Evening Star Newspaper, October 3, 1936, Page 17

WIDTH IS PR_QBLEM State May Raise Hundred Million for Task of Restoring Reputation in This Form of Service. By Carlos C. Nagel. GOOD road in our present era is a commodity noticeable only when it ceases to be good. Not unlike our health or sleep, we are consclous of it when it is gone or waning. Currently, the roads of Maryland are becoming a topic of conversation because of their condition and anti- quated designs, and because & project is under consideration to raise $100.- 000,000 in order to restore Maryland’s reputation as a progressive State ln‘l the important matter of roads. To the average person, requirements | for a good highway are, roughly, & smooth-running surface, wide enough | to allow ample space for cars to pass, | with properly calculated grades on| curves to take care ¢f the centrifugal force, drainage and @lear-cut mark- ings. At least, this is what the aver- age person should look for in & good road. Actually, we look for very lit- | tle and generally content ourselves | with an appraising glance at the smoothness of the surface ahead. When $100,000,000 is being con- templated to be sunk in roadways, in order to give them the present-day | status as such, it should be of in-‘ terest to investigate just what does‘ constitute & good road, how it comes | about and how chance is being over- i come, in order to insure future serv- ice with the minimum of upkeep cost America has been the pioneer coun- try in the perfection of roads, we have had no opportunity to study other countries’ experiences for our benefit. but on-the contrary, we are looked upon from the outside as leaders in this important field. Especially in the Far East and in South America, hard- surfaced roads have been introduced by American experts, American- trained engineers or American super- vision. Our engineering and techni- cal colleges always have had a group of foreign students, especially inter- ested to learn the secrets of good-road construction. IRST, a visit to a well-equipped laboratory in which material for road building is tested and then an inspection tour over any road under construction. in the company of & road engineer, will tell us with magic speed that roads do mot just happen to be For an asphaltic road, which un-| doubtedly is the most interesting. gince more derivations of this type are to be found throughout the coun- try. asphalt, crushed stone, sand and dust are used as a basis. With the | choosing of these materials, the actual | work of the technician begins. He must determine just what type of asphalt shall be used, what sort of crushed stone or rock, what sand and dust. The answer to these questions de- | pends largely on the locality in which | the road will be built—the type of sub-soil to be encountered there, the climate characteristics of the country, the present base, if any, and many Jess important factors, too long to | enumerate. } As & working basis in reaching a | decision on these questions, actual | samples of material—soil, sub-soil, | stone, etc., from the existing road- | bed and adjacent territory are sent | to the construction company's labora- tory. The proper inspection of these | samples will decide whether or ot | the material will be useful for the | construction. | Since today the use of natural| asphalt, that is, the residue of evapor- ated petroleum found extensively in | the Dead Sea and in Trinidad, South America, has practically been discard- ed in the United States in favor of artificial asphalt, obtained as a resi- due of petroleum and some types of tar, the latter only shall come to our consideration. A 19 or 12 ounce can of asphalt which is likely to fill the requirements, several pounds of stone, sand and dust are shipped to the laboratory, together with an extensive report from the fleld en- gineer, giving his impressions of the | characteristics of the land, its climate, | conditigns of the sub-soll, and the | base. Of utmost importance, also, is the attached report approximating the amount of trafic the road has been subjected to: the probable in erease when resurfaced, and the type | of traffic, whether passenger cars, freight or other commercial vehicles. IT 18 too long and too technical a process to follow in detail the chemical tests to which the asphalt 13 submitted in the. laboratory while evaluating its fitness to the require- | ments, but some of the other tests are equally important and present interesting points. Having in mind the temperature ‘wariations throughout the year, in the place where the asphalt is to be used, & test of its hardness is made. The specifications of the fleld engineer contained the minimum and maximum hardness the material should