Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-08
MERIDIAN NATIONAL
ROAD MAP
Showing the States it Passes Through From
Lakes to Gulf

, Great sleighs are drawn out of The
woods, each bearing a car load of
, logs. The larger operators sprinkle
the road to obtain an icy surface and
by means of machine for that oar
nose, make track for each side of
the runners, and side tracks are pro
vided in order that the sleighs may
pass. The width apart of the run
ners is so great that these tracks are
not on those parts of the macadam
and other roads on which the wheels
of vehicles run, and ordinary traffic is
not interferred with.
Oneida county, of which Rhine
lander is the seat, has already one hun
dred and ten miles of hard surfaced
roads, and the county board has sub
mitted to the voters the proposition OF
voting bonds to build seventy miles
more in order to have the trunk line
system complete. Discussion has de-
veloped the fact that it is cheaper to
build the proposed road than not to
build it, and there is no doubt that the
voters will approve the issue. Rhine
lander will pay more than a third of
the taxes to retire the bonds and pay
the interest upon them. These roads
will connect all parts Of the county
with RhineIander and with one another
and will connect Rhinelander, via the
Meridian Highway, with Merrill and
Wausau and farther south.
The vicinity of Three Lakes and
Eagle River, which is the county seat
of Villas county, is already supplied
with long stretches of good road, part
ly because of the state aid spent here
abouts in the last five years and partly
because the Three Lakes township
voted and spent twenty thousand dol
lars of money raised by township
bond issue. The county bonds will
serve to fill in the gaps of these roads
so far as surfacing is concerned.
A very important improvement also
contemplated by the Oneida county
bond issue is the building at once Of
a road direct in a northwesterly direc-
ton from Rhinelander to Minocqua,
so that Meridian Highway tourists
may get back and forth easily between
those points This will be of the
greatest Importance to Minocqua and
its vicinity, a resort region Of equal
TRACTION with that of Eagle River and
Three Lakes, and will make Rhine
lander more than ever the hub of
travel in the Big Woods district. An
Improvement of the roads in Villas
county similar to that in Oneida coun-
ty will make all parts of this territory
accessible by motor car, on a good
road, at all times of the year. Long
stretches of good road already abound
in Villas county. That such a con-
dition should be on the eve Of realiz-
alton is remarkable, in view Of the
fact that scarcely more than a quarter
of a century ago this whole country
was a wilderness and land now worth
hundred dollars an acre was going
begging at dollar and half and two
dollars.
There will be boulevards through
the Big Woods country in few
years and it will be connected with all
the middle west and south by means
of the Meridian Highway. Oneida
county has adopted the patrol system
of maintaining its paved roads. Crews
are to work upon them six days in
the week, rain or shine, all next sum-
mer. Commissioner Parker declares
the six days a week plan is the only
effective way of getting the work ac-
tually done.