The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-08-07
PUBLIC ROADS.
Good Highways Pay and Poor Ones are
Shiftless and Uugly.

Science should be combined with
practice. Public roads are OF greater
moment than any partisan political sub
iect can be. Roads were never in a
more impossible condition than now, and
something should be done to prevent
the repetition of such a condition OF
things in the future. Farmers who are
not near the city are not afforded faclll-
ties for getting to market. 1t costs the
farmer more to get his produce to the
railroad station than it does to pay
freight on the cars. There is something
radically wrong and it should be rene
died at once. 1t now requires four
horses to do what two could do if there
were good highways. ltwould be more
profitable and certainly less annoying. if
the people would build their own roads.
Good roads pay. With bad roads go
bad fences and general untidiness, but
with good roads it is just the opposite. In
this part of the country, where hard
material is plentiful, good macadamized
roads should not cost more than 81 ,2OO
per mile TO make. A good road is one
of the best paying investments for the
farmer. 1t would be a good thing for
neigh oors to combine and pay a COM
petent man to keep the roads in order.
Fully one-half the money expended in
this country for road makiag is wasted.
There are thr.e classes TO build roads:
First. the county; second, the county
and townships jointly, and third, the
townships alone. There should be a
general manager employed, and the
township commissioners should work
under his supervision. The county sur
veyor should also be civil engineer,
who should be paid literally, and he
should attend 10 the general supervision
of the roads in his county. Roads
should be made forty feet wide between
the fences, and twenty-four feet be-
tween the bitches. They should be
laid out. and then they can be macada-
mixed and graveled wien practicable.
In laying out s road as much attention
must be given to grade as to distance.
A much better road can be gotten from
broken stones than from gravel. 1t re-
quires twice as much power to haul a
load over a gravel road as over one Of
broken stone. No stones should be
used which will not go through "a
two-inch ring; hard stone should &C
through a one and a half inch ring.
1.-The desirability OF a road depends
upon its surface draining. Underdrain-
ing is also essential. Without thorough
drainage a good road is impossible.
Good drainage 10 vital matter in the
construction of roads. There should be
competent road supervision. Smooth,
hard road brings the farmers nearer to
mill, to market and to meeting: they
are essential to the best development OF
the people: they are financial bless
ing aud tend to promote the educational
advantage Of the community. Purchasers
of farms would seek such pleasing
neighborhoods and land would sell
quicker and at higher prices. Educa-
ton and refinement, in connection with
the increase in the attractions of home,
would give higher position to life in
the country, and greater number ol
our best young men and young women
would prefer q refined agriculture!
home to the tlrmoil and anxiety Incl.
dent to town or city life. Good roads
are needed more then costly county
buildings.
1T pays to lie liberal in the eXpcndi-
ture of money for public roads. Tt
secure good highways We must have
good laws, and farmers should go to
the nominating conventions and see
that practical, wide awake men are
sent to the state legislature. Resolve
to turn over a new leaf. See that mer
are sent to state and national councils
who are practical business men, who
will not legislate against us, but fol
us. Major King, Z. S. Department
of Agriculture.