Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-21
BOTH SIDES or the QUESTION
OF PERMANENT ROAD I'M.
PRovEMENr QUESTION.
COMMENT OF OLD
SETTLERS ON SUBJECT
Value Of Building improvements to
Farm land-Iowa Farmer Pavss HOG
Yard-sems Real Hos Production
Near Sheffield &C. e. Wilson's
Weekly Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.


Sheffield, Jan. 21.-As naturally
would be expected owners of farm
land are manifesting interest in the
subject that recently has been at
tracing the attention of newspapers
over the state-that of permanent road
building. OF course all kinds OF opin
ions are being expressed by those who
have already come to positive conclu-
sions on the question. What at least
two men think about it is given here
as the extreme views of farmers. Beth
the men quoted are well along in years
and both own farms on which they
live. The first is an old settler, one who
operates big farm and who has used
the roads great deal for many years.
He says:
Talking of paving the roads of Iowa
is building castles in the air. It would
tax the farmer off his farm; it would
ruin the state. 1t might double the
price Of farm land but what good
would that do anybody except he sell
his land? The high price of land is
driving many farmers into the towns
now who, If land were cheaper and
rents lower would remain on the farms.
We have managed to get along to the
present time with dirt roads and they
are good enough for the next genera
ton If they were good enough for me.
We are prospecting in spite of the fact
that roads are, not all that could be
desired a few weeks in each year. Why
should we get into thing like this
which will cost about twice as much
as anybody estimates at the outset, as
almost all building projects do? We
should confine our concrete work to
bridges and culverts and use the grad
err and drag on the roads and be salts
fed"
The other man said: 81 am in favor
OF permanent roads, the more of them
the better. 1t is true that have man
aged to get along with the dirt roads
for a good many years but that is no
reason why shouldn't want better
ones. We used to ride to town in
lumber wagon and made all our visit
ing and church going trips with that
kind of a vehicle too, but not after the
possession Of buggy, became a pos
sibility. The cost OF paving roads
doesn't scare me bit. Enough money
has been wasted already in unbusi-
road work to. pave miles and miles Of
rural roads. Thestruth is We can't af-
ford to go on with the old fashioned
dirt road. Wien land was cheap and
money scarce a shanty and stable and
fence Of two or three smooth wires was
about as far az the farmer could go in
the matter OF improvements. but today
he wants modern house. barn and
no ga n
afford to try to farm under any other
conditions. A few miles of permanent
road here and there will not seriously
affect the prosperity and well-being Of
the communities where the plan is
tried. We do not have to continue the
work if it proves too expensive. as
some believe"
1t requires a good deal Of capital
these days to put up-to-dat build
ings on an unimproved farm but after
it is done the possessor "has some-
thing" About seven years ago Will
liam Hemm, a farmer near Chaplin,
bought a 24o-acre tract on Sheffield
mail route, paying $55 per acre for the.
place. Last summer he decided to put
it in condition for a son to occupy.
to induce the owner to say he would
sell it for 1925 per acre. A fine modern
house, great barn, crib, granary,
yar6s. ETC., were built and when they
were finished $4,000 had been spent
half as much as the land cost but
few years ago. Just across the road
Donaldson Brothers have built another
fine set of improvements and within
single year what has heretofore been
lonesome appearing mile of road has
become one Of the attractive parts OF
the neighborhood, Since the Hemm
FARM was bought that place has in
creased in valuesfrom about $4,000 to
something like $4,000 and the one
across the road has probably done
about as we'll. "
A. Messerschmidt does not live in 4
town with paved street; he is located
on farm severa. miles from here on
Sheffield rural route, but he has done
some paving, nevertheless. He has