THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
TRYING TO KEEP RIFLES CLEAN
ROAD
BUILDING
ROAD BUILDING IN
A
a Iff
EMS
THE EVERGLADES
Tremendous Difficulties Faced In
Making Road Through Big
Cypress Swamp.
PART OF THE DIXIE HIGHWAY
Leas Than Twenty-Flve Inhabitants on
Mllllon-Dollar Stretch Known as
tho Tamlaml Trail Opens Up
Paradise for Motorists
and Hunters.
Mlnnil, Flo. It Is to be regretted
that grent find daring projects of con
struction when completed cannot tell
tho story of difficulties met mid over
come, Instead of presenting the smooth
finished appearance too often taken as
11 matter of course by the casual ob
server, without n thought ns to how it
was brought about. This In going to
bo tho enso of the Tamlaml trail, u
greater part of which Is over tho Dixie
highway, now being constructed
through the Everglades of Florida. Tho
road will extend from Tampa on tho
west const to Miami on tho cast, and
when completed in 1018 will represent
a total outlay in excess of ono million
dollars. Approximately $750,000 lias
been appropriated and work Is under
way, so that Its ultlmnto completion is
absolutely assured.
Largo bridge projects have been pro
vided for nt the crossing of tho Munu
too river at Urudentown and across
.Charlotte harbor at Puntn Gorda. Of
tho total mllcago of 270.0, tho stretch
from Puntn Gorda to Miami, repre
senting ntmllcngo of 188.0, has been In
corporated ns n part of tho Dixie high
way. This Is .tho most difficult part
of tho construction, ns n greater part
of it is through the Everglades.
Tremendous Difficulties Ahead.
With tho exception of tho comple
tion of tho bridges at Drndentown and
Punta Gorda, n well-graded rond, with
a largo part of tho mllcago surfaced,
will bo provided from Tampa to Marco
early In 1017. Some additional funds
aro needed to surfaco tho road In Leo
county. Tho highway from Marco to
tflilanil, n distance of 83 miles, will
probably roqulro tho greater part of
tho year to complete, on account of tho
tremendous dlfllcultlos to ho overcome
in building through Big Cypress
Bwnmp. An Interesting fact connected
with tho construction of this extreme
Southern cross-stato highway is that
on tho entire dlstanco from Marco to
Miami thero are less than 25, inhabi
tants, and theso aro mostly Scmlnolo
Indians; Leading out of Miami tho
Tamlaml trail will extend for 21 miles
west without a curvo or nnTinglc.
Tho contractors aro now obliterating
traces of tho story of months spent In
battling against terrific odds In the
muck and water of tho Everglades ns
thoy go, by sowing grass seed along
tho cmbnnkment of tho highway. Prop
erty owners aro dotting tho roadsldo
with palms and other tropical trees
nnd foliago, so that by tho Unto tour
ists can travel this great highway
across tho stnto, only canals, small
lalcos and rich fertile fields will ho In
tho foreground, where onco existed an
impenetrable Junglo with water, muck
nnd mud underneath.
Somo-lden of tho "bigness" of tho
task of building n road through tho
Everglades mny bo obtained from n
grnphlc.nccount of his struggles on Big
Mend, furnished by dipt. K. 11. Har
vey, who has tho contract for 55 miles
of tho trail from Fort Mvors tn Mnn-
co. "Thero aro no rules in tho book,"
soya Unptnln llnrvcy, "to lit tho propo
sition offered by lllg Bond. It was a
case of 'It's up to you, fight It out.'" It
was scrub mangrove and grass muck.
Think of tho leoves on tho trees slink.
ing and trembling, and tho whole mass
of muck nnd mud for hundreds of foot
In onch direction quivering and slink
ing llko a mass of Jelly with each vl
bratlon of tho drediro enirlne. Timn
think of putting a 40,000-pound otigluo
across. Well, I put it over, hut came
out wild, frantic nnd gray-headed. It
takes overy nervo ono has nnd ''can
borrow, with muck and mud under
neath 12 foot deep, and chancing tho
slightest mistake or error of1 itui
would mako n burlod nnd tangled
wrccK or 40,000 pounds of steel nnd
inuchlnory. Try it, nnd soo what sleep
less nights nro"
In answer to tho question of how ho
he did It, Captain Harvey said that ho
trlod plank and log crlbblnir. but this
was too tinccrtnln and treacherous.
