how his labor, 

 ever to amount to anything, must not be done at cross 

 purposes. 



Mud on the top of stone is a common occurrence with 

 ignorant and blundering "macadam," as is the throwing of 



