STATE OF ILLINOIS 
 
 HIGHWAY COMMISSION 
 
 BULLETIN NO. 4. 
 
 Crushed Stone Prepared by 
 
 Convict Labor 
 
 and 
 
 Rules for Its Use. 
 
 COMMISSION 
 
 EDMUND J. JAMES, Chairman, 
 JOSEPH A. FULKERSON, 
 LAFAYETTE FUNK. 
 
 A. N. JOHNSON, State Engineer. 
 
 Springfield, Illinois, 
 March, 1909. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: 
 Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers, 
 
 1909.

 
 STATE OF ILLINOIS 
 
 HIGHWAY COMMISSION 
 
 BULLETIN NO. 4. 
 
 Crushed Stone Prepared by 
 
 Convict Labor 
 
 and 
 
 Rules for Its Use. 
 
 COMMISSION 
 
 EDMUND J. JAMES, Chairman, 
 JOSEPH A. FULKERSON, 
 LAFAYETTE FUNK. 
 
 A. N. JOHNSON, State Engineer. 
 
 Springfield, Illinois, 
 March, 1909. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: 
 
 Illinois State Journal Co., State Printers, 
 
 1909.
 
 
 a: 
 
 

 
 Illinois Highway Commission. 
 
 til NO. 4. PI. 1. 
 
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 Crushed Stone Prepared at the Penitentiaries. 
 
 Law Regarding Convict Labor on Road Material, Etc. 
 
 An Act to amend section 2 of an Act entitled, "An Act authorizing and em- 
 powering the employment of convicts and prisoners in the penal and re- 
 formatory institutions of the State of Illinois in the manufacture of tile 
 and culvert pipe for road drainage purposes, and in the manufacture of 
 machinery, tools and appliances for the building, maintaining and repair- 
 ing of the wagon roads of the State, and for preparing road building and 
 ballasting material, upon the requisition of the State Highivay Commis- 
 sion,^ approved May IS, 1905, in force July 1, 1905. 
 
 Section 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented 
 in the General Assembly: That section 2 of an Act entitled, "An Act author- 
 izing and empowering the employment of convicts and prisoners in the penal 
 and reformatory institutions of the State of Illinois in the manufacture of 
 tile and culvert pipe for road drainage purposes, and in the manufacture of 
 machinery, tools and appliances for the building, maintaining and repairing 
 of the wagon roads of the State; and for preparing road building and ballast- 
 ing material upon the requisition of the State Highway Commission," ap- 
 proved May 18, 1905, in force July 1, 1905, be and the same is hereby amended 
 so as to read as follows: 
 
 § 2. The commissioners of highways in any township in counties under 
 township organization or the commissioners of highways or boards of county 
 commissioners in counties not under township organization, may make ap- 
 plication to the said State Highway Commission for such road building ma- 
 terial, tile, culvert pipe, road making machinery, tools and other appliances 
 as may be needed or required by them for the construction, improvement or 
 repairing of the wagon roads in their respective townships or road districts, 
 and where by agreement of the commissioners of highways in counties under 
 township organization, or the commissioners of highways or boards of county 
 commissioners in counties not under township organization, as the case may 
 be, with the city council of any city, or the board of trustees of any village 
 within the limits of such town, any gravel, rock, macadam or other hard road 
 is extended within or through the corporate limits of such city or village then 
 for the construction, improvement or repairing of so much of said road as 
 lies within the corporate limits of such city or village, provided such exten- 
 sion within such city or village shall be of the same cost and kind of ma- 
 terial as the road outside such city or village, obligating themselves to use 
 such material according to the rules and regulations formulated and approved 
 by the State Highway Commission. 
 Approved June 3, 1907. 
 
 Revised Law Concerning the Use of Free Macadam. 
 
 The law which provides for the distribution of crushed stone, pre- 
 pared at the penitentiaries has been amended so that this material may 
 be used inside the corporate limits of villages and cities, provided it is 
 used in extending a road from the township into the corporation, and 
 that the township officials give their consent for the material to lie 
 so used.
 