'Alien brush mnts wero made and piled
tip four foot high, tho track lnid on
them nnd the machine forced over tho
Drosn mats. "Theso mnts," said Cop
tain Harvey, "wero often washed iimvt
In tho muck until tho track Inviirn
would havo to fish to tholr shouldors
in tno muu to get out tho rnlls nnd
cross tics."
For Hunters of Big Game.
mi., i i-i. . ...
.tun luuriBi who irnveis turn mm no
ho will bo nble to do ns far as Marco
,la 1017, will rolBs'tho thrills of tho
battlo with tho Everglades. Tho first
travelers mny see tho brown bears,
. wild cats and other donlzons nt ti,
JUngles, which frequently como within
100 yards of tho workmen to satisfy
their curiosity ns to -whnt
trc8 havo como to disturb their soil-
iaie. Asido from entering to tho do-
Ires Of tho motorist tn (.mln M,
( sch-talkcd-of Everglades, view tho
-eaderful scenery, nnd provide a xunt
tmmtiog prcservo accessible to huntere
W cane, the counties Involved had
tminMHtotisly Mr eoiamerclol Idea la
In (ho mud of the battlefield It Is
These English soldiers nro doing their
view In planning nnd carrying through
tho construction of the Tamlaml trail.
Lack of dralnago ns well as Inaccessi
bility makes dormant and worthless
hundreds of thousnnds of acres in tho
Everglades, which experts claim con
tain tho most fertllo soil to bo found In
tho world. Tho construction of the
Tumiaini trail removes both of theso
obstnclcs. Tho methods employed tn
excavating for tho canal nnd throwing
up tho rock marl and other material
for the roadbed, and depositing the un
suitable material, such a decayed veg
etable matter and muck, on tho other
sldo Is best described in Captain Har
vey's own words:
Furnishes 8ome Variety.
"Every concclvnblo kind, character
and condition of rond building is found
in tho first ten miles north from Mar
co. Cypress strands underlaid with
bowlder nnd bedrock; plno ridges of
bowlder and ridges of "tho hardest of
hurdpan, sand banks of clay of sovcrul
different colors, rock ridges outcrop
ping on tho surfneo; cabbugo palmetto
land; scrub buttonwood; prnlrlo land.
Hooded In tho rainy season ; flat-woods
land, saw-grass land, marsh-grass land,
soft-blue marl and shell land; all va
rieties of mungrovo land fswump hind ;
tldo flats; tide lands ono to two feet
under wntcr nt high tldo, bog lands,
mud holes ; muck ponds, creeks, rivers,
bayous and channels, mora combina
tions than any spot on earth to give a
contractor a run for his money.
"Hand labor was "out of tho question
and impracticable, so it becamo a Very
serious problem us to how to hundlo
tho proposition with tho vnrylng con
ditions Intermingled. A land dredgo
machine was decided upon and al
though It Is a long ways from perfect,
It hns answered tho general purposo
fairly well. It Is of steel beam con
struction, weighing some 40,000
pounds. It has n cubic yard dipper.
It straddles tho canal nnd runs on Its
own trucks and by Its own power. Tho
stool rails nr6 In four foot sections
nnd pinned nt tho ends wlfii a floxlblc
steel coupling on a 0-Inch thick 3-by-3
onk cross ties, enabling It to run over
uneven ground. Tho tracks aro 20
feet apart. Thus a canal source 24
feet wide nnd 12 feet deep enn bo dug
If desired. In this Instnnco tho width
CANAL SLIDES AT
LAST CONTROLLED
i
Sunday Work Is Suspended and
Eight-Hour Day Is to Be
Inaugurated.
NOW HAVE HO MISGIVINGS
Foreign Ship Owners Satisfied With
Outlook Precautions Are Taken
Against Passing Vessels With
Explosives In Cargo.
Panama. All Sunday work of tho
cnunl dredges liiis been stopped for
tho first time in four yenrs. Tho en
gineer in chnrgo considers Sunday
work no longer n necessity. Tho
slides nro so completely under control
It is further plnuned to work only
eight hours a dny on them nftcr a
short tlmo.
