[AT] Shale or gravel?

[Indiana Robinson]

	We are pretty lucky here as we have about anything we want close at hand. Years ago 
the roads were mostly gravelled with what is called "pit run" which includes 
everything from sand to stuff up to about 4". The average around here is from sand 
to about an inch and a half rocks. For many applications it is screened to about 2" 
max. They don't use any on the roads much here anymore since all roads are paved 
except a few short dead enders. Those are about all crushed white limestone. Most 
driveways are now crushed hard  white limestone. We also have a softer limestone 
that is sometimes called brown or yellow. It is seldom used for anything but base or 
barn lots. The hard white is sometimes referred to as blue stone.
	 It is becoming more common to use crushed igneous rock which is quite hard and is 
used because people like its warmer look. Some shale is used in parts of the state 
but not at all here.
	Southern Indiana is famous for its limestone especially from around the Bedford 
Indiana area. I was surprised many years ago when I was in New York and Washington 
DC at how many of the huge famous structures and monuments had tiny signs on them  
telling about the stone being from Bedford Indiana. I keep going to other areas and 
buying stuff to try to bring the proper amount of gravitational materials back to 
the area to replace the stone...   <(^¿^)>
	The little 17 acre place over in the next county has "Big Flatrock River" running 
through it. In much of the area it has a bottom of flat limestone. Back in the early 
part of the 20th century an old family friend had a "quarry" there just down river 
from our place there. He actually just worked out of the river for most of the 
stone. He had a small crusher and a wooden hopper with a screen. most of his 
production went to early road building. In one part of our place there is a section 
of the river that flows below a 40' limestone bluff (good fishing spot   <(^¿^)> ). 
I cleared a camping spot on the opposite shore many years ago and it makes a 
beautiful camping place. I really need to go back and clear it again and reconstruct 
the drive but I just never seem to have time anymore. I have not camped (except a 
few tractor shows) or fished in years. I don't do a lot of stuff I used to... I 
think is has to do with some mysterious increase in gravitational pull... There are 
at least 4 large stone quarry pits within a mile of that tiny village but only one 
is in use. The others are allowed to fill with water and end up as deep cold lakes. 
About the only activity is a little fishing and some scuba diving.
	There are also two other large stone quarries within a few miles of the farm here. 
There are also 4 or 5 large gravel pits within a few miles of us. I can go about 30 
miles north east and buy peat direct from the bogs there. Nice for garden stuff but 
not worth a piddly for driveways...   <(^¿^)>



--
"farmer"

I try to take one day at a time but sometimes several days attack
me at once.   <(^¿^)> 

Refurbished Shopsmith's
Good used SPT's
http://www.indiana-robinson.0catch.com/


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net