Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-01-01
Wisconsin Rapids Youth
Wrote Prize Road Essay
FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY COURSE
REWARD FOR BEST ESSAY
ON GOOD ROADS

ship for submitting the best essay Oh
good roads. This contest is conducted
yearly under the auspices Of the Ma
tional Highway Educational Board
OF whicn j. j. Tigert of Washington
is Honacary Chairman, and Fl. s.
Firestone gives the scholarship. IL
last years contest there were three
thousand entrants, and it is believed
that the list this year is much larger
One hundred entrants are Wisconsin
boys and girls. Almost every State III
the Union was represented.
John Liska's essay, entitled THE
Relation of improved Highways to
Home Life, is reproduced here:
Isolation is the primary cause Of
the ignorance so evident in rural con
munities. Poor roads, more than any
thing else, have forced the farm
nome into a demoralizing isolation
The Improvement of highways, max
ing the consolidated school and social
center possible, is injecting new life
into homes formerly hopelessly isolat
ed. Home life is broadened and en-
fiched. Boys are willing to stay
down on the farm" Girls cease to
envy their city cousins and leave
home for 'the bright lights.
Just a few minutes of travel, on
particular road, leading out OF the
city of wisconsin Rapids, will con
vince the most doubtful skeptics OF
the value of good roads and their in
fluences upon home life About two
miles from the city this road branch
es. One branch is called the left road
is Almost always in deplorabie con
dition; the right road is concrete
idated, the trent yards scarcely re-
cognizabla ancAg The tangl5 of bro
zen machinery alG wire and various
other objects placed out of the way
The land has been cropped till i
is impossible for even quack grass tc
flourish The stock, descendants o.
some OF granddad's scrubs, is nov
SO degenerated that scarcely an.
characteristics of high producing
profitable animal are evident,
Can you expect the boy or girl to
remain down on the farm undei
these conditions? Not one boy or CIR
living on this road has any education
above the eighth grade and very man.
have not even completed the eight
grade. These young people, many Oh
them lying about their ages have had
to seek jobs at the store, mill or fac
tory, instead OF completing their edu
cations. Can home life be pleasan
and happy where these condition.
exist?
The right road leads through land
slightly more fertile, but more fertile
only as a result of better farm man
agement. No farm home on this road
for distance of 20 miles is without
at least one modern convenience
Several farms are equipped with
every modem convenience, both in
and out of the home.
The esthetic influence a good road
exerts is very evident. Often it slim
lates latent self-respect into practi
cal expression. These people are con
tinually adding some Improvement in
an honest attempt to beautify their
home surroundings Through diversi
fication and rotation of crops they
have succeeded in bringing their
land to a high pitch of fertility, re
sulting in a more stable income each
year. They are sending their children
to high schools, agricultural schools
and universities A better education
is teaching these children to realize
the value OF a true home.
Before the right road was improved
conditions we're alike on both branch
es. The improved highway alone
made diversified farming profitable
made q better education possible, and
better homes a reality.
On the left road the average farmer
has, in a large measure, lost his sell
respect and has allowed his home tc
fall below the standar and has failed
to keep in stride with the times, He
is considered inferior to city people
Farmers, such as those on the right
road, are again placing the farm
home upon the pinnacle where ii
should rest, The True Home of Man
How necessary to that home is
good road: What relief it must have
been to those simple folk in Whittiers
Snowbound to have the road opened
and the floundering carrier bring the
village paper to the door
The left road may be compared to
the Snowbound road; impeding pro
gress, forcing isolation. The right
road may be compared to the opened
road Offering new opportunities
new possibilities and new happiness
The right road is, in the true sense
Of the word, the right road" We
must build more of these right
roads. Until this is accomplished
home life in isolated sections will, in
the future, simply exist; but when
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