Tho fact that no United States
coastwise ships aro now using tho
cnunl proves that foreign world ship
ping has found tho canal bo snfo dur
ing tho last b1x months that there has
Won no fear to como by way of "tho
Isthmus. Prior to tho slldeH that
closed tho cnunl coastwise United
States vessels wero n very largo per
centage of the total for tho six months
period that hud tho greatest number
of ships mako tho transit. If tho
coastwlso vessels that were using tho
canal prior to tho slides hud been us
ing tho canal ns they formerly did
tho number of ships going through
during tho Inst six months would
have been far greater than during
any previous six months since tho
cnunl was first opened.
New Sailing Directions,
A new edition of tho olllctnl suiting
directions for the cannl Just mado pub-
flic calls tho attention of the shipping
world to tho fact that tho rlso nnd fall
of ships In tho canal locks Is so great
that what scainea call tho "chocks"
no easy matter to keep the rifles clean
best under t tic circumstances.
of the canal In most places depends
on tho amount of material desired for
the road bed. An even depth was car
ried with an idea of drainage.
How Work Is Done.
"We began cutting through tho
swump, dumping the muss of marl,
sand, etc., to one side. This dump Is
leveled down to grndo and surfaced
by hand with big heavy hoes nnd shov
els. Through Williams Island Jungle,
which was truly a Jungle In every
senso of tho word, a mass of trees of
all kinds and sizes; thousuuds of
switches, poles, brush, ferns, nil woven
together with bamboo rattan nnd other
vines. Perhnps several hundred would
bo chopped off nt tho ground before
tho mass would fall, so that it could
bo chopped apart with brush axes.
When It Is understood that the clear
ing had to be douo at the contract
price of $44 an acre, It can readily be
Seen that tho contractor had to run
llko the devil for his money. Somo
stretches could not be cleared for
thrco times tho price.
"Tho finished road bed Is 18 foot
wide. It Is IVj to 1 nlopo with 0-Inch
crown and 3 feet borm. Tho contract
for tho island part and part of the
mainland was 24 cents per cubic yard.
A contractor bidding at these prices
and under such conditions Is skating
on thin ice."
In removing the big rock ledges nnd
rock strata wherever encountered ex
plosives nro used. As tho major por
tion of the material to bo taken out is
soft, tho big bucket on tho dredgo is
nolo to do nil of the cxcnvntlng down
to bed rock. When the rock bed, ns
thrown up by tho dredge, hns stood for
80 days and so thoroughly dried nnd
settled, tho contractor's forces go over
It with pick nnd shovfcl, leveling down
u llttlo nbovo grndo to allow for roll
ing. Tho subgrado will bo rolled with
n roller weighing seven tons or more,
nnd any depressions arc brought to an
even surface. After tho subgrado has
been completed a rock surfaco to the
depth of 12 inches Is put on and rolled.
Tho rock Is then scarified, graded nnd
rolled. Twenty-four-inch culverts nro
to bo placed about every COO feet. In
Dndo county nt every mile station a
20-foot spur road, as a turnout, will be
provided.
and "bltts" on tho average ship aro
too light and Inappropriately made for
carcrul and safe handling of ships by
tho canal authorities.
"On account of danger to tho lock
gates resulting therefrom, tho Panama
canal reserves tho right." the new sail
ing directions announce, "to deny pas-
sago to ships hnvlng Inadequate
chocks and bltts ns described herein,
until suttnblo equipment can bo in-
stalled nt tho terminal ports."
Explaining this subject further, tho
now cannl regulations stnto:
"Experience hns demonstrated the
fact that most of tho chocks nnd bltts
nro too light In construction, nrid thnt
the chocks in particular should not
only bo mado heavier and stronger,
so thnt their Jaws mny stand u vcr
tlcnl strain, but that they should bo
of a permanently closed pattern and
not be mado with open Jaws. Bltts
should bo sutllcleutly Btrong to with
stand tho Btruiifof n 1-lnch (dlnm
eter) wlro lino with a pull of 50,000
pounds, nnd bo firmly riveted to tho
docks, nnd if necessary where tho
deck Is of wood or light plating, they
should havo an under deck plate, or
be secured between two deck frames."
