Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-01

sails under it's own true colors.-Ameri-
can Agriculturist
Wide ties again.-It seems to be gen.
orally understood that something must
be done to improve our country roads.
But the question now is: What shall
We do?
| live about six miles from Roches-
ter, N. Y, writes S. NJ. Harris in the
New York Tribune, and am constantly
driving between my home and the city,
and so I am not only very much inter
ested in the question of road improve
ment, but have also had abundant op-
pOrtunity to observe the effects of
weather and traffic on our present
gravel and earth roads, and I have re
Gently been very much impressed with
the great improvement effected in the
conditions of the roads simply by the
use of wide tires on loaded wagons
The city Of Rochester has adopted an
ordinance compelling the use Of tires
four inches wide on all wagons de-
signed to carry one ton or more. 1t,
therefore, often happens tfat some of
the wagons with wide tires that are
used in the city come out a few miles
into the country. The consequence is
a marked improvement in the roads
near the city, which, on account of the
heavy traffic on them, have always
been in much worse condition than
those further out in the country These
wagons with wide tires, instead Of cut
ting into the road, leaving ruts and
holes to catch and hold the water until
it soaks in and softens the whole road
bed actually improve the read by roll
ing it down hard and leaving it smooth,
SO that any water that falls on it soon
runs off, and does no injury. If such is
the effect of few wagons with wide
tires, what would be the result if all
wagons carrying heavy loads were
constructed in the same way? [ am
fully convirc ed that nothing that can
be done would work so much improve
ment to our roads with so little ex-
pense as the use of wide tires. Where
once tried, I think the wayfaring man,
though he be a member Of our state
legislature, could not help but see the
great advantage to be derived from
their use.
The idea of state aid in making road
improvement is very popular among
farmers, who seem to think that they
Will get good roads in this way with
out any trouble or expense to them
selves. But oven if expensive roadbeds
were constructed they would soon be
ruined unless the use OF narrow tires
was prohibited.
1t seems 10 me, therefore, that the
first thing that should be done is to
enact state or county laws compelling
the use of tires at least four inches wide
on all wagons designed to carry a ton
or more that are used on our public
highways. After this is done we can
go ahead and make all the improve
ments we can afford to, with the as
surance that the work we do will not
be rendered useless within a few
years.
Objection is often made to the use of
wide tires that they Will not run in the
run hard. But if all wagons had wide
tires there would not be any ruts. A
wagon built with tires wide enough
to keep the wheels from cutting into
the road will obviously draw more
easily than one that plows through the
mud, instead of running over it.
In England this use of wide tires has
been general for a great many years,
and to this fact is largely due the mag
nificent condition Of the roads there.
Why are We so slow to adopt this easy
and cheap method of improving our
roads?
Let us get out Of the rut," and here
after roll over smooth roads on wide
tires.