Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1916 — HARD-SURFACED HIGHWAYS [ARTICLE]

HARD-SURFACED HIGHWAYS

Building Brick and Concrete Roads - , in Illinois. The writer drove over a couple of pieces of concrete highway in Illinois last Sunday in a little trip Of 136 miles accompanied by his wife,, son George and Omar Osborne. We went via Mt. Ayr, Morocco, Lake Village and Momence to Kankakee, 111., and returned via Momence, Grant Park, North Hayden, Lowell, Shelby, Thayer, Roselawn, Fair Oaks and Parr. We met Faye Clarke, son of Jeweler P. W. Clarke, who is foreman of part of the Jennie M. Conrad ranch at Conrad. We suggested stopping for dinner with Faye, if he had fried chicken, but he said he didn’t have fried chicken nor scarcely anything else —his wife was visiting in Rensselaer—and we felt so sorry for him that we came near dividing up the big basket of fried chicken and accompaniments we had along. But it was a long way from our source of supply, and better judgment prevailed. But, what we started out to say was that a splendid trip and took us over a section of country we had never visited before. A good stone road extends for several miles directly north from Morocco, but for two miles through the old Beaver lake bed they now have it graded but not all the rock is spread. However, the dirt roads are all good now and one can drive the entire trip on “high.” The corn looks well in the BeaVer lake section. From Conrad we drove on north to Lake Village, thence west, north and west again to Momence—a very good road, indeed, but not quite all rock. • From Momence we went west and south, thence west again into Kankakee. On the south road, along the west bank of ’the Kankakee river, there is 5y 2 miles of 10foot concrete road with a four-foot bank of crushed rock at each side. This road winds along with the bend of the river about 50 to 75 feet from the water’s edge. The river bank is kept clear of brush, weeds and grass for most of the way and it is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever seen. On west after leaving this concrete road is a rock road that evidently cost a lot of mohey to build and only a very few years ago. It is about 16 to 20 feet wide and must have been a yery fine road when first completed. Now it is all cut to pieces, is full of holes and is the roughest stone road we have ever driven over. It shows conclusively that ordinary stone road construction will not withstand present traffic, and we were told that it was probable this stretch of road would be replaced with either concrete or brick next year. Returning to Momence we drove north and Grant Park, fine stone roads prevailing every place in that vicinity, but they are not traveled nearly so much as that between Kankakee and a few miles north of Momence we struck a mile oL concrete road that was put in last year. It is 14 feet wide and a dandy road, the best we have ever se§n; We were unable to learn the cost of either this road or the 10-foot road heretofore mentioned, but both were in fine shape and were apparently “standing up” well under the traffic passing over them. The 14foot road is wide enough for two rigs to pass comfortably, but 1 6 feet would be better. These roads are absolutely dustless and as smooth as a sidewalk. If concrete will withstand wear equal to vitrified brick —and if pronerly constructed we do not see why it. should not—it is superior to brick because or its smoothness and is cheaper to build, we are told. ■ — The Democrat hopes that many of our Jasper county better and more permanent roads advocates will make a trip over into our neighboring state and see what a good road looks like.