The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-07-14

pocketed $1,000 Tor about four
months service OF his own, and LETT
1925 balance IN the town treasury.
These eleven and one hall miles, there
fore, cost the town OF Chester Just
$50. IT'S, or about So, AGO a mile, and
they were built under quite unfavor-
able circumstances, as all engineers
agree that the hauling OF the stone Is
the greatest item of expense. These
eleven and one half miles of road
were built three years ago and they
have net been repaired in any respect
since, except that in the spring they
are rolled with a 3-tOn horse roller.
The bonds are paid off at the rate OF
| $1,000 year, and the burden OF
| taxation is insignificant. The farmers
all use wagons with narrow tires,
though the engineers say they ought
to use wide tires. Aload of four tons,
including the weight of the wagon
is common. Mr.. Harrison says that
$50 year should be spent on repairs
on each mile of 5his kind of stone
road but there has yet been practi-
cally no expense, and even with the
narrow tires and heavy loads there is
hardly perceptible evidence of wear.
Since the first eleven al d one half
miles of good road were made much
1
more has been put down, and along
| the side of the newer roads at short
intervals are piles Of broken stone to
be used in repairing any small breaks
that may appear. This is on the
theory that a stitch in time saves
| nine.
In the above report it will be seen
how the people OF Chester Township
raised the M 'ney with which to secure
the building of these stone roads The
town was first bonded for $40, 900,
int crest on the whole at the rate of 4
per cent, and one thousand dollars OF
the principal, payable annually, which
amounts to abont 1898 on an aver
age per year. At the present time it
might be difficult to float 4 per cent
town bonds, but usually it can be
done.
Now if eleven and one half miles of
road could be built in Chester, where
as the report says the rock had to be
shipped in ~ raiffrom a long distance,
the cost OF which proved the greatest
expense many more miles of road
could be built in a town Astounding
with plenty of rock.
1t is only r. asonsble to suppose
rom the above report, that in town
where rock suitable for road building
could be Cos conveniently, that sever
al more miles OF COOL road could be
built for the same money.
Readers WAC live in the town Of
River Falls, let mo ask you what it
has cost you per a mum to BULL and
maintain the roads as you now have
them, not including the cost Of
bridges.
Through the courtesy OF Hon. Free
man Lord, who has taken time to
carefully look the matter up, it is
found that during the past ten years
it has cost the town OF River Falls
$19,562 80 for ro d building and
repairs, not inclu ling thu bridge
building, or An average o.. q few Gems
less than $4,000 per annun 1t will
be noticed that it Is st the
town OF River f ills $187 more per
year to maintain the dirt roals than
it cost Chester Township to build and
maintain her splendid macadam
roads, built as the report says. under
the most unfavorable conditions.
Note the difference between the two
towns-Chester Township in New
Jersey and River Falls Township in
Wisconsin, the one with stone roads
AMI the other dirt roa 8. While We
are actually payin, more road taxes
annually than the people of tn east,
they are riding on we'll graded stone
roads as smooth as % hous, floor
and as htrd AS rock can m IKE them
on which three ton loads are but
fair average for one team OF horses,
while we are still ploughing through
sand or wallowin, through mud,
climbing over no ks or pitching in to
gulies and ruts. climbing over badly