Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1890 — FOR GRAVEL ROADS. [ARTICLE]

FOR GRAVEL ROADS.

WITH NARY A TOLL 1 . 2 : ■■ . THE BALL IS ROLLING, ! LET ’ER ROLL! II i I At last the time seems to hfive arrived when the people of Jasper | county are to imitate the successful ; example of many of our neighboring counties, and inaugurate a system of | gravel road building. The ball is in motion!

j Don’t let it stop! ! On Monday Messrs Levi Hawkins ; and Dr. M. G. Traugh came over ! from Remington, having been select--1 . j ed for the purpose at a meeting held lon the Saturday previous, to confer ] with our citizens, in regard, to a eomj bined tfort to build a gravel road to 1 the two towns: Mr. Haw- | kins has been, until lately, a resident Of Benton county, and is familiar with the methods of gravel road building, and still more familiar with the benefits resulting from them. Dr. Traugh is also excellently well informed on the subject and speaks freely and convincingly whereof he has knowledge. As a result of the visit of these gentlemen, a meeting of the citizens, of town and country, was hastily called i which met in the Auditor’s office, at 2 o’clock, Monday afternoon. Henry O. Harris was chosen chairman of the meeting and G. E. Marshall secretary. After a full discussion of the subject it was decided to accept the proposal of the i people of Remington and vicinity, to make a joint effort to build a road, 18 miles long, beginning 2 miles south of Remington, at the Benton county line, and extending north, directly through Remington ahd thence to Rensselaer, by the “Range Line” road, through Rensse - laer and 4 miles north to Burk’s bridge. S. P. Thompson was appointed attorney to draft the required petition, and the plan is to secure the the requisite signers in time to present the petition to the March term of the Commissioners’ Court. The people of Remington and vicinity under - take to secure the signatures’for that part of the road south of the half way point between the two towns, and to Rensselaer and surrounding | country falls the duty of securing the names for the balance of the line.

Don’t let it stop! There are two methods for constructing free gratetroadsr^Thehest 1 and cheapest way, spoken of as the bond method, is the one tdj be first tried in this case. Briefly sflited it is about as follows: The petitions must be signed by the owners of the majority of the acres of land lying within two miles of either side of the proposed road, and by a majority of the land-holders. The county commissionecs. then order the road built, and bond the county for enough to build it. All the lands lying within the limits mentioned, are assessed an equitable proportion of the cost of the road, and eight years are given in which to pay the assessments.

All the lands, remember, are assessed. This includes town property as well as country. Wq want to make this fact specially prominent, for a wrong impression on this point is abroad among the farmers of this vicinity in regard to it. At the meeting above mentioned a committee was appointed to have charge of the work of securing signatures ou the north portion of the proposed line, with power to appoint sub-committees and other assistants. The committee consists of the following able gentlemen: Alfred Thompson, J. W. Williams, J. M. Wasson, Kuunet Kannal, and Addison. Parkison. They are expected to keep the ball a rolling and not to permit our Remington friends to beat us in securing the required names on the petition. , Dud’t.kUt _* .

The petition estimates the cost of the road at $2,000 per mile. Mr. Hawkins thinks it can be bailt for $1,600 or $1,700. One of the best roads in Benton county was built for $1,900 per mile, and the contractor made an immense big wad out of it , There wall be no trouble in finding j plenty of good convenient to the proposed line. Good judges said at the meeting that at no place would gravel need to be hauled more than three or four miles.

„JEhe assessments will not be large, and 8 years to pa} r them in. The road will be worth a good deal more, every year to every man living near it, than the amount of his yearly payments, in saving of time, and wagons and harness and horseflesh, to say nothing of the comfort and satisaction of having good road s. The enhancement in the value of the lands will far exceed the amount of the assessments. The building of this pioneer road will demonstrate the value of gravel roads, and the next one will come easier. This has been the invariable result every place that has free gravel roads. To profit by the experience of others is the part of wisdom, in every case.

The time is short in which to get the petitions signed, but it has been drawn up and large numbers of copies printed and distributed, and now with a “long pull and a strong pull, and a pull all to-gether,” the thing will be a go. The second method by which free gravel roads can be built is called the certificate method. Instead of a majority of the acres of land deciding the question, the majority of the land owners makes the decision, and every person along the line who owns land enough to bury him in, has a vote. By this method the road must be paid for in t three years and one payment in 6 months. It is more expensive too, and not so desirable a method, in every way as the other, but unless the required number of names can be secured by the method now attempted, recourse must be had to this other,’ if the road is built, and there is no question hut that a majority of the land owners along the line, including as it docs the populations of the two towns of Rensselaer and Remington would vote in favor of building the road.

A specially good reason why the farmers along this proposed road should favor it is that while it will cost them nothing this year of liard times from crop failure, it will put lots of money in circulation and give them a good chance to earn many good dollars, by grading and hauling gravel, at times when their farm work is not crowding. Many of them can, doubtless, earn enough in this way, if the road is built, to pay their entire assessments. The number of acres liable to be assessed for this proposed road are 50,000. The number Of owners about one thousand. The petition should therefore represent 25,000 acres and contain five hundred names. This project should receive prompt and energetic support from all our public spirited citizens along the line. Sign and circulate these petitions without delay.

Brick paving for streets is being favorably investigated and considered in many localities in the State. Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend and LaPorte are among the cities which are looking into the matter, and thus far the investigations seem to point to brick as the coming material. It is claimed to be much cheaper than others and second only to asphalt in smoothness and lasting qualities. Another point in its favor, locally, speaking is the claim that Indiana clay makes the best kind of brick which can be used for tlie purpose. Cheap and lasting paving material is one of the great needs of the towns and cities.—Exchange.