The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-11-13

missioner is elected, and this makes the
board perpetual. In their hands is
placed full authority to buy stone, let
contracts, allow bills apportion the
money to such roads AS theyideem neces-
sary, and to have the full management
of the system. These commissioners,
however, have nothing to do about ap-
portioninglthe taxes. They decide upon
the amount of money to be raised each
year for extensions and repairs, report
the same to the board of supervisors
and this board does the rest Under the
law the maximum tax rate gives the
stone road board upwards of $40, 900 a
year. but economy has been followed
each year, and not much over $50, 900
has been used for repairs and extensions.
This does not permit much new
work, but it is sufficient to keep the 100
miles in good repair and to add little
here and there, as the occasion may de-
mand.
Since the commencement Of the stone
roads, there has been a radical change
in the manner Of building them. At
the outset, the roadway was excavated
to the depth of about eight inches, or
trifie more. Then flat lime stone was
placed in the road bed, and on top of
this was placed layer of coarse crushed
stone, and the top dressing was a layer
of finer crushed stone. Experience
showed that the foundation stones would
work out of place and ruts would form
in the road. These fiat stones were
then entirely discarded and the crushed
stone used in their place. This plan is
yet followed, although the commission
ers do not hold themselves strictly down
to the use of crushed lime stone. They
find crushed hard heads are on some roads
more advantageous, while in many
places gravel has been substituted. The
selection of material depends great
deal upon the judgment of the commits
sioners. Under the rules of the board,
certain roads are given into the charge
OF certain commissioners, and they are
supposed to look after them. One COM
missioner may favor hard heads, while
another prefers lime stone. In the long
run, hard heads it is believed, give the
best results, but they are more ex-
pensive. One complaint against the
lime stone is that in dry seasons the top
dressing grinds into dust and blows
away.
*x*
Under the stone road system of Bay
county as it is laid out, nearly every
farmer is on stone highway, or with
in short distance of one, so that he is
never deprived of an opportunity of
coming to the city. No weather was
ever yet experienced when the stone
roads were in such condition that
they would not allow farmer to bring
full load of produce to market. Dur
ing the sugar beet season it is not an I'M
common thing to see farmer station
load of beets upon a stone road and then
haul another load from the farm over
dirt road to load it upon the standing
wagon for drawing to the factory; in
other words, he is enabled to draw two
and three times as many beets on the
stone roads as he can on dirt road
The farmers invariably use wide
tired wagons Formerly narrow tires
y,rayo;1ad hut ~ xroa aoo,, fo,,oJ %bo& -
rainy seasons they cut holes through
the stone. The size of loads drawn over
the macadam roads is limited only by
the strength of the horses and the capac-
ity of the wagon.
There isn't farmer in Bay county
who is not in favor of the stone roads.
A farm on one of these high ways is
considered of much more value than
one off on side road. While it is i'm
possible to say accurately how much
more farm on stone road is worth
than it would be with no stone road, it
is known that the owner of the place
considers it of inestimable advantage,
benefit and value. 1t saves time, wear
and tear on wagon and harness, he can
haul larger loads, he is not isolated in
rainy weather, smaller team can ac-
complish much more than otherwise,
and there is the satisfaction of knowing
that he can come and go just whenever
he pleases without giving any considera-
tion of the weather conditions.
While the cost of supporting these
stone thoroughfares, these arteries of
trade, falls more heavily upon the own
er of city property than upon the farmer
or the owner of agricultural land there
is no complaint made by the city land
owner. He figures that in the long run
his city property is made much more
by the upbhilding of the
farming section and he pays his stone
road tax willingly. What has been the
effect of the stone roads upon neighbor
ing counties? Bay City draws trade |
from as far east as Sebewaing, Huron |
county, as far southeast as Vassar, Tus-