Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1916 — ROAD BUILDING IN ILLINOIS [ARTICLE]

ROAD BUILDING IN ILLINOIS

Benton Forsythe Tells How Our Neighbor Over West Is Coming Out of Its Rip Van Winkle Sleep. B. Forsythe returned a few days ago from a business trip over to Springfield, 111., and he tells us that Illinois is waking up very rapidly to the value of improved roads, and 180 miles of brick and concrete roads are to be constructed right away in Champaign county. While twenty other counties are starting the hall to rolling on a grand scale, and at the rate they are starting out it will be but a short time until Illinois leaves Indiana in the rear in improved road mileage, while the quality and durability of the roads is going to be far in advance of ours.

Mr. Forsythe, who is one of the heaviest taxpayers of this county, is an enthusiastic supporter of The Democrat’s suggestion of a trunk line brick highway north and south through Jasper county, and thinks it would be the greatest improvement ever made in the county as well as a matter of economy to the taxpayers. He hopes to see the proposition go through. Illinois, of course, now has “state aid,” and the new roads now being constructed there are built under this plan. Indiana is practically sure to enact a sjmflar law next winter, and the people should urge upon their representatives the importance of passing such a measure—-should pledge candidates in fact, before the election to support practical good roads measures.

Mr. Forsythe talked with the superintendent of the new roads in Champaign county, and says that they are building 10-foot brick roads, the brick laid, in a heavy of concrete for $9,000 per mile. Understand there it Is necessary to prepare a stone bed for the concrete, too, while on the proposed trunk line

north and south through our own county we already have a good bed and with little expense it could be put in shape for the concrete and brick, thus greatly lessening the cost of the complete road. However, Mr. Forsythe thinks a 10-foot road—they hqvq dirt roads at side—is too narrow, and agrees with The Democrat that we should not make our trunk line road less than 14 to lt> feet—The Democrat thinks 16 feet the better and more suitable for a road that would have as much traffic over it as ours.

Let everyone interested in the proposition of a good brick or concrete road north and south through the entire length of Jasper county keep agitating the matter, talk it over with your neighbors and keep the question alive, and it will not be long, with the legislaton we may expect to have passed by the next general assembly of Indiana, until the proposition takes definite shape and we will be among the very first counties In the state to profit tliereb>r

What Has Become of the “Anvil Chorus?” Speaking editorially of the situation. in Mexico, the Indianapolis News says: ‘‘.Many people who were once strong for intervention are now hoping that the capture of Villa may soon be effected, and that our army may then be withdrawn from Mexico. Our people realize how serious w'ould be a campaign for the pacification of the country, and they very naturally shrink from it. The general hope now is that there may be no necessity of undertaking such an enterprise. The job that w r e now have in hand is serious enough.” And, The Democrat would add, it is a good time for those members of the “anvil chorus” who wanted the U. S. to mix in: to show their own patriotism by enlisting, or having their sons do so, as the government has opened many new recruiting stations and Is ealing for men. This suggestion also applies to ltensseloer and Jasper county patriots as well as those from the country at large.