The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-05-22
A GOOD SUGGESTION.
County Commissioner t1annay on the
Way to Make Good Roads.


VERNON CENTER, Mimi, May 10, 90
Mr.. EDITOR:-There is not the
slightest doubt in my mind that the
question of better roads is a vastly
important one, and should command
the serious attention Of our people.
l take it that most of US think the
time will come, perhaps IN the long
future, when permanent improvement
can be set on foot, and better roads
secured.
The present is thought to be a
wrong time, as produce is very low IN
price, prosperity is wanting in many
directions, and surely taxes are high
enough now. These conditions l will
agree are all true. But are they not
nearly always true? More or less peO-
ple are ever in debt, and about the
last thing one can expect in this world
is low taxes If we wait for the proper
time to come along, fear that neither
we nor our children will ever see the
day when our highways will be very
much better then they are now. For
my part, believe our taxes should
be lower: and as for bonds, If any one
should really advocate to issue them,
either town, county or even state, to
get money to build public roads,
think such person should be looked
upon as eXtravagant and dangerous;
and if possible should be dealt with in
some severe manner. Ii we are to go
in debt TO obtain good roads, then |
say let US endure the mud and pa
tiently wait | look at it as very
proper thing for the state to set apart
small portion of its revenue for this
purpose. There, are various indirect
sources whereby fund could be rea-
LIKED and applied to building solid
roads. Even 800, 900 year expended
it different parts OF the state would
soon teach US all what to do, and what
not to do | would not put money on
some Through line" to make grand
driveway for fast horses, or to parade
bicycles, but would seek roads here
and there that are constantly used for
heavy hauling. We have no long lines
of hauling any more in this state;tha
is all done by the railroads. Our most
important highways are not very long.
They receive branches and in few
miles end at some central point. We
ought not to 60 into Matchmaking in a
wholesale way, but we should do some
thing, and expect time and experience
to teach Us many good lessons. We
cannot settle down in our homes and
absolutely refuse TO reason upon this
matter. Why do we manifest SO much
cold Indifference, when, in soHl6 states,
not so able as we, the people are
keenly awake to the subject, and gooo
roads are being built at an increasing
rate from year toyear? Large amounts
of labor are performed Tor supposed to
bel every year in our townships for
road Improvement: but l have tie
opinion that if this tax were reduced
one half, and paid in hard cash, that
more and better improvement could
be obtained.
We seldom stop to estimate the
great value of the blessings we receive
from the sun and the wind in drying
I'D the mud, and at last making Our
roads dry and hard. Really we are de-
pendent on these elements for
all the solid roadways we ever have in
warm weather; and we can just as
surely depend on the wet, when it
comes, to spoil them.
From what | have noticed during
the bad weather this spring, | would
almost question whether it is a proper
thing to pile up our heavy soil into
large turnpikes. The fact is, the more
of this material there is scraped to-
gether, the deeper the mud is likely
to get when the rain comes. The
water that falls on the roadbed is
sufficient to form ruts even with an
empty wagon. This water settles in
the wheel tracks, and each team that
passes makes it more difficult for the
next one to get along. The ruts at
first are small bitches, and they soon
become masses of deep and abiding
mud.
I think that it is safe to say that in
this vicinity during the wet time this
spring, there has been far more travel
over by the fences, or right down in
the bitches, or on the side of the road
somewhere, than there has been on
the turnpikes built for the very pur-
pose of travel | think it will be dis
puted by no one. that good roads
could be easily secured in Blue Earth
county with little trouble to keep
them good, provided the water that
falls upon them could be fully and en-
tirely:controlled
Now, this seems like an entire i'm
possibility, and, perhaps it is; but
with your permission, | will endeaVor
to outline plans upon which | believe
a roadway can be built that will full
fill all the conditions desired-that
will at all times and under all circum-
stances, be dry and hard and durable;
and, what is more, will not be exceed
ingly expensive to build. / think l
am aware that this is good deal to
say; but [ am willing to take the risk
of being laughed at, and ask you
frankly to tell me what you think
of it
Take any piece Of road, and first, in
a thorough manner, build a good turn
pike Let it be wide and well raised
up. The side bitches should provide
complete drainage of all surface water.
This being done, commence at one end
and dig two bitches the entire length
of the road, one on each side of the
centre line of the turnpike, about Al
feet apart, corresponding to the dis