TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 605 



\v|iy, about a quarter of a mile long, that contains enougli good gravel to 

 put every road in half of the county in prime condition for ages to come, 

 if properly applied. But in order to get permanently good roads we must 

 adopt the same principle the railroads are following: First the grade is 

 built from any material on hand. (That is vv-hat we have been doing all 

 the time, and let it go at that.) Tbe railroad is only half built when the 

 first grade is finished. On roads where the traffic is heavy a layer of 

 crushed rock a foot or more in thickness is applied, and on top of that a 

 coating of clean, good gravel is spread in which the ties are imbedded. 

 And in most cases this ballast has to be bought, and hauled hundreds of 

 miles. The resrlt is a roadbed that will last for ages, with only the mini- 

 mum cost of keeping in repair. Not before we go at it in a similar way 

 will our main traveled roads materially improve. 



For practical purposes we might divide our roads into two classes — 

 primary and secondary. By a primary road I mean the main traveled 

 highway that leads to a market place. By rough estimate I should judge 

 that less than one-third of our roads can be properly placed in this class. 

 With a county map before us we find a road from the Mitchell county line 

 goes straight west through Manly, and from there to Hanlontown, Fertile 

 and west. About through the center of the county we find another passing 

 through Bolan, Kensett and Joice. Further north we have the old Saint 

 Ansgar road to Northwood and continuing west from here, known as the 

 Bristol road. These make three main roads east and west, extending 

 through the whole county. North and south we have the road coming 

 from Albert Lea, through Northwood, Kensett and Manly. Other roads 

 east and west of this might properly be put in the first class, as well as 

 shorter roads in any direction through the different townships. 



Now I hold that every rod of these main traveled highways ought to 

 be properly ballasted or macadamized so that any one would know, that 

 by getting on to one side of these roads, he could safely get to market at 

 all times and at any season of the year. • 



All of you will agree when considering the matter that a large percent- 

 age of our public highways has much the character of private roads, 

 used as an outlet to get on to the main road by only a few. To keep these 

 in passable shape, therefore, ought mainly to be the concern of those that 

 use them. But the building and maintaining of the primary roads are the 

 concern of all. Nov.^ I have claimed we have the requisites to build as good 

 roads as any county can boast of — if we only go at it in the right way. 



At present the township is made the unit for building and caring for 

 our roads, leaving it in the hands of the trustees, who appoint one or more 

 supervisors with a cash tax to v,crk from. Formerly, as you know, we 

 had road districts, generally coinciding v.-ith the school districts, presid- 

 ed over by a road boss elected by the people. He would call on his neigh- 

 bors to work the roads. Whether the present system is an improvement 

 on the old one is not for us to decide, but I think you will sustain me if 

 I say, that our roads have not materially improved. 



Since our main traveled highways pass through the v.hole county, or 

 in most cases through more than one township I should be inclined to fa- 