Tho attempts to Injure shipping nt
sea by explosives In among tho cargo
has made tho canal ofllcluls strict In
applying tho regulations for ships
known to carry highly Inflammable
cargoes. Tho new odltlon of tho ofll
clal sailing directions provides thnt
"vessels currying explosives or high
ly lutlnmnmblo enrgoes should so no
tify tho governor nnd obtulu permis
sion beforo they will bo nllowed to
enter tho cannl. In requesting por
mlBslon for such vessels to transit the
canal the character and npproxlmntc
nmount of explosives should bo
stnted, tho ports of departuro and
destination, nnmo of ship nnd pnrtj
to whom consigned. This may bo
done by mall or cable. In general
permission will not bo refused, hut
theso precautions nro taken to safe
guard thtf Pnnamn cannl. . . . Vessels
carrying explosives tmnslgncd to port
beyond tho canal ono will not bo al
lowed nlongsldo tha whurvos whU
such explosives are on board."
JOST OF ROADS AND BRIDGES
Construction Expenditures Have In
creased Nearly Fourfold In tho
Past Twelve Years.
(Prepared by tho United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
Expenditures for tho construction ol
roads and bridges in the United States
havo Increased nearly fourfold In the
past twelve years, while u greater und
greater proportion of the amounts ex
pended huvo come to bo puld out un
der state supervision. At tho same
time there has been n marked decrcasa
in tho proportion of contributions to
road building in the form of statute
lnbor. Theso facts nro brought out by
statistics recently compiled by the of
Uco of Public Itoads nnd Engineering
of the United States department of ag
riculture. The total length of public roads in
the United States outside the limits of
incorporated towns nnd cities wut
about 2,452,000 miles on .Tnnunry 1
1010. Of this, about 277,000 miles, oi
11.3 per cent, wdro improved with some
form of surfacing. Tho mileage of sur
faced roads has been increasing at the
rato of about 10,000 miles a yenr, nnd
in 1915 approximately one-half of this
Increase was mado under tho supervis
ion of stnto highway departments. In
addition theso departments supervised
tho maintenance of nearly r2,000 miles
of mnln nnd trunk-line ronds.
Tho increuse in expenditures foi
rond nnd brldgo work in tho United
Stntcs hns been from uppsoxlmntcly
580,000,000 per year In 1004 to nbotit
$282,000,000 In 1015, an Increase of
more than 250 per cent. The expendi
ture of stnte funds during this same
period Increased from nbout $2,500,000
to more than 53,000,000. In addition,
more than $27,000,000 of local funds
was spent under stnto supervision In
1015, bringing tho totnl road nnd-
brldgo expenditures managed by the
states to $80,514,090. This nmount Is
grenter than the total expenditures foi
roads and bridges from all sources In
1004.
Tho growth In importance of the
state highway departments hns been
rapid. The first of these agencies was
created In 1891 in New Jersey and now
somo form of highway department ex-""
ists In every stuto except Indiana
South Carolina and Tcxns. Since thclt
Inception these departments had ex
pended to January 1, 1010, an aggre
gate of $203,850,825 in Btate funds foi
road and bridge construction, main
tenance, and administration. They had
constructed over 50,000 miles of rond!
In co-operation with tho states. More
thnn 40,000 miles of theso roads wer
surfaced.
The falling off In the valuo of road
work performed by statute and convict
lnbor was from $20,000,000 lnw1004
when the total road expenditures wort
$80,000,000, to nbout $15,000,000 in
1015 when tho total expenditures had
grown to $282,000,000. This was n re
duction from 25 per cent of tho total
In tho former yenr to less thnn 5 pei
cent of tho totnl In 1015.
An increase in the use of better nnd
moro expensive types of roads nlso is
shown by tho recently compiled stu
tlstlcs. This development has been due
In largo part, to tho great increase In
automobile trafllc. It Is estimated thnt
thero are now approximately two and
a half million automobiles In uso on
tho roads of the country, or one caj
for every mho of road. This present
motor trafllc Is In excess of traffic of
all sorts 12 years ago.
