Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-09-08
REN VIlI CoUl
ROAD BOoS Ter !


An Interesting Article Oh. Hon.
Nike D0wllng's Activities
For Good Roads.
The following article about Mike
Bowling and his zeal in promoting
good roads In Renville county, writ
ten in last Sundays Minneapolis Trib-
une is well worth reading:
Michael j. Bowling Of Olivia has
done more work for good roads in
Minnesota than any other person, &C.
cOrding to no less an authority than
George w. Cooley, the state highways
commissioner.
The lack of good roads cost Mr..
Bowling both legs, one arm and the
fingers Of the remaining hand when
he was lad of IA. Now he is max
ing his home county, Renville, known
all over the country for it's model
highways.
There is no more profit in it for him
than there is for the poorest resident
Of the county. It is just his way Of
making his mark on the community.
A long, smoOth-running mark it Is,
crossing the county lengthwise and
crosswise many times until Renville
is network Of improved roads.
One stretch, IS miles in length, has
won national reputation. It is the
road running east and west across the
county, paralleling the Milwaukee
railroad. It is a part of the Yellow
stone trail, the national highway. Its
excellence in comparison with the
black dirt roads that join it on the
east, and the rock and billy miles to
the west, makes it long remembered
by the hundreds Of tourists who pass
over it to and from the west.
Another road on the south side Of
the county is about 40 miles long and
parallels the st. Louis railroad. Five
north and south trunk lines connect
these two main roads in such manner
that carefully built and properly car
ed for roads lead into every Renville
county, village and city. :
The first road construction done
with any thought of permanence was
on mile stretch just outside Of
Olivia. It was across a marsh which
had been practically impossible in
rainy seasons. Farmers who traded
in Olivia had travelled round that
slough for years, but nothing was done
to improve matters until 10 years ago
when a trip around the bog set Mr..
| Bowling thinking of all the time and
energy wasted there every season.
With the sagacity that has charac-
teriZed Mike" Dowling's career from
the very moment Of the accident which
| most people would have considered
the end of everything, he quietly set
to work and got the cooperation Of
| Olivia business men and neighboring
farmers in carrying out plan for a
permanent road across the marsh.
| Then he told his plans to state Of
ficials and asked their assistance. Mr..
Bowling was we'll known to these men
because of services he had given the
state and nation and they knew that
anything he proposed to do would un-
doubtedly be carried out in the way he
said it would, and they were glad to
help.
With their help Mr.. Bowling OBJ
tanned free Of cost enough crushed
Egranite from the state reformatory at
St. Cloud to put solid roadbed thru
the marsh. He got, the railroads in
terested in the project to such an ex.
tent that they delivered trainloads Of
this granite in Olivia without charge
John H. Mullen Of the state high.
way commissions staff was detailed to
direct the work of filling in the stone
When the granite had all been laid
they had through the marsh a high.
way, virtually macadamized, at an ex
pense to the builders of little, If any
more than the cost of an ordinary dirt
grade would have been. "
With the start it was easy to spread
the good work throughout the country
Group after group of farmers awaken
ed to the realization that good roads
meant saving of time and animals II
marketing as well as comfort to them
selves and an increased value to theil
land. ~.
Business men continued to aid thu
work. Two or three years after tina
: first mile was built other Renvill,
: county towns got interested when the!
witnessed the steadily increasing trat
fic where the good roads led. The!
got Mr.. Bowling to help them get bet
: ter highways into their towns.
, It wasn't hard to keep the ball roll
ing once 1t had been set going, MI
Bowling says. If business men o
: some town complained that all tn
r work was being done in the neighbo1
: hood Of a rival town the good road
boosters replied they hadn't know
that this particular town wanted bel
y ter roads, and they assured the com
I plainants they were only too glad t
help them build highways. And the,