 I ONVK 1 LcABOB l'l;i P \i;i - ( 1.1 BHED StONR 
 
 The employmenl . 1 1 •< >r in preparing crushed stone has 
 
 far proved satisfactory . 
 
 Many inquiries ha a received from other states in regard to 
 
 the details of this plan, which ii is believed is one of the most practical 
 ways of employing convict labor in road construction, [n a number of 
 . more particularly in Borne southern states it has been Ihe prac- 
 tice to \\ <»rk the convicts on the road itself, and especially in North 
 Carolina and Georgia ;i number of miles of road have been buill very 
 successfully in this way. 
 
 There is, however, in mosl sections of the country a natural ] • r« •- 
 judice againsl exposing convicts on the public roads. It does uol Beem 
 justifiable to place the opportunity for escape bo alluringly before the 
 prisoner and to impose as a penalty on his very natural desire to seiae 
 this opportunity the risk of being shot by armed guards stationed at 
 a considerable distance, as a protection againsl a sudden rush upon 
 them. If a Bufficienl number of guards were provided to render the 
 use of rifles unnecessary, it would be found that the cosi of paying 
 the guards would more than compensate for the reduced cost of the 
 convicl labor, bo thai in the end the work would probably cost m< 
 than if performed with free labor. 
 
 Another, and perhaps more important, consideration would be the 
 very natural feeling that the Laboring man would have against com- 
 peting with convict labor which, moreover, would bring this class of 
 work into more or less disrepute. 
 
 But tin- employmenl of the convict- inside the penitentiaries or with- 
 in stockade-, where they are not exposed to public view, and where 
 the methods of guarding and other precautions taken againsl escape 
 are practically tin 1 same ;i~ would be necessary whether the prison 
 were idle or employed, seems, both humane and practical. CTnder tic 
 conditions, there is no additional cosi to the taxpayers at large for the 
 product of their labor, so that whatever is produced by their industry 
 i- bo much gained by the community. Moreover, preparing the crushed 
 stone interferes, in this state, with no existing industry a- the crushed 
 stone i-. in alnio-t every instance, used in places where it would not he 
 tried unless it could he Becnred at the specially low rate- that this 
 method of production Becures. In fact, it. can truly be said that tho 
 State, tather than interfering with an existing industry is in reality 
 creating an industry, for the total amount of crushed -tone, even if all 
 the convicts were employed, would at the ino-i 1 ip very small when com- 
 pared to that which would he necessary should any general scheme of 
 road improvement be undertaken, even in hut a few localit 
 
 Neither is free'labor in any wise brought into unfair competition; 
 on the contrary, work for free labor is created in constructing the roads, 
 which, in many instances, would nol otherwise be undertaken. 
 
 There is also another point of view which recommends this method 
 of cooperation from the fad that no locality i- at any increased ex- 
 pense for ihe benefits that certain communities, which secured the 
 crushed -tone prepared in this way. may derive; nor would the ex-
 
 •amission. 
 
 tin S I. PI
 
 Illinois Highway Commission 
 
 Bulletin No. 4, PI. 3.
 
 pense to any community be less if no one received the crushed rock, 
 so that it is difficult to see how a more equitable plan of cooperation 
 could be devised. 
 
 Additional Crushers Needed. 
 
 There is a great demand for the material, Ear greater than the presenl 
 capacity of the crushers can furnish, and n \yoi in if this work is 
 
 to be carried on that some means should be devised whereby a '■'•Main 
 number of convicts could be established a1 other places and atone de- 
 pots opened. If such depots are established, two point-; must necessarily 
 be borne in mind: First, that the material is of suitable quality and 
 in sufficient quantity, and second, that transportation facilities are 
 at band. In general, a quarry would be more advantageously bcated 
 if it were possible to ship the stone in the direction of the emptj coal 
 car movement, which would be of considerable advantage in indui 
 the railroads to maintain low freight rates.
 
