Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-24

r.
gent of southeastern Iowa made an e.
: Iposition Of the wonderful value of hig
;. way improvements, taking the Blu
Grass read as his subject, that mad
good roads booster out of every ma,
who heard it. Mr. Nimocks told O
: the results accomplished by the organ
Il ization Of the Blue Grass route iron
river to river in Iowa in such a mar
ner that impressed many men wit
the feeling that improved highway
were an absolute necessity of the pres
ent day. The Badger state commits
sioners and engineers are seekin,
practical information on good road
Blue Grass road, from the first stel
to. the present time (the improvement
is not complete as yeti they received
invaluable knowledge to guide them II
their movements this coming year
Mr. Nimocks' address, which met will
such great approval because Of it's ex
! cellence, which is receiving complt
mentary editorials as we'll as repro
duction in the newspapers Of the Bad
ger state, is complete as follows:
Mr.. Nimocks' Address.
II came here as substitute for the
best good roads booster I have ever
known, the Hon. Lafayette Young, who
was sent to the United States senate
last year to serve an indeterminate
sentence, as he expresses it in his
present campaign.
"Your committee invited Mr.. Young
and as he was unable to accept the in.
vitation, he recommended to the com.
mittee that they invite me. and at the
times he suggested to me that what
was wanted mainly, was an explana-
tion of the organization of river-to-
something In general, regarding road
improvement In Iowa, as the subject
suggests, will more particularly deal
with the organization of the r1ver-to-
river roads, which have been promot-
ed in Iowa during the past two years.
"The first river-to-river road, SO.
called, was organized and financed by
Col. Young. 1t cost him in various
ways, in the neighborhood OF $1,5O0,
but as he happened to issue daily
paper called the Des Moines Capital,
the advertising. this road received,
probably paid to some extent, for his
outlay. On account of the publicity
this road received through Mr.. Young,
representatives of the Glidden tour
were scheduled over this road, and
parties who had charge of this enter
prise. claim that this was the best
stretch of road they had travelled on
their several thousand mile trip.
"While the dragging of roads by the
various enthusiasts along this road did
a great deal of good, the organization
was not such as to insure constant at
tentfon, and as result, we have at the
present time, better kept and better
river-t0-river roads than the
one organized by Senator Young.
IAN explanation of organizing a
road, or cross state road,
can best be explained by history OF
the Blue, Grass road as I happen to
be secretary of that organization. Such
an explanation involves some tedious
detail but I hope to present the mat
ter carefully, enough SO, that others in
terested may have better idea of how
to go about organizing similar roads.
Organization Of Blue Grass Road.
"The suggestion of the name Of the
Blue Grass road came from G. II.
Thomas, Of Kent, Iowa, and was so
named from the fact that this region
of Iowa has long been known as the
finest Blue Grass section of the coun-
try. A newspaper man OF Osceola,
Iowa, Hon. ]. L. Long, who has recent
ly established in Des Monies, mag
azine called the Road Maker" took
up the suggestion and gave it public
ity. He wrote all the mayors of all
the county seat cities along the pro-
posed line from Council Bluffs to Bur-
lington, asking them to appoint COM
mittees of from three to five active
good roads men, as committee of the
Blue Grass road.
"Where the mayor failed to act, the
commercial clubs and newspapers
the committees. Press bulle-
tins were sent out to sixty or seventy
along the line frequently,
until the public became thoroughly in
terested. After this was done, Mr..
Long called a meeting of the chair
men Of all the county committees and
effected temporary organization,
slecting officers and arranged to per-
Fect permanent organization.
1T was suggested that each county
pay into the organization, 500 for the
purpose OF paying the necessary eX-
penses and holding the organization
;ogether. OF the sixteen counties in
,erested, twelve have paid in this
assessment, and during the past year
md half of actual work. about 5000
If this fund has been used. No extra
,all for money has been issued and
he other four counties which are de-
inquent, have expressed their inten.
ions OF paying in their assessment by
March /. Inasmuch as the most ex-
,ensive part of the organization has
,een completed, the treasury will still
lave sufficient money to keep this or
,anization intact for at least another
rear and by that time, we hope, that
he legislature Of the state of Iowa
will recognize the benefit Of such roads |
md vote them sufficient funds to aid |
It least in keeping up thorough or
,anization. !
Two OFFICIAL Trips Over Road.
There has been two official trips !
,ver the Blue Grass road since it was |
organized. One, to perfect the organ
cation and pass upon the road to be
elected, and the other mainly to note