Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-06
WILL THE LESSON BE Hespeoi
When the Mud of Winter Has Departed
the Farmer Forgets 1t.

the Farmer Forgets 1t.
The mud has dried up, and once more
the rural dweller energies from his re-
tirement and cheerfully drives to town
over roads now firm and smooth. Not
through any effort of his, however, have
the highways been changed from bog
holes and quagmires into paths Of
iase. f" The rain fell and staid where it
.ell, because there was no provision
made TO get rid Of 1t in any other way
than by evaporation. 1t would be i'll the
road yet but for the genial spring sun.
and so it has been and seems likely to
be, for all the farmer seems to care.
Why not always travel in comfort, no
matter what the season of the year?
Why forget now that no longer ago than
April you could only with the greatest
difficulty manage to traverse what was
and will be again a dreary stretch Of
mud?
Will the experience of past years OF
toll and vexation, of animals ruined, OF
harness broken and wagons wrecked,
not suffice to awaken men to the bene-
fits of roadways constructed to with
stand tho frosts and SHOWS of winter
and present an unyielding surface to the
heaviest rains Of spring?
One of the strongest arguments in ia
vor of macadam, telford or any paved
highways is that in not a single in
stance where they have been tried would
the residents Of that locality return to
the dirt road. In no community has
there ever been u word Lat of Eratifica-
ton at the changed conditions. Their
benefits are so speedily realized and
their worth so early apparent that
whilom detractors are fain TO sing their
praise.
Fear of cost in construction has no
doubt great deal to do with retarding
the good roads movement. But it has
been shown in almost every instance
that the cost does not greatly exceed
that Of the present slipshod and hap
hazard manner Of building and repair
ing country roads Roy Stone, in New
Roads and Road Laws, " says of Ontario
county, n, Y:
"Within the last 80 years there have
been expended on the highways in this
country over 81, 200 per mile, and. with
the exception of few miles in the town
of Canandaigua, they are no better than
they We're at the beginning of that pc
riod, and should the same system be
continued for the next 80 years like
sum would have been expended, and the
condition Of the highways would be just
about the same as it Is now. The few
miles referred TO in Canandaigua are
crushed stone or macadam roads, built
at an expense to the town outside of the
regular highway tax. As a result, they
have in that town 10 miles or more Of
good roads, and so we'll pleased are they
with the Improvement that they have
had a special act passed by the legisla-
ture, during the last session, empower
ing the town TO vote upon the question
Of expanding 50, 900 per year In add.
ton TO the 50, 900 already allowed by
law, in building such roads. Those
roads are just as good in December or
March as they are in July or September
They have increased the value of the adj
Joining farms many times the cost Of the
roads, and the subsequent cost of keep
ing them in good repair will be much
less than the cost under the ordinary
system Of keeping poor roads in poor re-
pair -
The question of cost, therefore, is no
argument against permanent stone
roads, as the money thus expended is re-
turned many times over, not alone Ia
enhanced property values, but in the
ability OF tas producer to sell his grain
or stock when prices suit, he no longer
being dependent upon condition of
weather and roads to place them on the
market. w. H. BALLINGEn