The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-04

OVER lGu years CONSTRUCTION. Fouu-
%sylvania began with $15O,OOO.OO
100000. Michigan pays a reward of
$250.0O to 100000 a mile accord
ing to the class of road.
am here to say that we can have
as good roads in South Dakota at one
fourth the cost in any of the above
mentioned states. Furthermore that
We are financially better able to stand
the expense.
Events come rapidly now days and
with public sentiment crystalizing
on state and national aid for our
highways the outlook is most promis-
ing.
Now for a word about the con-
struction of roads.
In order to demonstrate what
could be done with an %elevating
grader on country roads, 1 last year
bought a Stroud Little Giant grader
and hitched it to a % horse power
gasoline traction engine. This was
reasonably successful. With it we
made about three miles of splendid
grade. Paying for all help and
$1,000 per day for engine, with gaso-
line at 16c per gallon it cost three
to three and one half cents Fer yard
to move the dirt. The engine was
the second of it's kind to be made
and was not satisfied with the
power. L wanted to see the dirt
move faster and cheaper so hired a
SO horse power steam traction en-
CINE with fuel and attendants at
$4,000 per day. | furnished a man
10 II the grader or managed it my
self. In ordinary ground free from
stones and not too damp. | kept the
pillow in 8 to 10 inches, thus moving
Il yard of dirt every 80 feet. Not TAX
ing this estimate, ! ut the grade when
finished, accurately measured we
found that the dirt was moved a
distance of 20 feet to an even grade
is to 20 feet wide at an Xpense of
: R to ~ emit per yard.
Later l loaned the grader to a
township that intended putting in
SIX miles of grade on the main road
to town. The officers in charge
were enthusiasiasts, going to show
us how to do things. The use of a
twenty horse power threshing en-
CINE which had passed its prime was
donated. They finally gave thai up
and put on sixteen good farm harses.
They We're green at the work and
Things did not o as expected.
Then h farmers became more in
terested in threshing and cutting corn
the grader stood by the roadside
unused and the grade is in that
condition today because of moi being
finished.
1t was not necessary for me to
have this experience to become thor
oughly convinced that the only salts
factory way to get good roads is to
aave the work done by contract, by
men of experience With machinery
and power adapted to the kind of
work to be done. In addition to ex-
p%erience there must also be that
Ordinarily the road boss" under
existing conditions is a man who has
not very much work of his own to
do. Who has not made the great
est success of his own business. The
successful farmer, unless philan-
thropist can not afford to work on
or superintend road work for the
mere pay in it. His time is worth
too much-so the job is given to
the other fellow who has his place
in the world, but it is not building
roads. According to the law Of av-
erages he simply undoes what has
been done before, and fortunate is
the community whose roads are bet
ter than when he assumed control.
The inefticiency Of some supervisors
is appalling. / have many instances
in mind but will cite only one or
lWo. On a road close to a prosper
Gus county seat are two sloughs be-
tween Which is a steep hill some 10
or 10 feet high. BY taking the dirt
from the top of the hill in the cen
ter of the lane for making the grade
through the slough a level road could
be made, the hill lowered, the slough
raised. Instead of doing this an ex-
cayatlon or borrowing pit Z it. deep
was made on the top of the hill close
the the fence at the side instead of
the center of the In the dark
there is danger of dropping off the
road into a cut Z feet deep. The Mill
remains as steep and high as ever
TO go up and down for years to come
the same boss holds the Office be-
cause he does things, he made a
slough passable. A county engineer
that would order or accept such work
would melt immediate discharge.
Another instance a boss put in
Il grade at right angles across a run
diagonally across the lane. The next
year another boss spent his allow
ance n more in moving the same
grade from a diagonal to center of
highway. After every heavy snow
out goes the grade with the spring
freshet leaving. the road impossible
and a lot of nice black soil on the
farm below covered with clay. BY
making a ditch on the p side of
the road for a quarter of a mile
where the run again crosses it and
using the dirt for the grade the
Hood could be DETECTED to a new
channel-thus crossing the
road and in this case alone hundreds
OF dollars worth of labor could be
saved. During II freshet a valua-
bic team was drowned where this
grade was washed out n the