Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-04-25


zephyrs had been playing havoc with
the footing" The traveller was pick
ing his way cautiously along when he
spied hat lying in the middle of the
road. and involuntarily he stopped and
picked it up, and, 10! under it was the
top of mans head just protruding
from the surface of the mire. The
story states that the traveller was much
Rstonished, which proves to my mind
that he must have been a stranger in
these parts. But whether a stranger
or no, he was a polite man. He at
once begged the other mans pardon
for thus unceremoniously taking off
his hat. and. concluded his apology by
asking if he couldn't be of some assist
ance. ''Oh, no, indeed" replied the
other, cheerfu1ly. I'm all right. I've
got good horse under mel'
hope we are on the eve or the morn
ing of a new day in the matter of coun-
try roads. Everywhere the good
roads" agitation appears to be spread
ing and making friends; but unless we
can have state supervision and aid in
making and maintaining country high
ways fear that the great body of these
roads will still be subject to liquidation
at the annual occurrence of spring
weather, and, for that matter, after
every summer shower. 1t is matter
of great difficulty to get a town to go
into any radical scheme of road i'm
prOvement, because of the cost involved.
The only chance, SO far as I can see,
for the friends of road improvement to
effect any radical betterment in the
highways of their own vicinity is by
securing a more intelligent direction
OF the labor that is now expended upon
them.
Most of our country roads are now
wretchedly handled as regards annual
repairS-nOt altogether because of lack
of means to make proper repairs,
though there is rarely sufficient money
appropriated by the towns to keep the
highways in best shape, but because
those in charge of road repairs have no
proper conception of the way repairs
should be made. No private Individual
would conduct his business as our
towns manage this matter of the high
ways. What would be thought of the
farmer who would call in bank clerk,
put thousand dollars into his hand
and tell him to go ahead and build a
barn for the farm? He would be con-
sidered crazy. And yet the towns put
money or its equivalent into the hands
of men who haven't the first idea as to
roadmaking, and tell them to go ahead
and repair the highways! The result
is apparent to everyone who rides five
miles through the country. It is an
unbusinesslilxe and wretched system.
The remedy? Well, there are a num-
Der of remedies; but until we can
have state construction and state super
vision of highways (Which ought then
to insure intelligent work., the only
thing that can be done, so far as I can
see, is to keep up the agitation for
better roads, and at the same time try
to get more intelligence into present
methods. What is needed is simple and
concise directions as to the best man
ner of preparing roads under present
conditions, and the bringing of this
instruction home to the men who need
it. 1t is useless to talk to the average
country town of Te1ford construction,
or any other construction which in
wolves a much greater outlay than that
which is represented by present ex-
penditures. The practical thing now
IS to secure a wise use of the road
funds, that are being wasted because
of Incompetence.
How shall this be brought about? I
would suggest that through the farm
ers' Institutes, grange lectures and
farmers club meetings the matter can
be brought directly to the farmers and
other country people who have to do
with the road repairing. Let us have
expert lecturers (men who will not talk
over the heads of their hearers) on this
subject, as we have expert lecturers on
dairy and other topics, and let them
carefully and patiently explain to their
hearers just how they can best use the