MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



Offitul OgB o( The Mrrhixin Road Mkrr, Au. 

 SUITE I * b MAJESTIC BUILDING 



and Michigan FotHQ Association 

 DETROIT MICHIGAN 



Frank E. Carter Editor 



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Michigan was one of the principal recom- 

 mendations adopted. This action was taken in 

 spite of the protest against and condemnation 

 of the good roads system as it stands now, 

 most of which has come from the rural dis- 

 tricts." 



The resolution adopted by the committee 

 does not agree to a forcing of the law down 

 the throats of the people but urges a thorough 

 trial before it is acted upon further. In part 

 the resolution states: "The country road and 

 cash highway tax laws have been enacted to 

 satisfy an apparently general demand for im- 

 proved methods of road building and for bet- 

 ter roads in general and should not be mater- 

 ially changed until they have been given a 

 thorough trial to determine their merits as 

 well 'as defects." 



FARMERS NEVER REGRET. 



The problem of good roaas is one of the 

 most important questions before the people 

 of Michigan (the farmers in particular) at the 

 present time. How to build them to the best 

 advantage, and in the most satisfactory man- 

 ner to the greatest number of people, and 

 at the least expense, is the real question. 



A good road is one that is good at Ml 

 seasons of the year and under all conditions 

 of weather, and such a road must be either 

 a macadam or gravel, built on a true grade, 

 well packed with a steam roller, with gutters 

 or ditches on either side. In short, such roads 

 as are built under the state reward law. 



Under this law, which has been in opera- 

 tion in Jackson county for only one year, 

 there has been more improvement made on 

 the roads of Jackson county than in the previ- 

 ous ten years, and to return to the old system 

 would be almost a calamity. Henrietta built 

 under the state reward law, two miles of ma- 

 cadam and one mile of gravel road. Althoug'i 

 we met with all manner of opposition, I have 

 no hesitation in saying that since they wt.- re- 

 built, 90 per cent of the taxpayers are perfectly 

 satisfied and pleased. 



There have been more good roads built in 

 Michigan in the last four years than in all 

 the previous years since the state was organ- 

 ized, and it is all accomplished by the heroic 

 and determined efforts of H. S. Earle over 

 the most strenuous opposition of all who were 

 opposed to the system of road improvement. 

 It is my honest judgment that H. S. Earle 

 has done more for the farmers of Michigan 

 than any other man in the state, and receives 

 nothing but unjust criticism from them. 



I saw by the reports from the legislature 

 a bill has been introduced to abolish the high- 

 way department, but I hope and trust that 

 bill will be sent to the waste basket and the 

 one who introduced it will be sent as ambassn- 

 dor to the South Sea 1'slands. 



PATRICK HANKERD. 

 Henrietta, Mich. 



INTEREST IS SPREADING. 



The good roads institutes held so far in 

 Michigan this winter have been largely at- 

 tended, and much interest is being manifested j 

 in the subject, especially in those counties j 

 where the proposition to adopt the county j 

 road system will be submitted this spring to 

 the taxpayers for approval. The good roads 

 doctrine is certainly spreading in Michigan, 

 ind State Highway Commissioner Earle's 

 dream may yet be realized that Michigan will 

 outrank all other states. 



The question is a live one, and a special 

 effort should be made to get farmers to at- 

 :end the highway commissioners' meetings. A 

 ittle education will do wonders in making 

 converts for good roads. 



STATE GRANGE FAVORS GOOD ROADS. 



Important action was taken by the executive 

 committee of the Michigan State Grange in 

 session recently, relative to present and pro- 

 posed legislation. A tentative endorsement of 

 the present law governing the state super- 

 vision and reward of good road building in 



A GOOD ROADS LESSON. 



A. D. Spangler, a good roads advocate of 

 Saginaw, is a greater advocate of permanent 

 stone roads than ever. He had occasion to 

 drive out to his farm during one of the warm 

 waves which have prevailed this winter. The 

 stone roads were all right, but when the mud 

 roads were reached it was a tough proposition. 

