The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-08-31
On Waubonsie's Trail.

p The rains have come again quite
generally along Waubonsie's Trail
and more attention should be paid to
Road Dragging and Grading during
the next three months than has been
paid during the last three. After the
Trail was established through some
communities, quite a per cent OF in
dividuals lost interest in the matter,
and are not doing all that their tacit
agreements promised. This Is not
fair to the good roads people who
are doing their part. Brace up and
make your section of road the best
in your county.
President Reininger, of the Wau-
bonsie Trail Association has prepared
a big circular on the evils of nom
dragging and the benefits of sensible
dragging and has forwarded to the
editor of this paper number OF cop
les of the same. One of these circu-
lars will preach a whole sermon to
the intelligent man who appreciates
good roads. Come in and get one.
1t is reported that some of the
farmers in Wayne county found some
dead soldiers" along the roadside,
tossed out by thirsty tourists, and at
once resolved that they would never
again drag foot of road for the ben
eft of drunken sports who ride in
automobiles. Oh Lord. Corn is
made into rye whiskey. Then one
had better not raise any more. Girls
20 to the devil, and the boys right af-
ter them sometimes. Then kill 'em
off. Honest, boys, that's darn poor
reason for not enjoying good roads
along your farm or home, and it is
the spirit the Good Road Boosters
are trying to knock out. Suppose
some poor devil that gets drunk does
enjoy a bit of fast riding on your
road, that won't effect your enjoy
ment of the same nice travelling will
it?
One of the towns on the WaubOn-
sic Trail Association that was most
anxious to get into the association,
promised a nice little list of men,
bers, in addition to tacit promises
to do it's part toward painting poles,
putting up road markers, etc., and
then when the association people got
after them for their membership fees
they come back with a detailed list
of small items of expense including
fifteen cents for bolts, dime for
freight, dollar for little paint, etc.
The draft sent the association by
these niggardly road boosters has
been returned, with the admOnitiOn
that the Waubonsie Trail has not
been promoted, advertised and fos-
tered on such miserly scale. The
thing that we are most proud of is
the spontaneity of public spirit that
has marked the locating of the Trail
across Iowa, and we are afraid of the
effect on the Trail as a statewide
proposition if a close association is
maintained with the niggardliness
that counts dimes against the indirect
benefits that mean thousands of dol
lars ultimately.
When the great national roads
that are now being talked about
across the nation are finally built
two of them will cross Iowa. One of
& them will touch Harper's Ferry in
West Virginia, Columbus, Ohio, In
dianapolis, Indiana, Springfield or
Peoria, H., through southern Iowa,
Lincoln, Neb., Denver, Colo, and it
is up to the people living along this
general route to so develop and Gull
tivate a good roads spirit that the
line now known as Waubonsle's Trail
shall become one of the highways.
This is a very reasonable statement
and five years from now seventy-five
per cent Of it will have been made
good.
There is much complaint about the
manner in which the dirt roads in
side the corporations is being treated
by the city authorities, and it is time
the good roads people in the various
counties along the Waubonsie Trail
forgot friendships for local officers
and insisted on a little justice for
themselves. Road laws are not en-
acted to be banded about to suit the
whims of particular individuals but
for the greater benefit Of all concern
ed. Enforce them.
Waubonsie's Trail is the best adj
vertised road crossing any state in
the Mississippi valley. The danger
lies in the forgetting that roads wear
out or lie down in the estimation of
the public. 1owa's river-to-river
road is an example of this. After
this much talked about cross state
road was once located and the novel
ty wore off, the people forgot to care
for the road, and many sections of it
are generally denounced at this time.
Waubonsie's Trail may go the same
way, but if so it will be because per-
sistent urging and encouraging is not.
needed, and because big lot of COM
mercial associations are boosters in
stead of being real boosters. The
president of the association would
like to hear from Pennington, Bloom
field, Corydon and Fort Madison
along this line.
Some of the towns through which
the Waubonsie Trail is located need
an election of officers for their COM
mercial associations. At least replies
concerning the present status of
work along the Waubonsie are
mighty hard to pull out of soma of