The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-06
TIE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL


road are effectively ditched, and the
each way At the same time the road
is being built, the land on each side is
also being drained where necessary:
Drainage is simple matter here, and
usually all that is needed is short
ditch to cut an old beaver dam, but
proper drainage means everything for
the road as well as the land, and the
same bitches are made to do double
duty. Instead of water continually
seeping out into the road, the surplus
is carried off promptly, and the high
summer was a little soft in places, and
roots left in the ground made it rough
sometimes, but road year old was as
good as any farmer could ask. 1t had
packed till firm as nnacadam, and the
roots had rotted out, leaving it smooth.
Good bridges spaned every little stream,
and where necessary short marshy
stretches were c,orduroy,ed and then
covered with heavy layer Of earth
to remove all the jolt. An occasional
application of the split-log drag will
keep such roads in prime condition at
small cost for an indefinite time But
the small initial coat was what sur
prised me. Mr.. NOVEL; informed me
that the average road they put in had
not cost over $500 a mile for clearing,
ditching and grading, including the
bridges. The latter cost nothing but
for the laborf as good timbers are
handy and to be had on, company land
for the cutting.
Roads Carefully Inspected.
The company has it's: own superin-
tendent ON the ground to check up the
contractors, and see that the roads are
COMPLETED according to specified tions.
L.. Wallace, formerly of Mankato but
now OF St. Paul, is in charge Of the
work. He il, a veteran timber cruiser
and an expert roadmakers, and the
work will be monument to his skill
and ingenuity. Similar roads had been
built by the road overseers with town
ship money, but the cost was much
mile. An effort will be made to abolish
the road districts and road overseers,
and put one expert roadmakers in
charge of roadmaking for the township.
Such a scheme, it is believed, would
result in prompt payment of cash road
taxes, and enable the work to be done
better and on larger scale; Bruno
good-road theories. Meanwhile, the
land company is pegging away with it's
own roads, and has. run one line east
across the Tamarack river to- tap the
fine timber lands in the eastern part
Of the county. This has been hardly
touched, except the white pine, on ac-
count of it's distance. from the rail-
Der are excellent, and it is expected
that they will soon enhance greatly in
value. The 500 is believed to be behind
recent surveys, and it is expected will
build it's long projected line to Duluth
and Superior by northern extension
Of the branch to Frederick. Wis. This
would pass thru eastern Pine county
it besides the oak, Eastwood, elm, birch
spruce and tamarack logs, no less than
| 100000 cords of hardwood and 100000
cords of pulpwood.
The roads, wherever built, follow sec
tion lines, 50 they will never need te
! be moved: They are in to stay, and
the township authorities are beginning
to improve them by cutting dowr
grades. r..
Farmers Are Thrifty. ..
As the roads reach out into the new
inspecting the roads I was also, able tx
see farms in all stages Of development
Some honesteaders got in before thu
roads were built, and now that thu
roads have been built to them are en-
joying the general prosperity. Incom
ers dating only year or two back ar
also comfortably. settled: They have
neat little homes, capacious barns ant
sheds, :" truck. gardens bearing 4 tn,
finest kind of.r-vegetables. andv-smal
fruit, mt adows of clover and timothy
and splendid fields Of small grain espe
4 cially oats; which was as fne~as on
could want to see. Wherever the tree
and brush had. been cleared so as to lie
the sun in,&the big red clover' TO
which Pine county is famous wa
! growing. thickl yand crowding out tn
q weeds. The settlers say they only nee'
to scatter the seeds in the clearings t.
get good ."estand,' and it gets thicke
every year, making splendid pasture TO
the cows and enriohing the soil. Nor
settlers have come in this spring, mad
clearing and put up houses, and hav
raised some good crops. Others are JUS
coming in, and more are expected thru
the winter. They come in any time
and can always start right to work am
be getting an income. The land, which
now sells for $40 to SIT an acre, &C
eording to location and character of tn
timber on it, cam always be made t.
pay for itself by marketing the log
and cordwood, and without stripping
of the timber acreage needed for wind
break and the settlers own fuel supply
Pays as They Go.
The farmers are all enthusiastic owe