Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-04
c. A. HAGBERG
1874 East Main st.

siastic boosters of the south road,
which was only COW path, had prac-
tically made a boulevard out of the
highway and secured the route. The
speaker told of the system In Council
Bluffs, where the Commercial associa-
ton has erected a good roads fund
amounting to $4,000 for the express
purpose OF putting In dollar for dollar
what the farmers of the community
would raise to better the highways.
Three Chief Factors.
President Long stated there were
only three chief propositions In the
making of good roads. The first is to
get the water off, He said that water
would run down hill, but that he was
too young to have noticed any running
up hill. The next is to use, judici-
ously drag after the grade is estab-
! lished. The third proposition Is the
building of culverts, no higher than
1.-The road, nor no lower Drain. drag
and culverts were Mr.. Longs idea OF
good road making.
| "This country loses at a rate OF one
million day by bad road tax" said
Mr.. Long. "This amount falls on you
and me. When we had the railroads
put under government regulations, we
thought we were doing something,
but the biggest item of today is getting
the products of the farms to the mar
ket, and the finished articles Of the
market to the farms. Good roads is
the only avenue through which this
can be done to any advantage. The
United States Is farther behind than
any other country in the matter OF
good roads. China is ahead of us.
The people of old Iowa are waking up,
however and we are going to have this
Blue Grass road made the best in the
state. 1t is going to be the shortest
hoad, it will strike more towns than
others and it will have only two hills.
We are looking toward road that
people can travel even if the rain does
come.
eve want county Blue Grass road
in every county through which 1t
passes. Each county pays 500 into
the fund of the state association, and
this amount is used for general ex-
penses, such as marking the road, etc.
The money raised in each county is
spent in that county for betterment
of the roads. None over the $500 Is
expected by the state association. This
year I want to see the Blue Grass
road perfected. Next year, want to
see all the cross roads for distance
Of five miles worked and in the same
shape as the Blue Grass road. The
following year, I want to see the next
five miles of the cross roads In the
same shape as the first. The Blue
Grass road is thing that we are go
ing to have. The only question is how
good are we going to make it."
Mckinnon a Convert.
Malcolm McKinnon, the representa-
tive of the Iowa Publishing Co., on the
Blue Grass road trip, is a convert to
good roads, and he is mighty enthu-
siastic one In his remarks, he related
how he had been impressed by the
earnestness of President Joe Long,
and how that earnestness had i'm
pressed everybody with whom the
party had come in contact: He said
the Blue Grass booster had started a
new system and they were going
through with it and make the road the
best in the state. Mr.. McKinnon in
explaining his presence in the party
said that his house was to publish a
map of the road, showing all details,
even to shade trees along the route.
Albians Are Heard.
Alt. Timmins, business man of
Abba, said that eight months ago he
knew nothing of good roads, and that
he now realizes how much he has lost
in business way by not aiding in the
lettering Of highways long before
this. He was enthusiastic for the
Blue Grass road.
Horace Barnes, editor Of the Abba
Republican, told of the good road ques-
ton being injected in the political
campaign In his city and the good
roads candidate being elected largely
on that platform. Abba is now work
ing it's roads from the paved streets
to the city limits, and the fruits of the
plan have already been shown.
Fred Jones is disciple of the drain
and drag method Of making roadways,
and he made few enthusiastic re-
marks along the line of how his
neighbors had started In to better the
roads in the vicinity Of Blakesburg.
He liked the plan of Council Bluffs OF
putting in dollar for dollar with the
farmers, and expressed himself as be-
Heving that plan could be followed in
Wapello county. "Out in our neigh
borhood." said Mr.. Jones, I'VE feel that
we must do more than the city and we
are willing to do it, but the dollar for
dollar plan is a good idea"
Mr.. Long explained that the Blue
Grass road would be distinctly marked !,
and that all cross roads, narrow
bridges and railroad crossings would /
be indicated plainly that all travellers
may know what to expect. The Blue /
Grass road as planned now will have !,
three eastern terminals, Burlington. |
Ft. Madison and Muscatine.
Brief remarks on the great value OF |.
good roads we're made by NJ. B. .
Hutchinson, Henry Phillips, Major T. P. 4
Spilman, T. H. Picker, F. A. Nimocks,
G. NJ. Agee and Senator J. F.. Weber. |
Tour Changed Slightly. |,
wednesday schedule has been
changed in the respect that Burlington
will be made in the afternoon ard Fort
Madison will be the evening and night