THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
BUILDING
ROADS
00D roads advocates arc giv
ing Increasing attention to
the- question of tho employ
ment of convicts In road
building. Throughout tho
country otato good roads as
sociations aro adopting reso
lutions favoring tho adop
tion of tho convict labor sys
tem. Good roads organiza
tions and advocates aro dis
cussing tho merits nnd dis
advantages of tho plan, and
snany aro studying tho system as applied In other
states,
Colorado has been URlng convlot labor for tho
last soven years. So successful has It proved In
this state- that others have modeled their laws and
plan of operation after those of Colorado and tho
governors during their annual conference at Colo
rado Springs last August spent much time- in
studying at first hand tho wonderful highways
that Colorado has built by convict labor. Twenty
lour governors mado up a party for a trip of in
spection over tho Colorado Springs-Canon City
Slghway and tho Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean road
to Uto Pass, two of tho most perfect mountain
roads in tho United States and two of tho best
examples of tho results of convict labor.
Tho, Colorado Springs-Canon City highway la
jmo of th host examples of scientific road building
fci tho stato; perhaps tho country. For a dlstanco
ef twonty miles or moro south of Colorado Springs
tftoroad winds around tho foothills and mountains,
arnctlcally tho eutiro roadbed having boon cut out
r tho hillsldo and in many places blasted out of
olid rock. For tho remaining twonty-flvo miles
to Canon City tho way 1b over foothills nnd
through undulating country, nesldcs bolng a mar
Tel In engineering, tho road 1b one of tho boBt
eccnlo and picturesque In tho West, passing aB It
ooa through Red Rock Canyon, Dead Man's Canyon
Kid many other mountain beauty Bpots, it cul
minates In tho far-famed highway to tho top-of .
fco Royal Gorgo and tho unique nnd spectacular
Sky Lino Drivo, nt Canon City.
Tho road avoragos olghtoon foot In width and
perfectly cro-vned and dralnod. Although it of
fers a succession of climbs, bo skillfully was tho
engineering work dono that hoavy grades have
keen eliminated and tho motorist is confronted
with only ono grado as high as six per cent.
Ute Pass is ono of tho historic gatovvayB of
tho mountain country and down Its sides centuries
fceforo Columbus discovered Arrforlcn, tho Uto In
Mans had worn, with soft mocaBslnod tread, n
plainly distinguishable trail. In building tho first
6&d across tho range to freight supplies to Load
Tfllo, Aspen and the other mjnlng camps, the
whlto man followed the trail of tho Indian. A few
years ago tho main portion of this road between
Sfanltou and Cascade was entirely rebuilt by con
vict labor. It has boon pronounced a most splen
did example of road building. It has a wide, well
crowned roadbed surfaced with disintegrated
cranlta from tho mountain aides. Grades liavo
Seen reducod and aUhftugh tho road overcomes an
elevation of 1,125 feet In a distance of five miles
tho climb Is gradual and is easily negotiated, It
fe' over the Ute Pass road that tho Pikes Peak
Ocean to Ocean highway ontors tho mountains
ftffcr striking straight across tho plains of central
Colorado to Colorado Springs and Manltou. Thonco
R continues westward through South Park ovor
Tennesaoo Pass down tho valloya of tho Eaglo
and tho Grand rivers to Grand Junction and tho
Ytah lino.
Pueblo county also has omployod convicts to ad
vantago, and a notable pleco of rond Is tho stretch
just north of Puoblo on tho road to Colorado
Springs. Garfield county, on the western slopo,
last year ongngod CO convicts for a porlod of four
years, and they havo Juat completed work on the
Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean highway west of Glen
wood Springs and aro now engaged In rebuilding
tbo road through tho Canyon of tho Grand river.
Wold and Larimer countlos, In northern Colorado,
also have many miles of oplcndld rond to show for
the work of convlctB during tho last two yoars.
Wherever tried, tho results havo boon satisfac
tory; This applies especially to tho bonollts de
rived by tho convicts themselves. Under tho Colo
rado system, tho convict Is allowed ton days off
lis sentenco for each month of labor on tho roads.
This la In addition to tho usual reduction for good
vehavlor. Besides, In Colorado, tho employment
sf convicts on tho roads has boon singularly suc
cessful because the cost of building many of Us
aaouutalji roads would bo almoBt prohibitive if tho
state were compelled to construct them under or-lHary-oondUIons.