 ■ 
 
 Rules Governing Distribution of Crushed Stone. 
 
 l. All applications musl be made on the regular forma furnished by 
 tin S Highway Commission. 
 
 Bach application for materia] -hall be signed by the local high- 
 way comm re, uh<» thereby thai the material will be 
 
 irding to the rules and regulations prescribed by the State Highway 
 I as required by law. 
 
 The State Highway Commission will maintain a general super- 
 vision of all work where material furnished by the commission is used. 
 I. The general method of construction to in- followed has been out- 
 lined and printed. These instructions will be supplemented by the 
 
 Engineer <<\ such further directions as the special «-< >i t< 1 i t i • ki i 
 individual quire. 
 
 If it should be found thai the material supplied by the commis- 
 sion i- inn used in accordance with its plans and directions a- mad 
 tin- StMi. • Highway Engineer, further deliven of such material will 
 stop immediately on the order of the State Highwaj Engineer and 
 will nol again be continued under the same application ui 
 by the State Highway Commission. 
 
 * 
 
 In .-ill cases where tin' shipmenl of- material has been ~ t < > j » [ n *< 1 
 
 through Don-compliance with the regulations of the commission, the 
 
 authorities may apply anew t" continue tin- shipments, bu1 this 
 
 application will be taken up in turn with other applications that may 
 
 be "ii tilf. 
 
 Before an\ application will be considered by the State Highway 
 Commission the local officials making the application for material must 
 ;j;\\r Buch information concerning the proposed work- on which said 
 materia] is to be used a> will satisfy the commission thai the prop 
 improvemenl will be lot- the benefit of the general public. 
 
 Tiir State Highwa} Engineer Bhali, before an application \<>v 
 stone i- gran-ted, \i-it the site of the proposed improvement, confer with 
 tin- local highway officials, ami reporl to the State Highway Commission 
 his recommendation in relation to the application in question. 
 
 9. No application for less than 1,000 cubic yards <>( -ton.- will 
 considered. 
 
 1". No township, or districl (in counties not under township 
 ganization) -hall receive in any twelve consecutive month-, unless other- 
 wise ordered by the commission, more than 3,000 cubic vard tone,
 
 Illinois High? 
 
 HnllPtln No. 4. PL 4. 
 
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 unless no other applications are on file on which shipments can be m 
 and this rule shall apply whether the stone be ordered l>\ township 
 county officials. 
 
 11. After the date of the approval of these rules and regulations 
 the State Highway Commission, all applications for stone on file, or 
 subsequently received at the oilier of the commission shall be uumbered 
 consecutively in the order of their receipt; and. so far as practicable, 
 shall be approved and filed in the sam "der. It is, however, under- 
 stood that before any application for free materia] shall be approved, 
 the local authorities making application must give ample evidence of 
 their intention and ability to use said material in accordance with the 
 requirements of the State Highway Commission. 
 
 12. It is to be understood that the Stale Eighwaj Commission will 
 give preference to those applications from points at which experimental 
 work is under consideration, and that shipment- to such points may be 
 undertaken irrespective of the date of the application tor the crushed 
 stone. 
 
 13. Experimental work is not undertaken by the State Eigway Com- 
 mission unless a special petition for such work lias been filed b\ the 
 local highway commissioners, accompanied by a requesl signed bj at 
 least twelve farmers or busim ss men in the community where the road 
 is to be located. The petition to be signed by the local highway com- 
 missioners must be on the regular blank forme Furnished by the State 
 Highway Commission. 
 
 14. Before any shipment is made, the State Eighway Commission 
 will ascertain the freight rate, the lowesl it has been able to secure, and 
 notify the local officials accordingly. 
 
 15. Before any shipments are made notice will he given the local 
 officials who may, if they find they cannot receive the stone at the time 
 designated, notify the State Highway Commission to delay shipments. 
 If this is done, no shipment will lie made, but the officials b\ so doing 
 will lose their turn and will have to await such a time before stone will 
 be sent as though their application was of the date shipments were or- 
 dered stopped by them.
 
