The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-09-18
AGRICULTURAL HINTS
A FARMER.s ARGUMENT.
He Takes n Really Sensible stand IN
the Rond Question.

tlOnb VIC 70 great extent.
We fall over the stones we ourselves
have laid in the way. There is no end
of fault-fnding - and justly so over
the money sharks, the combines, the |
greediness of public officials and poll
ticans. There is no doubt that these. |
collectively in many instances, get fully
one-half of the peoples earnings. OF
the remaining half one-half OF
that is lost 10 the farmer by
weeds and vermin, by bad financial
management, and by bad roads. These
are the stones he lays in his own way,
o. allows 10 lie there TO stumble over.
The farmers themselves are princi-
pally to blame for the poor and misera-
BILE condition of our country roads.
The way of maintaining these roads Is
about the same that was customary In
our colonial times, when any road was
good enough, If rocks, stumps or holes
did not make them entirely impossible
for vehicles. IL is very likely that more
attention would have been paid 70 our
country roads were it not for the intro
duction of railroads. What the rail
roads are for traffic on a large scale, so
are our country roads for traffic on a
small scale-alike beneficial 10 all peo-
pie. II is a fact that railroads haul
cheaper, and is IL not a fact that rail-
roads cost more? Is IL not, likewise,
fact that railroads earn enormous
riches out of the people by hauling for
the people?
Now, IL the farmer could haul his
at haIf ha
much would that save him? / do not
know, some one may answer. Well, II
j did not see the railroads / would not
either. But the fact is, If we had good
wagon roads all the year round, the
hauling would not cost half what il
costs now, besides the quicker trip and
bigger load, and man, team, harness
and wagon would last longer. The
price for the load hauled would be bet
ter in winter and early spring than In
midsummer, when team and man are
nearly suffocated by dust, and when
they ought to be at home cultivating
corn and potatoes; cleaning up around
the hog house and yard, and making
numerous other improvements.
The country road question is geuer-
ally misconceiyed; therefore, INSULT
GENTLY discussed, and will not be solved
satisfactorily by old ways and means.
Instead of treating it as a question Of
national economy, IL is regarded as n
local matter, for which there is great
lack Of comprehension, or Of means TO
solve or carry IL out In the far west,
where the settlers build their homes
far apart, nobody thought of arranging
or maintaining regular roads. All road
making was confined to poorly, pass
abe approaches TO the railroads; very
often, however, they found what a
great damage an impossible road is. A
great deal has been written about how
TO make farmers comprehend that il Is
in their own interest to maintain good
roads. But il would seem to be all in
vain.
Farmers are averse to the cost OF
constructing durable roads and not far
sighted enough TO see the benefits they
would derive from It. That the cost OF
constructing such a road is consider
able, may be comprehended by every
body; but that Il is as high rs generally
supposed is mistake, and this seems to
be the main reason that so little has
been accomplished In this direction
OF course, the roads are repaired every
year according to the nature and con
dition OF the soil. Gravel will produce
the best and cheapest roads; but is
squandered in many places. We OTTER
see gravel put in places where the road
Is not sufficiently graded. There Il
mixed with the water In holes to musf
and entirely disappears in few years
In many places gravel and stones are
not TO be had. I'm such cases the larges
holes in the road are annually hHet
with dirt, by pillow and scraper, an'
then left alone till the next year, an'
40 ad inAnitum. Here wide Wagon
wheels would be better than marrow
ones: Il Is not 10 be wondered that TIT
roads grow from bad TO worse in some
places.
The manner in which roads in Wis
consin have been maintained Tor man.
wears Is not n correct one, nor is tn
eystem OF roadmasters. IL should hav'
been abolished long ago. These road
masters are elected by reclamation
whether the man Is competent TO ear
his salary or not; influence conquer'
and often the beer-glass decides Tn
election. To some Il Is great fun {
elect somebody who does not wani
and does not care for the Office. j
some places IL is the rule, when haulin
gravel in payment of road taxes,to loa
on ms little as possible. II the road
masters would see that every tear
hauled at least one cubic yard, consid
erably more would be accomplished
In some districts where capitalists liz
who do not work their road taxes then
selves the cash Is collected by roa'
masters who promised 20 have Oh
taxes worked, but most of IL remain
in his pocket. or is used to fumigai
or irrigate the throat A roadmasts