have. In this experiment we check with & penetration machine. This machine 1s composed of a needle loaded with a five-gram weight, which is released for five seconds on the surface of the asphalt being tested. The depth of penetration of the needle is measured, care having been taken to have the temperature of the asphalt sample & uniform 77 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the operation. By this first test the sample is clasified as a hard, soft or medium type. In order to ascertain the flexibility of the asphalt and its expansion capacity, a ductility test is effected, during which the sample is some- times expanded to an incredible length. For the proper consistency of the finished mixture, very much care is exercised in the grading of the size of stone or gravel to be used. Labor- atory screen tests of interminable length are made in order to find the proper size and quantity of stone, from 1/80 of an inch up to perhaps 2!, inches. The same is done with dust, which passes through a very fine 3+ creen measuring from 1/100 to 1/200 ef an inch, A Moreover, it is not only the size is tested. | of stone or gravel that An ingenious machine has been de- vised to calculate the exact wearing qualities of stone. A cylindrical- shaped steel case receives a specified quantity of stone, which, after the | | case is hermetically closed, is sub- mitted to 24 hours of methodical shaking by motor power. After 24 hours of this treatment the wearing quality of the stones can be deter- mined by the amount of stone dust produced, which, in turn, will cor- respond to the loss of weight of the stone. ‘This test is important in gauging the speed for the drying machines. with which every asphalt mixer is equipped. The large drums, in which these stones are submitted to a reg- ular drying, sometimes an extended (Continued on Page B-2.) he Foening Star. WASHINGTON, D. MARYLAND ROADS TO BE P Custom Shared With Indians in Colonial Days Becomes Featute of Season at Fredericksburg in Virginia. By Daisy Beatrice Fowler. hunting grounds are the dusky savages of Virginia, G who one day each year buried their enmity and met the “pale faces” on neutral ground to trade dogs. But the ancient custom, revived, modern- ized and minus the Indian, still lives. The annual dog mart, oldest insti- | tution of its kind in- this country, and reputed to be the only public sale of dogs in America, will be held in historic Fredericksburg, Va., on October 8. On that day, every dog lover in this section will be at the City Park to see, buy, sell, trade or exhibit dogs. is barred. There are neither entry nor admission fees. Each owner fixes his own price and drives his own trade. The dogs are tied to ropes, which are strung from tree to tree, with sufficient space between them to keep the animals apart. Prospective pur- ONE long since to the happy ! No canine breed, type or color | signature that the dog registered has not had any contagious disease within the last 30 days. Last year 350 dogs. representing 55 different classes, were entered from Washington, D. C.. Maryland, and over 50 towns and cities in Virginia. HE first revived mart drew a small crowd, but each year interest grows. Last year approximately 5.000 persons, from all walks of life, were present. More than one-third of the attendants are children, who always take an active part in the proceedings. Among the interested spectators are reporters and newsreel photographers. who grind out pictures of the event which are flashed to the far corners 'FEATURES N ews of Churches C, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, DOGS AT OLD MART (1) Samples of road material secured from field workers being placed in testing ovens by a laboratory technician. (2) Ductibility test for various types of . | asphalt. (3) General view of the laboratory where road construction materials are being studied and tested to determine the best type of surface and foundation for the superhighway of tomorrow. of the earth. Dog fanciers from many | States come each year in increasing numbers. The mart is now featured as a unique event in the Autumn | travelogue sponsored by the Virginia | State Chamber of Commerce. The bartering begins early in the morning. After a picnic lunch, Na- A satisfied participant holding his dog before the ropes at the Fredericksburg Dog Mart. chasers and traders circulate among the dogs and deal directly with the owners. Sometimes trades and some- times outright sales are made. There | is much haggling, as each owner tries to get the better of the deal. The old proverb that “every dog hath its day” is realized in Fredericks- burg. The park becomes a yelping, howling pandemonium. Unkempt mongrels bare their fangs at blue bloods