Year: 1876

The following letter from our friend
Lieut.. Plot:s was crowded out of our
last issue. 1t appears, however, in
good time to reach the attention of the
Commissioners ut their meeting on
Saturday. Now that the branch rail-
road will soon be in running order, the
luVerne wagon road will take Sec
ondary place, and we must look mainly
to the Lake Shetek and tile Spirit Lake.
roads to supply the trade Which we shall
lose by the building Of the branch. And
VIC predict that if the people along the
line Of these ro'ds, together with such
help as the County Commissioners of
the several counties interested may
give, will put these two roads in good
condition for loaded wagons at all sea-
sons, by next year we shall not feel the
loss of our western trade:


ELK, June 10, 1876.


EDITOR ADVANCE: We notice in =
recent issue that attention has been
called to county road No. 4. generally
known as the Like Shetek road. We
are pleased that attention has been
called to it. Although not of the first
laid in the county, it is the one most
travelled excepting the LuVerne road.
All north and west Of town must reach
it ut some point before getting to town,
and it is not III rs good repair as it
should be by Il great deal, considering
the numbers it must accommodate.
However we now desire to overcome all
thlf trouble and in our town, Elk. we.
the residents along the line of the road.
propose to give certain amounts in
money or work, or both, and ask that
that the County Commissioners give US
;sn equal amount in money or orders to
put with ours, and to be used for the
repairs of this road, the purchase of
timber for sluice boxes, and the putting
them in.


We ask tEis as we have not on the
line OF road a single bridge outside Of
the town of W0rthington, except one
OF 1G feet span across Elk Greek. Be-
tween Mr.. Alleys place and the north
line OF the town Of WOrtllingtOn no
work has been done since 1873, when
the land for half Il mile along section
2 was Dack-set. at the north end Of
this line is one of the worst places on
the whole line of road. In the spring
of the year, such us it was in 1875, it is
impossible for an empty wagon some-
times to get through there, rs the
hoEses c,nnot get through ,cithout the
wagon, and not get down. We speak
from 4 sore experience of that place. A
short distance north of that Il sluice
box is badly needed and some grading
for just short distance. South of the
first mentioned point two small boxes
are needed, and Il team, plow, drag and
roller would accomplish all that need to
he done except setting the boxes.


People living in Murray and near the
line say that if the road was fixed
through. all the trade from that point
that now goes another way would he
directed to Worthlngton-ap point to be
considered by Wortllington. Also the
Commissioners of Murray have told US
that if we finished to the county line
they would grade and bridge in 4
straight line all that is necessary to
Lake Shetek. You see they are looking
to the advantages of the Southern Min
nesota R;,ilroad... Trusting this will
call sufficient attention from those OIL
the road north as we'll us south of Elk,
and make them turn out and repair
and bridge before or by tile spring of
1877 at least, will close.


~' R1c11MoND.