Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1889-08-16
THE PROBLEM SOLVED.

The subject IL which the people
OF Adair county, and indeed, of
the entire state, is most interested
at the present time, is the condi-
ton Of our public highways. 1t is
we'll known that nothing adds
more to the comfort and convent
euce of the people, or gives great
er value to the farming lands of
the community, county or state,
than good roads. But how to OBJ
tain them in Adair county is a
subject that has been extensively
discussed without result.
Strangers coming to our part of
the country are led 10 believe that
nothing is expended on highways,
and that neglect is about the sole
cause of the fearful condition Of
our roads at certain seasons. How
ever, careful study of road ex-
pense reveals the fact that vast
sums of money have been expend-
ed in our county for culverts and
road work in the past twenty years
without any appreciable benefit.
The work done on our roads and
the money expended in the past
twenty years should have placed
every road in the county in fair
condition; yet the opposite is true.
The work done has always been
Of a temporary nature. Wooden
culverts that must be replaced or
repaired every year, frequently
twice each year. and bitches cut
in the spring that had to be filled
in the fall, have furnished the
drainage, and this work has been
repeated year after year till our
highways have become a subject
OF ridicule.
That this condition OF things,
even under our present road laws,
IS not necessity, has been dem
onstrated in our midst. The plan
adopted by our present town coun-
ell of working our streets, and
roads leading to the corporation
limits, has solved the problem;
and if adopted by our county court
will, in few years, give us first
class roads without an expenditure
OF money to exceed that which is
now being worse than wsstedeyery
year. The plan is to do well
whatever is done. and make the
work permanent instead of tempo
rary. The road is graded and
in place of the small wooden cul-
vert, which rots, or gives way in
a few months, heavy tiling cover
ed with stone, takes its place, and
over this the rofd is graded.
When a section of roal is put in
this condition, expense upon it
virtually cease for a score of years,
and the amount which has been
expended in repairing ityear after
year, can be usei to place other
sections in like condition. The
approaches to Kirksville consists
Of eight roads, and over these all
the travel of our own and sur
rounding counties must enter the
town. Because of the great
amount of travel these roads
within a mile of town are in worse
condition than any other roads in
the county The thing to do is for
the county court to begin the work
where the town council stops, and
taking half mile or mile, as may
be deemed best, of these main
roads, put it in the very best con-
dition. Expenses upon that portion |
of these roads will then cease, and
the money can be expended in ex-
tending the work.
This method would, in few
years, put our roads in good con-
dition all over the county, without
an increased expenditure of
and when once in this
the burden of keeping
them up would not be felt by the
people.