The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-18
Demorests Portfolio Of Fashions for spring
Just received at Osman Il Hapemans.
For the Free Trader.
Our Country Roads Again.

The following article, taken from the agri-
cultural column of the Chicago Times, pre-
sents some new and striking ideas on the sub.
iect OF road making that might be made TO
serve good purpose If properly carried into
effect. There are q great many plans and sug.
gestions afioat in the public mind in regard
to the improvement of our country roads, and
1t would be we'll to submit them, as they hap.
pen to come up, in order that we may be en-
abled to make a selection from the best, or
combine two or more of them together. The
idea of putting to work upon the roads those
inmates of our county jail who have been
committed tor some petty crime, does not seem
to be bad one. 1t might result IN good both
10 the county and to the criminal. Surely
there would be nothing cruel or unjust in do
ing 80, and 1t might be regarded on the con-
trary as an act of justice to those who foot the
bllls-the taxpayers:
CONDITION OF COUNTRY ROADS.
There are improvements IN almost every
thing but country roads This Is singular
when we consider that the minds of the best
inventors of the world have been devoted to
the matter of improved locomOtion. During
the past fifty years almost all the great i'm
provements in travel and transportation have
been made. But during this time the country
roads have not improved Indeed, an old resi-
dent of this state declares that they are worse
than they were thirty or forty years ago. He
says the constant tread of horses and the pass
age of wheels makes the condition Of the earth
worse every season. He instances in support
of this statement the fact that the more roads
are travelled the worse they are, as il seen in
passing from sparsely settled Ieighborhood
to large town. He believes the time will
come when necessity will compel revolution
in the method of constructing roads in the
country. II is generally held that farmers
can not afford to keep the roads they use in o
suitable condition for travel dnring the months
when they need to use them most. A farmer
in Michigan thinks he sees a way out of the
difficulty. In a letter to a Detroit paper he
says: The class of people who commit petty
crimes and are sentenced to a few weeks I'm
prsonmcnt at the county Jail are increasing
yearly and the taxpayers foot the bills tor their
board and lodging. The taxpayers pay tor the
feeding and lodging and supporting in idle
ness of hundreds of thousands OF prisoners
every year. and not stroke of work or \ cent
OF remuneration Is received in return. II any
one doubts this assertion, let him look over the
bills audited every year by the board of super
visors, and find out for himself The figures
might astonlsh HIM. They might, possibly,
convince him that a return IN labor for their
support might in justice be demanded. The
establishment of factory Of some kind at
every county jail is not wanted or advocated,
but the establishment of a stone yard at every
such place Is the thing desired. Let every
prisoner who goes to Jail be made to pick
stone In payment for his living, and then take
the stone chips and macadamize our roads,
Just as England has done. There is plenty Of
stone in the country; there are plenty of 'prls-
oners in our jails, usually; all it needs Is a
sensible law passed by the legislature. Mich.
gan can never have decent or even passable
wagon roads under existing highway laws.
They are only attainable by utilizing the idle
criminals and tramps supported at public ex'
pense. The way out Of the mud and to good
roads lies through stone yards, worked as sug-
gested.
once read story of an illiterate preacher
who took his text from that portion of Scrip
ture which says that the children of Israel
covered their tents with badgers skins" He
read It "beggars' skins" and went on to show
how the poor beggar, when caught proving
about the tents of Israel, Jared at the hands OF
Moses and Aaron. would not, however, re
commend that the ramps sneakthieves ant
other vagabonds that live without labor should
be flayed alive for any purpose whatever, no
even to use their hides, when whole, as TEN
porary covering Tor our new court house, bu
that they should be put TO some useful public
employment as part pay at least for their board
and lodging Goes not seem to be wrong or i'm
proper. II would afford them occupation
keep their minds from evil thoughts, and theil
appetltes In good condition; and do mo-
know OF any more healthy, invigorahng OF