Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-31

suits md Tho people = lows outside
those afllictel with otIico Itch. Or With
itching palms will Join In acclamtnS The
benefits gained by this :entralixtn9 q
the states greatest work.
MY opinion IL that too many OF the
criticisms Of the work Of boards Of su-
pervisors and OF township trustees 10
not concrete enough to get results and
for that reason want to set forth here
three glazing little examples which can
be duplicated by any careful observer
In any section Of the state In practt-
cally single days ride with an auto.
In Fremont county. Iowa. q little
tract of land Of less than forty acres
drained it's water into ditch which
called for ninety-six foot wooden
bridge, and within 100 feet OF this
bridge was second bridge OF twenty
four feet. These two bridges had been
maintained for thirty or moro years.
with their numerous rebuildIngs, etc.
On the suggestion OF member Of the
present highway commission the little
neck OF land separating the bridges
was ditched to depth Of Ave feet, both
" y
crete culvert erected in place .: the
ninety-six foot bridge. Yet more than
twenty boards Of supervisors lad Civ
en- thought to this particular bridge
problem.
In Decatur county. just south Of
Davis City. mile or SO, until three
years ago a road led up over very
rocky hill, and year after ycac for
forty years it was customary to do q
little blasting to make the road lit
tie more passable, a stone crushed
standing conveniently near so that
some one could profit by crushed rock.
The hill occupies about ten acres Of the
southeast corner of a quarter section,
and is cut of from the balance OF the
quarter by small stream which re-
quired bridging Of course a1d which
bridging was often being torn out by
the spring freshets. A suggestion made
by one Of the members Of the highway
commission Resulted in the spen ling o.
$3.50 to buy a right of way for road
down the side of the small stream
mentioned, thereby eliminating the ex-
pense OF the blasting, the cost of the
frequent bridge building, and in addi-
ton giving a level road. This $3.50, by
the way was furnished by private par
ties, because otherwise 1t was treading
upon the prerogatives Of township
board. Possibly. 1t was later refunded
to the private individual who furnished
it, at least we hope SO.
In Van Buren, county nice little
steel bridge stands out, like q SEN
incl on one Of the east and west
roads The floor of the bridge Is eight
feet higher than The roadway for sew
eral hundred yards on each side OF
the bridge. Not enough water passes
under the bridge to keep the grass
washed out the little ditch. The writer
asked, what in the world Is tina:
bridge doing out here" The answer
made by resident Of that section was
illuminating: The reason lived right
UP there. He's dsai now. He was
county commissioner for number Of
years" and as he spoke MY informant
pointed to nice farm house on hill
side quarter OF mile away. the
drainage from which constituted prac-
tically all of the waite. that passed I'M
der the nice steel bridge.
These are concrete examples OF the
incom potency Of the average board Of
supervisors. judged from the stand
point OF efficiency and there might
be an Interior motive behind one OF
those examples.
In a neighboring state just this last
year q board Of supervisors purchased
among other things nearly 81 500 worth
OF contradictory dump wagons. tho IL 10
doubtful II there 10 . section Of ROAD
in all the northwest that would VA
rant the use Of such wagons In ord1n-
airy dirt road building, yet y was in
the l:ne OF doing their duty" by
spending some money. In this case
the ing nufacturer and the statesmen At
lcas, would prof. by the transaction
whether the farmers and townspeo2le
Who furnished the money would gain
by il or not.
The whole thing. Mr.. Editor. In
shell, il the hope on the part OF the
the old-time supervisors and their
beneficiaries that their old time priv
tleges will be returned and q free and
easy hand once more given them, re-
CARELESS OF the effects on the good road
movement and Of the continued detri-
ment to the road using people because
Of lack Of better dirt roads.
Does the average county commiS-
sloner realize that single good ROAD
running east and west and another
north and south crossing his county
II, -.
rem In the county a good road at least
half way to the county seat?
Then why he dog IN the manser!
The people Of Iowa, aside from the
politicians. are not so much interested
in why they pay, as they are in what
they get for .hey pay, and nothing can
heat the dividends to community
that a network of good roads Will
bring. U. 6. Reininger, formerly OF
Page county, Iowa, now resident OF
Sioux Falls, 8. d.
The Man by the Side ofths Track.
We have all seen him-usually
short, dark foreigner, holding too
in one hand and grabbing at his head
gear with the other as our train whfrls
by covering him with dust but not
too busy to flash a smile in return Tor
any chance salute. He is now an Cd
ject Of great interest at weighty rail-
.oxi~n