The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-01-28
For the Free Trader.
der.
Country Reads

4 In continuing the discussion of the road
question have made al estimate of the cost
of good and permanent road bed and an estl-
mate of the tax necessary to construct it.
To make track feet wide with depth of
one foot of stone covered with six inches of
gravel will require 1913 cubic feet or y cubic
yards or loads of material to the lineal rod. If
each cubic yard or load delivered costs Is
cents, $3.50 Will put on the material for one
lineal rod or SLIGO tor one mile. The price will
depend upon the scarcity and cost OF material
and the distance to haul, and this estimate
must be modified to meet each case, but 1t will
serve as basis for estimates.
The grading or preparation of the road bed
and taking away the water ought to be and
probably would be done by the road district
in which the road lies.
To raise the money two mill tax on an as
sessment OF S25 per acre will raise five cents
per acre or 81 on so acres, IS on quarter sec
tlon S32 ON section and $1152 on town
ship of 36 sections Add to this like tax on
the personal property and it will nearly build
mile of road. But more than one town will
be interested IN most of the main thorough
fares leading out from the centres of business.
Let Ottawa levy a tax of two mills, which
Will be part of her annual highway tax, and
DIVIDE it among the main roads leading out
from town or so many of them as the towns
! interested will improve Ana if each town in
terested will contribute It's quota, the cost
will not be felt and a most valuable improve.
ment secured. When, by an equitable contri.
button of the money, the man roads have been
Quilt to where they dlverge to the different
,ltowns, a similar course will carry the improve
ment throughout the county. This will take
that clean population will through all
time wade through sea of prairie mud.
The practical contrast IN travelling over a
good macadamized road and then through
the sloughs of the fiat prairie will insure
the completion of the work. For instance,
when the road from Ottawa to Covel Creek on
the south side of the river was improved, /
have vivid recollection of the curses en-.
dured as principal mover in the matter, bu,
when the road was made nearly every fault
finder apologized ana was highly pleased with
;, the work. They said then and say now the
Improvement is worth many times its cost
Without it Ottawa would be without boule
ward.
The county should lend hand in the work
8 an appropriation of specified sum or of 6
percentage of cost for each mile Of good mac
adamiZed road made in the county would dc
much to start the improvement and as each
c citizen of the county has an interest more Oh
# less direct in each and every road, such al
J. appropriation would be just and proper. Til
e 1911 the roads in England were dirt roads
d John Loudon McAdam, a Scottish engineer
n devised the improvement bearing his name
e In 1916 he constructed his first road At frs
g he received much opposition from the farmers
Q. and common people, but the system made it
e way with wonderful rapidity. In four year
C 700 miles of roads were made. In few year:
!. 71Oths of the 1900 miles of road In the king
n dom were macadamIzed and at his death II
V 1886 there were not more than $50 miles of tn,
whole amount not macadamized. The King
& offered HIM knighthood and parliament gave
h him $4,000 for MS services.
1. ELMER BALDWIN.