Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-09-06
Our Western Roads.

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The deluge of mud through which we
had to wade during the greater portion
of last winter ought to have a tendency
to prompt some general movement i'll
the direction OF improving our highways.
There is nothing, perhaps, that the av-
erage American is more sensitive upon
than the assessment and payment Of
taxes. He is apt to grumble even when
the actual necessities Of his government
without which his possessions would
be but little better than nothing re
qulres something more than ordinary
taxation; but when he is approached
with demand for road-tax, he can
scarcely repress startling outburst of
righteous Indignation 1t may be that
the dread of stirring him up is the cause
OF the large number of miserably- con-
structed roads in the country, or rather
the large number of roads that have
simply been opened, but never con
structed at all. 1t is very certain, how
ever, that this policy Of securing the
light assessment OF road taxes by neg
Letting to properly construct the road is
penny wise and-pound-foolish poll
cy. Such roads necessarily require
great deal of attention to keep them
even indifferently passable, but the re-
pairs thus made upon them are a good
deal IN the nature OF building and re-
building the dykes in Holland, and with
out any necessity for it's being so. IF
the roads were properly constructed in
the first place, this continual tinkering
them, and never having good road even
then, would be unnecessary. 1t would
cost something, and perhaps consider
able in most sections of the West, es-
peclally in those sections where the
land is low, and drainage is necessity,
but drainage and crawling would pay
for the time and cost expended in u
very few years. Very many roads
would be vastly improved if they were
properly drained, and this can be done
by thing under the center of the road
without causing such an enormous ex-
pense that it need brighten all the peo-
pie in township
Drainage, however, is only portion
of the necessary work, and, if that is all
that is done, an Indifferent road is all
that is secured after all 1t is, perhaps,
a good rule to go by that when a road is
built it should be the intention to build
one that will last forever. We may not
accomplish so high purpose, but in no
undertaking in life will setting our
mark high produce better results than
in road construction. Permanently
should be kept constantly in view from
the time a road is opened until it is pro-
nounced completed If there is gravel
in the county, it should be used freely,
as long as it lasts, or until the elevated
center OF the road is covered with it,
and if there does not happen to be any
in the county, then get it from some
other place, and have it transported by
railroad Do not become alarmed now,
and think us wild for suggesting that
gravel be actually brought to your poor
roads from long distances, for the sug-
gestion is made with firm belief that
it will pay for a county to do it. One
thing is certain, and that is, that good
roads will pay 1t is not a question of
saving first -cost-it is a question of
saving ultimate cost; it is not ques-
ton OF saving taxes-lt is question Of
saving horsefesh and wagons, and of
getting to market with our grain when
ever it is to our interest to go The
farmer who rcjoices at having saved
a few dollars at the cost of wearing out
and running Il valuable horse or two.
every few years, demonstrates that he
has not studied the road question as
much as he might, nor as much as his
interests demand, The roads of last
winter wore out more Of horse life than
it would have cost to have constructed
scores of decent roads. \ physician of
very large practice was once remon-
strated with for having such light We
hlcles, which, owing to excessive use,
soon wore out and necessitated new
ones. He replied that he formerly
killed two valuable horses in wearing
out one heavy vehicle, but that now he
wore out two light vehicles to one valu-
able horse, and he found it paid better.
This is the principle that we would
have farmers and others practice in
building and maintaining roads. Horse
flesh is valuable-too valuable to be
thrown away by any such neglect as
not keeping roads i'll repair, and roads
cannot be kept in repair unless they
are properly constructed in the first
place. The matter. too, Of being shut
out from market as was the case last
year. is of no inconsiderable importance.
The effects Of this prohibition are vari-
Gus, and will suggest themselves in in
dividual cases. 70 illustrate one class
we may mention the fact that two farm
ers were nearly ruined last winter in
consequence Of being unable to meet
their matured notes by reason of the
impOssibility Of reaching the market
with their corn. This is hut al Illus
tration ct numerous eases OF like or
nearly similar character, and is suf-
fcicntly suggestive of the damage
which actually results from bad roads
There is no doubt whatever that enough
Of this sort of injury occurred III almost
every community in the West to have
paid for many carloads Of gravel and
for its transportation long distances
We say, therefore, that it pays to
construct good roads. and that if the
taxes are heavy at first, they will be
light afterward, and that the saving in
every direction will pay the interest on
the outlay ten times over Western
Rmui