Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1890 — GRAVEL ROAD QUESTION. [ARTICLE]

GRAVEL ROAD QUESTION.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES, PRO AND CON. A Man Who Kicks. To The Editor: In your last issue I noticed a very enthusiastic article in favor of a free gravel road on the “Range Line Road,” from Remington to Rensselaer. Now, for one, I object to this scheme for at least three reasons. First, there is not a wagon load of gravel, suitable for road making, between the points named, (your “good judges” say to the contrary, but inspection will demonstrate the truth of my assertion.) Mr. Emmet Kannal, has a bed of coarse sand, Mr. Shields also has a small amount of | the same material, and neither of them ! fit for the purpose, no better than Ordinary sand, A good, solid and lasting gravel road, must be made of coarse material (broken stone is best) and carefully constructed. A poorly constructed gravel road soon becomes a nuisance as it is soon worn into “chuck holes,” fully as bad as the old fashioned corduroy; and not nearly as good as the plain dirt road. Right here, I will mention the White county case, printed in your last issue, where a man was fined $5 for hauling a heavy load over a free turnpike. Pray, what are free turn-pikes for, if not to bear up heavy loads?' Better far, let a corporation build! them and collect toll. From my acquaintance with the country between the two towns, (and I know every aerc of it) I will say, if they ever expect to get a good, solid, and lasting road way, on that line, they will have to make arrangements with the Railway companies to haul gravel from other counties, to Remington and Rensselaer, to be distributed from those points, along the range line, which would be rather expensive I fear. My second reason, is the injustice of the two-mile-limit. Just why the man living within the twomile limit, should be taxed to build the road while his neighbor on the other side of the fence, and who probably travels the road three times to the others' once and yet has his lands exempt from taxation, is a little queer, and looks to me like rank injustice. If we must have the road, in this country of magnificent distances, I would suggest that the “limit” be extended to at least, five miles on each side. ’Twould give some of our wealthy farmers in Rensselaer, a fine chance to contribute their mite and realize on the proposed benefits ( ?). My third reason for opposing the scheme is, that at least four-fifths of the farmers, between the points named, already have all the financial burden, they can stagger under, and while the assessments may not be large and 8 years to pay them in would not add much to the burden yet ’tis that much, “It is the last feather that the camel’s back,” and by the time they redeem those bonds, with the added interest,

it would be a large amount and cause some of them to sink. I am in favor of good public imrovements, but do not consider the present as a good time for so expensive an undertaking, I am sure the real cost will exceed $3,000 per mile. The past five or six years have been hard on the “tillers of the soil” (at best, but poorly paid.) Between poor crops and low prices, he has done well if he has held his own, and few I think, have done so well. You speak of the enhanced value of the land far exceeding the assessments. This might do where one wished to sell the land, but where one wants to hold the land to farm, would amount to little, as the other taxes would keep pace with the enhanced values.” I do not think the building of this road will add one dollar to the busij ness done in either town, as for half ! the distance it will pass through j quicksand marsh, worthless for cultii vation, aud not worth the proposed j assessment. If our good lands must ibe bonded, I would prefer bonding j them to raise money to tile drain them, thereby increasing their productiveness and gaining some substantial good. In a residence of 20 years in this county, I have fonnd the great difficulty to be, to grow the big crop, not to market it. I will risk that with the old dirt road and the mechanics of the two towns will only be too glad to repair the broken harness, wagons, etc. In conclusion, I will say, that if the men of wealth in the two towns, (and they seem to take the lead, probably because it would eost them but little) are so anxious to have the road built, let them put their good dollars into it, build it, and I’m sure, the “guileless granger,” would be willing to pay them a reasonable toll, probably enough to pay one mill on the dollar invested in the road. I offer these suggestions, hoping they uia.V umrit the attention ami

! thought Of enough property owuers ito defeat the measure, at. this.-tun and in its present form. Respectfully. { - : Ritchie. i • )■ - “ And Another Who Don’t Kick. |Mr. Editor: I am convinced that the friends of | this project concede that until the ipQtition"shall receive the approval of ia majority both of the Freeholders and of the Free-lioUl, no further proceedings will be had. The line de- ; scribed in the petition is the center of | j a recorded highway sixty feet wide. .It is the shortest and cheapest route jto from, and between Rensselaer and | Remington. The friends of the project are not trying to change but establish the line described in the petition. An opponent of the project will want the line further or nearer his home as may seem most plausible. The act of 1877 under which the petition is drawn provides the: cheapest, easiest and most equitable j method for constructing a free turn-, pike known to the law. No one so j far as. I have learned proposes to ad- j ! vance money to build nor endure the ] odium of owning stock in a toll-road ;in Jasper county, Indiana. It is S impracticable at present to construct ! turnpikes by a public tax. So those j who wish A free turn-pike built on ! this line will enquire simply wliat the i law is. Its enemies may each from | his own standpoint, argue what the : law ought to be. Some owners of land facing on the proposed route oppose the project only because their acre tax will be larger and yet may they not forget to credit the enjhancement of values. Some whose !land is nearly two miles from the line j who are opposed, reason exactly vice ' I versa. All have the same right of 1 petition or remonstrance. The selfish objector wants the road to be for the private use of those who are taxed to build it. This objection would apply ito all taxation. Good roads do iu- ■ crease the value of lands either for sale or use. The double majority rejquired for the affirmative makes it ; difficult to proceed, and hence there ;is not a mile of turnpike road in this 1 county. Those who favor the project and believe it ought to succeed 'should sign the petition and be countied. The opposition appeal, mainly to selfish motives, which, it must be 'admitted control human action as a i rule. A neighbor who prefers to in-j crease his freehold and who abhors | the idea of adding to the comfort or ! happiness of others will argue that ino one has a right to saddle a tax ! i upon him. This argument is made to iinvolve the social influence against; jthe project. On the other hand a i a land owner who believes the eon- ! struction of the improvement would! jadd to his comfort and wealth might,! j with equal reason, say that his neigh- ; bor ought not to have a right to pre -1 Ivent such improvement. The la.v,

