Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-03-09

A team hauling ore through Charlemont,
Mass. Four-nch tires: weight per inch of tire,
B5O pounds: ruts, II inches. Cost for hauling
every ton OF freight one mile over this road, Il
cents.
twenty feet of width, and the rest of
the road land were sold or rented, Hi
nois would thereby save Immediately
about thirteen millions of dollars, be-
sides the produce forever of the land
restored to cultivation.
This ought to be law, and rigidly en-
forced: that every inch of land taken
by the public for roads should be ac-
tually used for roads, and be kept SO
thoroughly worked that no weeds nor
noxious insects could possibly grow
thereon.
The state has power to restore this
unused land to residents along the road
lines, either by absolute sale. or by
perpetual rental, at appraised valua-
tions, the price to be paid into the high
way fund, to help make good roads.
This would offer to farmers at once a
great inducement to construct good
roads, provided theslaw should so re-
store unused road lands only wherever
1irst class roads are constructed and
maintained.
The magnificent roads of France are
the delight of all travellers. France
only takes so much land for roads as is
actually used. The greatest of the
Napoleonic roads are only forty feet
wide, broadened in passing through
cities and large villages to sixty feet
Every foot of the width is paved,
smooth and durable, with stone gut
tiers and curbs. Near and in villages
there are sometimes narrow sidewalks
next to the curb lines. The land is
cultivated clear up to the curb lines
The roads, not being fenced. appear
like great gravel or paved paths run
ming through an endless garden. All
the less important side roads crossing
these great highways are narrow lanes.
only fifteen to twenty feet wide, also
generally paved. The statistics of
French agriculture prove that the
land thus saved more than pays. by it's
profitable use, the entire cost of road
maintenance.
In England, also. the traveller finds
broad and splendid highways between
important towns, with narrow lanes
for all unimportant roads.
Do these magnificent roads pay far m
ers? Yes. They are the greatest pub
lie benefit the farmer has. In France
the ordinary load for a French farm
market wagon is four to five tons for d
single pair of horses. Often seven to
ten tons are taken to market. driven
by three or four horses. A whole
stack of hay-a load sixteen feet long,
eight feet wide or ten or twelve feet
high. is taken to market in one load,
as are l40 bushels of potatoes or grain.
Now see how this pays. An Illinois
farmer. living eight or ten miles from
market, hauls one ton to market in one
day. Say this ton is worth $40. The
French farmer hauls flee tons at one
load. worth 800. So the French farm
er markets five times as much in one
days work as the Illinois farmer The
postman goes out daily on all these
French roads. letting the farmers
know every change of market prices.
Do prices rise, the French farmer hauls
to market at one load five or ten tons,
and gets the benefit of the rise The
Illinois farmer Gf he hears of the
rise) hauls one ton only, and before he
can get any more to market the price
falls again.
These are facts that are worth the
careful study of every politician, every
legislator. every farmer, and especially
every farmers club or other organize.
j. Bates, in Chicago bearings.