Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-01-10
GOOD ROADS QUESTION
OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
Their Importance to the Country
Merchant and His Customers
in the Rural Communities.

Merchant and His Customers
in the Rural Communities.
The ancient Romans were the
pioneers of good roads. Not so much
to facilitate traffic as to afford easy
communication between their capital
Rome, and their conquered provinces.
The remains of their roads exist
today on the continent of Europe and
in England and are still in use,
although neglected for centuries dur
ing the Dark Ages. Showing that a
road once well made will last indefi-
nitely, even when not properly cared
for.
The good roads question has been
agitated from time to time, in our
country with very good results in
some parts of the east, and in the
territory contiguous to some of the
larger cities, but with poor results in
the south, especially in the strictly
rural communities.
The city dweller needs good roads
and usually has them, but the farmer
and country merchant, who needs
them most, usually has dust pile in
the summer and a mud hole in the
spring and fall as his main avenue
for trade. The damage and loss oc-
casioned by these conditions is
absolutely incalculable. If it could
be collected in one lump sum it would
pay a considerable portion of the
national debt.
The merchant..in the country is the
one who should take the most inter-
est in this question, but usually never
thinks of it. He is used to seasons of
dust, which ruins his merchandise,
and seasons of rain which paralizes his
business. He takes them as matter
| OF worse and pockets the losses as
philosophically as he can.
The farmer is also accustomed to
these things, he is used to hitching
four horses to his wagon when two
could do the work as well, not stop
ping to consider the cause.
All of them blame the roads when
the whole trouble lies with them
selves. They need not have bad
roads if they do not want them.
The good roads question is one that
is easily solved if gone at in the pro-
per way. 1t can be solved in salts
factory manner, by means of proper
| legislation, and at a cost that will be
no greater than the present system of
BAD ROADS, if they can be called
roads.
The average country road of today
is disgrace to the community.
The road supervisor or overseer
fixes it to suit--his ideas of what a
road should be, and as he is usually
elected to his position and has no pre-
vious experience OF special fitness for
it, his ideas are always rather crude.
His ''repairs" usually consist in scrap
ing the dirt from the side to the
center, with an occasional wooden
culvert, put in the wrong way, to
carry off the water.
| He collects the ''taXes" for these
repairs or improvements, and he has
done his duty, so he thinks, to the
community. This class of road max
ing and repairing is at best only a
temporary expedient and fulfills its
purpose as well as can be expected,
considering the manner in which it is
done, the ability of the road super
visors, and the mental attitude of the
people who allow it.
There is only one proper way to
build road, and that is, to have it
built and overseen by an expert at
the business with. skilled labor, and
properly graded and drained.
| Nearly every country in Europe. has
good roads. They are built and
maintained under the direct super.
vision of a man trained in his bust
ness, who makes it his life work, and
nothing else. There is no reason why
we cannot DO the same in this coun
try, we have the money, the material
and can get the men if we will only
use them.
History teaches US that most of the
great movements for the benefit o.
Humanity were started and agitatee
by men of one idea, who would bt
termed ''cranks'' by the present
generation. They succeeded because
they stuck to their views, talked
them on every occasion, and event
ually gained their ends.
Now if you can only get. few
"good road cranks" in every com
munity, who would agitate the
question on every occasion, it woulo
not be long before others were inter
tested, and thus set the ball. a rollins
J toward good roads.
The good roads question is some
thing like the fellow who had a leak.
roof, when it rained he couldn't re
pair it, and when'it was dry it dld'n
need repairs, so he let it go at that.
; That is the way with our, roads
} when it rains, we stay at home, as w
can't repair them then. When it
dry we use them as they are, and lie
it 60 at that. Between the two w
get pretty fair sort OF a. road TO