Willmar tribune., 1910-05-04
GOOD ROADS RALLY
Kandiyohi County Road Builders Have an In
teresting Session With the Engineer of the
State Highway Commission, Geo. W. Cooley

OldC6 IuSn"<
The good roads rally at Willmar
last Thursday afternoon was we'll
attended by representative men
from all parts of Kandiyohi county.
There were about one hundred and
twenty farmers present, nearly all
of them being county commission
ers, town supervisors or pathmast-
ers. They followed the speaker
very closely for nearly two hours,
and this in spite that the hall
proved very warm owing to the fact
that the windows had to be closed
and darkened in order to make it
possible to show the stereopticon
views. The speaker was George
W. Cooley, the State Engineer, and
the views were projected thru the
lantern owned by Rev. Horatio
Gates, and the latter gentleman did
the manipulation Of the machine
in a very efficient manner.
Mr.. D. N. Tallman, chairman of
the Good Roads Committee Of the
Willmar Commercial Club, presided
at the meeting. He reviewed
briefly the history Of the CONNER
cial Club and showed how it grad
ualty gained reputation thru its
broad and efficient work. ''Much
of the credit for the splendid con-
dition of the Club is due to the
push and energy Of the president.
Mr.. E. C. Wellin, and the secre-
tary, Atty. T. O. Gilbert.'' said
Mr.. Tallman. "Ihey have been
untiring in their efforts to make
the Club one of the leading ones in
the Northwest, and anyone at all
familiar with local conditions know
how we'll they have succeeded.
From time to time they make ex-
cursions to various parts of the
State to CLEAN information regard
ing topics of interest, and it was
on one of these trips that Mr.. We'll
lin heard Mr.. Cooley. He thought
Mr.. Cooley's lecture one of the fin
est he had heard on the subject of
good roads. and he at once set about
arranging to have him come here.
He came, and now I take great
pleasure in introducing to you
George W. Cooley. engineer and
secretary of the Minnesota High
way Commission
''Drainage and good foundation
are the two great essentials in road
making,' said the speaker. ''Ot
course, material means something,
too, but it is really secondary.
Even sand or gumbo, if treated
right, can make fair roads. The
only trouble is that we have paid
too little attention to the science
Of road building, and still less tc
maintenance. The highway com.
mission is doi:g it's best to show
the people how to make the right
kinds of roads, and it is faithful,
disseminating the information it il
able to gather from various sources
but it is greatly handicapped b,
the fact that Minnesota has no Law
of maintenance. We need such :
law and need it badly.
last year | was abroad ant
studied road construction, and came
to realize that in this art we car
learn lot from Norway, Sweden
Germany and Switzerland. Th'
two last named countries have mor'
artistic roads but Scandinavia ha
by far the most permanent high
ways. And the secret is in the con
struction and maintenance. Onl,
the very best of material is used
They don't stop to figure the i'm
mediate cost. 1t may run as hig|
as $250,000 per mile. They ar,
building for the future, and the,
have been doing that for more thai
100 years. That explains thei
magnificent systems. And ever
foot of road is looked after by me-
who know their business. Here W
are too prone to huddle togethe
anything to make a certain distric
passable for the time being. An