Tho entlro country has reaped
th'es-hsRefltfl of Colorado's plonoarlng because it
Has 'been able to open to travelors from all sec
Mom ef the country some of Its most splendid
mountain scenery; it has furthermore set tho ex
ample for many ef the other states la the adoption
of Bomo Bystom for tho employment of convlctB
on Btato and county roads.
In speaking of what can bo accomplished In tho
way -of road building by tho use of convict labor,
Thomas J. Tynan, warden of tho Btato penitentiary
under whoso Buporvlslon tho work tho last threo
yoars hnB boon done, recently said:
"Tho boneflts In this or any othor state from a
broad and scientific systom of convict road build
ing can scarcely be ostlmatod. Basing our flguroa
on actual cxperlonco wo aro confldont that wo can
construct InMho next ten years moro than five
thouBnnd miles of tho very flnost roadways for
leas than $500,000 and this without adding any
thing whatovor to tho burdon of tho taxpayers.
"During the period of ten yoars tho Internal
rovonuo fund of Colorado should amount to $2,000,
000. After doductlng $500,000 for road construc
tion, tho remaining amount Bhould bo wisely ex
pended In brldgo building, road repairing and for
similar uscb. Add to this tho financial assistance
from tho different counties, and It would onablo us
to construct not lest than 10,000 miles. It can bo
done in Colorado. Why Bhould not tho samo con
ditions apply to othor states undor moro favorablo
conditions whoro tho roads aro naturally bettor
and where coat of construction would not neces
sarily bo so high as In-our niountalnouB sections?
"To lllUBtrato. bettor tho great saving to the tax
payors on this class of work and Its possibilities,
lot mo quote a few figures from ono of our road
camps. During ono month wo worked 35 men on
tho road, not Including tho camp help. The num
ber of days employed was 24. Each of theso 35
men rendorod to tho Btato, labor equivalent In
vnluo toa and $3 a day. Tho'labor for each man
cost tho stato exactly 2G conts per day. Had this
number of men boon employed at tho regular
standard of wages of say $2.00 per day per man,
tho cost of wages alono would havo boon $1,G32.5Q,
Each day's work thus represented a not saving of
nt least $1.75 per man. Tho total cost of all the
work for tho mouth, Including salaries, caro of
stock, feed for teams and cost of oqulpmont was
$515.15, or 476 cents per day per man. When
these figures aro considered no ono can doubt for n
moment tho oconomy of building roads with con
vict labor. Tho roads aro carefully and thoroughly
Inspected by competent engineers who testify to
tho complotness and, high, character of tho work.
'What Is tho lnceutlvo for tho mon to create such
groat work?' Is a question often asked Colorado
a'tiB. It Is just this: tho man who ts allowed to
leavo tho prison for tho road camp has practically
soon tho last of prison llfo t ho conducts himself
properly; his food is bettor; his clothing Is hotter;
his Bolf-rcspoct is prosorvod and ho is taught Belt
rollonco and Rimtalned application. Ho earns an
additional ton days a month during tho tlmo ho
works, which very materially reduces his Bon
tonco. Eliminating tho policy of armed guards,
tho men havo been placod undor skilled and com
petent overseers and guarded only by tholr word
of honor not to run away. They remain faithful and
loyal to their pledges, Tho success of such an
honor Bystem was Instantaneous; tho plan has
worked out better than its originators expected.
During tho last threo years wo have had moro
than one thousand Individual prisoners in the con
vict camps. Theso men without guards soma S00
miles away from the prison have created a na
tional reputation for loyalty. Less than one per
oent have violated their pledges and made suo-
ECONOMICAL FEEDING OF THE FARM STOCK
Superior Typo of Farm Horse.
cessful escape. Communities no longer fear tc
havo our convict camps established near them
Wo havo mado manhood as well as money by this
healthy, hearty outdoor labor. We havo built the
prisoners up both physically and morally. Men
discharged from our road camps do not havo the
prison pallor, tho physical weakness and the
hesitating, hang-dog appearance of the typical dis
charged convict They aro bronzed, sturdy, heal
thy, efficient laborers and aro in demand as such.
About 20 per cent of those wo havo sent out upon
tho completion of tholr sentence havo mado good.
Tho otherO per cent havo mostly found their way
back Into prison olsewhero.
In his last biennial report Warden Tynan had
tho following to say with reference to tho finan
cial sldo of convict road building:
"Our largest Item of labor performed by the
convicts was, of course, tho road work. Tho pris
oners havo boon employed in tho construction of
roads in Mesa, Fremont, Larimer, Weld, Boulder,
Jofforson, El Paso and Pueblo counties. They have
built 157 miles of good roadway and a great deal
of this has been blasted out of solid rock that In
Mesa county being the most difficult and heavy
work over attempted by our men.
