South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-26

In their recommendation TO the
board OF county commissioners the
viewers and engineers report says:
Declare IL Public Utility.
list. That the said proposed i'm
provement does not involve the laying
and establishing OF any new highway.
"2nd. That IL will be a public utility
TO grade. drain and concrete the high
way named IN said petition and here
matter more specifically described as
in said petition prayed.
"3rd. That the width OF said high
way 70 be improved is 100 feet. Of
which 30 feet in the center thereof is
10 be graded and concrete TO the width
OF l feet spread thereon.
"4th. That the length OF said high
way 70 be improved is $3.50 feet. Of
which 1850 feet has been paved in
New Carlisle with brick.
18th. That said highway mentioned
in said petition and more particularly
described in the plans and specifica-
lions hereinafter appearing shall be
graded as aforesaid. proper drains
provided, and the travelled roadway
concrete. That the said improve
ment with culverts and other water
WAYS. as an entirety and each part
thereof and everything that In any
way pertains to the same. shall be con-
structed in accordance with the plans
and specifications and terms herein
after set forth under the title, plans
and Specifications" and profile made
by the engineer. That the improve
ment above set out will be OF public
utility.
18th. That the Improvement herein
described and by us found 20 be Of
public utility is by US estimated to
cost s193,724.75, divided as follows:
Grading, 117,034 cubic yards.
Concrete, 12S,773 square yards.
"Culverts. one at Rednolds Ditch.
Drain, tile"
Detroit Good Roads Example.
What the expenditure of 50. 600, 900
on Wayne county roads in Michigan
did for the city of Detroit is being
the Lincoln highway will be able to
do for South Bend. Fifteen years ago
the country roads ont Michigan,
Grand River, GratiOt and even Wood
ward avs. were simply horrible at all
seasons of the year, and virtually i'm
passable in the spring. Extensions Of
r. and w. Fort SITS. were similarly
effected. Eighty miles of good roads
have been built on these thorough
fares, some strips 23 miles in length
and it is reported that they were the
beginning Of Detroit's big boom that
started with their completion.
The old roads were due TO a mucky
soil and the vicinity was without
available sand, say nothing of gravel
with which TO remedy it. The i'm
proved roads are accordingly Of con-
crete, similar to that proposed for the
Lincoln highway through this county.
1t makes of Detroit great center for
automobile tourists, adding greatly to
the patronage of Detroit merchants
and hotels, and due TO the easy travel
in getting 10 market, the farms about
the city Of the Straits" are said to
have increased in value all the way
from Is per cent upward 10 as high
as so.
South Bends Better Chance.
So far as tourists are concerned. it
is insisted that South Bend would
profit more from the Lincoln highway
than Detroit does from its efforts. the
Lincoln highway being a crOss-country
thOroughfare, while DetrOits good
roads are local and not connected up
with any long strip leading to any
where for the present-not even to
Toledo.
Detroit was recently guest for a
week to good roads advocates from
all over the country, who came there
TO see how they did ii, and how it
was lasting Some investigators came
from as far as California. Fully 5000
are reported TO have been at the meet
ing. =.
A letter urging believers in good
roads to get out and vote has been
sent out from the Chamber of Com
merce, and every effort is being made
to have the project carry. Farmers
along the 11-mile strip are said TO be
equally active among the farmers, but
il is asserted that il will probably de-
pend upon South Bend as 70 whether
or not the proposition will pass. When
you read the proposition on the ball
lot, the thing to do is 10 vote Yes"
according to these advocates, and they
are brim full of reasons Why"
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