 Instructions for Making Limestone Macadam Roads 
 Without Use of a Steam Roller. 
 
 Many inquiries have been received as to the method to be f«>l 1« >\% ••« I 
 in placing macadam material on a road. There is Borne difficulty in 
 
 ■ directions which would cover all The objed has 
 
 always been, when crushed stone has been furnished by the commis^ 
 Bion from the penitentiaries to have the work 'lone better it" possible 
 than Bimilar work had been done before in a particular Locality. In 
 mosl instances, however, it is the firsl experience of the Local commis- 
 sioners with this class oi work. Also there is usually hut a small amount 
 of monej at hand s<> that the beel methods and beei n are not 
 
 always obtainable. 
 
 In hut '.nc or two instances have townships owned rollers bo that all 
 instructions for placing macadam are given, bearing in mind that a 
 roller is not at hand and that the work must he done to the he-t ad- 
 vantage nosaible omitting this very desirable feature. Borne of the direc- 
 tions are -t forcibly impressed by citing a tew "don'ts." 
 
 Pebpabiki; i hi: K'oad Bed. 
 
 There is a greal temptation not to give tne proper care to the prep- 
 aration of the road on which the crushed Btone is to he placid and we 
 have frequently to repeat, don't nut crushed Btone on a road until it 
 has been' properly rounded ami graded up ami all hole- and dej 
 
 - tilled. I ton* t mi depressions or mud holes with crushed stone. 
 Earth i> the proper material to use and it is vrerv much cheaper. 
 
 The firsl -top therefore is to prepare the road to receive the crushed 
 -tone. This i- quickly done with a road machine or grader operated 
 in Buch a manner that the earth i- thrown < utside rather than to the in- 
 side of the road. This i~ very readily accomplished it' a furrow is first 
 plowed with tin' land Bide toward- the outside of the road. The furrow 
 
 should outline the edge of the macadam. The blade of the road ma- 
 chine ie thai it throw- ; i -mall ridge of earth to the outside of the 
 . leaving the center portion a- nearly undisturbed a- possible. The 
 width of the road-bed Bhaped in this manner Bhould be about 1<» or 12 
 feet or tii,. same width that it is proposed to have the macadam. The 
 center of the road Bhould he about -i\ inches higher than at the Bide on 
 ;i l'.' fooi road. It is well to have this part of the work done ,-i- much 
 ahead a- possible o that the traffic can roll the road-bed and i
 
 • Commission. 
 
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 Illinois Highway Commission. 
 
 Bulletin NO. i. i 
 
 A. How not to spread stone. It costs scarcely any more to keep the edges even 
 and straight. 
 
 B Do nol ie1 your road gel in this condition. Ruts like u ■ 
 care is taken to rake in loose ston< as often as ruts form. Compare this wltn 
 
 plates 9B and 10.
 
 it especially wherever H has been necessary to till depressions, tf the 
 traffic cuts the road very much, a road grader should be used to Bmooth 
 it immediately before the stone is Bpread. 
 
 Side Drr< ees. 
 
 Where the road is through Level country, the Bide ditches should be 
 broad and approximately 30 inches below the center of the finis 
 road. The slope of the side of the ditch towards the road i be 
 
 about one foot fall to every four feet lmri/.n ntal, and the side of the 
 ditch towards the fence or the outside of the road could have a some- 
 what steeper slope, about one foot to even two feet. Ditches made 
 in this manner do not cave in every spring. It is only necessary to cut 
 the weeds to keep such a ditch in good shape. The shoulders and dit 
 should, if possible, be sown with grass seed or if this is not practic- 
 able see that the weeds are cul early in the season and kepi cul so as not 
 to smother the grass which will eventually come up and form a close 
 sod which is a great protection to the sides of the ditches and the 
 shoulders as well as adding greatly to the appearance of the road. 
 
 Embankments. 
 
