Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1890 — WHAT THE TOWN THOULD DO. [ARTICLE]

WHAT THE TOWN THOULD DO.

Towards Kolvißg the travel Koad and Drainage Problems. A few weeks ago The Republican “laid down the law” on the subject of gravel roads, to all the people of the county, in a literal sense. This week, in a more figurative meaning, we will do the same things but for benefit, of the people of Rensselaer more exclusively. The needs of better roads and better drainage are still the great needs of the people of Rensselaer and Jasper county, however wearisome the iteration and reiteration of fact may become. And now we propose to tell the people of Rensselaer, in as few and plain words as we may, what action we believe they ought to take in this matter, and to take right away: The people of Rensselaer need better streets. They need them for their own use and, convenience and they need them for object lessons to the people of the surrounding country. During the recent attempt to secure the “Range Line” gravel road no objection urged against the project had such injurious force, as the oft repeated remark that if tire people of Rensselaer wanted better roads leading into the town, they should first make their own streets better. They should not ask the country people to do for their roads what the town people neglected to do for their streets. This argument entered into the minds of the people or the surrounding country with such force that as we are fully persuaded, it will be a matter next thing to impossible, to induce them to help build good roads into the town of Rensselaer until the people of the town have themselves taken the initiative, by making good streets inside the town.

Just think, good friends, what a powerful and indeed conclusive argument in favor of good roads the town of Rensselaer might and should have presented to the surrounding country, during the last six months of mud-blockade! If, for instance, we had had a good, broad, substantially built pike, extending fjSwn,say, the town limits on the Range Line road, on the south of town, clear through the town to the corporation line north of the depot! And another pike like it, from the southeastern side of the town to the southwestern! The farmers think that the town ought, to take the lead in this matter, and they think about right. Of course the town has. at one -jamenimhanotht-r-.-sf-Kint a-great deal of money on its streets, and considerable benefit lias resulted therefrom, but it must lie admitted that a very large proportion of that money has been spent to no other purpose than to impress.the old lesson that wliat is worth doing at all. is woith doing -won - S ; ! ■ , ~ Tilt! id wit' iip 'now "dn good diai>c tinaneiidly, and what should.be done now, and done right away, is to purchase, by the corporation, of one of the best stone crushing machines that money can buy, quarry rock from the river, where it can he had in limitless quantities for the taking, make one or two miles of thoroughly good, crushed stone pikes inside the corporation this y ear, and for several succeeding years, and also furnish the crushed stone at cost, to all who will use it in making good roads eading into the town.

And in doing this, and we want to emphasize this fact, we accomplish a great deal besides the securing of good streets in the town and good roads in the country. In taking these rocks from the river, they should and would be so taken as to cut a deep, wide channel where it is so badly needed and thus furnish better drainage and sewerage, and consequently better health to the town, but also supply the much needed opportunity for better drainage to the vast scope of fertile but now largely unproductive lands which can not be properly drained until a deeper channel is made for the Iroquois at Rensselaer. This will directly developc and greatly benefit a vast scope of fanning country contiguous to the town and, leas directly perhaps, but none the less surely, benefit the town; which will prosper as the country around it prospers.

Loose’s Bed clover Pile remedy is a positive specific lor all tonu of the disease. Blind, Weeding itching, •leerated sad protruding Files.—Woe For sals by Leeg A Eger.