River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-07-21
OUR ZIGZAC RURAL ROADS.
How We Got Them and How We May,
to Some Extent, Improve Their
Location.

In the building IF roads, the first ques-
ton to be settled is that of location,
and it is question of prime Importance.
If the road to be built is a new one, the
problem of location is not difficult to
solve. The principles which should
govern the location are nipple, and
they readily appeal to The common sense
of all who are interested. The road
should be as short and straight as prac-
ticable. If the country is level, all that
is necessary is to determine the points
through which it is to pass and build it
straight from one point to another. But
in most cases the country is not level.
This introduces new element, that of
grades. Steep grades are to be avoided
above all things. The question then is
to make the road as short as is COM
patible with easy grades. Deep cuts
and heavy fills are expensive, and should
be avoided as far as possible. A wind
ing road seven miles long with light
grades is better than one four or five
miles long, with heavy grades. Over the
former, team can draw load of two
tons about as quickly as load of one
such road is problem to be worked
out with care and judgment. The con-
tour of the country must be studied and
surveys and calculations must be made.
But when it comes to improving the
roads which are already located, the diff
ficulties are vastly greater. In the first
place in most sections of our country
tha roads hoUo boaD ba61xy located In
fact, they have not been located at all
in the true sense. Many of them were
originally nothing but COW paths. 9th
ers were made by the early settlers for
their immediate convenience, and with
no thought of their fitness for high
ways for highly organized communities.
After the country became more fully
settled and the land was divided into
farms new roads were generally laid
out SO as to run on boundary lines be-
tween farms, almost wholly regardless
of the contour of the country. AS a
result, the roads are not only crooked,
but they involve many steep grades
which are wholly unnecessary.
When it is proposed to correct these
errors of location, the trouble begins.
Farmers have built their houses on the
road, and they don't want it changed.
Besides, they don't want their farms
cut up. The local road officials want to
keep on good terms with their neigh
bOrs, and, therefore, lack the nerve to
make radical changes. And so we go
on year after year throwing away money
on roads that ought never to have been
built.
1t is likely that the errors of the past
can never be entirely corrected. But
a great deal can be done in that direc-
ton. Many slight changes can be made
which will result in great Improvement.
In this connection it is thought that
great advantages will result from the
adoption of state and national aid. The
first great benefit that will result from
the national aid plan will be the arous-
ing of popular interest. The movement
for good roads will become general, rath-
er than local. The piecemeal methods
of road improvement will give place to
larger plans. The people will get broad
er views Local kickers who want to
sacrifice the interests of the whole COM
munity for selfish personal ends will be
ignored, and many roads will be partly
relocated
State and national aid will also shift
the authority from the local officials to
the officials of the county, the state and
the nation, and these will cooperate in
adopting and carrying out general plans
for locating and building roads for the
best interests of all the people who are
to use them.