Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-08-15
GOOD ROADSAND
splendid CROPS

In my travels around Wood County,
I find that very little of the Wiscon-
sin Highway Commission work in
routing the State Trunk Highway is
understood.
There are now, in Wisconsin. about
5000 miles of State Trunk Highway
which is patroled by one man and a
team every eight to ten miles, each
patrolman getting a salary Of $125.0O
up to $135,O0 per month, and who
works ten hours each day.
The 5000 miles Of State Trunk
Highway have recently been marked
by painting a strip eighteen or twen-
ty inches wide on telephone or other
poles, on which is a black triangle
with the number of the road and the
word Wis inside the triangle This
marking insures everyone from get
ting lost or the necessity of asking
the way while travelling anywhere in
the state on the Trunk Highway, pro-
vided the person has with him state
Trunk Highway map, which map has
all roads numbered the same as you
find on poles, fence posts, and trees
along the road.
The road map is in the shape Of
pocket folder and can be secured
by sending ten cents to the Superin-
tendent Of Public Property at Madi-
SON.
When this marking is completed,
there will be a mile post every mile,
sign at the end of every patrol sec
tion showing the names of patrolmen
and at each County line a sign will
show the names of the counties at that
point.
In addition to eight patrolmen in
Wood County, there is one steady gang
working with 2O-4O gas tractor, pull
ling ten foot blade grader, the grad
er alone weighing GOO0 pounds.
All patrolmen on State Trunk High
ways make daily and semi-monthIy
reports and work under the direction
of the County Highway Commissioner
and are all under $4,000 bonds and
are paid from the automobile license
fees.
On the recommendation Of the Wis
ccnsin Highway CommissioGJ the
County Highway Committee and the
County Highway Commissioner de-
cided to take a two days auto drive
for the purpose of looking over the
roads in Wood and other Counties, so
on the Goth Of July about seven O.
clock a. m, Harry Thomas, Lewis
Schroeder, Nick Berg and myself
started from Grand Rapids going to-
wards PIover on road No. Sc, at Plo-
yer we took road No. 10 thru Stevens
Point to Wausau where we had dinner
From Wausau we took road No. 16
westerly thru Marathon City, Colby,
Stanley and other towns, getting into
Chippewa Falls about five minutes to
six, where we ate supper.
After supper we took road No. II
to Eau Claire. where we put up for
the night. The next morning we start
ed from Eau Claire little after eight
O'Clock on road No II and followed
this number as far as Humbird where
we switched on to road No. 18, get
ting to NeilIsville for dinner. After
dinner we continued on road No. 18
coming into Wood County again on
the town line between the Towns Of
Lincoln and Rock turning north at
KIondiko towards Marshfeld.
As none Of US had travelled this
route and not being acquainted in the
cities we passed thru we had to rely
on our road map and the markings
but at no time did we 90 wrong nor
find it necessary to ask the way.
We beheId many very beautiful
sights while going thru the bluff re-
gions but as we were all, more or
less, familiar with farming / think
the scene that looked the most beau
tiful to all Of US was the large amount
Of wheat growing all thru this part
of the state and believe Of al
the wheat we saw, none would go less
than twenty-five bushels and some
you'd probably 90 over thirty-fve
bushels to the acre.
Of course there will be this year,
the largest crop Of oats this part Of
the state has ever seen There is
also considerable barley which seems
to show up a heavy crop.
L. AMUNDSON.
Locomotive Engineer Writes