194 



ENGINEERING ON THE FARM 



frontier settler widened them out for his wagon; and not 

 infrequently the locating engineer followed them with a 

 railway line — each in turn making and improving a high- 

 way that had originally served some animal as an easy 

 route to pass from one feeding ground to another. 



The road, in its earliest stages, may be considered as a 

 signboard to show the easiest route of travel between points. 

 In prairie country it indicates one which follows the high- 

 lands around swamps and leads to stream crossings. In 

 mountain country it avoids precipitous slopes and leads to 

 the more accessible passes. 



The load hauled is regulated by the road; the weight of 

 the wagon and the number of horses attached are fitted to 

 it. Hence, in a newly settled country, poor roads are to be 



After Minnesota Highway Commission 



Fig. 174. Showing location of old road and relocated new road 



expected and can seldom be avoided. As the country 

 improves, the road requirements change and the road is 

 built to suit the traffic. The problem becomes one of 



