The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-02-18
Come, farm and garden
T.. TURNPIKE ROADS.

While this subject is agitating the
minds of our people, the foi!rwing let
terfrom the Bucyrus Journal. written by
]. Q. A. Campbell, OF the Bellefontaine
Republican, will be very interesting
reading:
REPUBLICAN, OFFICE.
Bellefontaine, O., Jan. 25, 1876.
Mr.. JOHN HoPLEY-
Dear Sir: In response TO your letter
of inquiry of the 22d, viii give such
information ia regard to the construc-
ton, cost and benefit of free pixies in
our..cornty, as have at hand.
When / came here eleven years ago,
there was not pike in the county, and
it was almost an impossibiltty for farm
ers to market their grain and stock in
the muddy season, though prices should
run higher than at any ether time.
Now, we have about 10 miles of pike
completed, and several pixies under con-
tract. These pixies ramify the county,
and the result is that farmers can bring
their products to market just when
prices suit them, regardless OF the wealth
er or the roads.
The pixies built have cost an average
of about 81, 800 per mile (this covering
ell outlay, but they do not cost nearly
50 much now as when we first COM
menced operations under the law.
In this county we have operated un-
der what is known as 1.-THE omile
law" which authorizes the construction
OF pike on any road, where a majority
of the land owners within two miles of
the road petition for it. My opinion is
that the law under which the pixies have
been constructed in Haidin County is
the better one; but this may be because
1 know less about it. Under that law
the Commissioners latter getting an af-
firmative vote in favor of levying a tax
for such purposes) may build pixies
where majority petition for a pike,
and assess half the cost on the land
owners along the line of the road, and
half on the county at large.
There has been considerable opposi-
ton to the pixies we have built, ON the
part of those who did not petition for
them; but I have yet to see the first
farmer who was not glad that he had his
pike after it was built and paid for.
Those farmers who travel part of the
way to town on a pike and part of the
way In mud road, very soon move for
q pike, that will take them to their
doors. And in many places far
mers are grading and graveling their
own private roads, with their own labor
and teams, so reluctant are they to
jump into the mud after riding almost
home on pike.
The appraisement of real estate came
so soon after the Inauguration of our
system of pixies, that no estimate can be
made from it of the increase OF the value
OF farms consequent upon the building
of the pixies. But there is a very marked
difference in the prices farms are held
at on the line of pixies and off the pixies,
and no man who holds farm on pike
would think of selliug it without getting
a material advance over the price he
asked for it before the pike was built.
remember one case where a farmer
of limited means complained when his
assessment was made, that he could not
pay the tax and would not; yet he went
to work with his team on the pike, when
it was being constructed, making enough
to pay his whole tax, and was offered, at
the completion of the pike, five dollars
an acre more for his farm than he had
offered to sell for before the pike was
built. From an earnest anti pike man,
he soon changed to an enthusiastic ad-
sgocate of pixies.
fnspsaking of the advantage of pixies,
Iwould not forget TO mention their bear
ing upon the farming community in
a social way. Good roads enable farm
ers to get about among each other when
they have the most leisure time, and
they do good deal to promote culture
and sociabiliry among them. have often
been struck with this fact since our pixies
were built. On Saturday afternoon, if
the day is at all fair, our town is always
thronged with farmers and their wives,
or sons and daughters, from all parts of
the county, who meet here to see their
friends or to arrange matters of business.
The stock of horses has greatly I'M
proved, and the farmers who have not
buggies, and who ride to town in their
wagons are the rare exception.
The advantages to our town are of
course commensurate with the improve
ment of and advantages to the country.
Anticipating this, we voted five mill
tax in aid of pixies, and our council have
appropriated from $500 10 81, 800 mile
to all pixies terminating at our town, as
the town was not taxed under the two
mile law.
We bave an abundance of gravel in
our county and have used that material.
We have done much. We expect to
do much more. We would not GO back
to our starting point for any considera-
ton.
These thoughts thrown hastily to-
gether are gathered from my experience
through the whole era of pike building
in our county, and are freely given for
what they may be worth.
Yours, ]. @ A. CAMPBELL.
INSECT STATISTICS.
In 1872 the caterpillars of the brown
tail moth were so numerous as to de-