A Road Experiment

The successful use of vitrified brick j for the paviug of streets has caused much discussion of its adaptability to country roads in sections where good rltone for macadam is not readily obtainable. The people of Monmouth towiiship, Warren county, Hls., have the credit of being the flrst in this country to pave a country road with bricks. This experiment will be watched -vith ïnuch interest by all who are coucerned ín road improvement in the prairie regions. This road was built by contractors at about 90 cents per running foot. The grouèd was preparod for it by grading and being allowed to staud for two monillo. It was treated to an occasionul scraping so that it would pack evenly, and when the ccmtractors were ready to lay brick it was as hard and even as a floor. The first thing was setting the curb-' ing. This was made of 2 by 6 inch oak plank, set sevcu feet apart and held by oak stakes 18 inches long, and put down every four feet. Inside this was put a 5 inch bed of sand. This was evened np, and the single course of No. 1 paving bricks was put down. They were set on edge, and make a fine roadbed. Outside the curb two feet of the crushed rock was laid, graded up to make an easy approach. This rnakes a road 11 feet wide and the finest in the land. The oarth road on each side wus graded and worked, making it all 40 feet wide and affording tracks on each side for use in dry weather. These vitrified bricks are not rnade of clay, but of a peculiar shale rock, and are so exceedingly hard tlmt a shárp edged fragment will cut irou or steel.