"Owing to tho fact that it was impossible to get
from tho variqus counties tho cost of material,
such as cement, lumber, steel, corrugated cul
verts, powdbr, tpols and supplies, other than ac
tual labor used In road and bridge building we are
enabled to give you only tho labor cost to these
different countlos for tho work of tho men. Thle
work has been dono at an average qost to the dif
ferent countlos of 32 cents per day per man; and
aa this cost Includes Sundays and holidays the
cost of labor of theso raoi to tho counties for the
two years, or 731 days, would be $36,725.44. We
havo worked twonty-ono stato teams and tho feed
for theso teams cost tho counties $20 per month
per team, which would amount to $10,088; making
a total cost to the counties for labor of $40,805.
The average labor cost for the 157 miles was
$298.12 per mile.
"It Is hard to estimate tho Immense value of
theso roads for tho reason that the work in Mesa
county alono would have cost, with free labor, not
less than $25,000 per mile, aa tho rock in places
had to bo blasted for 75 feet In order to get a
proper roadbed. In thU work It was necessary to
drill holes 25 foot deep and to drill threo depths
before the roadbed was reached. So you can boo
tho magnitude of this work. Tho work In Uto
Pass, In El Paso county, was dono through solid
rock for six miles, all blasting. The work In Salt
Canon and Pnrkdalo Hill, In Fremont county and
Ingreo Hill, Cherokee Hill and Thompson Canon
in Larimer county havo been very expennlve work,
becauso ot tho blasting. This necessarily would
havo been very much moro expensive had It been
dono with freo labor, and tho counties would havo
boon forced to pay big salaries for drillers, blas
ters, powder mon, masons and coment workers.
Not counting what tho contractor's profits might
bo and not including any skilled labor, except
blacksmiths, cement workers and maBons, and es
timating tho cost of freo labor at $2 per day, by
eliminating Sundays and holidays, wo may count
432 mon working 210 days at $2 per day which
would glvo us a labor valuo or $1G1,040. Wo Javo
worked an averago of twenty masons and cement
workers, which would havo cost tho counties $5
per day, and would havo atnounted to $01,000. Wo
havo averagod flvo blacksmiths, whoso labor Is
estimated at $4 per day and this would have
amounted to $12,220. Estimating tho valuo of 21
teams at $2.50 per day per team for C10 days, it
would hayo amounted to $32,025. At a low figure
the value of tho labor of theso men and teams
wduTd" bo worth to tho countlos $26G,285. Add to
this a depreciation of stato equipment, $2,000 and
tho Interest on stato equipment $2,000 and you
can boo that this labor has been worth to the dif
ferent counties $270,285, The difference betweon
what tho freo labor alono would havo cost the
public namely, $270,285 and what tho labor of
our men actually cost them shows a labor profit
of $233,470.56. Howover, this labor did not com
pote 'with the free labor ot the state, for the rea
son that the counties could not otherwise have
afforded to do this work."
(By J. T. O HANGER.)
Tho farmer, llko any other business
man, should study tho most important
question of economy.
Much of tho farmer's capital is in
vested In work nnd breeding stock. If
he feeds them economically, at tho
same time keeping them In good
working and salablo condition, ho is
following out business principles.
. If, on tho other hand, ho either
stints them or allows them to waste
provender and grain, ho loses money.
The writer, In traveling among
farmers, sees many methods of feed
ing employed. Ono friend gives his
horses and mules hay and corn in
abundance, but Is very careless about
watering and cleaning out tho stalls.
Old nnd young otock aro treated
alike. Tho colt three months old gets
hlB corn and hay ration, less In pro
portion, but still just tho same feed,
irreapectlvo of cost or ago of tho ani
mal. No attention Is given to details
of stable management.
By tho tlmo winter is past the
stock on the farm (old and young)
have eaten tons of hay and quantities
of corn, but with tho advent of spring
they are not in salable condition.
Another farmer friend feeds liberal
grain rations to his horses and .mules,
but sells off bis good bay and feeds
only refuse forage.
Hero wo have a misplaced idea of
economical feeding on tho farm, for
this man's stock will bo rough and in
poor condition when spring comes.
Another Instance of poor judgment
in feeding. Tho writer saw a farmer
Two-Year-Old, Mulo Colt.
this winter who was selling off both
grain and hay and putting tho money
In his pocket and feeding reduced ra
tions to his work and breeding stock.
