Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1888 — A Few Suggestions About Gravel Roads. [ARTICLE]

A Few Suggestions About Gravel Roads.

Abotit a year ago The Republican prophesied that the year 1888 would see the beginning of that greatest present desideratum in Jasper county, the building of gravel roads. The movement should, naturally, begin on the road running northward from Rensselaer to Stackhouse’s gravel hill and on to Burk’s bridge. But the prophesy, we regret to say, has not been fulfilled. The road is not built, and, so far as present indications go, there is no prospect for its construction. A good attempt has been made towards the building of the road, during this season, but owing to the refusal of a number of principal property owners along the proposed line, to sign the necessary petition, the movement was a failure. The question now is, what can be done, under the circumstances? There aught, by all meaus, to be a good gravel road along this line, not anly for the accommodation of the many whp would have occasion to travel over it, but also for the great impetus it would give to gravelroad building, throughout the »nnty. When once our people lave a chance to see andjexperience for themselves the great benefits of good roads, we have faith io believe that the building of them will be rapid and constant thenceforth.

But, as we before remarked, he best place to begin is on the oad from Burk’s bridge to Renselaer. But the attempt to make a tee gravel road has failed. Under inch cicumstances the question irises ns to the practicability and dvisability of a toll road. As to fie advisability of a toll road, The Republican takes the view that a pod toll road is better than a bad fee road. And especially would it Bern to be better in this case, vihen the building of the one good toll road would be so likely to lead to the constructon of many equally g»od free roads. As to the piactnability of the scheme, that can oily be determined, after the atmpt is made. And The Republican now ventures the suggesiion that a meeting of persons interested be held in Rensselaer, at lib distant date, and that the advisability of a toll road be discussed, and if the weight of argument seems to be in its favor, let m attempt be made to form a sompany, to carry the project into execution. '