The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-03-27

and asked you to help US build good
city streets or parks, would you say
yes. or would you say "go to-. Don't
you Ike to see well kept city? Don't
you and your .oung people like to
come into town, to church, to school.
to theatres, entertainments, make
social calls as we'll as on business,
and don't you want good streets and
sidewalks? We like to go in the coun.
try also: we like to visit you, and
we like good roads to go over. We
need each other; we want you as
friends. and We want to be friendly.
In cooperating In securing good
roads, we are helping each Others
Every dollar spent on good roads
comes back TO the man who spends
It with big interest II Blue Earth
county had a good system OF hard
reads serving all parts of the
county, you farmers could easily add
$1,000 an acre to your land and OBJ
tain it too. II would increase your
wealth four and one-half million dol.
lars at once, and would make living
conditions much better. II would
keep some of your young people on
the farms; II would give you better
school facilities; Il would save time
and expense in marketing your pro-
duce. II were to present to you a
business proposition that would pay
such sure and large dividends, how
quickly II would be snapped up, but
because we can not see the actual
cash coming back. many think 1t
doesn't pay 10 invest any more than
they have TO in good roads. Some
men want good roads but want
someope else to pay for them.
Taxes we can not avoid, but the
idea of paying out or giving extra
work in order to obtain good roads
does not appeal.
BY cooperation OF all the men in
terested, almost any road can be
drained, graded, and kept properly
dragged and even graveled. There
are plenty of roads in this county
that are a disgrace TO the farmers
living on them. A stranger going
over such road can not fail to re-
ceive bad impression, and IL look
ing for a farm. he viii not buy on
such road, or II he does, he will
not pay as much as he would on a
good road. Two or three years ago,
took a long ride in the country.
For miles I travelled poor roads, then
came to- a nice stretch of well grad
ed, well dragged roads. knew / was
in a neighborhood of intelligent, pro-
gressive men at once, and II | were
farmer. / would surely want to
live in such a neighborhood.
You farmers are in business to
make money. and when you sell out.
you want to get top prices. You can
get better results and better prices
for your lands by having your roads
what they ought to be. II you wait
entirely for the county or state. to
build them, some of you VIII wait
many years, and some OF you will
move on" without the good roads.
Why not organize a road improve.
ment club in your neighborhood at
once. II you have not already done
so, and get the habit" of improv.
ing the roads until the work is all
done, getting what aid you can from
the county, but not waiting and SUI.
fering the loss from poor roads
which you are now doing?
"All things come to him who
waits Is an old saying, but let me
add. Il can give rule that's slick
err. the man who goes for what he
wants, will get II all the quicker
Almost any man can give some time,
some work or some money to help
IL You give time or work. you wont
miss II when it's over. There have
been many splendid examples OF
what can be accomplished by united
effort Ask the farmers on the
Mapleton road how much that road
Is worth to them. II was secured
by cooperation among themselves
With a little aid from the county
the town and Mankato business men
Each farmer has received his pay
many times over, not in cash IN
hand for his work, but in time saw
ed In hauling and use OF road. IN
pleasure and satisfaction and In
creased farm value.
Could we enlist all the men Of
the county in this work. II would
be done in short order. but we
/ can not do that for some men are
too small, too narrow minded. toe
Jealous. too anxious to get some
thing for nothing to be wiling &c
do their part but with PROPER effort
on the part of men who realize the
need and value OF good roads. who
are progressive and entefprising
vast improvement can be effected
What | have said Of Mankato bust
ness men applies to the business
men OF all the titits and villages oI
the county. We are anxious to heir
you. commissioners. town officials
road oyersesrs. We stand read,
to cooperate with you. Necessarily
You must take the lead, but We
win do our part. The time has
A.