applies to “many men of many minds” | and each living within two miles h is the right to petition or remonstrate, j The law may not be the wisest one ever enacted. It has been in force twelve years and thousands of miles of good gravel roads have been built under its provisions. After free turnpikes are constructed the land owners are universally well satisfied. A difference of opinion of course is to be tolerated. Let every man view the matter from a business standpoint, looking to the future. There is no cause for the least bitter feeling. Each man must decide for himself. Society exists by reason of non-selfi3li principle. The line of the proposed project is definite, wide, straight and cheap. Any line would be criticised. If the objectors along this line prevail and another line nearly parallel be afterwards adopted, those favorjing this line will be disappointed. The cost will be from twenty cents to eight times that per acre, payable in eight equal annual payments. The petitions will be held for signatures until Friday, March 7, 1890. If a majority of acres and a majority of free-holders have not then subscribed, the effort will fail. Every land owner should look at the project with an eye for the best interest of all. This is not a town or country project, but for the benefit and good of all the people along the whole line in particular and the public generally. Any one who may try to involve the hostility of country toward town or neighbor against neighbor is an enemy to a Free Turn Pike. Some of Mr. Ritchey’s objections are sufficiently answered in the article which follows his, and all his objections as well as all others of the many that have been urged against the proposed road, are fully answered by the experience of every community that has constructed free gravel roads, under the provisions of the law as it now stands. This is the one pregnant fact that opponents of the . ■■ rr -/ / i

improvement can not face, and that is that in many and many of the counties of this state, gravel roads have been constructed, ami have not only g?vsi compile' satTifactioto in themselves, but have, in every ease, been followed by tiar.y other similar roads: For the proof of this assertion*, \v<: need only go into the neighboring counties of Benton, Warren, White. Carroll, or many o thers that might, be mentioned. As to Mr. Ritchey’s specific points, we will make but a brief reply, at this time: If it be true that there is ho.! good gravel between Rensselaer and Remington, and we think that careful investigation would prove that it is not, there is certainly plenty of rock both at Rensselaer and north of Remington, which can be had for the quarrying, and crushed rock, as Mr. Ritchey well says, makes the best roads. The two mile limit is established by law, and cannot be departed from. That it works no great injustice is sufficiently proven by !the fact that every community that has been enterprising enough to build one good road under its provisions, proceeds straightway to build a number of others, in the same way. If the plan was a “scheme” and a robbery, people would find it out after three or four trials. The allusion to the White county man fined for a very heavy load <fcc, is a little bit of special pleading designed to influence some one else, but which, as Mr. Ritchey himself well knows, has no real merit. He knows that the law which the man violated is a wise and moderate provision, adopted at the insistance of friends of gravel roads, to save them from being ruined by hogs in human shape; for such they are who would violate the law, which only forbids the hauling of loads in excess of 2,000 pounds, during very wet times or when the frost is coming out. The plea that the present is too hard a time with our farmers to begin this enterprise is the only argument against the roacl that appears to us to have much force; and we believe that objection is answered by the consideration that none of the money will need to be paid this year, while all of it will be expended, and thus give a fine opportunity for many farmers aiong the line to earn a good deal of money, by working at the road-building. Furthermore, if we wait for the first gravel road until everybody is ready to build it, wewill never have it. Marriage licenses issued since last reported: j George* C. Dunn, } Ida M. Shrader. . . j Elias Arnold, ( Susie Y r . Lesh. j George F. Meyers, ( Anna L. Kennedy, j Elmer S. Kenton, ( Lillie Robinson, i George McElfresh, j Anna Celia Schroer. j William S. Taylor, | Mary J. Kennedy. \ William W. Sworts, ) Mary E. Burr, i William D. Meyers, ( Lottie E. Hollie. The building season will open early this spring, with several buildings already contracted for. Among the first to be erected will be a handsome and roomy residence by J. H. S. Ellis, on his lots on Front street, his old house being removed to make place for the new one. This building will cost about $ 1,500. Addison Parkison is also arranging to build a good tenant house, hear his own residence, the first occupants of which will be W. A. Huff’s family. This building will be put up, at once, if >the weather.permita»—as vvilLalflO A, comfortable dwelling house which Tommy Grant is preparing to build for himself. Work will also begin early on Emmet Kannal’s fine brick residence, on River street.