Hore was tho very worst example of
mismanagement, entailing a loss hard
to make good.
Make these resolutions: Don't glvo
all your best feed to your work teams
or breeding stock, at the same tlmo
neglecting all sanitary arrangements;
don't think that liberal grain rations
with common forage will fill tho bill.
- Don't soil tho grain and hay to such
an extent that you may have to buy
from your neighbor next spring.
Corn stover with grain will do from
now until the ilrst of April, but brood
mares nnd weanlings, also ono and
two-year-olds, will require somo bran
along wiyi corn ration, or they will
not bo thrifty after tho winter Beason
la gone.
All stock should bo well housed,
well bedded and well watered. No
amount of food will glvo good results
unless the stock Is taken caro of In
every respect.
With regular work, horses and
mules on tho farm during tho winter
period a good feed of corn morning
and night, with plenty of cut corn
stover, will do. With brood mareB and
colts come hay and bran Bhould. bo
added.
Take a brood maro, for instance.
Glvo her olx ears or two quarts of
Bholled corn, with two quarts ot bran,
morning and night. Give a feed of
hay, clover preferred, for tho morning
meal, and tbo same grain ration, with
plenty ot stover, at night.
For tho young stock a llttlo less
corn, hut plenty of hay and stover,
and probably a little less bran.
No matter how well bred the colt
may be, if not treated generously In
his first you- he will seldom pay bis
way; and if not cared for properly,
oven until his childhood days aro over,
ho cannot bo expected to make a high
figure.
There Is no objection to weaning in
fairly good time, but it Is absolutely
essential to glvo eomo good substitute
for milk.
By way of grain, good crushed oats
may bo served as generously as thoy
aro cleaned up. Carrots aro good and
sweet hay may bo given whonevei
oaten with a relish.
Tho oats should bo old and tho hay
not of tho present year's crop. Too
many foals should not run together,
else tho weaker go to the wall.
Economical feeding means good,
solid feed, fed regularly, no waBto,
yet no stinting. Good warm quarters,
good bedding, fj-eah water in liberal
Bupply at least twlco a day.
Follow these simple rules and tho
appearance of your stock next Bprlng
will Justify the extra trouble.
BEST LOCATION OF
HOUSE FOR SWINE
Structure Should Be on High
Ground, Well Drained Ven
tilation Is Important.
(By A. B "WILLIAMS.)
Locate tho house for the hogs on
high ground. That is tho first and
ono of the most Important things to
consider. The location must be well
.drained, and if tho soil is light and
sandy, or porous, so as to afford good
soil-drainage, so much the bettor.
Tho house should have direct access
to the pasture if that is possible, even
If It is a short walk from the barn. In
fact, tho farthor away from tho barn
and the dairy house the better.
If it can be located near a stream
of running water It will bo a decided
advantage, because hogs like to cool
themselves in clean water or clean
mud; and running water affords this,
aa well as puro drinking wator, which
la absolutely necessary.
It Is all well enough to Bay that
hogs do not llko to wallow In mud, and
do so only from necessity, but that la
not so. They like mud becauso it Is
cooling, and it is on effectual lice
killer.
It is not good for hogs to be com
pelled to lie in mud, and keep con
stantly covered with it, but a good
wallow, occasionally, seems to agreo
with them.
Of course hogs may do without mud,
provided they are able to reach clean
water, and nro kept free from Uco by
spraying;
There aro many styles of hog
housos, and every man must decldo
for himself which is best under his
conditions. Tho best house is ono
that has perfect ventilation, plenty of
light.
For farrowing purposes or for indi
viduals, tho movable houso is excel
lent. This kind of houso is easily set
upland taken down, and it also may
bo placed on runners by which It can
bo easily moved from ono pasturo to
another.
Tho roof should bo sloping enough
to allow tho rain to run off quickly,
and thero should be enough windows
to let in tho sunlight and air.
Foundation of Hog Herd.
On no account start tho beginning
of your future herd with anything but
a puro strain of thoroughbred hog.
Buy registered stock; ono knows then
what he is getting-
Horse Appreciates Blanket
If you do not think horse blankets
would bo appreciated by tho horses
theso cold evenings or mornings, try
sleeping without any covers yourself.
Keeping Disease Away.
Tho first step in keeping diseases
away from hogs Is to keep filth away
from them.
No Place for Scrub.
The Bcrub hen has no mora place
on the farm than the scrub anything
else.