from famous kennels, and well- groomed ones with impressive pedi- grees disdainfully sniff at frowsy “mutts.” Any dog, from the lowliest cur up, may be entered, provided the animal is free of disease. Each entry blal carries a statement for the owner's Nathanael Bacon Kinsey, ington’s Bell - thanael Bacon Kinsey, the auctioneer, rings Mary Washington's famous old | farm bell and the auction, which is a | modern addition to the ancient mart, | begins. The historic auction bell once be- | longed to Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington, who used it to call her servants to dinner. It was sold at her farm sale and for generations served as a farm bell. Eventually it became the property of an auctioneer, and for many years it has been rung by a successive line is new, having been broken and re- placed. Many persons have tried to buy the bell, but Mr. Kinsey, the dog pounds. it carefully locked in his safe. | RIR KINSEY, who has been an tive years the custom continued. auctioneer for nearly 40 years, was finally discontinued in 1775 be- will “cry” the sales, as he has done | cause of the hostile attitude of the In- | the marts served as outlets for the The original dog marts were held present owner, considers it a museum | on the hills near Fredericksburg, on piece and so valuable that he keeps What was then known as “Lease | Land,” due to the fact that the owners | | of the land leased it. For 77 consecu- sk s A 1936. PAGE B—1 REPARED FOR GROWING NEEDS HOME OWNERS MAKE DRAMA {Far-Flung Government Loans Have Been Made Amid Scenes Which Brought Out Pathos, Inspiring Courage and Some Humorous Phases of Life of People. I ‘ A 7HAT sort of people are they ; home-mortgage relief just and creditors, the “mortgagors” and I. C. ended by stepping itself into the A bird's-eye view from Washingten ernment was compelled to undertake Glancing through the letters on file It | ties designated and applied to the race | By John L. Coontz. who were affected by the three years of emergency | completed by the Home Owners’ Loan Corp.? Just who were the debtors “mortgagees.” to give their legal des- ignations, whose relationship the H. O. role of mortgage holder in more than a million cases? shows the universal scope of this re- financing enterprise. which the Gov- A closer view is required to be re- vealing. | in the corporation's offices you will | find mirrored in them all those quali- as “human"—faith, pride, sense of | duty, honesty, resourcefulness, filial | .at each mart since its revival. He |dians throughout the section and the | Joyalty, family solidarity, indolence, has a weakness for children, and when ! outbreak of the Revolutionary War. an eager little voice pipes up with a | | small bid and anxious eyes gaze long- | ingly at the dog on the block, he closes | | the bidding with a quick “Going, go- ing, gone!” and a happy youngster | becomes the proud possessor of a dog. Only about half the dogs entered | reach the auction block. Many are | | brought for exhibition only. Each | owner has the right to reject any and | all bids. Stray dogs are also brought | to the block, but a license must be | obtained before the dog can be taken away. | ‘The dogs bring at auction anywhere from 50 cents to $200. A single dog | has been sold for as much as $1,000. | In 1934 auction sales totaled $1,000. | | Last year they jumped to over $2,000. Sometimes the purchase price is de- | posited with & bank and the pur- | chaser takes the dog on trial, with the understanding that within a given time he may, if dissatisfied, return the dog and receive his money back. Judge A. T. Embrey of Predericks- burg, a lover of dogs and a student of history, conceived the idea of re- {wlvmg this unique Colonial custom. | The Fredericksburg Chamber of Com- merce enthusiastically adopted the | suggestion, and in 1927 recreated the | despair, greed, sharpness, the hope- The modern mart follows the origi- | lessness of insecure old age. In one The old well modernized. An example of rural home im- | provement under Government aid. | dog mart. | " OLD records, some unpublished, in- dicate that the dog mart was in | existence as early as 1698. The name | of the originator is unknown. Doubt- less some enterprising hunter con- | ceived the idea with the thought of | injecting new blood into the pack, | for 1t is said the original aim was to | exchange dogs with the Indians for breeding purposes. Colonists along “he Rappahannock and lower Po- tomac Rivers took part in these early marts. The Indians insisted upon bringing their arms along. They also brought furs and gold nuggets, which they laid out for inspection and which they used to purchase dogs outright pet breeds. nal procedure except that it has