48 BULLETIN 393, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of new roads. It is the present practice and intention of the county 
authorities to use it for the building of new roads and in the main- 
tenance of roads already constructed. 
HOW THE WORK WAS MANAGED. 
From July, 1911, when the first contracts were let, to September 
30, 1915, a total of $1,031,578.54 was expended in the construction 
of the improved roads. With this amount 144.52 miles of road were 
graded, of which 78.47 miles were macadamized. Of the macadam 
roads, 24.34 miles were surfaced with bituminous material. There 
were also constructed 30 steel bridges and 95 concrete culverts. Of 
the first bond issue of $700,000, about 76 per cent was spent for 
grading, 3 per cent for bridges, and 21 per*cent for macadamizing. 
Nearly all of the two district bond issues, aggregating $260,000, was 
spent for macadamizing roads previously graded. The cost of sur- 
face treatment of 24.34 miles of macadam roads amounted to 
$9,758.82, or $400.93 per mile. The roads were graded to a width 
of from 16 to i8 feet, while the macadam surface varied from 9 to 
12 feet. A good contrast between the old and the new roads is 
shown in Plate XVI. 
It is estimated that there are about 300 miles of public road in 
the county, of which 83.07 miles, or 27.6 per cent, have been macad- 
amized. (See Plate XVII.) This includes 4.6 miles of State-aid 
macadam. In addition to this, 66.05 miles have been graded under 
the bond issue and 1.3 miles with local funds, making a total of 150.42 
miles, or 48.6 per cent of the total, sfoPr le or wholly improved. 
The State highway department furnished plans, specifications, 
and estimates for the roads and supervised the actual construction, 
but, as has been pointed out in connection with other county studies, 
the State highway department was not called in to make any exam-_ 
ination and estimate before the bonds were voted, and this absence 
of competent advice was decidedly injurious to the county. The 
immediate supervision of the work was intrusted to a county engineer 
appointed by the board of supervisors with the approval of the State 
highway department. His salary of $175 to $200 per month was 
paid by the county out of the bond-issue funds. 
The roads were built by contract awarded by the State highway 
commission and the county board of supervisors under the unit-price 
system, with the exception of some macadam surfacing under the 
district bond issues where the work was done by force account. 
The regular road work of the county is carried on by the district 
road superintendents, under the general direction of the county 
board of supervisors. The board consists of four members—one 
- for each district. They are elected by the people for 4-year terms: 
and receive $4 per day for time actually employed, not to exceed 
a 
