The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-08-12
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
THE RoADMASTER AND THE
EVIL HE MAY DO.
Most valuable Farm StOck--It Pays to
Harrow Well and Manure Mea-
dOws- Sheep SiIearing and
Household Helps.
rhe Rondmnster and nIs WORK.

The KOaumnStef ana his HOrk'
He has Just passed my home with
two teams and two plow5 writes Alva
Agee in the American Cultivation
For the distance Of half mile he has
cut two burrows on the side OF road
that is good by nature but not by
grace OF the average roadmaster The
soil is clay loan thai absorbs water
readily and needs nothing but suf-
ficient leveling to permit surplus
water to run over the cliff at the
edge OF the road. and some gravel
from the bank near at hand spread in
the centre OF the track. These fur.
rows were cut on the side farthest
from the bluff, and there is no way
Tor the water 10 escape. Behind this
man and his plows came the road
scraper throwing the earth that
should never have been plowed to
the centre of the road. where many
hundred dollars worth OF gravel have
been placed. suggested to the
gentleman that it would be ne e5sary
to make some culverts in the de-
preston Of the roadway to allow the
surplus water in his ditch to escape
He said that he had no funds to use
for that pu pose this year; neither
could no gravel much of the road.
When / suggested that a few inches
OF loose earth on top OF the gravel
bed in the centre OF the track would
only make the roadway worse for
teamsters. this public funchonary
said that this would amount to little
as the little earth he was throwing up
would soon wear of!
My road district claims to have Nv.
erage intelligence. and yet such
man as this has secured an election as
roadmaster. Without sufficient levy
he proceeds to throw up six inches OF
loose earth on road bed that has
had gravel for many years. This
might find an excuse were the
edge OF the road removed so
that water would run freely off the
plateau but this man bitches the
other side OF the road leaving the
water in Il ditch to undermine our
roadway and keep it we'll softened for
the narrow tires that abound.
could see that his mind was bent up
on sinking his rapacious pillow in the
bluegrass sward that connects my
lawn and adjoining fields with the
Travelled track. On this track scores
OF loads Of gravel have been dumped
and the bed is hard. His loose earth
would have ruined it, BY standing
guard have saved this small piece
OF highway from the ruinous touch OF
the roadmaster az he goeth to and
fro in the earth and up and down
therein, seeking what evil thing he
may do He has made but two mud
holes within the farm lines one near
each. and we draw II breath of relief
1t appears to many that tho time
has come for the employment OF bus
iness-like methods IN road work. If
private corporation had great sys-
TEN of roadways 10 construct it would
not for u moment suffer the methods
the public employs. All taxes should
be paid in money and skilled en-
gineers should oXpend it in an eco
nomical manner Whatever is done
should be thoroughly done. One
mile, or three or five miles should be
made permanently good, but this will
never be the rule under the shiftless
conditions that obtain in many OF Oar
states.