The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-05-14

men much larger than he was, with
apparent ease.
BY the time the afternoon had
waned a little, Suicide" hill was as
fine bit of work as you would care
to see in a days journey; all the ruts
hammered down with broken rock,
shale, sand and well-packed dirt; all
the powders buried under a cushion
of top-dressing that covered them
deeply and effectually, and a good
ditch on each side of the highway.
The bridge at the bottom was as
good or better than when it was new,
and from that time on, had lost, for
the nonce it's suggestive cognomen.
When we turned our attention to
the bottom" roads, it became mat
ter of faster work, and more scrap
ing, filling and leveling of the high
way. Here we came across bridges
where the huge bulk of the "separa-
tors had cracked or broken the
planks, and where we were compelled
to go into the woods and cut logs to
replace the spoiled timber. The road
boss" had a general discretion to ap-
propriate timber for road purposes,
and sometimes neighborhood feuds
grew out of the fact that the boss"
has cut down some sturdy tree for
bridge timber which the owner has
been saving for some particular pur-
pose Credit may be given to the
party furnishing the tree, or the town
ship may be charged for it, and the
owner paid In cash. But the boss"
can cut where and when he pleases,
and the farmer must grin and bear
it.
l found that several months Of out
door life and constant round Of daily
exercise had SO hardened my muscles
and improved my breathing apparatus
that l had no trouble in keeping up
my end Of the log" either actually or
fguratively Work which would have
tired me mortally seven months before,
was only good, healthy exercise. l
had to walk about three miles to
the work, and the same distance back
at night and WELD an AK, pick, or
drive team and "scrape" or help lift
heavy timbers, and yet l was not
played out" at the end Of day. In
fact, the longer was at the work, the
more accustomed l got to it, and
after all, work in the open air is much
less hard than when a man is confined
to four walls.
The necessity Of good roads in the
country is so Immediately apparent
that it seems strange that there has
not been some attempt to make 1t
compulsory on each farmer to keep
the roads in front of his farm in
shape, opposite owners to join in at
tending to the highways between their
property. 1t Is also surprising that
the good roads movement has so
far been confined to comparatively a
limited space. A government turn
pike, built and maintained by the
government, to act as trunk line"
Of roads in each state, or two or three
Of them in the more important agri-
cultural states, would be good
thing" for an experiment. The side
roads would branch into these roads,
and while they would carry in some
mud on them, it would not make much
difference on a thoroughly good turn
pike.
1 qualified as not exactly an Eek
pert" but a fair average hand" at
working out my poll tax" and have
the satisfaction of knowing that l
have done something towards the
god roads" movement besides talk
ing about 1t.
1t was currently reported. after this
experience, that l was not too
proud to work, and that must have
been on farm at some time during
my life, or l would never have been
able to handle an ak, or drive a
"scraper." And as means of break
ing down the impalpable barriers that
seem to exist between the man from
the city and the man on the farms,
working out your poll tax" may be
confidently recommended as a pay
ing proposition. l met number Of
men while on the road that I would
not have known otherwise, and in my
trips to the county seat could always
Of Saturday afternoon find some one
OUT Iuy way WHO WOulu D6 SldO 10
give me lift to the farm four miles
away, Just because we had worked
side by side together with the axes,
the picks, the scrapers and the teams
My work was eminently satisfactory
to the road boss" for l worked stead
lily, and did not try to stand around
and soldier" on the job. A man can
easily look out for the soft snaps" In
work of that kind, and he may be
successful in getting them. But he
will be watched, and his work in that
line will be noted and commented on.
The only way to do if you are going
into deal Of that kind is to do your
share, and not shirk the disagreeable
features of the work. Going into
three or four feet Of mud and water
to help hoist heavy piece of tim
Der is not so very pleasant, nor even
safe, but some one has got to do
it and il might as we'll he Won