Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-04-25

reason than ever before. Until roads
are worked Systematically ard by
competent men we cannot look for
anything better The roads have
never been worse than they are this
spring. They are 30 rough now it is
almost impossible to use them and
the worse places are where the well
known road grader has gotten in its
deadly WORK. The road grader is
possibly all right ia competent hands
but we have yet TO see a piece OF road
in town Of in the country but what is
much the worse by its use. The Gus
tom OF building ''thank-ye ma'ams"
or mounds across the roads for turn
ing the water cannot be too severely
condemned and is time and labor lost
II the roadmaster would take a little
more time and pains to construct a
culveIt u1lder the road instead of on
top Of it, be road would be much inn
proved. The average farmer seems
10 think of he road tax as an imposi-
tion and if be can beat the road mas
ter by working four hours doing moth
ing principally and get credit for
day ; labor, he is supremacy happy.
The roads are not worked until late
in the fall after all the farm work is
done. They are not worn down when
frost comes and are always bad. If a
tax payer works his road tax he usu-
ally either hastily constructs a few
..thank-ye- ma ans" on a side hill or
hauls few loads Of earth and nils in
a few deep ruts aud his work is done
for the wear When the grader is
used the road Is mounded up in the
middle to the depth OF couple of feet
with soft earth. Teams never travel
through it so it never becomes tram
pied down. The deepest mud this
spring is found invariably where the
grader was used. Each man has a
different idea as TO the easiest way of
working out his tax. One will build
a number of thank-ye-ma'am across
the road in places where there isn't
the slightest reason for it. Another
viii die the earth from the sides of
the road and throw it up in the mid
die Some throw a little earth here
and there wherever the road has
washed. knowing full we'll it will wash
a. much aS ever. The writer has in
mind a piece Of road upon which a
tax payer worked out his tax by pow !
ing several burrows along each side OF
the road (why. the Lord only Rnows)
and actually turning the water into
the road rather than draining il off
Such thin IS will never make good
roads. and until the tax payers come
10 realize that it is to their own inter-
ests to have good roads-roads that
won't rack wagon to pieces and kill
their horses-and until they elect
competent roadmasters we can look
for no improvement.
"Some men are born great. Some
acquire greatness and some have
greatness thrust upon them This
last statement is applicable to your
humble correspondent who has been
unduly thrust into prominence by a
few articles concerning the county
Judge question. but not in a way pre-
ferred bv US We might add to what
the immortal poet has said: ''Some
men know bur little; some know too
much and some know not as much as
think they do. All these statements
would apply very aptly to the divers
persons that have form ulated all sorts
OF wild theories as to the authorship
of the aforesaid articles. We have no
desire to be drawn into notoriety,
neither de we care TO engage in a
Newspaper controversy, but we hate to
see one who is entirely innocent be
made to bear the brunt Of personal
attacks and destinations hurled by
those ignorant Of he truth. Il IS
gratifying, however. to know that
such personalities were wholly map
plicable and fell on barren soil. 1t is
rather hard upon Us. however, to burn
the midnight oil preparing articles
Tor publication and then have our en-
emies snatch away our laurels % and
place them upon another brow. But
we forgive them especially if they
were deceived IN that they reasoned
that such good p articles could not
have eminated from a small place like
Patch Grove.
school began last Monday for a nine
weeks term and will close somewhat
later than usual this year-June 18th.
Miss Gee, our primary teacher. at
tended the teachers meeting at Platte
Vile.
Miss Mildred Key is spending the
week with ner sister, Mrs. Philip Glass
of Brodtville.
MIR. Custer. our pastor. IS quite i'll.
Mr.. Mccormick conducted services in
his stead last sunday.
The ROYAL Neighbors had initiation
Saturday evening and several eandi-
dates we're initiated into the mysteries
of the craft The ceremony was fol-
lowed by bountiful repast such As
none but the Neighbors can give.
1t is probable there will be dance
IL -.