The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-11-21
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT
A Mass Meeting of Racine and Kenosha
County ofac1a1s to Be Called.

County officials to Be Called.
Arrangements are being made to
call a mass meeting Of the county
boards and city councils with other
officials of Racine and Kenosha cities
and counties for the purpose of taking
under consideration the good roads of
the two counties. The meeting was
proposed by President Thomas M.
BlackstOck, of the Wisconsin Good
Roads league, in. a speech before the
joint meeting of the Racine and Kelo%
sha county boards in Racine last Fri
day. He delivered a talk on the sub
ject of good roads.
In prefacing his remarks Mr.. Black
stock gave his hearers to understand
that he did not come to talk, but to
hear others express their opinion. AL
luding to the organization of the good
roads league ana then alluding to the
fact that farmers had been repairing
the roads for half a century, he inform
ed them that an inspection of books and
the cost would show that a sufficient
amount had been expended to macad-
amize the roads of Racine and Kenosha
counties. In bis opinion farmers were
little prejudiced against bicycles, but
were getting over it. The proposed
Sheridan drive was touched upon, and
Mr. Blackstock believed it could be
made the grandest in the world. The
fact that good roads would increase
the value of property was touched
upon. The assessments made every
year, election of road master, and
the cost were talked of. Gravel roads
were in his opinion the best. In his
opinion the state should take hold Of
the good roads movement There
should be an engineer appointed to
take charge of all road work and see
that it was done right.
The road movement should go into
the hands of the farmers and he saw
no reason why Racine should not be
taxed for macadamized thoroughfares
leading into the city. The sentiment
was growing in favor of better roads
and that they could not be made bet
ter without much cost. Next year he
expects to witness great improvements.
For over an hour members of the board
asked questions and received informa-
ton.
Supervisor Smith related an expert
ence of getting stuck in the mud and
Superintendent Scheck gave a good
talk on the early roads of the county
Supervisor Ella of Rochester, claimed
that his town had the best roads in the
county.
Supervisor Rowlands, of Mt. Pleas
ant, suggested mass meeting of the
two county boards and aldermen Of the
two cities and all others favOring good
roads, to meet in Racine in the near
future.
In the selfishness of interests in
which most Of us look at all such sub
jocts there will probably be long and
strong fight necessary before such q
thing can be brought abouc as maca-
damized roads throughout this county.
There is nothing, however, which could
rebound to the greater pecunlary
interests Of not only the citizens
of the city but the country
than to have them. If farmers
would sit down a few moments and
figure out the actual losses of every
year accruing to them by the impass-
able condition of the roads and the
subsequent and constant outlay OF
money for repairs and rebuilding the
question would press a little nearer
home perhaps.
Such meeting if brought about
could but result in good, so let it come