been ! home persistence and enduring courage expanded to include an auction and | to meet the buffetings of circum- an exhibition, so that interested deal- ers have the opportunity to look sll | the dogs over. Ribbons sre awarded to the winners in each class, and cups to the prize dogs of the hunting and stance; in another subterfuge and dis- honor to gain material wealth. | A cross-section of these letters is | like sitting in at intimate talks in living rooms across the country: In them there is raw material for the A‘poet, the dramatist, the spinner of Iahon tales and novels and the humor- | negotiations were necessary before all ist. Queer quirks of human nature run | parties to the refinancing could be through them like a strange thread; | brought into agreement, so the loan the many-sided and individualistic | could be closed. Today the mortgage characters of Americans reveal them- | is regarded as one of the best on the selves. Stories of sincerity; inventions books of the corporation in that of the human mind. county. N THE early days of the corporation | \\/E USUALLY visualize the calam- many worried applicants wrote di- | ity of foreclosure in terms of old- rectly to the President, seeking to ex- | time “mellerdramer,” with a silke pedite their loans. They came to the hatted, handle-barred mustache vile White House, to the central offices of | lain in Prince Albert coat, of the name the corporation in Washington and|0f Jack Dalton, thrusting into the even to individual executives of H. O. hands of the hapless widow papers L. C. in many States. Some are typed that bar her forever from the home on business letterheads. Others are in Of her heart and love. a feminine hand, on tinted linen But the individuals and financial paper, or rustling stationery bordered | institutions formerly holding mort- | in color. The expression is often trite. | gages taken over by H. O. L. C. were but usually sincere. Whether clothed | by no means of one class or character, in literary English or with every long | They differed from one another ale word misspelled, the theme is much most as much as did the borrowers, the same. A letter from Utah begins: The mortgagee might be a great bank, “I will inclose a little poem that I | representing a principality of steel or wrote, showing how hard hit I have | motors, or a retired workman whose | been and about how opiimistic I still chief source of income was one or two am; the Lord isn't dead yet.” The in- | mortgages on small homes. closure was entitled, “The Game: the | Dyring the depression years thou- Spirit of Optimism vs. the Spirit of | sands of these mortgage holders co- | the Depression.” Alas! the eight verses | operated with their distressed debtors inclosed lacked rhyme, meter and to the limit of their resources. In those other ingredients called for in| many cases, sometimes at the sugges- any approved recipe for poety. | tion of H. O. L. C. representatives, Directly to the President. one | they reduced the payments required woman expressed gratitude for the | under the original n, enabling the assistance in clearing the loan which | mortgagor again to carry his obliga- | she had received from a Maryland | tion, and relieving the corporation of office of the corporation, despite the | the burden of financing him. They fact that she regarded herself as “a | often granted temporary extensions of | Northerner.” | principal or interest, or exercised Another, addressed to “Our Presi- | “forbearance.” as the real estate term dent,” said: “You are taking the goes. In the records of the corpora- hard road to help the helpless ma- | tion are many instances in which the jority against the powerful, noisy | creditor willingly scaled down the minority. We wish you health and | amount of the defaulted debt to brinz happiness and a long life like Mr.|it within the maximum which the | Taft that you will see the benefits | corporation could lend on the prop- of your hard work.” erty and thus avoid foreclosure. To the corporation from Wisconsin In fact, there are cases in which came this unconscious bit: e w gage holder deserves more ‘We are full of energy and happi- | sympathy than the borrower. For, as ness at home with our children.” The | js jnevitable in deal = . letter praises an H. O. L. C. fleld em- is inev e lealing with such a | slone: “Wo slgnit the Rat pouenn ou | |TDE SOmiee of pramnn, & Wt Soon | Samuary 16. ' T was lucky that T met a | 10u0d out that not all of the home- | good, conacientious man, Mr. | "’:““‘r’"‘ and borrowers pos- | who knows his duty and is rendering | weec 4in® dour cardinal virtues. a good service to all alike * * * He | you, e those who have taken ad- was a great helper to me, a man of | vantage of