Tho cash road und brldgo expendi
tures of the United States averaged
only $28 per mile of rural roads In
100-1. In 1015 this average had grown
to $109 per mile. Now Jersey led all
other states both in 1004 and in 1015,
with $221 and $475 per mile respective
ly. Nevada mndo tho least expendi
ture in both years $3.72 per mllo in
1004 nud $17 per mllo In 1015.
GOOD ROADS AND FARM AUTOS
Where Better Highway Spirit Has
Brought Results, Greater Farm
Prosperity Is In Evidence.
In Georgia, as elsewhere, wherever
thero Is a county with n good roads
record ; whero the good roads spirit 1ms
brought permanent results in a thor
oughgoing, working system for tho
maintenance of u county's roadwnys,
grenter furm prosperity Is lu evidence,
nnd tho automobile und the uuto truck
uro In demand. Ami under such con
ditions thero will be au increasing de
mand for them.
A prosperous Georgln furnier said
recently that, working on tho lino of
greater farm efficiency, progressiva
farmers nro extending their farming
operations so as to Include every help
that science nnd Invention can afford,
no matter what the cost. Atlanta Con
stitution. Millions for Arkansas Road.
Itoad work projected in Arkansas
from October 1, 1015, to October 1,
1010, was 1,330 miles in length, at nn
cstlmntcd cost of $5,000,753.87, no
cording to announcement by W. B,
Owen, state highway" commissioner.
Conserve tho Straw.
Don't burn tho straw. If nnyono
tells you that Hesslnn fly hnrbor in
tho straw tell him that It Isn't so.
TJio fly remains dormant In tho first
Joint of tho stalk and even burning
tke stubblo doeBn't get them all.
Rare Chinese Books Now in Congressional Library
WASHINGTON. There Is n Clitnese library In Washington which ranks
third nmong the Chinese libraries of tho Western world, n library which
contains moro thnn 40,000 volumes of Chinese printed books, and 10,000
volumes in other Asiatic tongues, ac
cording to Dr. AValtcr T. Swingle of
tho Library of Congress.
The Chinese library In question is
part of the Library of Congress, und
le known as the Chinese collection of
thnt institution.
"We have not only one of the largest
nnd probably tho best arranged collec
tions in Western countries, but nro
fortunate In possessing mnny very rare
or very valuable works which would
be highly prized ex'en In Chlnn," de
clared Doctor Swingle. "An exhibition recently prepared at the library shows
Sung, King, nnd Yuan dynnsty prints, nnd two early Mlnj? prints, printed
before 1450 A. D. Some of theso works arc of grout interest, being editions
supposed to have been lost even in the Orient.
"Besides theso early works dating from the twelfth - century, the snmo
exhibit contains material illustrating tho three lurgest books in the World.
"These are: 'The Great Ming Encyclopedia,' which took the equivalent of
8,000 yenrs" work in compilation; the 'Imperial Encyclopedia,' the largest
printed work made up by order of tho Manchu emperor, Ch'lcn Lung, from
1773 to 1782, and Including all the principal works in the Chinese language."
How President Wilson Obtains Wanted Relaxation
FOR the last few months there has been n great mystery nbout the White
House. It has to do with one of the means which the president employs
to relax from his presidential duties. This form of amusement Is nothing
more than the good old game of pool,
latest detective stories. President Wilson does not believe it wise to keep tho
midnight oil burning. Therefore, tho hours of 11 o'clock usually finds him In
bed. More often it Is beforo 11 o'clock that ho retires. This Is necessary
because of his early rising.
The following sign could properly be posted upon the door of the White
House offices:
"Ofllce hours, 5 o'clock in the morning until 10:30 o'clock nt night."
Usually the" president's nfternoons have been given over to recreation,
which may bo golf, or motor rides.. Mrs. Wilson. Is generally his companion
in, both. The motor trips -are usually, over by 0 o'clock, so thero is ample time
to prepare for 7 o'clock dinner. Most of the president's evenings have been
devoted to work.
Plan Made to Treat "Postmastering" as a Business
PLANS by which tho present method of presidential appointment of post
masters will be uhollshcd and appointments made lnstend under the civil
service nro under consideration by the post ofllce department. If Mr. Burle
son's Idea Js made law It will take
away from members of congress their
Influence In tho selection of postmas
ters nnd remove from politics a subject
of patronnge the country over. Among
mnny members of congress there is u
strong seritlment for the lnw.
