American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-01-15
Roads are the Scales
That Weigh Farm Values
Kansas Land Appraiser Clues Some Valuable Lnforma-
fion Which ShoDs Good Roads to be a big Asset to
Farmers, especially Those Remote From Trading Center.

For the last 80 years my princi-
pal occupation has been the APP
pralaing OF farm lands IN southern
Kansas and northern Oklahoma
During that time / have examined,
probably. 10000 farms with a view
Of placing loan values upon them
FOR eastern investors. largely IN
surance companies
In ~rppraia'ng farms J adopted thh
rule. m 1 am examining a farm an
a county that has only M common
acial cnter. say the county seat.
where the lands immediately adjoin-
Ing the town are worth 500 an
acre. A. ! 50 away from that town
in any direction. or at least In any
direction whore there Is uniformity
OF lands, l drop down about "a for
every mile distant from the trad
ina po nj Where would ~appraise
the land adjoining the town at 800
an acre / would value the second
mile az $50 an acre. or 4 per cent
off: the third mile would be s92
an acre. the fourth mile ssS an
acre. and 90 ON out for at least 10
or ~ miles / would drop 81 an
acre. Aftor / had gone 12h miles
l would be down 20 a point where
the selling value would be $50 an
acre am assuming. OF course
that the highways from the COM
mon trading point or county seat
are OF the ordinary. unoared-for
character. and not the best OF roads
The Rule ne Uses.
To show the value OF good roads
have this rule: Where there are
first c-iaas roads running from the
trading ~oenter: whore the hills have
been cut down and the hollows have
been filled. l change my valuation.
! would start at the town with 800
an acre for land In the first mile,
the second mile would be sos, the
third mile $50. the fourth mile ss4'
the fifth mile s92. the sixth mile
see. the seyenth mtle sSS, the
eighth mile $50. the ninth mile
sss. the tenth mile $50, the
eleventh mile $50. the twelfth mile
AIS and f2h miles out y77 an
acre.
/ have a mathematical reason
Tor this. Over a good road you
can haul twice as much as owe a
poor road. with the same motive
power, whether it be animals or
gasoline or steam. You can go
with twice the speed over the good
road. The result Is that by having
the good road you bring your prop
erty nearer 10 town on account OF
tno ocost Of the hauling and the
reduction In time consumed II you
should doubt these statements ask
some drayman In your town TO
haul for you a ton. say for 80 miles.
and you probably will find that he
will charge YOU from SO 60 IS over
n poor road. hut AZ AZ Is an extra
good road he win haul two tons
for you instead Of one ton; that
h. II he can get a level. hard road.
~ thout any sharp hils. he can haul
the two Ions ln the same time need
I'D TO take a ton over a poor road
and with the same hof=o power.
when | say IS for going 80 miles
You will notice that this Is at the
AZ OF 20 CENTS a mile ON the poor
road II he hauls two tons 4 is
AT the rate OF 10 cents a mule a ton
On the good road. II YOU question
the statement ask the drayman. In
stead OF walking his horses slow
~ over the good road. az he win
have 90 do yer the poor road. he
get home IN AZ least three
tourths OF tho time.
Saves Wagon aud Harness.
Another thing: On the good road
. mans horses have a steady pull;
wagon Is not wrecked and his
harness q not jerked 70 pieces,
wheroas on the poor road his wagon
b constantly dropping into holes