Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1893 — A Letter on The Road Problem. [ARTICLE]

A Letter on The Road Problem.

Editor Repl blican: Having noticed different articles and ideas on roads, and in regard to the sand and soil mixture: It may do in light travel, by expendingas niuch, (or nearly so) as a solid road bed will cost. View our surroudings everywhere, and we all can see anil I do know, that nothing short of solid substance will or can stand the test of heavy hauling. Gravel the size of a pea up to a quails egg is sufficiently large, if pure of earth. By putting on a coat of 18 inches in center and 12 at edge on a well prepared grade. When well picked, it may want leveling by hauling gravel in the low parts. Gravel roids need repairing as well as any other substance that can be applied. The road bed should be made oval and kept so, and in ascending a break should be put in of the same material to turn the water off of the course of the road bed. This thing of laying tile lengthwise ib a road-bed is of no use whatever, but drain well on both sides. To keep tne water 2| or 3 feet below the surface of the gravel with good outlet and the oval shape of road-bed will obviate the water trouble. Tile in the center of road under 18 inches of dirt, with 18 inches gravel packed solid enough for heavy loaded wagon, may not get moist for all time to come, Water is not intended to penetrate a well built gravel or macadamized road-bed. It cant. The people in many places are talking good roads and we have road laws and taxes, etc., yet the work is to do before we will have roads, why is it? Don’t men like to work the roads ? Don’t we all like good roads and shun bad ones if possible? Is it so when we goto mike them good? Do we love it, do we like to. be there and make them as we like them to be. Or do we shun and hate and try to get around it the safne or more so than an impassible mud-hole, 4 or o mites long? Let all parties awake, join in with a good will and help to get what we are pineing for. Don’t wait for our legislature to build us a lot of good roads, or some other parties. They will not do more than the wind work and that substance will not stand fieavy teaming. I will yet say to some energetic farmers and merchants of this c>uuty: Let us hear from you; if jou can get up an organization to advance the interests of farms and town, by locating and making a good gravel road from the depot at Rensselaer north to the Burk bridge, some 4Y miles long there will be help sure in building the same. Barkley T. P.