The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-01-12
What asBecOme OF our state
IL O:ldI

Mr.. Edltor:-Can the JOURNAL give
any light on this subject?
We have certainly had such road sur
veyed by commissioners duly authorized;
and, we believe, men who were compe-
tent for the task they undertook. Every
mark made on the route is standing
proof ofthis. They did, and do still be-
lieve, that the public required such road
to be laid.
But where is our roads Echo answers
-wheres Follow, with us if you please,
the traveller as he journeys from Pean to
River Falls, and we will show you where
1t was intended to be. e beg your par
don. l have this moment been informed
that some thirty miles of this road from
Pepin has been adopted.) But we will
follow the traveller. AS he emerges from
the timber into the open prairie, be begins
to discover the outlines of River Falls; he
| contemplates its beautiful location; its
proximity to timber; the Kinickinic with
its miniature Niagara. He has heard the
Lacrosse d Lake Superior Railroads
were to form a junction here; he imagines
those beaufsaal. prairies laid out into streets
and everywhere covered with palace-like
buildings.
All of a sudden his pleasant reverie is
interrupted by being drought up standing
plump agin' the fence" in full view Of
your quiet village. He looks back. He
sees roads crossing each other at all kinds
of angles, without guide board or way
mark of any kind, to direct him to any
place. He looks ali cad, sees track lead
ing across the field. If he takes away the
fence and goes via Mr.. A. Pratt's thence
to the South Fork road he gets along
! quito comfortably. But if he angles to
tho left and travels one half mile directly
out of his course, thence one mile north, il
hois not "mired neck and ears he will
find himselfin the vicinity Of three fonrths
of a mile nearer tbs village than when al
said fence.
Now we appeal to the citizens of River
Falls. We ask you if this is not mat
ter worthy your consideration? This be-
ing the first mail route established thro
your town, is it not exceedingly bad fol
the mail carrier to angle, making unneces
sary travel, up hill and down, through
mud and over the worst conceivable
ground that the road could be laid on
while nature has provided a road, direct
level, dry and smooth, already built will
the exception of bridging the South Fork
Now we believe it to be the duty O
the town Supervisors to open that portion
of the road between the Rush River roa(
and the South Fork road.
Mr.. A. Pratt has been kind enough tx
/ remove rornorUff his fence and let PEG
plepass through his field during the winter
And Mr.. S. Pratt, our heart swells will
gratitude for the kindness he has so many
times shown us in letting us pass through
| his field, when it was impossible to go tn
travelled road.
We are told that nearly the whole ia,
of that road district has, fer two yeal
past, been expended on that piece of roat
known as the lane.
We beseech the taxpayers of that dis
trict not to sink any more Of their funds
in that "mud- hole," as the people do no
want road there, and will not travel j
unless necessity colnpels them to do 80.
CITIZEN.
River Falls. Jan. 9th 1859.