 Through low swampy places, a satisfactory road can be built only 
 by iirst throwing up a suitable embankment so that the road bed is 
 raised above the general level by at leasl 18 inches and should be high 
 enough so as to be well above all ordinary water that may stand along- 
 side the road. The embankment should be not less than 22 feet wide 
 on top, preferably 25 feet, and should have as gradually sloping s 
 as possible. To build an embankment properly the earth should be 
 spread in layers of not over 12 inches thick and wagons and teams 
 driven over all parts of it so that it will be impacted as much as 
 
 possible during construction. The earth should be spread at first to 
 the total width that it is necessarj to make the embankment, including 
 the slopes. For example, if the embankment is to be 25 feet wide ; it 
 the top and is to be built 4 feet high and the side slopes are to be two 
 horizontal to one vertical, it is evident that the embankment will 
 tend to each side of the road for eight feet so that the distance from the 
 toe of one slope to the toe of the other will be 1G feet plus 25 Eeet or 
 41 feet. Very often the embankment is constructed by spreading the 
 earth on the bottom merely for the width that it is desired for the top of 
 the embankment which is built up, and dopes made by dumping the 
 earth over the edge. This will not give as solid an embankment nor 
 one that will hold its shape as well. 
 
 ( lONSTEUCTION OF SHOULD] 
 
 The earth which is thrown up at the sides and forms the Bhoulders 
 prevents the stone spreading and the traffic displacing the edge of tin- 
 stone. The shoulders should be formed before the stone is spread. 
 In a number of instances the stone has been placed upon the road with 
 no attempt whatever to form shoulders. This is do! the right way.
 
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 Hnlletln No. 4. I 
 
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 11 
 
 After the second layer of stom has I n spread, the earth Bhould 
 
 should be smoothed down to conform to the surface of the road and 
 should be sloped towards the gutters with a slope of one inch to the 
 foot for at leasl a width of 1 feel on both Bides of the si -. 
 
 Blind Sidb-1 >b \i\> wn l nder-1 >h u \ ■ 
 
 The cut >h«»wii in Figure 1 illustrates the various Bteps here de- 
 scribed. As the work progresses, there should be cu1 through the 
 shoulders a1 intervals of about 50 feet, trenches about the width o 
 shovel and to such a depth that the water will run readil) from the 
 road-bed to the side ditch These trenches should be filled with 
 broken -tone or gravel, whichever may be at hand, and aboul the Banie 
 thickness as the layer of stone in the first course. The remainder of 
 the trench is Idled with earth so that these drain- do not -how on the 
 surface of the shoulder. The side drains and Bhoulder drains tend to 
 keep the road-bed dry and also to drain the shoulders and are. in no 
 case, to be omitted. 
 
 If there is under -round water a- shown by a Beepy or quaky place, 
 it will be uecessarj to run a tile drain through such places and carry 
 it to an outlet in the side ditches. If this is not done, do amount of 
 stone which could be put in such a place will be effective to prevent a 
 mud-hole from eventually forming. In very level country where s 
 
 • 
 
 drainage is difficult to secure, it is important to have the center of the 
 road elevated as much as possible so that the foundation of broken 
 stone will at all times be well above the level of the wat< r in the side 
 ditch 
 
 Figure No. 2— Sketch illustrating position of lateral drains, which should be 
 cut as soon as roadbed is shaped so as to drain water from the ! to the 
 
 side ditches.
 
 12 
 
 Spreading Fibsi < 01 asi oj Stonb. 
 
 -•nil step is to Bpread the I Btone. 
 
 I . it ifl planned to put a LO-inch layer on the road, don't put it all on 
 in one layer, h Bhould be pul on in two layers. \- practically all the 
 
 j-t»n btainable in Illinois is limestone which is but moderately hard, 
 
 better to reverse the usual order of making a Btone road and put 
 in the firsl or on the bottom <>f the road the l ' L . vat ma- 
 
 il which should be evenly spread for a thickness of four to five in< 
 A Btrong-toothed rake lb one of the best implements of the road maker. 
 Stone 'thai is Bpread by a rake will be stirred up and the small pieces 
 will take their natural position at the bottom of the layer and tho 
 stone will, therefore, compact \>-r\ much more quickly and the la 
 pieces will not tend to work to the Burface as they will inevitably do if 
 placed nt the bottom. As thej come to the surface the whole ! 
 is disturbed and loosened. 
 