 He says: "The horses had to carefully pick 

 their way, stepping into footplaces that had 

 been made ahead of them, and sinking in to 

 the harness at times. Then the wheels would 

 take a turn at the partial disappearance act, 

 and go down to the hubs. Up and down, in 

 constant danger of upsetting when not in 

 danger of sticking fast, we moved along, and 

 it was something fearful. 



"I wondered how any farmer could think 

 of opposing road improvement, with such con- 

 ditions in evidence as an object lesson. Take 

 the case of a farmer having a note to meet 

 at the bank, and having prepared for the 

 same with a load of pork or grain, which 

 he calculated to haul in, sell and meet his 

 obligation with when it became due. In the 

 present condition of the roads over which 

 I traveled he simply could not do it, and 

 the result would be, he must get in the best 

 he could, leave his load behind him, and bor- 

 his note, meaning the paying out in interest 

 charges of far more than his road tax would 

 cost him for a permanent improvement, mak- 

 ing the highways passable at all times, ex- 

 cepting, of course, in case of deep drifts. The 

 wear and tear on horses and rigs when going 

 over mud roads at this time of year are also 

 items which ought to enter into consideration." 



ONE GOOD ROAD BRINGS MORE. 



One of the finest pieces of roadway in south- 

 ern Michigan today is the stretch extending 

 out Marshall street a mile and a half from 

 the city limits of Coldwater, which received 

 official approbation as a result of its inspec- 

 tion by Deputy State Highway Commissioner 

 F. F. Rogers, of Lansing. Constructed 

 throughout with gravel in accordance with 

 state specifications, it is by far the best road- 

 way in that locality, and is the only one of 

 its kind in the lower portion of the state with 

 the exception of several miles of similarly 

 built stretch in Wayne county. 



Begun in June, when the scrapers were first 

 put to work upon it, labor continued at 

 l"rei|uent intervals throughout the summer and 

 fall months, until the completion was marked 

 when the official stamp of approval was placed 

 upon it. The entire expense involved in its 

 construction has been $2,000, and the rebate 

 will materially lessen the cost which devolves 

 upon the residents of the township for pay- 

 ment. More than 4,000 yards of gravel and 

 filling were placed upon it. The road is con- 

 structed on the turnpike pattern, and the width 

 on the grade is twenty-eight feet, and that 

 of the highway, including the side ditches, 

 furty-eight feet. As the road now stands at 

 its completion, it has a uniform covering of 

 eight inches of gravel throughout. So suc- 

 cessful has been the initial undertaking that 

 Coldwater township will construct next year 

 a similar stretch, extending out Chicago street 

 cast a mile from the city limits, one of the 

 worst pieces of road at present in the locality. 



From a road of hills, of ruts, of sand and 

 washouts, typical of the stretch out Marshall 

 street a year ago, has been wrought during 

 the past summer a model highway, one wide 

 and commodious, one admirably graded to en- 

 able the water to run from its slopes to the 

 large side ditches with ease, one compact and 

 hard and firm, one which stands a conclusive 

 proof of the progressive nature of Coldwater 

 township. 



WOULD TAX FARMERS MORE. 



A resolution has been prepared by Alderman 

 Dykstra, of Grand Rapids, recommending that 

 the council ask the state legislature to amend 

 the good roads law that city streets may be 

 incorporated under that measure. He believes 

 that city streets might as well be improved at 

 the expense of the good roads district, as to 

 have all the cash go into the townships. 



His action is based upon the contention that 

 the farmers get the benefit of good city streets, 

 as well as the city resident, who does not own 

 a horse and carriage or a team and wagon, 

 and consequently never receives any value 

 from the paved streets, or improved conditions 

 of the highway abutting upon his property. 

 He believes that the farmers should be com- 

 pelled to help in keeping the city streets im- 

 proved, inasmuch as they are the ones who 

 appear to use them the most, especially such 

 streets as Walker avenue. 



A plan is well under way to make extensive 

 improvements on the public highways in Bed- 

 ford township, Calhoun county, where many 

 of the roads can easily stand reconstruction. 

 The scheme includes the building of no less 

 than eight miles of improved roads if sufficient 

 funds are available. 



