MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



PORT HURON TOWNSHIP ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ROADS 



Port Huron township, St. Clair county, is 

 one of the few townships in Michigan that 

 were building macadam roads every year, 

 prior to the passage of the state reward road 

 law. The accompanying pictures are views 

 of the first state reward roads, taken just 

 after the roads were finished. They cost about 

 $3,200 per mile to build. 



Port Huron township has the honor of hav- 

 ing the largest percentage of improved roads 

 and the smallest percentage of unimproved 

 roads of any township in the State of Michi- 

 gan. Practically every road of any importance 

 running east and west across the township 

 has been macadamized, and within two or 

 three years all the leading roads running north 

 and south will be in the same condition. 



MAIL CARRIERS AS ROAD EXPERTS. 



At a recent meeting of Eaton county rural 

 mail carriers Attorney Hughes Sykes pro- 

 posed, and the meeting adopted the following: 



Whereas, From the manner of their appoint- 

 ment, rural letter carriers are necessarily per- 

 sons of ability; and, 



Whereas, The nature of their employment 

 renders them dependent upon the varying con- 

 dition of the highways, each thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with his own route or division, and 

 each thoroughly interested in its improve- 

 ment; therefore be it 



Resolved, First, that the rural letter car- 

 riers, as a body, have the highest qualifications 

 for a national army of highway experts; 



Second, We believe that this army of rtfal 

 letter carriers should, and, with reasonable 

 encouragement would, give to the subject of 

 highway improvement the studious attention 



necessary to become thoroughly qualified high- 

 way experts. 



Third, We believe the rural letter carriers 

 could, and if given an opportunity would, 

 without interfering with their present duties, 

 accomplish most excellent service as division 

 highway masters. 



Discussing the above resolutions, the Char- 

 lotte Tribune says: 



"It would seem that Mr. Sykes, in the 

 long hours spent on the more or less dilapi- 

 dated roads of his route, has struck an idea 

 of wonderful moment. It isn't necessary to 

 speak of the need of avoiding the almost 

 criminal waste in road making for the la.st 

 two generations in Michigan. It is time to 

 adopt some system. State Highway Commis- 

 sioner Earle has the methods worked out for 

 improving all kinds of roads. No other 

 people are so well qualified to report on road 

 conditions as the rural carriers. _ Let them 

 report to the state highway commissioner just 



Best Road Material 



OUR HOBBY. 



Crushed Granite and Gravel 



SCREENED TO SUIT. 

 WRITE US. 



THE HENRY MERDIAN CO., 



43-44 Peninsular Bank Building, 

 Phone Main 6251 DETROIT. 



as road masters for the railroads make their 

 reports to the higher authority. Their re- 

 ports to Mr. Earle of the roads and the 

 conditions to be met would in many cases 

 be answered without personal inspection. Per- 

 haps a county commissioner would be neces- 

 sary, but it would be best to avoid all the 

 red tape possible and have some such en- 

 thusiast as Mr. Earle (we doubt if he nas 

 an equal) for the one directing force. Of 

 course under such a system the road tax. 

 would be paid in money, jobs let under com- 

 petition, and no half jobs accepted. Every 

 carrier would have a selfish interest in having 

 every job done in full compliance with con- 

 tract. The above may be enough of a frame- 

 work to get the public thought directed to 

 one of the very essential demands which 

 should be made by every wideawake, earnest 

 citizen of Michigan. Let the 'Sykes idea" be 

 given a trial, by all means." 



OBJECT LESSON IN GOOD ROADS. 



In 1902, nearly five years ago, the Michi- 

 gan Good Roads Association, under the super- 

 vision of State Highway Commissioner H. S. 

 Earle and State Good Roads Engineer Frank 

 F. Rogers, under the auspices of the officers 

 of the Public Road Inquiries, of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Washington, and the 

 American Good Road Makers' Association, 

 built a half mile of macadamized or stone 

 road north of Greenville, Mich. No improve- 

 ment has been made on that road, and it is 

 in excellent condition today, much of it bet- 

 ter, even, than during the first year of its 

 existence. It is free from mud and dry in 

 nearly its entire length; and when the mud 

 is very deep and almost impassable in the 

 country, and nearly so in many of the streets 

 of Greenville, that road is hard, and as heavy 

 loads as a wagon can sustain can be drawn 

 over it. This was an object lesson road, and 

 it is a pity that the city of Greenville and 

 the surrounding country have not heeded its 

 value. 



NO MONEY FOR GOOD ROADS. 



Because of the failure of the board of super- 

 visors to appropriate funds as expected, the 

 plans of the Delta county road commission 

 have been sadly deranged. It was the inten- 

 tion to have macadamized twelve miles of 

 highway this season under conditions that 

 would have earned a share in the state bounty. 

 None of this work will now be done. There 

 is a net balance of only $3,342.52 available for 

 use this season, and with this amount the- 

 commission will be required to build a num- 

 ber of culverts and make necessary repairs 

 on the forty-six miles of highway included 

 in the county road system. 



Money for the "good road" from Morgan 

 Park, Battle Creek, to Beadle lake, Calhoun 

 county, has all been subscribed. It is ex- 

 pected that the road will be finished by Oc- 

 tober 30 at the latest. When it is finished, 

 steps will be taken to improve the other roads 

 leading out of Battle Creek. The road will 

 be a state reward road. The amount raised" 

 by subscription is $1,500. 



