St. Paul daily globe., 1895-09-20
ROADS At INSTITUTE HALL.

ROADS AT INSTITUTE HALL.
valuable exhibits at the state fair,
and one Of the least noticed, was in
institute hall where object lessons in
road making were given. Models of
roads on all kinds and conditions Of
soil taught how good roads are to
be made. There was the hillside
road, with one model showing how
1T should not be made, a mere water
trough for the waters seeking a
level and the other ditched and
tiled to keep the water and the
roadway apart as much as possible.
| There were models of roads built
over norasses or peat beds, making
a solid road bed in place of the old
time excruciating corduroy. Other
| models showed the use Of mixed soils,
clay on sand and sand on clay,
changing the character of the soils
and producing a mixture that gave
a hard bed, less pervious than either
alone. Now and then some one
paused to look curiously at the ex-
hibit or to give it careful study, but
an incubator attracted a hundred
where this road display drew one.
There is hardly a problem of farm
economy that excels the matter of
good roads in Importance If horses
are plenty and their saving in use.
of slight consequence, still time on a
farm is fully as valuable as else
where, and time is saved or wasted
as the roads to market are good or
bad. The farmer visiting the city
is amazed at the enormous loads
he sees a team hauling over the
streets. Twice or three times the,
weight is easily hauled that he could
haul to market on his wagon. And
it is not because the city teams are
heavier or stronger than his, but
simply because they pull their loads
over hard, even surface. Given
the same roadbeds, and the fall mar
keting on the farm could be done in
half the time now consumed. Nor is
this the only economy. There is long
er life and service for wagons and
harness, and a, leSsened bill at the
blacksmith's and wagonmaker's for
repairs. Incidentally there is a great
er value to the farms lying along
equal, no man would pay as much
for the farm lying along a rough,
difficult road as he would for one
fronting on a good, hard, we'll
kept highway. But why argue what
is automatic? Why prove what no
one disputes? 4
And yet, with everybody admit
ting the value, and every one enjoy
ing good roads, we have, almost uni
| versally, poor ones. Why is this so?
The fault lies in our system Of road
making and repairing. There is an
indifference that drives over stone
year after year rather than spend
a few moments in removing it There
is a feeling that ''it is none of my
business" It is every ones business
and. therefore, nobody's. There is
| no responsibility. There are no ade-
quate funds. Work done seems to be
so soon undone by the elements that
the impression is made that money
and labor are wasted. The natural
desire to evade taxation extends to
| the communication Of labor for the
road tax. The remedy lies in COM
plete reversal of our system. Road
| making and repair is business by
| Itself, to be studied and learned. The
idea that any one can build road
| is as fallacious as the old notion that
I any one can be successful farmer.
! More money must be spent and the
| contract system must supersede the
| present one. Roads, as well as
houses, must have permanent foun-
dations. These cost money at the
outset, but they are cheaper in the
| end. The exhibit shown in Institute
hall should accompany the insti-
| tutes. and to the force should be