The Topeka state journal., 1900-09-24
Director OF Bureau Of Public
Roads Inquiry Arrives.
Business Is to Encourage Build
ing of Roads.
WILL BE AT MEETING.
To Participate In Good Roads
Congress.
How the Government Is System
atizing the Work.

Mr. Martin Dodge, director Of the
bureau of public road inquiry, Is in the
city today He is to be present and
address the meetings Of the represen-
tatives to the good roads congress which
convenes in Topeka tomorrow.
Mr. Dodge said: 1T is only within the
last few years that the good roads
movement has gained any headway in
the west Mr. Stone. the former di-
rector of the bureau, confined his efforts
in this line exclusively to the eastern
states. and more particularly in and
around Washington, D. c., New York
city and other points
''Since my appointment to this Office
the United States has been divided into
four divisions. with a special agent in
each division working under the direc-
ton of the Washington Office.
THE eastern division includes all the
New England states. New York, Penn
Waller Page, a professor in Harvard
college. Cambridge, has been given
charge of affairs in this section.
The southern division includes all
the old southern states south OF the
Mason and Dixon line and west as far
as Texas Prof. Joseph A. Holmes. OF
Chapel Hill, ". c.. formerly state geOl-
ogist, will have charge Of this division.
states north of the Ohio river and west
OF Ohio to the Rocky Mountains. Tenn
pOrarily there are three special agents
in this division. This has been neces-
sary because of the fact that a great
deal of interest has been manifested in
the section within the last year along
these lines, and several object-lesson
roads have been built Mr.. H. s Earle.
Of Detroit, Mich. chief counsel TO the
president of the Michigan branch of the
l. A. w, is one OF the special agents,
and is now preparing an ob1ect-lesSon
road at Travers City. which viii be
tion to be held in that city October II
and L.
state Senator Stout, of Menominee.
Wis. is another of the special agents
started a school at Menominee at which
the study of good road building has
been made a part of the course or IN
struction. Mr.. II Chas. Harrison, son
Of =. G. Harrison4 who is in charge of
the work in this city, has been made
Mr.. Stout's assistant at Menominee-
Howard Gross, of Chicago. is the
third special agent for this division He
is in charge of the object-lesson road be-
ing built at Springfield, ILL., Mr. Gross
is also interested in getting bill
through the Legislature OF Illinois al
lowing half the amount paid into the
state treasury as taxes by the railroads
to be used in aiding townships or coun-
ties in making good roads
THE western division includes all the
states west of the Rocky Mountains
Excepting III Colorado and California.
not much has been done along these
lines in the western states
Martin Dodge. the present director OF
the office of public road inquiries, Wash
ington, D. c., was born In 1851, ana
raised on a farm in Auburn, Geauga
county. Ohio The years Of his minority
schools, labor on the farm. mechanical
work with his father as a millWr1ght
and teaching school each winter after ne
became seventeen years OF age On
his majority the next four years
were devoted to study in Hiram college
and Buchtel college, Akron, Ohio, except
during the winter term OF eacn year |
when he still continued to teach scnooi- |
The remaining time, up to thirty years /
IF age was spent in the study and prac- |
tice Of law. The two years, 1880 and 1881, |
were spent in the practice OF law IN |
Kansas The ten years fol- !
voted to business, during which time
real estate and building operations alb /
sorbed most of his time He laid out /
during that time three different alioI-
nents of land in the city Of Cleveland, /
about three hundred building /
lot for dwellings and built over one Il
hundred permanent buildings
At the age of forty he was elected /
from Cuyahoga county TO /
The general assembly of Ohio and Tor
three successive terms was elected to Il
" following which he was elected TO the
state senate in 1897. Again in 1899 he was
.e-elected, making a continuous service
n the two branches of the assembly or Il
i've consecutive terms or ten years
During these years of public service he
las been a constant advocate and sup
porter of road Improvement and is the
author of several measures in the in
.erests of better roads and cheaper
TRANSFORMATION The Dodge road law IS
he one now in force in CuyahOga county
md especially applicable to her condi-
ion. In 1898 Governor Mckinley ap-
pointed him chairman Of the Ohio road
commission and in 1898 President Nc
xinley appointed him director OF the
,ffice of public road inquiries for tenn
,orary service Of six months, during
which time he represented the govern
nent at the Omaha exposition The OBJ
ect lessons and experiments which he
made at that time and afterwards re-
,orted to the government are now on ex-
lfbitfon at Paris as one of the features
Il the American road exhibit
He has lately been recalled by the |
PRESIDENT to take charge Of the road |
,fice again as director and entered upon |
he discharge of these duties May 1,
900.
AAaT