The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-10-25
THE GREAT RIDGE ROAD.

Every campaign the editor gets a
little better acquainted with Crawford
county. Our efforts at speech maxi
ing may be rather tame but at least
we get to see the people face to
face. In other ways it does us good.
it gives US a breath of fresh air and
sometimes the long stretches of road
out in the open seem to give rise to
wider. freer thought than do the mar
row confines of an office.
There are many beautiful drives in
Crawford county, but somehow none
of them appeals to our Imagination
more wildly than does the old ridge
road northwest of Denison. 1t is a
bleak. lonely, wind-beaten old road.
Way back in the days of our youth
it lead into far-off. unknown land,
called the German settlement. 1t
used to be great mystery to us.
coming over the houseless prairies so
many miles.
The old ridge road differs from other
so much of the present generation as
of the past. 1t was the first pioneer
who laid out the ridge road. or per-
haps it was the Indian or the buffalo.
At any rate it was laid out to follow
the path of least resistance. 1t
sweeps gracefully about the hill tops,
clinging ever to the SUBMITS. 1t
avoids the steep places, skirts the
hollows, lodges the corners and looks
down on all the country round with
supreme arrogance.
The ridge road is the ridge road
from the time it leaves Main street
and debauches-th that is the proper
word for ridge road-into the valley.
Man may gravel it as he will. and
toy with it and grade it and otherwise
abuse it. but the ridge road is the
ridge road still.
Let it be distinctly understood that
the ridge road does not follow the
fences or the telephone poles. The
poles and the fences follow the ridge
road. The ridge road is no respecter
of persons. 1t had much rather 20
through field than around it and it
will run right up to your back yard as
soon as to your front one, if your
house does not have sense enough to
meet the situation and face itself
about.
Then too the supercilliousness with
which the ridge road greets the poor.
little, straight laced. orthodox section
line roads. How it looks at them out
of the tail of its eye and filings fir
tatious curve at them from out of
it's many windings.
1t seems to say 81 am the
great Ridge road. See how disdain
all confines. See how 1 ride the
prairies as the good ship rides the
waves. Poor little section roads.
pity you. with your bridges. your Gull
verts, your banksof snow, your wash
outs. your ups and downs. The rain
runs off my back in summer and
winds are my servants to sweep me
clean in winter. / am the great Ridge
road
AS the ever winding river told the
Lady of Shalot all the happenings
sad and gay of the little world below
so the ridge road tells its tale
of sorrow and of joy.
1t was along its windings that the
first pioneers struck out across the
prairies. 1t was along this trail that
the German emigrant. tined with the
confusion of new land, choked with
the dust of trains, drew his first full
breath of prairie air, and disappear
ed, swallowed up in that mysterious
German Settlement. to return, SO
soon indeed, full hedged American
citizen.
1t was on the old ridge road that
the long train of wagons came out of
the mist, long before the sun arose,
each wagon torture pen to sleek
fat swine whose piteous shrieks ano
snueals and grunts punctuated each
rut and declivity in the road. while
stolid drivers strobe along, beating
their arms for warmth or enlivening
the way by merry shouts and calls and
glad "Good Mornings" or a catch
of some old German song.
Have you ever seen the ridge road
on circus day? Even the horses are
glad when they come out of the ever
lasting hills. and with swagger and
a swing show their best PAGES as they
strike the ridge. Father relaxes and
gives himself up to the luxury of his
pipe. There is no need of driving or
the ridge road. Mother sits back and
nestles baby closer and smiles her
greetings TO the neighbors. The
/; girls. ia white be-sashed and be-rib-
bone1 like SO many wiggling rain
bows. The boys. with shining, apple
n cheeks. ewes tingling with excite.