100 years ago

september 3, 1908

Road Making With Oil

It has been demonstrated at two places in the state in the past six months that a good solid and lasting road, one that does not get muddy and rough and full of holes, can be made very cheaply through this section of Kansas.

It has been many times noted by men, who are close observers along these lines, that when our roads once get dry and smooth they are very solid, so solid in fact, that the heaviest loads make no impression on them.

To preserve this condition of the roads means virtually to do away with muddy roads. Less than a gallon of oil, crude petroleum, to the square yard secures the desired result. It is an old established fact that oil and water will not mix. With the surface of the hard road saturated with oil, the rainfall goes at once to the ditch line, the road remaining solid as before the rain.

Oil keeps the dust down. The amount of goods damaged by dust in a year in a city the size of Marion amounts to a good many dollars. Oil used on the streets settles the street-sprinkling problem. The oil on the street takes up and holds the dust that falls upon it, instead of adding it mite to the blinding dust cloud going down street.

The cost of this kind of road construction is very small. The road should be properly graded with ditches so it will drain readily, smothed with roller, drag, or both and oil put on and rolled again. In many cases, a road scraper and a road drag or roller will do the work. The oil can be very nicely and evenly put on with a street sprinkler.

Oil for this purpose can be put on the siding in Marion for three cents per gallon and a gallon or less to the square yard.

At Chanute, Kans., the other day, a block of this kind of street was made and immediately after heavy loads were pulled over it, the wheels making little more than a dent, while on the part of the street not so constructed, the wheels cut in about two inches. The use of oil in road building is also being used in the southwestern part of the state.

Handicap Shoot Monday

Several of the boys made good scores at the regular shoot last Monday evening. The club membership was not so well represented as at former times, but some good scores were made: Walter Brown, 76; Earl Giddings, 50; Carl Gilchrist, 80; Henry Minton, 44; Chas. Bryan, 48; Roscoe King, 50. The Club has planned to hold a handicap shoot next Monday afternoon at the target grounds on the 101 Ranch.

That stretch of road recently made by J.C. Watson just west of the Cottonwood Valley Mill is a good piece of work and has been commented on by a number of people traveling west of Marion. It is Mr. Watson’s idea of road building for this country and it’s all right. Mr. Watson owns the fine farm on the north side. That stretch of road is dry and in good shape hours before roads made after the old plan.

Several days the past week have been quite warm, quite a warm breeze blowing. Politics warming up and the Democrats getting busy.

H.M. King is building a one story building just east of Riggs Brose. On Main street. The building is to have a cement floor. Thus all the lots made vacant by the burning of the Leachman hotel, have buildings on them.

C.W. Thompson, Dr. C.C. Jones and Rev. H.C. Wharton spent the first of the week camping and fishing on the Cottonwood down at W.A. Stauffer’s place.

The ladies of the M.E. church announce they will serve dinner and supper on Election Day.

James Carter now has his gasoline launch, the Zenith, in service on the Cottonwood.

Dr. J.F. Coffman of St. Joseph, Mo., is a recent arrival in Marion and has offices in the Dean block.

W.H. Van Scoik has accepted a position in Cottonwood Falls for the ensuing year, as superintendent of the city schools.

There will be a lawn social at the country home of Mr. E.J. Kelsey on Friday evening, Sept. 11th. Ice cream and cake will be served and everybody is invited.