Mexico Missouri message., 1902-01-30
ROCK ROADS AGAIN.
The Law Cited In Regard to
Road Improve
ment.

To the Editor OF the MESSAGE
While the season of the year is |
now approaching when the roads |
leading out of Mexico, and, in fact,
all over the county, will again be-
come bad, and in many places i'm
passable, and we see from the cor
respondence to the papers from
different parts of the county there
is a growing interest among the
farmers and country people i'll fav-
or of improved highways, and a
great many people who are anxious
about the question do not know
the provisions Of the road law, or
how to proceed to secure these ad-
vantages, we will make some fur
ther suggestions and point out the
law for the construction Of said
roads.
We saw some time ago from
correspondence to the MESSAGE
from Molino that Mr.. John Mum
dy proposed to he one OF one hun
dred citizens who would gravel or
rock one hundred yards of road,
each leading north from Mexico.
Let me preface the law on the
subject by what the editor of the
Mexico Ledger said some time ago
on this subject. and we consider
this good authority as this editor
always opposed bonding the town
ships or county for building rock
roads. He said these graveled or
rock roads would enhance the val
ne of any farm by which the said
roads should be built from five to
fifteen dollars per acre, and ! be.
lieve this is a very reasonable es-
innate and, il anything, below the
increased valuation of such farms.
Now, for example, let us take
the Mexico and Paris road leading
north from Mexico to the Monroe
county line. Suppose the owners
of the sections of land lying on
either side of said road would sub
scribe so cents per acre. That
would give $640 per mile. | have
heard many men say they would
, give one dollar per acre to have Il
: good rock road built convenient
| to their farms. Many of the citi-
zens of Mexico and men who do
! not live exactly on the line OF the
proposed road would subscribe
{ literally. Now to the law and the
[ gospel-Article }, sec. 973l, re-
! vised 1901, provides whenever the
citizens of any county in this State
! living along the line of any public
road shall subscribe any sum not
2 less than $50 per mile for the pur-
pose of grading, tiling, ditching
l or macadamizing one mile or more
e of such road and shall deposit the
b same with the county treasurer OF
the county, it shall be the duty of
: the county court to subscribe and
0 pay out of the general funds OF the
=, county like amount, not to cX'
S ceed $500 per mile, for the same
purpose, provided no county shall
: contract a debt, etc; such work
, to be done and money expended
c under the supervision Of the coun-
It ty court, in such manner as they
Il may direct, etc.
Now, suppose that several pro
E minent parties living along thu
:, line of the said Mexico and Paris
d road Tor any other road within th'
k county, should interest thcmsclvci
on the subject; for instance, DR.
Hindc, who owns farm north u
r Mexico, Mr.. Charles Hill, tn,
II Johnson brothers, who, we learn
Il own the Robinson farm and Othc
, land along the line Of this road
i Mr.. EmmOns, the merchant, q
/. much interested in the subject, alsr
: JnO. Mundy, Alex. Carter, DR.
a Settle, Geo. Moore, Tom Schciffrr
:. Jos. Martin and many others
d suppose that many citizens on thi
n line, interested in this much need
g ed and indispensable road building
e for the proper development of az
h ricultural interests of this rich an
+. beautiful section of country, ,wpul
II call meeting of the citizens j
each school district along the Ii inc
appoint committees, discuss til
II matter, get the subject propnrl
It before the people, give them (
d understand that little none
o spent in building good roao
Is would contribute more to the at