 \ Btrong toothed harrow i- recommended as an excellent means to 
 Bettle the -tone in place after it has been evenly Bpread. Bach layer of 
 .-ton.- should be harrowed thoroughly. 
 
 SPRE M'l $Q Si;. OND < lOl BSE 01 STONE. 
 
 Tile lle\t Step i- to -pl'ead the -ecolid hlVef or top coll' This 
 
 should consist of the three inch materia] which is evenly Bpread with 
 rake.- as in the case of the lower course of stone. 
 
 \ word should be Baid about method used to spread -tone. The 
 itial thing i- to gel an even layer of material. This cannot be 
 done it the -tone is raked from a pile as it is dumped upon the road 
 center of a pile of stone i- always more compact than the ma- 
 terial that i- raked to the edges. It is therefore, necessary that 
 all the stone is rehandled. 
 
 A \<'i-y convenient way to measure the thickness to which the -tone 
 i- Bpread i- by blocks of wood. It the material i- to he Bpread •"> inches 
 thick, then the blocks Bhould he cut to measure •"» indie- in all di- 
 mensions -o thai no matter which way the block may lie Bet, it will he 
 li\e inches high. At Least twelve of these blocks should he made. 
 They should he set three in a row upon the roadbed, one in the center 
 ami one "u either Bide. Three more Bhould be placed aero— the mad- 
 Led in a similar position about -i\ or eight feet from the iir.-t row. 
 
 As soon a- the -t i- spread around the first row of blocks, they are 
 
 taken out and Bel ahead ami the pri repeated. There Bhould he 
 
 a similar set of blocks for each layer of -tone. A- before uoted, the 
 road-bed should he shaped true enough so a- not to require more -ton'' 
 
 in one place than in another to -eciire an even Burface. 
 
 Stone cannot be Bpread "by eye." When it i- home in mind that 
 a variation of imi one inch in thickness means ".' II ton- per mil* 
 road. 12 feet wide, the importance of using only so much material a- i- 
 necessary t- evident.
 
 Illinois Highway Commission 
 
 BnllPtln No. 4. PI. 8. 
 
 
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 Illinois highway Commission. 
 
 Bulletin No. 4, PI. !). 
 
 A. Using road drag to smooth the surface and till in Incipient ruts. If ruts be- 
 come an inch or two deep it will be necessary to fill them with pieces of stone as 
 the screenings will soon grind up and blow away. 
 
 ;:. This shows a finished road. 
 
 filled to make an even grade. 
 
 Note how tin' hills have I n cut and hollows
 
 13 
 
 Sometimes Btakes arc set on either Bide of the road and a string 
 fcched from one to the other. The Btone can be very evenly spread 
 by this method but ii is fax more bother than the use of the blocks and 
 is no more accurate. 
 
 Si REBNING8 OB BlNDEE COUBSB. 
 
 Alter the last or second course is spread and the shoulders have 
 been formed, the road ib ready for the screenings or Btone dust Each 
 shovelful of screenings should be Bpread in Buch a manner that it will 
 arge an area as possible, thus Bweeping the screenings into 
 bhe interstices of the broken stone. Only a pail, of the screenings should 
 !"• put nn at first Allow the traffic to go over the road for a week then 
 iill the ruts with stone and put on more screenings in those places 
 where it is shown that they are needed. A small amount of line gravel 
 makes an excellent binder lor lime-tone. 
 
 Filling Ruts. 
 
