The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-09
talk COLD FACTS
Good Roads Boosters Preach
Highway Gospel.
Crusade to Convert Red Line
Land Owners.
C. H. SEARLE STARTS THE BALL
Other Land Owners Behind
Highway Plan.
Big Revival at Commercial
Club Friday Night.

Club Friday Night.
! Armed with literature giving the
first concrete idea of the cost of
| $4,000 mile hard surface road au-
tomobile loads of Topeka Good Roads
boosters left the Commercial club at
o'clock this afternoon. Prior to
their departure, the boosters had been
| assigned to certain territory on the
| Red Line route to cover and farmers
! in each section will be interviewed
| and urged to attend a Good Roads
lecture with pictures by John Mar
| cellous of Kansas City, at he Com
merc1al club tomorrow night Mr..
Marvellous also will speak tomorrow
noon at the club. A dinner will be
| given to the farmers in the evening.
| Just before the boosters started C.
| II. Searle, owning $50 acres on the
| Red Line pledged himself to stand the
road on this route. C. B. Merriam, A.
Fassler and Frank P. MacLennan
owning 24O acres on or near the route
have made like pledges.
| We're not going to argue with
| them.' said w. p. Montgomery to-
day, land merely wish to request
them to listen to our proposition and
| attend meeting at the Commercial
club tomorrow night. If they can't
| get in any other way We'll go out in
/
them in and take them back home
| after the lecture and dinner
| Maps for Farmers.
Road maps of Shawnee county sup
piled by the Central National bank
| were distributed among the boosters
| today and will be given to the farmers.
| Also a concise statement of the di-
vision of cost of an improved concrete
highway to cost $40, 900 has been pre-
pared and carbon copies will be given
| to those living in a proposed benefit
| district.
A road map five feet long, of the
| Red Line route, giving the names of
all properly owners on the road to the
| Douglas county line, was hung on a
| wall at the Commercial club this noon
and various boosters assigned to their
| sections. Then the names Of the farnt-
ers in each section were taken down.
Rebuffs at first are expected by the
boosters Bitter disappointments un-
doubleday will be the order of the day
| for weeks to come in Shawnee county,
the same as in other countries through
the country but leaders in the move
| ment expressed their belief that in the
| end Shawnee county will prove herself
as progressive as any in thr United
States. James Cowdry, Robert Billiard,
w P Montgomery, George w. Stans-
| field and f. NJ. Drake were among
| those who had their machines ready
| at the Commercial club at 1890
| o'clock today.
Statistics Are Gathered.
Statistics are being gathered show
| ing the increase in the price of prop
erty lying on improved cross-country
roads in the east and these statistics
will be brought into play in due time.
Good Roads speakers and Good Roads
| literature of all kinds and descriptions
will be taken into Topeka during the
next few months, it is promised.
Everything possible that can be done
to bring the necessity of good roads
home to the people of Shawnee coun-
ty will be brought into play. Follow
ing is copy of the statement show
ing the division of cost of an i'm
proved concrete highway to cost s10,-
600 per mile, caTbons of which were
distributed among the farmers this
afternoon:
Per mile:
Cost OF highway 5000. 1000
Proportion paid by county,. 1850
one-fourth to be paid by town
snip ..S 1875
Balance cost per mile on
property in benefited dis
lrlct. ...S QUO
Distribution of Cost.
If a district be formed including
lands within two miles on both sides
CT tno proposed ROAD, the cost WOULD
DE distributed over a territory of .our
square miles amounting to 1850 acres
which would make an average cost
Throughout the entire benefited district
$2,20 per acre. If this cost be appor-
toned 40 per cent to the first half
mile; 80 per cent to the second half
mile; 20 per cent to the third half
mile, and 10 per cent to the fourth
half mile on each side of the proposed
road the total cost per acre will be as
follows:
Forty per cent times $685. equals
s2,250 on first half mile equals sass
per acre.
Thirty per cent times 5.625 equals
$1,6S7.50 equals $2.63 per acre.
Twenty per cent times 5,625 equals
$1,125 equals S1.T9 per acre.
Ten per cent times 5,625 equals
| $562.50 equals 80 cents per acre.
The above amounts would be the
| cost per acre IL the whole cost be paid
an once. If the cost be distributed over
| ten annual payments the rate of in
terest which the bonds bear must be
added. Computing this interest at
per cent, the cost per acre would he
as follows:
First one-ha1f mile, "A cents per
acre.
Second half mile. 33 cents per acre
Third half mile, % cents per acre.
Fourth half mile, II cents per acre
per year.
These payments to continue for ten
years.
alFNR VsEFHIn nnkInEnT