156 EXPERIMENTS IN ROAD SURFACING 



gravel it was quickly availed of. The frontispiece illustrates 

 the hoisting, screening, and storing apparatus, already referred 

 to on page i, in running order, and indicates, without need 

 of detailed explanation, the practical objects accomplished by 

 its use. 



Before the overwhelming nature of the proof of the advan- 

 tages of a nearly uniform size of stone, rolled separately in 

 layers, was apparent as a result of the experiments already 

 instituted, it was thought that possibly there might be saving 

 enough in handling the product by use of elevated bins to 

 nearly pay for the extra expense of running the hoisting and 

 screening machinery. When later came the proof of the 

 great advantage in quality of the product thus furnished, the 

 importance of the experiment was enhanced. 



The location of the apparatus, as given on page 2, was not 

 favorable for the best results. The gravel bank was little 

 more than a sand bank, and the screener was not adapted to 

 the work of thoroughly separating a product containing so 

 large a per cent, of sand. However, this did not appreci- 

 ably aftect the question of the cost of handling the material, 

 and experiments were carried on especially to test this point. 

 It is recognized, however, at the start, that particular experi- 

 ments of this sort are not necessarily conclusive. The writer 

 has found that the cost of handling by cart with hand labor 

 various kinds of earth with short hauls, say under one and 

 one half miles, without any absolute neglect in supervision, 

 has varied from thirteen to sixt}'^ cents per yard, and some of 

 tiie longer hauls have been effected and harder materials have 

 been handled for the smaller figures. There is, perhaps, no 

 part of road work more difficult to carry on successfully from 

 a financial point of view than this, because it is so generally 

 done either piecemeal or without competent supervision. 



It was, therefore, a pleasure to note, as a result of experi- 

 ment, that if hoisting machinery were used at all, it would be 

 likely to receive better than average supervision. 2d. The 

 shoveling into the carrier was eas}^ and therefore fair results 

 were attained with very little supervision. 3d. The loading 

 ofteamswasso easy that there was no disposition — so com- 

 mon in hand work — to go ofl'with half a load, or to dally on 



