Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-23
WASTE IN BRIDGE BUILDING.
Stony rify Tribune

tSiouX City Tribune.]
Any county in Iowa will derive in
terest and profit from deyoting Ht-.
tie study to the immense sums wasted
in the past by the construction Of "tin 4
bridges. commonly classed as steel
structures. Marshall county has seen
the light and will invest 100000 in
concrete bridges this year. g
If the bridge fund Of Woodbury.
| county, during the past 20 years had
| been applied entirely to concrete con-
struction instead OF to tin" culverts
and bridges. the county would have
something today to show for it's ex-
penditures.
When Tom Millett. former Iowa
paving supervisor, was drafted for
the board of commissioners in Gregory
county South Dakota, he Immediately
started to do some figuring on bridge
building. He found that Gregory
county, settled about 20 years, had
expended 100000 for bridges. new
work and repairs, and that the aver
age service of the new bridges INSTALL
ed did not run ten years without ex-
tensive repairs. ,-fl
Mr.. Millett convinced his associates
that the county should stop the inn
mense annual waste for temporary
| bridge work and Gregory county now
is using its entire bridge funds-ex-
cept small allotments in urgent repair
work. for building concrete bridges
which, if properly constructed, will
endure for 100 years or more. In a
very few years that county will have
system OF bridges which will be a
TO Ni11otf'c hapkhnna
and integrity.
1t would be interesting to know just
how much money has been spent in
Woodbury. county during the past 40
years for bridges and cplverts of
which no trace remains today.
WOULD NUMBER COUNTRY ROAD
TCedar Rapids Gazette.]
This is nothing more than an idea
| for the promotion OF convenient ar
engagements, is not patented and Is not
put forward as the suggestion for
great reform.
Why not number the roads by coun-
| ties, as streets and avenues are num-
| bered in cities and towns? After the
roads have been numbered. those run
ming north and south being given some
designation as road" or avenue" to
distinguish them from the east and
| west roads that could be designated as
| 'lane" or street" there should be a
| fixed list, OF numbers. say 100. as
signed to each mile. The geography
| OF the county would then work out ex-
actly as the geography Of Cedar Rap.
ids works out. except that the geogra-
ply Of the county would be more SIM
| ple. The number on a farm house
would give its exact location In the
county and the plan would work out to
the great convenience Of citizens and
the travelling public.
| To begin at the southeast corner OF a
county, the proper location for the
starting point OF survey. the num-
bered roads would automatically locate
| themselves in the minds Of travellers
Farm numbers on these roads would
operate to the same purpose. Using
| Linn as an illustration. the north and
south roads would number up to TWEEN
ty four, and the farm numbers on these
roads, on the basis of 100 to the mile
for convenience would number up to
5000. The east and west roads would
number up to thirty and the farm
numbers on these roads up to 2,400. II
the north and south roads should. be
! termed avenues and the east and west
roads streets. No. 1000 on Twenty
ninth street, Linn county, would be the
farm located one mile south Of the
north line and four miles east Of the
west line. Any other number would be
located instantly and the locat ton
would convey complete Instructions for
eaching the place. The traveller by
observation could determine his loca-
tion-l1is starting point-and the num-
her would give his destination and
| furnish all the road map necessary.
The plan would cost only the resolution
to put It In effect and the cooperation
OF those who would be benefited.