Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-28
GRAvELEp HIGHWAYS PROVE
THEIR WORTH At PRESENT
SEASON OF YEAR.
TWO HUNDRED FARM CARS
At EVENING CONCERT
Traverse GravsIed Roads For Many
Miles While Others Are Almost I'm.
passabls-Man Who Built Them In
sists Cost and Maintenance Are Not
Exesssivs-vviIsor,'s Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.

CTOlQnelQ, sept. 2o.-AdSC 4AuISudy
evening was "band night" in Goldfield.
The sidewalks Of the main street were
crowded with people and the street it
self was filed with automobiles. The
side streets were lined with the ma
chimes and with buggies; people from
miles away were in town. Actual
count probably would have shown
nearly 200 cars, most OF them from the
farm garages Of territory tributory to
this town. Such a showing as this
means along with other things, good
roads, and western Wright county has
made start in this line that ought to
be a source Of qualification to every
resident Of the section indicated.
Systematic road work. that is, work
performed in accordance with the re-
Gently enacted law, began here two
years ago with the term of office of the
present supervisor, H. c. Pinkham. At
the close Of the present season about
half of his thirty-four miles of county
road will be graded and eleven Of this
graveled. There will be continuous
graveled roads from Clarion to Eagle
Grove thru Goldfeld. Actual observa-
ton is necessary to realization OF
the difference between an improved
and an unimproved road in this part
of the country. Good" and bad" tell
1t perhaps as we'll as words can.
1t is the hope Of the present board
Of supervisors that the county roads
Of Wright county will be permanently
improved within the next three years.
This district maintains an outfit con-
sisting Of seven teams and ten to
twelve men, one tractor and two
twelve-foot graders. Sleeping tents
for men and for horses and cook
wagon are included in the equipment.
To illustrate the cost of grading and
crawling in this part of the country,
five miles Of road west of Goldfeld
were improved at cost approx
mately Of $500. About half this
amount was spent for grading, the
remainder for crawling. The average
gravel haul here was about two and
one-half miles. OF course business
methods were necessary to keep ex-
penses down to this figure. The local
supervisor contends that the main
tenance Of graveled roads need not be
a more expensive matter than that OF
king dragging a dirt road until a new
application Of gravel is necessary which
with proper care is only once IN GOOD
many years. A small grader can be
used to cut of the tops Of the waves"
and carry them into the depressions
and the job Is completed.
Mr.. Pinkham believes that serious
criticism of the present road law or OF
the highway commission is entirely
uniustified and that efficiency and
energy on the part OF the county en-
sineer and conscientious and COM
mon sense efforts of supervisors will
result in the building Of up-to-date
road systems everywhere without any
further raise in road tax levies. II the
central and eastern parts Of Wright
have made the showing that the west
ern part has the county certainly is
abreast Of the times in road improve
ment. f-
The finest residence in his neighbor-
hood is Just now being completed by
NJ. III. Rasmussen on his farm west OF
town. The walls are of hollow blocks
with outside cement-plaster finish. In
side finish Is birch or oak with slab
doors thruout. The house is about
4Ox4O two stories. attic, and basement
under all. It is thoroughly modern
and will cost when finished about
$4,000.
Seventeen years ago Mr.. and Mrs.
Rasmussen started out with a Joint
capital Of $500. The house described
above is built on 200-acre farm
worth $3.50 per acre and It's all paid
for with what has been earned on the
farm. Horses and hogs" answered
the owner. when he was asked how the
thing was accomplished. OF course
there has been great raise in the
price OF land but that alone does not
pay for $1,000 houses. The old story
about the farmer making nothing ex-
cept in the raise of his land needs re-
vision or else liberal provision for
exceptions.
other notable farm Improvements
are the big block and frame barn with
a great block silo at one end, lately
erected by Fred Madison on his fine
farm near ,Goldfeld and beautiful
modern residence that France Warner
is completing. The Warner house will
be equipped with unique improve
rnent; flowing well is to be piped to
the basement and from there will be
forced by natural power to various
parts Of the house.
This IL indeed a queer season. On
the T. b. Cowan farm the folks are
picking Strawberries, the ordinary
senator Dunlap variety, also rasp-
berries. Even the chicken season is
abnormal this year, one can hardly
mass q farm house without noticing an
old hen or two at the roadside hover
ing broods of newly Matched chicks.
SO
Farmer Trotter, Of Goldfeld, didn't
propose to lost out on q supply Of
fresh seed corn for next year. The
weather man had predicted frost for
one night last week and Mr.. Trotter be-
came aware Of the fact. He had q
seed corn plot and he proceeded to
take precautionary measures. Hauled
4 couple Of loads Of logs up to the west
edee. Of the little field and made every
thinR ready to apply the match II that
mart should become necessary. AT
midnight he consulted his thermometer
ay.a at a. m, he made a second read
ing. Next day he was tying seed ears
together and hanging them in the crib
u drv He didn't find 1t necessary to
Are the log piles but II there had been
! killing frost he probably would have
hung up undamaged seed the next day
iust the same, and anyway the logs are!
there ready for emergencies should any.
arrive before plenty of seed has been
saved. :.
chris Godfredson, west Of town, has
what Is perhaps the largest buckwheat