The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-01-07
Our Country Roads .

|than discnss our.couuuy foads low me 10
|submit suggestion q soby way Of secondIng
1.-The remarks oinly respected friend and neigh,
Dor. the Hon Elmer Baldwin. ! am glad that
he has taken the lead III this matter, and nope
that he may continue his endeavors In THIS
direction until some good has been accom-
pllshed 81
| | agree with him In the estimation IN Which
he holds the present condition OF our roads,
the manner n.whieh they are made. the time
Iof the wear in which they are generally work
ed, and, that the greater portion OF the money
! spen, upon them is more than thrown away.
], And it would be well If other farmers would
offer their suggestions on this question, since
you have kindly opened the columns OF your
paper To lis discussion. a
But 1t would require an unlimited series OF
articles on this subject, ind al indefinite
number of suggestions IN order to make
good and acceptable road to grade, drain,
and Macadami,c it as 1t should be done, un.
less those who are interested should see fit TO
act upon them. er
/ We may lblh wv i'"A tNNSN''"
over every winter, and forget what we have
said during the summer till the crack OF
doom; we may meet at our country stores and
taverns and blacksmlthshops, and even upon
the streets of Ottawa when we can get there
and talk them over freely and pleasantly as
farmers are want to do and nothing Will be
done until we have resolved among ourselves
that something shall be done,
! We all are willing to admit the facts in the
case and the necessity of "mending our ways"
and the question we ask eachCther is, what are
you going to do about it?" aud the answer is
generally, nothing that can see"
| Now there are but two sure and effectual
modes of improving our country roads, either
of which would accomplish all the desires Of
the farmers, the merchants, the mechanics,
and the whip; there would then be no more
hard pulling and Juggling and swearing. Our
carriages and buggies and wagons would
move along smoothly, and nicely, and swiftly
Everything would be lust splendid" and
nothing, rs now, "horrid:" A contamination
devOutly to be wished . ...v .... ....E
But if there would be great deal Of public
rejoicing over this state of affairs, there would
also be great amount of private and indlvid.
ual grumblng, not only deep but loud,
The one mode would be to levy district
tax, especially upon farmers, sufficient for all
practicable purposes The other, TO charter
turnpike companies the stock to be owned,
for the most part eventually, by the rich men
Of the cities.
Neither of these modes could be effected
without an act OF the legislature; and acts of
the Legislature may be repealed, or evaded, or
pronounced unconstitutional before anything
could be done, and we would be left, not ex.
actly cropping in darkness as before, but plung.
ing IN the mud. Besides, farmers would re-
lucantly vote to have their broad acres" tax.
ed for the benefit Of the public, even if they
could be convinced that the value of their
lands would be remotely enhanced; and those
farmers especially who could not see what
direct benefit they would derive from a road
they would scarcely ever travel-and out Of
their usual and nearest route-would most GER
talnly vote against any tax that might be
levied.
Every farmer, before he would vote cheer
fully for II tax, would want the road to pass by
his own door, and would not be willing to be
taxed to support q road that passed another
mans door, If 1t enhanced the value of that
other mans land and not Ais also. Now the
question would naturally arise-and how can
il be answered-what would it cost to grade,
drain .and Macadamlse all our roads For the
tax would have to be general and not special.
The other mode, the organization of turn.
pike companies, of improving our roads would
be equally as Objectionable. Farmers are gener.
ally in favor of free roads and tree bridges.
They do not like the idea of paying toll. 1t
seems like an extorton;and is'always inconve.
nient They do not like to have their purses
demanded of them on what they have always
regarded as the public highway
As neither OF these modes OF improving our
common country roads would meet the gener-
al suilrages of the people, though there might
be large minority who wolld be in favor of
either or both-mcn who would be willing to
submit TO almost anything for the sake Of
good road--the question would again come
up: What are you going TO do about it? What
next? Cannot something be done to alleviate
our wants? Must we founder along, winter
after winter, IN the same old way-ln the same
old ruts, so to speak? Mud up to the axel of
our wagons; mud all over our horses; mud
in our own faces and upon our clothes; mud
everywhere and nothing else but mud from
the time we leave home until we return
again
Cannot some one, familiar with road,mak.
ing, suggest some plan by which We can bet.
ter our condition IN this respect without sub