The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-22
C00DROADS WORK
RECORD BREAKER
Under Leadership of Crook.
ston Auto Club Much
was Accomplished.

ton of the board of county onlm
sioners OF Polk county. and the town
ship boards Of the four townships sur
rounding Crookston. more good Dads
than in any part of the United States
in a rural community with the same
population. Definite plans have been
made for continuing the work started
next summer, while wen now, during
the winter months. farmers are haul
Ing gravel from the river bed and
placing 1t on the Mapla
follows:
The spring of 1912 the Automobile
club aided by other citizens OF
Crookston. made representations to
the Polk county commissioners and
the town boards of C%rookston. Cen
tilly. Jacksonville and Fairfax town.
ships. and as a result the four town
ships paid to Polk county $500, $500
each. and the Automobile club paid
$500 to the county. making $500 all
told. the county commissioners agree.
ing to add $500 to this sum. making
Il total Of $4,000 to be used for gravel
ing main roads out of Crookston.
h road selected was the Crooks
ton to Maple Lake thoroughfarc. and
during the summer the county ca.
pended $1,000 for %gravelins and will
AtS "OIh III SuC opSSn6 ~
addition to the crawling that Is now
being done.
But that is but a small part Of the
work done. A canvass Of the city was
made n almost $500 in cash rails
ed. Seven hundred dollars Of this
went to the county commissioners
after which a big forty-horse power
ing $1,000. $3.50 being paid in cash.
Six business men, Charles Loring. Ed
Peterson, Ed Ralston. e. w. Robbins.
Bert d. keck and \. o. Espe signed
a note for the balance. $3.50. Two re-
verstble graders were purchased for
$500 and paid for. spot cash.
The big tractor was manned with
an engineer and grader operator and
kept at work on the rural roads prac-
ders of graded roads and rounding
them up so as to shed water. With
the w graders both sides Of the
road were covered at once, and often
one trip over a road put It In good
shape. A total of 1900 miles was COW
cred by this big road machine. the
only one Of Its kind in operation. and
horses and twenty-five men could do
in the anne time.
This road work was done on all
roads radiating from the city, and did
work for a distance of twelve miles
east Of the city and a distance Of
twenty miles on the road towards
Fargo. just before the auto club tour
work. however. was done not farther
than eight or ten miles from Crooks
ton. This amount Of roadwork was
done for about $1,000 spent for wages
and gasoline. With horses this amount
Of work would have easily cost $1,000.
The Automobile club also placed
forty guide posts between Crookston
and Grand Forks. Crookston and Fer
tile. Crookston and Bel:rami. Crooks
ton and Maple Lake, and on the main
road to Fargo. More Of this work
will be done another year..
In addition to the fine work dore
by the county commissioners and
townships already referred to. Lowell
township graveled about one and one-
half miles Of road on the north side
Of Red Lake river: and two miles on
Crookston graveled a half mile and
GENTLY township graveled a short
stretch lei the village of GENTLY.
All plan on crawling more next year.
Thus the county and township sys-
tenn Of roadmaking can already be said
to have been put into practical opera
ton in Polk county. and this is con-
" a oSoA 90 WIN oS 11ASkk
will be done another year. The farm
ers nave taste Of what graveled roads
are and want more. The townships
are in hearty accord with the move
ment. as are the county commission
ers.
Tho Automobile club and citizens
of Crookston will raise another good
fund this spring. and the big gas trac-
tor and road machines will be kept in
operation the entire season from the
time the frost Is out of the ground till
1t freezes up, and every road running
out Of the city will be kept in the best
possible condition. This will be easier
the second year as the roads are all
now we'll rounded up and thus the
water will drain of.
This Is considered the hest stroke
Of business ever done by the citizens
of Crookston to cultivate a spirit OF
cooperation among the rural COM
munities surrounding. and the farm
ers are now as anxious for graveled
roads as any one, and are willing ia
do their full share. The experiment
has more than met the expectations
Of all concerned.