The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-06-12
TIE COUNTRY ROAD psoa, :.


~ road making y pa,nphl., ,.,.~a
issued containing nm wlinss a..,.
last January before tho New les,
board 81 ag1cultne by Mr.. tr..
B. Ripley on ''Inproyei Road. NM.
collection Of his views on the m,h,r.
good country roads anil their f,,,,'.,
value. Mr.. Ripley i a lawyer r,a,,'.
ing in this city and living In NV ~
sey. who has, as a property cwn~ !,
most unbounicd faith IN the 49,
that money expended on roads Co...
back " the taxpayer who ex..nss .
Having b<en instrumental in .~r,;.
the pas~ee Of the New Jere, law wb,,s
permits the chosen freeholdsrx ~ s.-1
county 70 designate certain thoror,s
fares n county roads, ami 10 bond Z.
county 70 raise money for their i,npr,,.
ment. he has stirred up the r,eople 4, 4.
own county (Union 70 take qrict =
vantage of this law, and he hears r,,s
flying testimony TO the result.
Mr.. Ripley defines "a good road- - 1.
70 road available for all sorts II ,r,sx,
and at every season OF the wear I,
one certainly can find fault with "a
which can stand this test. The ordi ~
country road Is the exact opposite. 4.
deed. it M y be said Of il that it i ].
ly available for no kind Of travel * =.
for few weeks in year. II of Il (,
can b. driven over with pleasure or \ /,
dry time II Of sand It affords c,r5
driveway for only few hours astr
rain. before its packed surface is cut n,
by wheels Nature very seldom M.
vides . roadbed which is not mire 81
in the spring and . dust he'd in the sun.
mer- and in this country only in recent
years and very slowly have farmers con-
70 recognize the fact that the cot z
making IA good road" after Mr.. Pin
ley's definition, viii come hack to TIN
in any way. Accepting the adage -
the conditiono Of q country's public ruh
indicates its civilization, Mr.. Rin1v
points ont that in our country We han
been spending our millions on the ral
roads which were unknown when TIN
adagc was framed. and which have hA
so mnch 10 do with shaping the ciyilin-
ton Of all countries in modern tim
Tho farmer who would look on any o.
as = scherner who should tell him that 1:
would pay to mortgage his county fw 5
pcr cent. Of its valuation in orderb
inacadamize the wagon roads hes bsn
easily persuaded Of the personal advn
tage TO him Of bonding the same count,
10 assist in laying ont . railroad throug
It, and may have invested . few hundro
OF his own hard earned dollars n 4
original stock Of the road. the ultim;'
value Of which u 30 generally mythic'
Tho railroad. in . word, has been I
cepted A. a necessity andan unqnsstion
benefactor. while tie good wagon n
has simply been dispsnssd with = : !
expensive luxury.
Whoever attempts TO stir up int(
in good wagon roads In this countrJ
outside Of the few Newports and Leno'
where Injuries arc demanded - guf
must prepare himself TO prove that
roads viii pay. The ural property =
Is not generally susceptible 10 the\ pm
Rsthetic. When first appealed/ 70
assist in road improvements his reply
LET the owners Of fast horses make q
roads To get him interested be mn
be shown by practical example thssit
to his profit 70 be able 70 haul ton whd
before he has been able to haul only b
as much, or that with roads that y
good in the technical sense BE-
find his land in demand at prices "
before no one would offer. For this ~
son the testimony presented In Mr.. ~
ley's pamphlet i very valuable Here's
some u it: Real estate has douhlni
trebled and Quadruplei IN value zDo
the construction Of telfDrd roads M
Orange to Dover. N. J. Ono Of ns
chronic grumblers agsinst taxes for ruaa
improvements in Union county, vhn
aslred II he would consent to have "
rooil rstored to its old condition u ora9
70 save the taxes. replied: We'll, =
shall not be required to ray more ne
two dollars year for the rcst Of my ire.
il would not Be- worth while The trsvd
has increased on these roads tanfcld u
years time. Since the law went Inn
effect" says Mr.. Ripley. 'rcl es;a'.
values IN Union county have afvsDcso
nearly q SOC, 200, exclusive Of prcpry
advances in Elizabeth of about tsuOp
more This statement was made y
October, 1890, and work under the cccp
~ road act was begun only the year ?,
fore Soraridly lfas real estate adFano.
since the roads were made better ~
one Of tire largest real estate owners =
the county expresses the opinion m u
appreciation in future valnes VII CO..
al tho cost Of the improvement
Every ono who has watched the p's
rcs Of country road making must us'
noticed that road improvement = So
taglouA Every COED piece Of ROAD = !, :.
object lesson to produce imitssorS !.
one district near this city, wneFe q
general system Of rad making has 80
adopted. q great deal Of such WORK u
been done in the last few years p =
dividual farmers who have been 49, ~"
BY two on three enteFprising neignD.ss
what . luxury and tinc saver = pr =
good road II In Union county =. =
IL Is nptod that many propety 49,, ~,
on tho Cross rcatls. which have nos - -
improved under the county Tsni- r .
putting these roads in good oonn.' q =.