The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-05-19

Is studying music IN Germany.
The bills were read and allowed.
The matter Of the sprinkling res
olution, fixing the districts, was put
over until 2 p. m.
from thursdays Daily
The good roads germ has come to
stay in Sterling township. To be
sure, the germlet landed in that por-
ton of the county quite number OF
years ago, and it has thrived ever
since What is more, it's got the
growth habit and Judging from the
good roaus meeting held yesterday
at Sterling Center, there will be
something doing in the future, that
will make the southern part OF Blue
Earth county a leader in this great
est of movements.
The good roads idea does not set
tie into community of itself. There
are always some men who are lead
ers and after these men have seen
and pointed out the value Of better
highways others soon catch the in
spiration This is the past history
of the onward movement at Sterling
Six years ago William Mead and A.
j. Ellis constructed the first log
drags in that vicinity and the cOnd!-
ton of the roads near Sterling tes-
tify that others haev done likewise.
1t was William Mead who called
yesterdays meeting and invited
George NJ Palmer to deliver an adj
dress on this subject.
Opened With Singing.
The meeting opened about three
o'clock, the Mapleton quartet singing
selection and responding to an en-
core. After the musical selection A..
J. Ellis, who presided over the meet
ing, introduced Mr.. Palmer as the
man who knows all about the good
roads movement.
Mr.. Palmer's remarks covered
every phase of the situation, not
only the economic value of better
roads, but the various methods to
bring about such situation.
Mr. Palmer in opening his re-
marks said that he considered it a
hopeful sign, when such good
sized crowd of men could be gath
cred together during the busy corn
planting season to discuss the situa-
ton The foundation of the good
roads idea, is an economic situation.
Some roads in the county had been
bad for forty years and a real sized
load could neither be carried to or
| from the city over such highways.
There is an actual cash loss in trans
portation under these conditions.
Estimates showed that ninety per
cent of the railroad freight of this
country has first been transported
| by farmers and the figures go far
Their to show, that antiquated high
ways mean a loss of three hundred
million dollars in this country an.
nually. Necessarily no issue is OF
greater Importance than this.
Steady Use of the Road.
The speaker related how he had
| how many times they used the road
/ to town in the course of a year, and
! the average had been 225 times. He
| had asked these same men what
! the added value would be to farms
! that had good roads and, and the
decision had been that land would
/ be benefited to the extent of nine
dollars an acre. Improved roads as
well as good buildings add value to
rural property. They cost something
but the benefits are great. The way
/ to have good roads is to make them
and that while everything comes to
him who waits, it comes a good
deal quicker if you go after it.
| The road tributary to Mankato,
known as the Mapleton road, was
cited as a progressive step in road
construction 1t had been in sad
condition while now it is graveled
and graded and it is in excellent
shape, after the hardest rains.
Three men had been back of this
project and this goes to show that
where the right kind of men are liv-
| ing, there will be something done.
The farmers of Iowa, who made the
famous river to river road, were in
! this class.
Construction Side of Road.
Turning to the construction side of
the road issue, Mr. Palmer laid down
the four requisites for good roads as
follows: Drainage, grading, drag
ging and gravel. Rain is the great
est enemy of good roads, but close