Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-06-16
Children Cry
FOR FLETcHER'S
9 a s Q RIA
GOOD ROAD BEES"
HELD BY AUTO|STS
Every Thursday Afternoon Aus
tin, Mimi, Club Members
Weld Pick and Shovel.

Austin, Mimi, June 6.-The Austir
Automobile club numbering more thaI
sixty members has taken up the mat
ter of good roads and road improve
ment in a practical and unique way.
1t has inaugurated the plan of spend
ing every Thursday afternoon on the
roads made in the surrounding county
each member with shovel or pick and
the purpose is to fix up the rough
places on every road in Mower coun-
ty that is a highway for automobile
travel
Thursday, May IL, they worked to-
ward Albert Lea, meeting the club of
that city half way. Thursday May
10, they worked towards Lyle village.
Thursday, May 26, they worked to
Rose Creek, twelve miles distant, and
from there two miles east to the Dean
farm of 1, 220 acres, now owned by the
heirs of the late S. Dean Of Minnea-
polls.
A pilot car started out from Aus
tin early in the afternoon, with ar
abundance of stakes to go over the
proposed route in advance. At every
depression in the roadway, at every
culvert Or bridge approach where the
filling had settled so as to make
rough jumping track, at every piece
of extra rough rutty road stakes were
driven at the side. At o'clock the
club left Austin in procession, every
car containing one or two men with
proper implements for work, with a
bundant hampers of victuals, and
with the women to cheer the work
ers ON.
The men worked busily for more
than two hours on the road and ever
really bad place ON the whole distanc
was changed into a reasonably good
driving, grade. Ruts were filled,
drainage off the grade was cut wher
needed and approaches to culverts
were raiesd so that they were smooth
and easy. Near Rose creek were me
the Adams and the Rose Creek Auto
clubs. They had started at the other
end of the route, and had been
spending the same time in working
the roads where needed ALI were
ready to spin together to the point
of destination, where preparations
were made for a luncheon on the
lawn. Meanwhile the clubs took an
other spin to Adams village, six mile,
beyond and returned in time for lunch
con at the Dean farm. A number
of the neighborhood farmers were in
vited in. The entire group of forty
one automobiles were lined up in the
yard.
After an abundant luncheon on the
lawn the group gathered for brief adj
dresses on the good roads proposition
by J. J. Furlong, c. D. BeIden, Judge
N. Kinksley N. F. Banfield and Al
bert Thon.
Next Thursday the Austin club will
work out to Grand Meadow, and the
following week to Brownsville. These
trips have brought the subject of
good roads to the front here.
A mass meeting for the county I'M
der the auspices of the county com
missioners has been called to meet
at the court house this afternoon to
plan for cooperative work through
the county. Former Speaker L. w.
Johnson and others will speak.-EX.
We have about fifty automobiles
in this city and we understand the
owners intend to organize a club and
do similar work in this city and coun
ty. The above is an excellent plan
and if the road commissioners, farm
ers and others join in their efforts
great good in road Improvements will
result.