Tho department, It is said, has
been handicapped In somo of Its pro
gressive measures because postmnsters
were chosen for their popularity rath
er than for their business ability.
mho pinn proposeu wouiu make
postmastorshlp a business which u man must first qualify for before receiv
ing nn appointment. It would make possible the promotion of a postmaster
from a small ofllco to a larger one,- nnd lnstend of Installing a postmaster for
n four-year term to remain In ono placo he would bo Installed In the ofllce he
is best fitted for. If it wero found that a postninster serving lu an ofllce with
receipts of $10,000 was qualified to 'serve In nn olllco with receipts of $100,000
he would be In line for promotion to such nn ofllce.
By this method the service, it Is declnred, would be Improved and at the
same tlmo would be placed on a business basis nnd economies realized. ' j
Tho proposed change would nffect 0,102 postmasters, the number now
appointed by the president. Of theso 507 are first class, 2,212 secondscluss,
0,413 third class. ' " ' -
Talented Sculptress Makes Bugs for Government
PERSONALITY nnd nchlevcment unite to mnke of Mrs. Mica Zesta Heldo
mann one of the most Interesting figures in tho gnlaxy of gifted women of
the capital city. Of Danish birth, she studied sculpture under the ablest mas
ters of Europe, and has created some
made on a gigantic scale. Somo are
wr.ndrously beautiful, while others, In their magnified ugliness, nre hideous
beyond compare.
Modest lu the extreme, Mrs. Heldemnnn refused to see anything extraor
dinary In tho unusual and clever samples of her art that are everywhere in
evidence tn her charming homo at Forest Glen.
"Usually I make only tho bad bugs," Mrs. neldcmann explained, "the ones
thut aro injurious to health and to the crops of tho farmer and fruit grower.
Never aro any mode for Just their beauty or their good qualities. And they
are of necessity made so scientifically as to bo of valuo educationally. These
models nro used very lnrgely in the ngrlculturnl colleges to impress upon the
students the character of tho Insects and bugs of vnrlous kinds that prey upon
the grains, fruits nnd vegetables nnd cnuse destruction of crops. Sometimes
there nro Insects that combat such pests, and I mako them, too. -
"Tho modelrf of tho bugs must bo largo enough so that tho tiniest lnstict
represented Is seen In as much detail as If it were being observed in life
under a strong glass."
Asked of what material she made her bugs, Mrs. Heldemahn replied:
"Anything nnd everything. Of course, I have n composition which Is my real
secret, but the rulo that guides mo In choosing rorfterlals is to mako them
lifelike; so all sorts of mnterlnls nro used. I study the bug, nnd anything
that will make tup big model look Just ns It looks in life, I use. After tho
drawing Is mndo to suit me, then a skeleton must bo made for permanency
to build upon.
"Into tho construction of this go also many things, uccordlng to the
naturo of the InBect wire, metals, wax, hairs, thread, silk, celluloid, glass,
rubber, plaster of pnrls, loather, several special kinds of gauzes, silvery
powder and the composition and the first thing you know tho bug is done.
Yes, It Is tedious work; always weeks, sometimes months, are required In
nnklne come of the more difficult ones."
or, speaking In more polite terms,
pocket billiards.
When the conditions are normal
at tho White Houso the president has
two means of relaxation other than
.playing billiards. He takes great de
light in reading poetry aloud. The
otlier form of amusement Is the read
ing of detective stories. There is a
government employco in Washington
who considers it his especial duty to
keep the president supplied with the
I'M 7E LUl
,YUH THET
FftL'LOSE
SOME VERY
EFFIShW
net! BY
OOIH'THIS
tVAY
Jf(-
rcmnrkubly skillful portralts-ln bronze
nnd murble.
But it is not for her art statues
and portrait busts that Mrs. Hclde
mann hns nchleved distinction in gov
ernmental circles, but for her wonder
ful models of " bugs, of which, she hns
mndo so mnny that she has forgotten,
the names of half of them.
Under her talented fingers Jho
bugs nro marvels of nrt. They -nro
