Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-01

WIotu VI biaOh, Uut nlO oiAhSSe
paved with broken stone, except the
steep places, which are sometimes paved
with small cobble stones, with two lines
of long flags for the wheels of vehicles to
run on. These roads are hard and
smooth as floor, kept in perfect repair,
and can never be muddy. On each side,
altern ately, about ten feet apart, are little
granite posts, standing about two feet
above the surface, FOR what purpose is
not apparent, but possibly to designate
the track more readily when there is
snow on the ground. At every kilome-
tres distance larger granite post records
the distance to the passed and the coming
town, and at crossings, other solid posts
record the distances and places in all di-
rections on the several roads. Twenty
feet on either side grow stately trees,
which unite their branches on both sides
and across the track, sheltering it, as
BEAUTIFUL ARBoR
from the sun and weather; and so these
magnificent roads, seen from height,
look like little fringed ribbons stretching
however, the rod or two on each
side OF waxweed, mustard and
Canals thistles, so necessary to
the completeness of an American high
way. am solemnly impressed with the
opinion that there Is not a decent wagon
road in the United States, and that we
ought to inaugurate the system so long in
use here and gradually construct and
complete our roads, so that they be substan-
tial smooth and reliable at all seasons OF
the year, Instead of the muddy, ever-slushy
quagmires that they are half of the time
A little money annually, Systematically
and intelligently devoted, would in few
years do the business, and the repairs
would cost but a trifs. Our people are,
In all respects, much better able to have
such roads than the people here, and
would use them ten times as often. | wish
the path.masters of Wisconsin,, whose
business appears to be to annually squan
der the poll tax, would come over here
and take few lessons in road.maklng.
GERMANY Is A CURIOUS COUNTRY,
and they have q queer way Of doing
things. The women carry almost every
thing on their heads in baskets about
three feet high and two feet across at the
top, sloping to one foot at the bottom
The men seem never to do it. / suppose
their heads are occupied with weightier
matters. It is a common sight to see
women bearing on their heads baskets full
of manure, with the fork sticking in the
| tops; and, hundreds come to town with
basket loads, on their heads, of potatoes
cabbages, turnips, butter, eggs and other
produce. Here they will sit on their
launches. in the street, all day long if me-
cessary, rain or shine, waiting for custom
ers, and, suppose, return home happy at
night with the little money received for
the load. Pretty much all the planting,
hoeing and weed pulling in the fields and
gardens is done by the women, and a
large share of the haying and harvesting
also. They seem to work in droves. They
never squat down to pull weeds, as 1 be-
| lieve an American woman would be sure
to do, but bend over, head and feet down,
sort of half shut up like a jack-knif and
| toll away as if their lives depended on it,
and guess they do.
have not yet seen modern
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT
Of any sort, here. Their scythes are short
and broad and the spaths straight
Their hoes are more like an adze
weigh several pounds, and the handles
are short. One must stoop over incon.
veniently to use them, and have muscle
| like Hercules. If there are oxen in this
country, I have not seen them, and but
| few horses outside of the cities. The
| COWS, mich or farrow alike, are used in.
I stead. Here, again, the female gets the
advantage. They are not yoked, as with
US. a sort of strap goes across their fore
head, and is fastened about the horns, so
| that the strain comes on the forehead. It
| looks cruel enough, but the COWS do not
appear to worry about 1t. I noticad one
day yoke of mich COWS, with well-filled
udders, hauling two loads, one behind the
other, containing ton ard half of hay,
and the men, women and children tagging
on behind, after hard days work. This
looked like cruelty to animals; but was
had nursing babies at home, crying for
their mammas, who had been all day in
the field; and if the women and babies
. could stand it, the cows ought not to COM
plain, especially as the men undoubtedly
considered such treatment of women and
cows the proper thing.
One hardly ever sees more than one
horse attached to a double wagon in the
| cOunfrv He has tarrih1u hunu1ip ~