Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-02
ROADS,

10 continue mo discussion pi Tue luea-
ton.
Seriously. next to our bonded debt,
there is no matter i'll which all our peo-
pie at this time take SO deep an interest.
We question. however. whether they
have ever looked the matter full in the
face. and thereby intelligently realized
the value OF good county roads. We
do not pretend that we have siltcd it TO
the bottom and are prepared, either by
it in its clearest light. We are satisfied.
though. that there is much more in it
than is commonly thought.
We shall endeavor to bring out the
truth by comparing our condition with
that of other communities. which have
secured the blessing of good roads.
There are counties III Kentucky. tor ex-
ample. where every farmer who raises
= thousand barrels of corn and y thous-
sand bushels OF wheat. and finds him
self five miles from his market or his
shipping point, with one wagon and
four horses, can haul every bushel OF
his corn TO market. if he wishes 10 do
SO. in seventeen days, and his wheat in
less than four days. Here on our roads
in their ordinary condition. that is ut
their best, it takes n wagon an;i team
twice AS long to accomplish the same
task. With the roads as they are now.
it is virtually impossible TO move grain
TO market q distance OF five miles. In
consequence OF this. an embargo has
been laid on all deliveries OF grain.
farmers are al a standstill. and all bust
ness is stagnant. But let us leave all
exceptional reasons out Of the question.
and it will remain true that the same
force can accomplish twice as much
over good as it can over poor roads.
What Toes this amount to? Much
Fifty bushels OF wheat Is q maximum
load for our best roads and teams. The
same force in Kentucky can haul one
hundred. 4 maximum days work with
us for one team, five miles distant from
market. is one hundred and fifty bushels
OF wheat. In Kentucky the same force,
in the same time, will haul three hun
dred bushels. In addition, the wear of
the wagon and team are to be consider
sand barrels OF corn anil II thousand
bushels of wheat, will save about II
hundred and twenty dollars a year by
having good macadamlzed roads. Wedo
not claim perfect accuracy for these
figures. but they are sufficiently true TO
illustrate and bring out the point which
we wish to make. IT they are substan-
TALLY correct. each farmer can see Of
what direct and great service good roads
would be to him and it will be manifest
that 4 we'll devised system of turnpikes
would save us in hauling probably not
less than fifty thousand dollars q year.
1t will be said that for US turapikes
are impossible. We are now so greatly
; in debt, and m~acadamizing would be so
expensive that we cannot think OF such
4 thing for the present. Our purpose IN
| what we have already written is not to
/ prepare the way to advocate the build
ing of turnpikes. but simply to sho"
what an immense loss there IS III having
Door roads. We believe that there are
but few sections in which the common
| dirt road can be made better b IN u
own county. The nature OF the soil
and the configuration OF the country
combine to give US the possibility OF The
very best order of dirt roads. But We
| do not have them. The question is how
shall we secure them?
Our county Judges are all farmers
and practical business men. Moreover
that have not an official thought except
for the good of the people; and they
50 wisely administered our affairs that
they have reduced our expenses TO a
minimum. Let them complete the glory
of their administration by the most
practical plan for improving our roads
In the meanwhile, as we have hereto
fore suggested, let the intelligent. en-
terprising farmers OF the county, in their
oranges and other assemblages, dis
cuss the question. and give the court
the benefit of their conclusions.
From our talks with the people we
80 .-.-oJ ,bot tnoro "a q vcrv raparal
desire to adopt the contract system OF
working the roads. As we said in an
article on this subject several weeks
ago, this may be done, using the money
which can be set apart for the roads, for
the purpose and in addition giving the
people an opportunity to work three
days upon the roads beside. Our efficient
county clerk is nov preparing blank
petitions to be sent to every road dis
| trict IN the county. Let tbs matter be
pushed and it will not be difficult, we
think. to secure a large majority in every
district favorable to this plan. At the
| Nav term of The court this matter must
/ be ueteTFulncu. IL nc l fStohh
prevails, we urge upon the court that
| il take pains to secure the best c%Ontrac-
tors possible. No system IS good unless
it is properly worked. We have other
suggestions, which we venture not only
to make but to urge upon the court.
The first is that every dollar that can be
| spared from other necessities be devoted
to the Improvement OF the roads. The
expenses OF the county last year. ex-
| elusive OF appropriations tor roads, were
| not in excess of seventeen thousand dol
lars. The revenue collected upon a
levy of four mills, the constitutional
limit. will probably be in the n%eighhor-
hood of %thIrty-fve thousand dollars. 1t
is IL Judgment that every dollar of this
difference should be spent upon the
! roads, or that one half of the collected
revenue for county purposes should be
thus expended. In our present condition
no money will pay SC well. The people
ia the towns and IN the country will say.
amen; provided only that it he judi
ciously expended. We are satisfied that