Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-28
SOME GREAT ROAD
WORK BEING DONE
City, County and Individuals
Improving Marion Street
In Fine Manner
WILL COST ABOUT $1,000
WILL COST ABOUT s1,so
An Elevated Grader. Such as is Used in
Railroad Work, in Service-Road will
be made Twenty two Feet on Top
Some Fine Work Also Done in
Taylor Township.

Some of the finest road work ever
done in Marshall county is being prose
cuted with vigor on Marion street be-
ginning near the c. j. Yetley home
and extending to a point beyond the
Iowa river bridge, north and east,
distance of about three miles The
Marion street road, the main Travelled
road to Green Mountain, is one of the
most widely traversed thoroughfares
In the county. and has been in bad
shape for a number of years. The city
is expending a certain portion of its
revenue derived from road taxes or
the work, the county is also assisting
and individuals, either property own
ers or those Interested In having a
good road, will bear the expense of the
improvement. which Will amount to be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000.
The city has taken UP the work from
the foot of the hill at the Yetley home
and will do one single stretch Of one
and one half miles. then so rods far
Their, to the Iowa river bridge, crossing
the lowlands. The county then takes
up the work. on the north side of the
river, at the bridge, and carries it on
for about a mile, north and east, on
the-~~main Travelled Green Mountain
road, to the foot Of the big hill, again
, striking the highlands
The magnitude of the work can only
be imagined by witnessing ii as it pro-
crosses. An elevated grader. such as is
used IN railroad contracting, is in SER
vice, having for power a sixteen mule
team. 6. w. LaPlant is doing the
work with gang of five men. The
road is to be grayeled on its surface.
and this work is to be done by indi-
viduals. Instead of leaving the dirt
between the fences, such as is done in
the old way Of road making. the
bitches are made within four feet of
the fences, on either side, and all or
the dirt is thrown into the road A cut
OF between four and five feet is being
made in some places, and a fiji to the
same depth in others. Work was COM
menced Wednesday night widening the
road on the city's long stretch, where
Is leads into the city limits north of the
packing house. The road will be made
twenty-five feet on top. After the ele-
waited grader has finished its work a
common road grader VIII be used in
finishing the work, going over the en-
tire distance, after it has been eleva,
ted. 1t will still take two weeks with
good weather, to complete the improve
ment.
Another Big Improvement.
Another big improvement in road
work has been made in Taylor town
ship. just a short distance out OF the
city, on both the prairie road to Albion
and the North Center street road. The
county has given $3S toward this work,
the township $50 and property owners
and others interested the balance. For
q distance OF 220 roads in one stretch,
along the east side OF the old Chaplin
farm, and for Ito rods on the west side
the work has been completed, after
just six days work. There are stin
about two days work yet to do. G. w.
LaPlant. who owns the old Chaplin and
farms, 351 acres, has con-
structed three miles OF diking along
both the Center street and prairie
roads, also diked both sides of Asher
creek, probably three and one half
miles, all of them between two and
three feet above any known high water
mark. Land that has heretofore been
oyeraowed in wet seasons, is now till
able In every sense of the word. C. r.
LaPlant and others have given their
attention to this improvement,
getting out and doing much of the
work themselves.