opportunities to try to calm, tolerant and delightful nature.” | Cyooc Tepayment of their loans, ne- This from a woman: - | glecting to pay the small monthly “Mr. was very kind and I | DStallments required, even when able | hardly expected to meet that consid. | 1@ 0 0. There is the family that er.noyn_.mc, et atiaenes are| PO 10 principal or interest or taxes, haughty and gruff.” '¥S 8Te | gnd, when H. O. L. C. foreclosure im- rfi, }’;thm and pluck of men and ’ pends, moves to another section of women stand out in many of these | i€ COURtrY, leaving the corporation Tetters and stir deeply the emotions | DS €Xpense of acquiring and manag- of the human heart. % “;8" the property prior to disposinz > of it. WORLD WAR veteran, living alone in the remote pine woods of a Northern State in 1933, was un- | able to pay & lumber bill and in dan- | FOWer, sometimes a conniving second ger of foreclosure. He hitch-hiked | PArty, wWho has managed to buy the in the dead of Winter to the nearest | title for & small sum. His method is H. O. L. C. office, 250 miles distant. | {0 hold the property. pocket the in- Only hours remained before the fore- | COMe. ignore the obligations of the closure sale was to be held so the H. O, | Mortgage agreement, taxes, insurance THERE is the occasional *milker” of the property, sometimes a bor- of Fredericksburg auctioneers. In the \ or gave to boot in trades. It is prob- old days “Uncle Jack,” & former slave, | able that the settlers turned to their rang it up and down the streets at | own advantage the desire of the In- every auction. The copper bell is in | dians, who owned a half-wolf breed, perfect condition. Only the clapper | to possess the white man’s dogs. Later auctioneer at the Fredericksburg Dog Mart, holding Mary Wash- Modern replaced suci thousands of ir:g:ovemu, provided for by home loans, have 3 olete systems as this with modern plumbing in L. C. office rushed its investigation. An appraiser in the county where the property was located persuaded the owner of an airplane to fly him over an almost unknown stretch of forest, risking a landing on the ice of a lake, from which the rest of the journey was made by dog team and snow shoes. The appraisal was made and found to cover amply the small amount of lumber needed. Search of the legal title followed and the loan was closed. In 1928 a young couple bought a small home with a grocery in front. By frugality and hard work they had reduced their debt to one-half, when the depression struck. To pay taxes they had borrowed on their life in- surance policy. It was their last resource. A 15-year monthly “amortized” H. O. L. C. loan has put them back on their feet. All the public officials and most of the citizens of a certain county in Ohio admire the fighting spirit and enterprise shown by one young couple. Incautiously in the face of a decrease in the husband’s business in 1930, they had bought a small house in the country, on the proverbial shoe-string. Prom another owner they acquired the adjoining lot. They undertook many improvements, largely on credit. In 1932-33 they had to stave off the col- lection efforts of two holders of first mortgages and an assortment of other ereditors. Both husband and wife were vigorous, intelligent and moved by the pioneering spirit. Weeks of A and repairs, and so continue until the | processes of law catch up with him. | His aim is to dump the property on the corporation after he has extracted the last dollar possible from it. In some States the laws permit such a | course of action for up to a year and | & half. Sometimes a delinquent bor- | rower conceals the facts of his con- dition from the field representative of the corporation, whose job is to help him work out of his difficulties, The great mass of the families | whose homes have been snatched from the auction block are in an en- tirely different category. Appreciative of the assistance given them in the emergency of their home, they are doing their best to carry out their agreement with the Government. These million owners of small prop- erties are a cross-section of the thrifty, hard-working, home-loving American people. They look sur- prisingly like your neighbors. During periods of regular employment and income, Whether professionsl men or :ll.boren. they had put a large part of their savings into homes in which they could rear their families and enjoy their elderly days, and pass on in the future to their children. Six years ago they would have laughed at the idea that they would ever have to borrow from the Govern- ment. Some are again in comfort- able circumstances after the hazards of the depression; others find it & struggle to keep up their homes and their contracts with the Government.