Pocahontas star herald., 1911-04-14
FARMER OWEN TALKS
ON GOOD ROADS

w lJu your hiHu '0i hiio9iO -
lowing me space IN your valued
paper, | would like to give the I,
good readers some of my thoughts j
on good roads, a subject which is
of vital interest to every citizen IN
the county. Everybody loves to
ride out on a good road. Every
body's patience is sorely tried riding
over a poor road.
Prospectors, looking for homes
from other states are discouraged
at once when they see the conditions
of our roads, and 1t has driven
more people from us than any other
one fault.
The first remedy is: We should
put capable supervisors in office,
men who understand how to con-
struct roads, public-spirited men
who have the public's interest at
heart, men who will go out with
the understanding and determine,
tion to put every hours work IN
scientifically and for the betterment
of the territory on which they work.
Not with the thought predominant
ing; "get in the time and draw the
pay". / am sorry to say we have
too much Of this sentiment and not
enough of benefitting the taxpayer
and his interest.
There is no excuse for us having
the roads In as bad condition as
they are, if the money and labor we
have for road purposes were put on
the roads intelligently. Another
way for us to have good roads is
for every farmer to take pride
AMI interest in keeping or even
making a good road through or in
front of their farms. 1t beautifi es
and enhances the value of their
property. They would be surprised
at how little of their time it would
take to keep up that amount of road
after it was once put in the proper
condition..
/ made proposition to the road
supervisor of this district that if he
would put in the culverts needed,
which would be an expense to th7
! county of about So, | would make
and keep up the road through M
place (Which would be / mile) and
put it in frst-class condition. 50
that it would be no more expense
to the county. He has promised to
do it. Now if every farmer would
do this it would be but a short time
until we would have good roads,
and it would also give the road
supervisor a chance to do more
work on open territory and by this
means all the roads conld be made
good.
We have plenty of gravel within
near haul to most any part of the
roads all over this section and IN
event of a cut by rains load or SO
will put the roads in good condition
again and when each property
owner gets the proper interest in
the roads he will repair the damage
at once.
An easy and quick way TO put
roads in good shape, after they are
once made, to level up and fill up
the ruts is a split log drag. Ever
try it?) We can all afford that.
1t is log II to l6 inches in diam
eter, s feet long, split in half. The
hitch is a long chain on one end
and short chain on the other so it
will drag with shear cut, flat side
down. After each rain put your
team to this, drive up one side and
down the other a few times and
you will be surprised and pleased
at the result. 1t packs the road
and leaves it smooth and hard.
Now, brother farmer, let us all
get the road fever. Don't wait for
somebody to start, but commence
yourself. Let each one put his
shoulder to the road wheel and take
hold of it with the determination to
make it spin and it won't be long