Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1916 — Another Worst Piece of Road in [ARTICLE]

Another Worst Piece of Road in

Jasper County. Perhaps the worst piece of alleged public highway in Jasper county is that running north from the Burk bridge to Aix, or that part of said highway which is in Union tp. This road is on the so-called Jack<son highway as routed through Jasper county. It has never been accepted as a parj of the county improved /road system, but was merely graveled several years ago by that township, and the condition of the road ever since we have known it would indicate that the loads of graved were dumped crosswise of the roadxand no attempt ever made to level the gravel down. Nothing has ever been done to the road to our knowledge since that time, and the old corduroy roads of early history iiust have been smooth as glass in comparison to what this road now is. Of course, the petition for the improved system of roads in Union township now pending in commissioners’ court includes this particular piece of highway, but it will be impossible to get anything done to-

w’ard building this system yet this fall, and the althorities should order 100 or 200 loads of gravel put in the chuck holes at once for temporary repairs, so that the road may be in a fairly decent condition for use until something better is provided. Our people have expressed time and again a desire to secure tourist travel through Jasper county and Rensselaer, and this road, the.worst perhaps in the entire state, is located on one of the national highways we have been able to secure. Its condition now and all season and even last year and the year before that has been a disgrace to civilization, to the state, county and township, and it would seem that any township permitting a public road to remain in this beastly condition should be held criminally and financially responsible for any accident that might occur by reason thereof.

The Democrat knows it to be a fact that a great deal of tourist travel has been diverted via Goodland and Brook, by reason of the condition of this particular stretch of road, and it is unsafe for use by anyone. Through tourists would find a much better road by turning west just before reaching the Burk bridge, going one mile west then straight north through Virgie, but of course the other route is the official Jackson highway route and is that traveled by the through tourists.