Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-01-08
GOOD ROAD BUILDING
Eastern States Long Age Learned Lesson
and Commenced to Build for
the Future.

years of our history. Time was, and we
have not entirely gotten away from this
idea, when ridge of dirt would make a
good road. The eastern states long
years ago learned their lesson, and com
menced to build for the future. AS a
result, the East and the South have the
best roads to be found in the country,
and the Pacific coast states are rapidly
falling in line. Tourists say that it is a
pleasure to travel over their roads.
Last summer the writer had occasion
to travel over the much advertised Lin
coin Highway through Iowa The high
way serves as a main artery of traffic
through every state traversed, and has
perhaps educated more legislators, coun-
ty commissioners, and district road sup
erntendents in good road building and
its advantages, than any other one thing.
The federal government and the state
have united in building sample miles of
macadam or concrete in nearly every
county traversed to teach the people the
great advantages Of concrete over gravel
or dirt roads. This has been valuable
object lesson, for no matter whether wet
or dry, this road is always passable, and
the upkeep is negligible. The added
original cost is the only drawback.
The old Roman roads were built for
all time, and are still in use. The same
principles employed by them in road
building hold today. 4 good foundation
with the proper surfecing of stone or
concrete, and provision made for drain
age, completed the road
ALI tourists sing the praises of the
Lawrence county roads, and they are
fine. What is to hinder Pennington
county from constructing equally good
roads, with the excellent material at
hand? The crushed rock from the
plants adjacent to Rapid City contains
more than ninety-six per cent of cal
cium carbonate of lime, the very best
kind of material for building macadam-
lied roads. With use and exposure to
the elements, it binds like cement.
In line with the above, recent issue
of The Country Gentleman, publish ed
an article on rock roads from a bankers
standpoint, which article is SO good and
to the point, that it is herewith repro
duced:
Kansas and Missouri are very active
in building good highways-'roc roads
as they are called iu that country where
limestone is the handiest material. One
Of the good roads boosters is W. s..
Webb, Kansas City banker, and he
puts year-round highways in terms of
banking.
"'We bankers will lend ten to twenty
five dollars an acre more on a farm stu
ated on rock road, he says. Bankers
in this neighborhood are keen judges of
farm values. Most of them have farms
as places for rest and play. Few bank
ers are good farmers when it comes to
making actual profits on crops, but their
farming pays handsomely in health and
in understanding of the problems con-
fronting farmers, with whom we do
much of our business.
'rhe first thing the banker does
when you approach him for loan on
farm property is to determine the sell
ing value Of the farm. He will lend you
half of the selling value, and he arrives
at the selling value by ascertaining three
things
First, the soil, its character, condi-
ton and producing capacity; for fertile
farm in good tilth will grow crops no
matter where located or what the nature
of its Improvements.
Second, its location, which means
convenience to markets, schools, stores
and other factors that increase value
Here is where the kind Of road running
past the farm plays big part.
Third, the buildings and improve
ments.
These are all estimated in actua
money. The money estimates are add.
ed The total represents the selling
value Of the farm, and the banker viii
lend half of that.
suppose the land is set down al
worth forty dollars an acre. If it is 10
Gated on a rock road over which thu
owner can haul crops any month in the
year the banker will add ten dollars al
acre for that item. Probably the build
ings will not come TO more than tel
dollars an acre, so the hard roads il
worth as much as the buildings in actua
money. The total selling value of tina
farm is sixty dollars an acre, and the
banker will lend thirty On land worth
500 an acre hard road adds twenty
five dollars,
1.-The farmer on rock road can vorf
in his fields every fine day and 60 t.
town whenever it rains. He can han
stuff to market in the muddy season
when other farmers are not able to haul
and thus he can take advantage of tn,
rise in prices that is apt to come at sue!
times.
| In the muddy season a premium o
| five to ten cents bushel on wheat i
sometimes required to bring a carloa'
out of certain district. The man on
rock road has chance to get round Il
meetings, exchanging ideas, and SO be
comes better farmer.
"'And the rock road has psycholo
gical effect. II you are going to spent
the day back in the woods where no