Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-09-08
did help II their help was desired.

did help II their help was desired.
Likewise farmers living q mile or
two from good road often grumbled
because that road didn't go alongside
their farms. Mr.. Bowling would as
sure them that no slight was intended
and guaranteed that If those farmers
wanted a road bad enough to spend
some money on it, the men they trad
ed with would come across with the
same assistance they had given to
build other roads.
Occasionally man would be en-
countered who was staunch support
er of the old plan of working out the
poll taxes by unsystematic road work
and who seemed determined to spoil
all plans for more permanent highway
building. The Bowling diplomacy in
variably was equal to the emergency.
One such advocate Of township road
building got busy and plowed up a
road that had been marked for up-to-
date repairs. One Sunday afternoon
week or so later Mr.. Bowling drove
up to this mans house with a roomy
automobile and invited the man and
his family to take ride. The invita-
ton was great surprise to the man
and he was disposed to decline it, but
his wife and several small children,
who seldom had chances to ride in au-
tomobiles, were unanimously in favor
of going, and the head of the house
had to agree. = :.
The driver headed for a smooth
stretch Of highway Of which the good
roads men were particularly proud.
The machine bowled mile after mile
without a jolt and the guests were
having one Of the times of their lives.
On the return trip course was
chosen which would take them to the
strip of road that had been plowed up
and left with the sods scattered right
and left. The same speed was kept
up when this stretch was entered up.
on as had been maintained over the
smooth road, and the occupants Of the
car we're so roughly jolted that they
had difficulty in keeping in the seats
No one said a word as that piece OF
road was gone over, and the cal
wasn't slowed up the least bit. But
everyone excepting the driver looked
puzzled. When the machine slowed
up at the farm house and the guests
had been set down the farmers wife
said: PA, there's some difference be
tween your road and the other road
That was the only reference to the
topic Of roads while Mr.. Bowling was
present. But within week that road
was put into as nearly good condition
as was possible with drag and scraper
i Mr.. Bowling and his farmer friends
began their work in 1909. Altogether
$2,784.90 was spent in road work that
lyear. Two years later it was more
than seven times that much, and last
year 5$53,193.55 was spent. This veal
the states aid to Renville county Ii
$4,000 larger than that to any Other
county outside of those In which The
three largest cities are located.
The average aid to Minnesota coun
ties for 1915 is $4,000. The count,
road and bridge fund levy for Renvillt
county is more than $24 900. Last yea1
the village Of Olivia appropriated 81,
800 for road work. This year the ap
preparation is even larger Altogether
the county possesses 1,6O0 miles O
road, and 480 of those miles are i'm
proved, or about third Of the entir,
mileage. Two hundred and ten o
them are state highways. q
Maybe Renville county would hav.
had just as many good roads II MI
Downing had not been so badly froxel
one day In December, 1880. Hi
Z friends don't think SO, however. 81
went at the problem Of getting goo,
roads In the same spirit that he show
ed In tackling other and bigger prob
: ss y F