Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1912-09-12
TALKS ABOUT
GOOD ROADS
WHAT GOOD ROADS WOULD DO
FOR THE STATE OF NORTH
DAKOTA

Horton. president Of the Horton Moto
Co. "While some counties have mad
considerable progress along thes'
lines, as q whole, our roads over th'
state are very bad. It ought to b'
possible for draft team, driving team
or automobile to make . trip any
where from one to two hours afte'
the heaviest rains, without even en-
countering mud, and it ought to b>
possible to drive on any road at any
time-rain or shine.
"What such = system Of roads
would do for this state is almost be-
yond calculation. The annual auto
mobile tire bill, repair bills due ia
unnecessary road strains, and general
depreciation Of automobiles alone d.
rectly due to our present road eondi-
tions, would easily pay al the inter-
est on enough bonds which could be T.
sued to construct the finest system Of
highways in America-in this state.
Farmers could haul two, three and
four times the load they now haul, for
the reason that at present, = farmer
can only haul what his team can pull
through a mudhole sure to be en-
countered, instead Of being assured
Of smooth, dry and well rounded
roadbed.
1.-TWO horses could easily haul $50
bushels Of grain, ON . real road, with
far less effort than four now labor
iously struggle with the same load.
Good roads would advertise North
Dakota. No advertisement in al the
world would equal the truth, spread
broadcast al over the United States,
that North Dakota was tho state that
had the finest roads in the country.
"People would come here to settle.
We would be known - the progressive
instead Of = backward people. Set
tiers would want 70 come to state
that had fine roads. It would make all
farm property more valuable, and en-
nance the value Of land faster thar
even good crops.
1T would increase the JOY Of living,
especially to the farmer. A farm ten
miles from a good town, located on .
rail road to that town, is actually
nearer than q farm five miles from
the same town, located on our present |
oldfashioned poor road, and is worth
more money.
We have the natural material in
A properly graded road
20 to 25 feet wide, with gentle
crown and danked by ditches that
Drain the water of and let it run away,
we'll graveled and surfaced, and kept
up by dragging after rains with
King drag would equal any road in
the world.
"The presnt system Of having the
farmers work out their poll tax is
wrong both in theory and practice.
"The greatest work is necessary in
;he spring when the farmers are busy
seeding. The roads are at their best (
'hen the average farmer can spare the (
line to put in his work on them. He
las no time to finish work begun and
he results are well known to every {
lser Of roads in the state. The work J
farmer puts in on roads would pay /
i'm better put in on his own fields,
Ie therefore, in reality does not make c
nything by road wok. There is no d
ystem to it. Grades commence no. 1
here's and end nowheres. Here . half il
,ile Of graded road which was al G
ight before, and there q mudhole i'm 4
assable all summer. We need rain to
row crops and we don't want to COM r,
lain when it rains. But 4 rainy sea- ci
IN like this demonstrates how very ci
I'd our present road system is. ID
ut is almost impossible to find to
venty miles Of consecutive good to
nd in the state today. G.
"Many roads have been impossible "
summer. Some are actually SUBJ
erged, and teams and automobiles 50
we to drive through pastures and ia
Ids to get from one town to another. pe
"The next legislature has the oppor- br
nifty Of doing the state more real in
d lasting good, by enacting some fil
-to-date road legislation, than can &c
possibly realized. The time has pa
ne when people all over the eoun- -,
? a1s awake to the value Of good
lds. Other states afe progressing -
4 along these lines, especially ou5 nh
GAbor - The sast, Minnesota. Moth -