The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-05-14
BATES COUNTY ROADS,.

road leading from this city to Ricl
Hill. There are places in the roa'
between this town and Cortland, W
are informed, that it is next to i'm
possible to get through with an.
kind OF a wagon or vehicle. A gen
tleman in town the other day iron
Cortland, said that in getting
through one bad place in the roat
with his buggy, one OF the horses
broke both tugs to his harness ant
the other broke a single tree. HI
said he had Travelled this road
great many years, but does not re
member OF ever seeing it in such con
dition. He requested that The TINES
call attention to the matter that
something In the way OF betterine
the condition Of the roads be done,
II the road overseers and authorities
will do nothing, then, said this gen.
tleman, the people in general along
the highways should take hold Of
the matter. There is no doubt Of
the fact, said he, that Butler is
losing hundreds of dollars by the
impossible condition OF the roads.
The farmers, likewise, are losers, as
many of them were unable to get
their produce to market. This state
of affairs should not exist in great
county like Bates.
Vernon county is at last aroused
to the Importance ofgood roads and
a meeting Of the business mems
club at Nevada Saturday, was
attended by large number OF farm
ers from the different townships OF
the county. The Nevada Mail has
this to say Of the meeting and the
plans adopted:
"The King drag system has received
many supporters and this simple de-
vice has greatly improved the roads
wherever they have been used. How
ever, it has generally been conceded
that something more than the King
drag is demanded. Proper grading
and macadamizing is necessary and
this followed by an intelligent and
ceaseless use OF the King drag will
forever guarantee good roads to Yer
non county. The gentlemen present
decided to adopt two plans to work
upon in order to improve the roads
and raise the money to be used in
doing the work. The first one sug-
gested by Mayor Wight was as fol-
lows: To organize under the law the
six mile road district; the law gives
the people OF the proposed district
authority to perfect such organiza-
ton and provide that upon q petit
tion signed by 80 tax payers the
county court may call a special cleo
ton at which the voters may vote
on the proposition; if majority vote
in favor of the district organization,
the district can then effect organiza-
ton and the city council and the
county court shall constitute a su-
pervisory board and shall appoint
three road commissioners. Any dis
trict including city or cities OF the
third and fourth class can go organ
ize. This law would apply to four
townships in thecounty, Bacon, Dry
wood, Walker and Center. Should
Center township 30 organize it would
receive one-fourth Of the saloon Ii
cense paid to Nevada and one-hali OF
the county saloon license, besides
levying road tax. This wouldgive
Center township sufficient funds to
build good roads. Center township
could not only build her own roads
but could extend five miles out on
any road leading into her boundary.
This proposition was most favora-
bly, received by the meeting. On mo-
ton OF DR.. Wilson, seconded by 81.
N. Duck, Mayor Wight, Judge T. ].
Meyers and ]. Sam Brown were ap-
pointed to investigate the six mile
district law and to prepare and cir
culate a petition and submit the
same to the county court Monday.
J.H. Jackson madea splendid and
forceful talk on the matter OF build
ing a good road through the Marina
ton bottom as did ]. NJ. McAnulty,
W. II. Litson, Col. Moore and many
Others. It was the opinion Of all
present that the work Of building
good road through this bottom
80 $1,000 ~ rcoo t. -.