 It will he necessary in order to obtain good results that a man be 
 employed to go over the road frequently and as fast as ruts are formed 
 see that stone is raked into these ruts and they are kept filled. If this 
 is done throughout the first season the road will eventually become 
 compacted and fairly smooth and a satisfactory surface will result par 
 ticularlv where limestone is used which is comparatively soft and binds 
 readily. Do not attempt to fill a rut or depression in a macadam road 
 witli screenings or pieces of stone that are smaller than those u>n\ in 
 the construction of the upper course. 
 
 Instructions fob Placing Gravel. 
 
 Gravel roads should be built in much the same manner as already 
 outlined for building macadam roads. Particular attention should be 
 paid to thoroughly spreading and raking the gravel so that the finer 
 parts are sifted to the bottom leaving a layer of the larger pebbles and 
 pieces of stone on the top to form a wearing surface. 
 
 There are many cases where the grave] is found very close at hand 
 but of such sandy nature that it will not form a good road surface. 
 Such gravel can. however, be used to advantage at the bottom of the 
 road which could then be covered with a four or five inch layer of 
 crushed Btone. In this way the crushed stone would go very much 
 further than if the road was huilt entirely of stone. A small amount 
 of fine gravel makes a good binder for a layer of limestone, in fact it 
 
 ha- been found to give a better ! d than is obtained with limestone 
 
 screenings alone. 
 
 The usual method of dumping one Load of gravel at the side of 
 
 another and Leaving the traffic to Bpread and c pad it cause- far too 
 
 much inconvenience to traffic and Bhould not be permitted. 
 
 The question is frequently raised whether macadam or gravel should 
 lie Bpread in the center of the road or at one side, having an earth road 
 on one side and -ravel on the other. The besl practice is to place the 
 macadam or gravel in the center and. if there is sufficient room, a side
 
 14 
 
 id tan be made <m « * i 1 1 n r Bide. In nearh every instance observed 
 
 where tin- gravel road is at • aide and the earth road at the other, 
 
 the earth road, wherever it was us d to an) extent, was soon worn down 
 
 osiderablv below the gravel or macadani bo as to form a terrace ti 
 prevents traffic from turning res lil) from the gravel to tin- earth road 
 or vice vei This makes it more difficull to provide for prop 
 
 drainage; moreover a road constructed in this manner always presents 
 an unsightly appearam 
 
 ( \i;i in' i in; ROAD Si i»i . 
 
 Appearance counts. It is worth a- much t<> the road as to the hoi 
 and grounds alongside it. A beautiful road-side attracts people and 
 enhances the value of the property in the neighborhood. 
 
 The first 1 1 1 i 1 1 lt t<> be encouraged is the growth of a good Bod from 
 th< of the traveled way t<> the fence line. Keep the weeds « ut 
 
 and give tli- a chance to grow. Where there are no trees, 
 
 them out. There is an opinion in the mini!- of many that trees harm 
 a road, claiming that they retail] Hie moisture and arc in other w. 
 
 baneful. Wherever the road ia bad in the neighborh 1 of trees, the 
 
 trouble is not with the trees but with the road. If the road were |>r<>|>- 
 erly constructed and drained, the trees would cause n<> further trouble 
 In fact, with a macadani road, the moisture thai would be held in the 
 Burface in the summer time would be a distinct advantage. In the 
 winter time, if the low-hanging limbs are trimmed, there will be |>r.. 
 tiealK as much Bun and wind come upon the road as though there were 
 ii'< trees, while their value in the summer time cannot be over stated. 
 
 the road Bide should noi be cut down at the caprice of 
 an individual commissioner or even ol the land owner alongside. Ti 
 are a public asset and Bhould be most jealously guarded and cut only 
 after due consideration l>y public officials who Bhould be chosen for thi> 
 purpose, or have these duties imposed upon existing public officials, but 
 in any event, prevent the wanton destruction of beautiful shade n 
 mi the road Bide, (are for the trees you have, set out new ones; it pa
 
 • - W.9 0. 
 
 Illinois Highway Commission. 
 
 Bulletin N • i. 1-1. in.