Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-09-29
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20.
GOOD ROADS TRAIN.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20.
GOOD ROADS TRAIN.
Mid fields of mud. with clang and roar,
Along the Frisco System tore
| A train the which banner bore
Good roads"
pray stop" the Rural District cried.
"And show us what you have inside!"
The Cool Roads Special train replied,
Good roads"
1t stopped that all the world might see
The fat cars with machinery
Which break the stone that there might be
Good roads.
And when again it rolled away
Beneath their feet down hathaway.
A sample copy of them lay
Good roads,
And so mid mud. with clang and roar.
An hundred. hundred miles and more.
That train its mystic legend bore,
Good roads"
The Good Roads Special train
which left st. Louis last Monday on
it's long trip of $500 miles through
10 states and territories for the pur.
pose of organizing local good Re a Is
associations in connection with the
national body to educate the farm.
ers and rural residents in the ad-
va ,tages TO be derived from good
roads passing their doors and to
form political body strong enough
to force legislation, has met with
an enthusiastic reception all along
the line.
The people of the towns and coun-
ties surrounding Rolla, Lebanon,
Springfield, Monet and Eureka
Springs received the good roads
movement with open arms and met
the trair with brass bands and an
hurrah which would have done
credit to a travelling presidential
candidate. Local associations were
formed and the meetings were at
tended with a fullness which crowd.
ed the court houses in which they
were held to their utmost capacity.
Everything points TO the fact that
the whole state of Missouri and the
Southwest will be agitating good
roads, and that the people will force
the desired Legislation.
The farmers. are particularly en-
thusiastic because they see that the
burden of taxation for roadbuild.
ing is to be lifted from their shout
ders. They are highly in favor of
tn. state aid plan advanced by the
speakers for the National Good
Roads Association, and they feel
that al last there 10 an end TO the
"hot air" they have hitherto expert
enced, because back of this great
educational movement they see the
United States government, the Ma
tional Good Roads Association, the
Frisco Railway Co. and many mil
Iionaire manufacturers of road.
making machinery.
No such fully equipped, seriously
organized and excellently directed
attempt has ever been made by any
organizati, n 10 lift the people of
,he United States out of their
slough of despond and put them
on highways such as Europe has
enjoyed for centuries. The politi-
clans already have taken notice and
the meeting at Rolla was addressed
by Congressman Lemar. Everybody
seemed to want good roads for all
had travelled along in the mud, and
all they wanted to know vas how
the persons in the train proposed
to get them.
The good roads train consisted of
a Pullman car and ak fiat cars
loaded with machinery for road
building such a. stone crushers,
steam rollers, graders and plows,
together with a competent force of
men under the direction of IN ex-
pert engineer supplied by the gov
eminent.
The fiat care with the machinery
left the Pullman If Lebanon, No.,