Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-01-26
Won S|AND'FORl R[N|
Marshall County Farmers Be.
lieve Stone Roads Are Be-
yond Their Finances.
Opinion Narrowing Down in Fa-
vor Of County Organization
and Dirt Roads.
Task Of the Rural Mail Inspector
in Selecting Satisfactory
Routes.


The good roads question as discussed
in recent issues of the Times Republican
has had its effect upon the farming in
terests and attracted much attention,
and intelligent discussion among the.
farmers. The writer as the nearest and.
most available of the T.-R. force has
been vigorously informed that hard
roads are out of the question; that the
Marshall county farmer does not intend
to mortgage the farm or go hungry to
pay for the stone and labor involved in
constructing macadam roads. Occa-
ssionally the information was rendered in
language remarkable for its virility and
picturesqueness of expression. But
when the smoke of battle had drifted
beyond the horizon and good fellowship
resumed its sway the conclusion was in
variable. He favored better roads;
a different system of road work prefera-
bly, county organizations; commended
tho present system of bridge labor for
its efficiency, and thought a system OF
road labor on a similar basis we'll worth
trial.
Now there isn't any use on earth to
argue hard road system to this man.
The Marshall county farmer is a man of
affairs and of good business Judgment
He thinks he knows what he wants and
like every other business man he grows
conservative in Improvement in a direct
ratio to the increase of taxation. He
would like hard road; boulevard
isn't any too good for him. but he
counts the cost as he does on the thou
and concludes that the hard road comes
too high. He is against macadam, not
that macadam isn't good thing, but
because he can't afford it. The farmer
has concluded that the only road inn
be done on dirt roads by some reasona-
Sbly inexpensive process. He is willing
and anxious to do his part and pay his
share of this and the road problem at
present before Marshall county, simpli-
fed and ciphered out, means county or
ganizat!on and systematic. skill-directed
treatment of Marshall county dirt.
1t is up to some one to discover or In
Vent a method of treating dirt roads in
such manner as TO make them availa-
BILE for all seasons of the Year.
This argument that the farmer saves
IL, horsefiesh, the expense entailed by
the construction of hard roads, lacks
much of the truth. He doesn't. He
keeps his horses primarily for farm
work; hauling is a secondary considera-
ING NECESSARY Tor a FARM mat fflgrts re-
cure a dozen to perform the labor nee
cssary to the successful raising ana
rathing of the crops. He has the horses
and he figures they might as Well haui
load over pretty bad road as to
stand in the barn "eating their heaos
OFF,. He has plenty of horses, often
more than he needs or wants but ne
lever has too much money Conse-
|nuently he chooses what seems TO INN
the better part, uses his horses and lets
1 tna road question rest If it involves
what to him seems lavish expenditure.
summed up the road situation ~
Marshall county leans We'll toware
4 county organization. Let the farmers
interested make move and a trial o.
4 this system is assured.
4 The rural mail inspectors task IS M
i easy one While 1t beats teaching school
4 prenching or running newspaper ths
4 sinsnector is especially liable to criticism
i of an adverse nature. The farinelawant
Z the mail at his door. Were a postofiic'
.llocated with a half mile of his residenc
he would think 1t mighty handy an
= convenient but a box down at tn
), corner across an eighty-acre farm or
!. liftle farther dwindles in a dim perspec
q tive to pin point as seen thru his eyes
and he occasionally expresses opinion
). of the inspector who laid the route an
Z in the more violent cases ayoWs his en-
8 tire concurrence in the eventual dam
: nation of Inspector and postmaster; a.
!. so burning desire that they may tax
g the service along with them when the
cleo. But these are the extreme case!
!. Their Soreness" arises more from tn
!. fact that some other fellow doesn't hay
i. to 20 farther than the front fence tina
4. from the necessity of a short promenac
7 ION their own part. He signs a petitio
| expecting to place his box before h
!. door. Perhaps the inspectors judt
!. nent throws the route a half mile to or
3 side of him. His natural disappoin
!. ,nent occasionally stirs him to ange
+ But being usually q reasonable man
q soon gets over It, There is no reason
/. looubt the notives of the Inspector. 7
!. wants to give the best service possib
I. and generally does. The trouble is
l. sometimes tries to do too much. i
+ wants to cover too much territory.
Taking the case Of the Gilman route
\ Mr.. Boylan considers them the fine
{ routes he ever laid. Theoretically tn,
/. are all right: practically they lack muc
II There is bunch of more than q doz
families that considers itself practical
missed. Some of these are within ca
g distance Of the route and haven't pa
SIticle of kick coming; some are m
8 or more from any point on the route a
q do not intend to use the service. In tn
1SSicry they are within reach of the rout
o practically, if he wishes to send and !
* ceive mail daily, he must travel 70
Is 4 miles or stand on the corner until I
of the wagon. At the least G.
Slculation If he visits his box but once
81 lsday he must travel 626 miles. or tw
g across the state of Iowa: This is
a far and the majority of farmers wo
q do it, Counting farmers as upon
x route who are really from a mile tc
Is, mile and a half away may look all RIG
q on paper but ii won't do practical
s The farmer won't stand for 1t.
p Another thing in the rural service ii
"a reeds explanation is the matter OF bt
"a cs. The impression has gone out
O. some manner on many routes that
government manufactures box q
s that it must be furnished the pat
g thru the carrier or the postmaster T
AZ has led in a few instances to an infer
8 box furnished at an exorbitant pr
~ The facts are that any good metal
Ill kI>~~a