Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-05
Uncertainty of Highway Pro-
gram Fails To Detract From
Interest I'm Road Main
tenance
EXPERIENCED ENGINEERS
AMONG SPEAKERS
Highway Program More or Less in the
Air and Some Federal Projects
May Be DiscOn-
tinued

That the road building program is
move or less "up in the air" in Rusk
county was one of the outstanding fea-
lures developed at the road school held
at the court house on Tuesday The
road men knew it, undoubtedly, but
the general public did not.
But that uncertainty of the highway
program did not appear TO detract
from interest in the subjects to be con-
sidered at the school was evidenced by
the good attendance. Not only those
closely connected with the building
and maintenance of highways in the
county were present, considerable
number of citizens who pay taxes and
travel the roads showed interest in
the general invitation to be present.
Welcomes the Crowd
Phil Koehler, county highway com
missioner, opened the meeting in the
circuit court room at about 30
O'Clock and had charge of the meeting
Mr.. Koehler called upon D. j. Sum
merville for the address of welcome
Mr. Summerville n his characteristic
happy manner, at once put the crowd
at their ease and made them feel that
they were welcome and that they were
all equally interested in the subject
before the school After noting
the progress made in roa
work in Rusk county during his nine
years residence in the county, the
speaker, who is a member Of the cOun
ty road and bridge committee and thor
Oughly familiar with the road situa
ton in the county, called upon f. M
Sergeant, Of Rhinelander, division Ell
gineer. to make a few remarks on the
progress of road building from pioneer
times
Probably no man in Northern Wis
consin is more cOnversant with high
ways and highway construction in the
northern part of the state than is Mr.
Sergeant, as he has been closely asso
ciated with and watched the develop
ment of the work from pioneer times
He said he came into this part Of th'
country when he was IA years of age
with his parents, and settled in th'
woods in what is now the town o.
Marshall (named for his father) a
what afterward came to be known a.
the Fern settlement 1t was then par
of Chippewa county, later Gates coun
ty and now Rusk county. He cOult
then walk clear across what is nov
Rusk county without crossing turn
piked road Travel then was only OF
logging roads and woodsmen's trails
The 500 Line had been built then onl,
as far as Tony, then Deer Tail. Their
was no Ladysmith, no Warner, bu
there was siding here known as Cor
belts Siding, so named for Robert Cor
bett, pioneer of the place. A MAJ
had to be a pretty good teamster, h
said, to turn a team around amOn
the stumps.
Rusk County Fortunate
Reviewing the progress that has bee
made since those days, Mr.. Sergean
expressed the thought that no one ha
q valid complaint to make on acc0un
of the roads we have now, cOnslderln
the amount of money and effort tha
has been employed to provide higf
ways for the peoples benefit. He sal
he thought that no county in Norther
Wisconsin has attained more in tn
way of roads for the amount of none
expended than Rusk county has.
The chairman called upon J. r. M
Lean. division engineer from Super
iOr, to talk on the subject of fedora
civil construction. Mr.. McLean's tai
was largely on federal financing, fec
eral projects as they affect Rusk coul
ty. and the law in the matter, touchin
slightly on maintenance. He said h
thought that the people of Rusk count
do not want and do not care to pa
for as good a road and as eXpens1v
q road as was projected between Bruc
and Ladysmith. The highway depar
ment thinks so, too, he said, but W
are powerless to change the situatio
on account of the federal law and til
federal requirements. After proje'
is started, the engineers cannot alway
change the plans, and all plans mus
be submitted in detail to the govern
ment agents on federal jobs. Rattle
would the department favor good roae
leading from the farming communitit
to their markets, SO that farmers coul
easily transport their produce to ma
ket over good roads.
Program III the Air
Mr.. .McLain said that the road pr
gram in Rusk county is more or le'
ND in the air at the present time, an
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