Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-01-03
To the Editor Of the chicago Ttribupe

$50 ~ :" os0i uouy 10 SIuuUIiug
at the embargo on the business of the
country, and wishing for freeze.
The story of why the Irishman did
not fix his shanty will apply to the
presentcase. 8
The roads cannot be fixed awhile it
rains," and with cold weather they
won't need fixing. aa
AS soon as the roads in any way
again become passable, in the rush to
make up for lost time and hurry pro-
duce to market the effects of the nert
thaw and rain will be forgotten.
For twenty years l have written
many articles that have been published
urging the Importance OF this subject
upon the attention of the people of
this and other States.
Several times / have called the at
tention OF our Governors and legisla-
tors to the Importance of better and
more effective system. a
A number of times / have called
the attention of our State Board OF
Agriculture to the subject. One year
succeeded in getting them to offer
premium for the best road, and then
that sleepy lot of Solons dropped the
subject. a os
have been an Oyerseer of Roads.
and also Commissioner of Highways,
and have had ample and practical ex,
perlence in road matters.
Some years ago | got mad and
swore | would have a good road from
my residence in Ellington to Quincy,
and PIE got it.
Now, If some one in every neigh.
borhood in the State will get mad
very mad-at the waste of road taxes
| and the slipshod manner of working
highways. and start out among his
neighbors and say, "Come on, boys
and keep mad; keep on saying
"Come on, boys" there would be
hundreds of miles of good gravel road
IN Illinois before the lst of April.
| There are in many parts of the
State creeks where immense bars Of
gravel are to be had for nothing but
the hauling. There are also ridges
and beds of bank gravel. Either ol
these will make first class and chear
road bed.
| There are hundreds of roads in the
State that cross these creeks over
beds of this material, where to-day
the roads for miles are sea Of i'm
passable mud.
For years it has been a matter OIL
astonlshment to me to see road Of
hcers hauling, blowing, and scrapine
within stones throw of these i'm.
mense beds of gravel. have otter
told such road. bosses the story of the
old chap in Indiana whom everybody
knew and respected for his "waeon
horse sense" but who occasionally
when in town, got reasonably full o.
old rye. One day, on his way home
"full as tick" he came to piece Of
very bad road, where a road boss and
a party Of his neighbors were making
some corduroy Indiana raid road,
They were piling in the brush and
logs, and hauling in dirt to cover
them. The old chap in his buggy
was "bumping along" When he
came up with the party he sang out
S"Whoa! (hic) what are you (hicl do.
ing here (hic),you did iools,ye (dic)?r
'Why, UNCLE said the BOSS don,
you think this bad place ought to be
| fxed?'
| Certainly (hic) but not in that chic,
way. Go down to the creek (hic)
\ you id fools ye (hic), and haul thai
gravel (hic), and slap it into this mud.
hole (hic), and then it will stay (hic)
| fixed
| Said the boss; Uncle, your head is
level, drunk or sober. Come on,
boys, and tackle that bedr
| Tradition says that road is now one
of the best in the State.
/ The winter season is the best time
to put on this gravel, because the
! farmer has the time and teams other
wise idle. The frost will only require
additional picking, and a man and
team can easily, these short days,
make four loads day and haul two
and half miles.
Dump the gravel in the centre of
the road, breaking with hammer all
the large rocks.
Commence with a single track.
Three good loads will make a rod five
feet wide and ten inches thick in the
centre. No grading is required. for
the gravel itself fills up the road and
makes its own grade. AS soon as the
travel has packed the gravel, and per-
haps made ruts, one load to the rod
will fill up the ruts, and you have
good road bed that will not cost to
exceed 81 per rod, and less according
to the distance hauled.
Now, if every Commissioner of
Highways in the State where bank or
creek gravel can be had within three
miles will just get on his ear and de-
clare he will have good road, thu
result would be surprising.
Let him Cor any other mani start
out among his neighbors saying, 4
will give two weeks or more with
man and team hauling gravel; now,
neighbors, what will you do 2 Just
as soon as three have agreed to your
offer commence work, and the exam
pie, with little canvassing, will be
generally followed by nearly all that
neighborhood.
Where any township road funds
are available let the Commissioners
say that Ito the extent of their ability
they will assist the good work.
Cold weather will make our roads
simply passable until the next thaw,
when, the earth being full of moist
ure, they will again be in fearful
condition.
Do not delay. Begin now. Do
not procrastinate until the big muddy
Of December, 1877, is forgotten.
In those portions of the State where
there is no bank or creek gravel,