Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1892 — HIGHWAYS. [ARTICLE]

HIGHWAYS.

Editor Republican : The time of year is at hand for supervisors to put forth their efforts in improving our read beds. I think a few hints fronttime to time may he of some put in practice. There is some good work done in some districts and some that is of no good whatever. This thing of hauling dirt and sand from a distance to make grades or fills, in a road bed has cost thousands of dollars, unnecessarily. If the dirt, say of the Givens hill, for instance, north of Rensselaer 2 I miles, is hard in dry time, it don’t stay So when wet, as all travelers can attest. It makes the worst road possible, of any other soil on top. Likely a worse and mOre sticky substance could be found by removing the muck in some of those marshes, and getting the blue clay. Perhaps it would be surest to apply such stuff j and try if the roads could not be made entirely impassable. Our roads having the principal travel are going in that direction more and more every year.

All grades should be raised directly from the road side, opposite the grade, and stop this hauling of hard dirt, when dry, and when wet, the most tough, taffy like substance known toman. Why it is such stuff is applied I can’t see, unless it is to make teams stick and men, women and children weep. I will yet state; make your grades as above directed and , when leveled in good form, if you ’ haul gravel 2 or three miles it will do

good, if applied" 18 in. deep in center and 12 in, at each side. Do not make your fill in those chuck holes with gravel that i» miate. Do your filling with scrapers; and don’t go to hauling dry stuff. JJjul GRAVEL; don’t forget this please. Barkley Tp. The best and freshest of everything in the baker’s and confectionery ne, at the new bakery of Tr j y 4 Minnicus. J .