Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1915 — More About the Air Line Automobile Route. [ARTICLE]

More About the Air Line Automobile Route.

It seems that some parties are working hard to change the already established auto route between Chicago and Indianapolis to one not traveled very much at the present time. In case of a permanent improvement being made this would be a very unwise thing to do. The expense of traveling by auto has been cut in half by the reduced prices of gasoline, oil and auto tires. The expense will be reduced another fifty per cent in case the roads are built of good material and kept free from ruts and chuck holes, thus lessening the breakage and repair bills. With the cost of upkeep of an automobile reduced to one-fourth of what it was three years ago it becomes a business proposition as to who will or will not own one and use it as a time saver. Most anyone living ten or fifteen mile 6 out in the country has to take a whole day to go to Rensselaer and back with a team. He can soon figure whether his own time and team for a whole day is worth more or less than his time for one-half day or less is worth and leave his team home to rest while he goes to town with his produce and family. No doubt inside of two years automobiles will be in as general use in the country as the cream separator.

An auto can not be very successfully driven over a road bed of sand, mud or one full of ruts or chuck holes. This proposed air line route to Chicago is being agitated by tourists and (those desiring to travel more or less between Chicago and Indianapolis. Tourists and travelers are all right and will do us a good turn, if they induce some one to wake up and give us better roads. Tourists buy gasoline and tires and patronize the restaurants some, but who is it that comes to town and buys his furniture, hardware, building material, clothing, dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes and in fact spends all his money? It is the small fanner who lives on 160 acres of land or less.

Now they want to build the good highway clear off to one side of Jasper counity where it will pass through the land of large land owners who do not live on the land themselves, where the road is not needed because there is little or no travel to go over it. If any money is to be expended on roads, let it be where a good road is needed. It is a well known fact that land divided up into small farms brings in a larger income per acre than a large farm. It is the side lines in farming that bring in the money that goes to buy extra clothing that the family needs.

Many do not have much produce to sell simply because they do not raise it, and the reason they do not raise it is because they can not get it to market cheap enough or quick enough to bring a price that pays a profit. Eggs, buitter, cream and small fruit commence to deteriorate soon after production. These can all be produced so as to bring in many dollars to every family living on a farm if they can only get them to town quickly without too much expense.

Thousands of dollars worth of produce will be produced on the small farms ten or fifteen miles and more from Rensselaer just as soon as good roads make it possible for the same to be marketed quickly and cheaply. And the money thus obtained will be expended for the good things that every farmer’s family wants but. is unable to buy now. In north Union we are about 5 miles from any gravel pit. It is all we can do to keep a few of the worst holes in the road filled up in working out our land tax. There is a great amount of travel and the roads are fast wearing out. We have tried again and again to get help to fix these roads up. Our township or county officials say they can do nothing for us. How is it that all kinds of help is promised in case the route should go by some out of the way road through miles of pasture and thousands of acres owned by a few individuals? l lf roads are improved, let them be improved where most needed by the many. Then we can fix up a few side roads with our land tax so that** the niail carriers can drive over them, which are now nearly impassable.

I. F. MEADER.