Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-03
Urges More Attention to Keeping
Roads Open.

sASt.sO3 W1AmdI, AllIll.S Odu. - 4S46.
Editor Of Willmar Tribune:
I feel so that I must take the lib
erty to write you and tell you about
how [ look upon our winter roads in |
this locality and I believe conditions
are very much the same turnout
southern Minnesota. Now. / was
brought up near Lulea, Norbotten,
Sweden, and ! could show you in
Norbotten- Kuriren, q daily there,
advertisements from every county
near there for bids to do the snow
blowing and keeping up the winter
roads by blowing and shoveling out
large drifts; and where the snow
blows clear over the grade, snow
fences are put up to hold the snow
on the grade. The farmers from
some settlements have many miles to
market, but the roads never worry
them. They pay their taxes and tax
money is paid out to keep up their
roads and the sheriff Of each county
vigorously gets after the road up
keepers. And I now wish to speak
of summer roads. After the road is
graded and completely built by the
settlement, county (Parish), Ian or
Government, as the case may be,
leach Of these four parties may build
a main wagon road in that country
the road is laid out in sections vary
ing in length according to the size of
the (Gard) farm. All who are ben
Gifted by said road and the name
Of the farm or the owner Of the farm
is printed in clear type on post and
set solid in the ground at the termi-
nation of each section. Said road
sections must be kept graveled and
in good order and the sheriff at Gel
tain dates takes trip over the road
with two deputies so they are three
and the road has got to be right and
look alike in every section-if not the
sheriff hires a near farmer to do the
wor k and pays him and gets re-
ceipt. Said amount, whatever it may
be, is added to the slouchy far
mers' next years taxes and must be
paid if it takes the farm to do it.
And in the spring when the win
ter roads are breaking up each far
mer got to go and before certain
date in April and open his road Sec
ton by breaking out the ice ridge
using pick, grub hoe, horse and pillow.
Snow and ice got to lie removed for
wagon traffic before the date of mar
vag syna komma". Such conditions
have been as long as l remember,
down in the eighties.
| And now l wish to speak Of what
think could be done here in this To-
cality with the road grader. The
road grader could be mounted on
large sleigh runners, say 6 inches
wide each runner and 6 to Z feet long
THE runners could be shorter, pos
sibly would have to be shorter-ani
placed on the axles 80 as to track like
the width Of a wagon to give sole
bracing. And a mold board twice the
length Of the one there is now coult
be made of wood (hard woody
steel shod at the bottom edge ant
E that would push the snow out Of thu
road. Where the snow has no chanc.
to stop and lays on high grade
dump, a row or two Of corn could b.
drilled in and tended to so it would
grow and left standing through win
> ter it would make good light snow
fence to catch the snow and hold i
until travel and blowing gets tn
> snow packed down. Now some O:
you farmers will argue that snow
] will pile up to top Of the trees if 20,
5 try to pillow the road, as it drifts S,
bad here, but let me tell you in Nor
I botten snowfall is from 2 to 4 fee
5 the open place where snow can drift
Y there to Lulea River on an average
5 to miles wide in lower Lulea an.
4 the country is cleared Of timbe
way back, some places extending a
4 many miles again.
CARL j. GOTTHALD.