Charlevoix county herald., 1916-07-14
VanPelt Gives
Strong Talk
Points Out Necessity Of Good
Roads in Our County.
Address to the State Rural Mail Car
riers in Session at Charlevoix
Last Week.

Finucan, asked me to write to Chicago
and get some extra good speaker to adj
dress you, as he wished to give you
boys a royal good welcome, immedi-
ately complied with his request and
wrote Mr.. William G. Edens, the Chair
man of our Good Roads Committee of
the Chicago Association of Commerce
| received his reply by return mail,
saying that it would be impossible for
him to come, so, as the time was short,
he would ask me to represent him,
being one of his committeeman.
Now, am no more fit to represent
Bill Edens in any way, particularly, as
a speaker, than hell would be fit for a
powder house, because he is an orator
possessed of the proverbial silver
tongue, but, if you will indulge me so
far, there are some things should like
to say.
While you are invited here by our
mutual friend, Frod Butler, father of
General Butler of the Civil War, a
hearty welcome is extended to all of
you, not only from Charlevoix but from
the entire County of Charlevoix.
Right here, | want to say, we have
three, smart, thriving cities in this
county-East Jordan, Boyne City and
Charlevoix, with Pine Lake in the
center; county of units, all working
hand in hand for the benefit of the
entire county.
Pine Lake is queen among lakes, Of
which no one is more beautiful, none
with purer water and none on which,
in palmy lumber days, floated as many
vessels carrying lumber to every part
of the country. The shores are ir-
regular, the land high and rolling all
along the shore and Charlevoix County
is destined, because of its unusual ad-
vantages in this lake, to become one Of
the great resorts of the United States.
You know it takes time to make big
resort country. Tourists necessarily
have to become possessed of the knowl-
edge of the country to which they come
and to which they send their families.
Pure water and health-giving eli
matte conditions enter largely into the
making of such place, for without
these advantages any resort is sure of
becoming a dead one. Pine Lake aids
materially in making these qualities
and the surrounding farm lands are so
located as to make Charlevoix County
the natural resort, being so centrally
located and easily approached by both
rail and steamboat.
Pine Lake is entirely within the con-
fines of our own County, with Charlie
voix at The extreme west end. 1t emp
ties into Round Lake, one of the best
harbors on Lake Michigan. Boyne
City, eighteen miles distant at the east
end of the Lake, is one of the large
lumber towns still existent in Michigan
On the south side of Pine Lake, six
miles from Charlevoix, is an arm, ex-
tending about twelve miles in south
easterly direction to East Jordan, an
other thriving lumber city.
A healthy competition exists between
these three cities in their various activi-
ties and with the fast and ever grow
ing popularity of this region of the
State as a summer resort, their future
prosperity and growth is assured.
Now, we come to the vital point of
our story. We all know that good
roads are absolutely necessary for rural
free delivery, in order that the mail
matter may be delivered promptly to
its destination. II, when you 90 forth
on your daily trips, you try to impress
upon someone Of your prominent
farmer friends the necessity of building
the maintenance into the road, you will
be comforting great favor, not only
on yourself, but on the farmer and his
children, as well. Tell them of the
never ending expense that the macadam
road is which many counties are now
building; the repairs of which will, in
a few years, be more than the original
cost of the road. There is a road that
can be built that will last a lifetime-I
mean long lifetime, fifty years at least
and with but little expense, and that is
a concrete road. For ordinary pur-
poses, one ten foot wide, with shout
ders of crushed stone on either side
four feet in width, is sufficient, there
by giving eighteen feet in width, and
this road can be built in Charlevoix
County for $5,S500O per mile. The
rebate from the State is 100000 for
the cement portion. | have not been
informed up TO the present time what
the rebate will be for the extra eight
feet of crushed stone, but il is safe to
say that il will be at least 500 90, max
ing the net cost not exceed $4,650.O0,
as against the nine foot road which we
are binding here at cost OF 100000
per mile, with rebate of $4,000.
Really, this is no rebate, because the
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