Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1892-12-29

iitcn anu = Inches. we tf1e0 IL
on narrowed ground with 80 sacks
, of corn and three men, about 4 900
} pounds above the weight of the
i wagon. With dinameter for meas
, urement We began the trial. The
same load was tried on each wagon.
J 1t required A per cent. more power
to draw the / a tire than the 4 inch.
| The 8 inch tire pulled almost as
easily as the4 inch. The broad tire
Epressed down the soil and the mar
row cut into it. The broad tires
improve the road with every passage
over it, while the narrow tires ruin
it. III France the hind wheels do
not track with the front wheels. On
the old Kentucky pixies the man
with a broad tire paid less toll than
the man with narrow tire. Inl
Michigan one-fourth of man road
/ tax is remitted if he uses broad
tire. Other states do not allow more
than 500 pounds or less than a 3
inch tire.
ga man should be fined for !
working a road at those seasons
Of the year when the rains are liable
| to ruin them. The time is coming |
when the public must fence the
roadway and not compel the individ-
ual owner abutting upon it to fence
lit.
"The road is the property of the
public and the rights of the public |
should be invariably respected. l
have found in my locality that a
good graveled road has doubled the
value Of farms adjoining it.
IA few of US made assessments
upon our farms to gravel a road.
My assessment was $500 and
consider that l got that much back
every year. We can 60 to town
every day of the year and sell our
products.at good prices when others
cannot get through the mud to
town.
81 believe the State should guar
antee the bonds of any county desir-
Gus of entering upon a system of
road Improvements. The idea of
bonds frightens good many of us,
and yet such an issue would be
warranted for the construction of
roads. Almost every dollar of the
money would be expended in the
county. The property along the
line of gravel roads should bear
more of the expense than that some
what removed from it.
Il am inclined to believe that we
should accept from the federal gov
ern ment assistance in road building,
I know it is unpopular but I am
satisfied that it is the best thing we
| can do under the circumstances.
missouri has asked for $40, ,00O,-
600 from the national treasury to
put into the Missouri river. Twenty
million dollars would build gravel
road north and south through every
county seat in the State. The roads
would certainly have been much
more beneficial to the homes of
Missouri than all the money every
spent on the Missouri river"
Mr.. Richard Schell Of Laddonia
contributed to the discussion in this
wise: "It is all right enough to
talk about what to do in building
new roads, but what are we to do
| with roads that are already located?
Nearly all the roads are located in
this county. Our wagon wheels
throw up the dirt on each side and
make ruts that hold the water. We
find that grades are thrown too
high. 1 think draining is the all
important question, but this plan of
undertaking does not apply in this
region. What we want is smoothing
process. Our road laws need
reconstruction One overseer should
be given large section where he is
to work all the year around. Wei
want a man to look after the roads |
and watch them. He should be
well paid, so that we can get good
man.
ssOur roads must be surface |
roads, for we cannot cut down hills,
and even if we did we would get
down into the clay. The thing to
do is to keep our roads smooth and
then they will drain.
| "Six school districts should make
road district. as is the case in
Shelby county, where the roads
are the best in the state. There
they hire an overseer and assistants
and pay them out of the county
treasury"
| L. l.. Kirk believed in employing
. a civil engineer and the farmers do
ing the work.
Nj. Blake agreed with the others
| that competent head for all road
work was needed, that each county
should have county road overseer
who is civil engineer.
Mr.. Gill: "I am afraid we are
spending our time on detail. We
must wipe out sectional jealousy.
Fulton wont make a road to Mex
leo and Mexico wont build a road to
Fulton. Each farmer wants a road