Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-09-07
GOOD ROADS GOSPEL
HOW IT Is BEING PREACHED BY
MISSOURI FARMER.

Drug. Lcciuring ON His Method
of Improving Country Highways.
Many Adopt the Plan.
The Missouri farmer, ID. Ward King,
who discovered that country highways
can be vastly improved by use Of a
road drag, has been engaged to deliy-
er u series of lectures and has turned
over his farm to others and is devot-
ing all of his time to preaching the
gospel Of good roads. Good roads meet
ings have been held In various parts of
Missouri, and hundreds Of converts
have been made. After every rain In
Missouri hundreds Of farmers drag the
roads in front Of their farms, and the
number of these volunteer good road
workers is increasing every week.
MIR. Kings method Of preaching good
roads Is similar to the methods Of the
Old fashioned Methodist preacher, says
the Kansas City Times. He tells of the
awful possibilities for evil and for low
priced lands that lay in bad roads and
the inevitable rewards for good roads.
He does not urge any change lin the
road laws, but he does urge a change
In the attitude of all good citizens to-
ward the road question. He urges that
they make 1t personal question and
assume the responsibilities themselves
and instead Of blaming the road over
seers go TO work themselves and fix |
the roads. Then he calls for converts. |
At each meeting over half the farmers |
present promise to drag the roads. |
Many Of them do. and others take it up
after they see their neighbors' success.
The good results Of the method are far
reaching, and there has been a greater
improvement in the roads of Missouri
during the past year than there has
been In any previous five years.
Mr.. Kings theory, which practice
has demonstrated to be correct is that
all clay and gumbo roads should be
dragged with light drag after each
rain or wet spell. The drag smooths
down the rough places and fllls up the
ruts. When the sun dries up the road
t leaves Il roadbed as smooth and per-
feet as city street.
The discovery Of this method was
largely accidental. Five years ago he
lived OH small but well improved
arm near Maitland. He was not par
interested in the good road
movement az national or state issue,
,ut the four miles of road from his
arm to Maitland were of great interest
o him. The road was of that soft
ticky red clay that in wet weather
lings to the wagon wheels In great
jumps and In dry weather is as hard
S rock and almost as injurious to
wagon tires. Passing wagons in wet
Weather would dig deep ruts, and
Then the road dried up the ruts would I,
emain. At best the road was very D
cor. Many times when wheat was
alling at good price and Mr. King q,
ad many bushels OF it the road would .
e so bad that he could not haul it to :,
he market. and when the road finally :,
ecame passable the market would be n
w again. :,
After many experiments he con ~
ructed Il small light drag. using two Il,
d timbers connected with light strips. a,
Id began to drag the road In front of In
IS residence. After each rain he a,
Ould run the drag over it, and when ~
e sun came out and the road dried up fo
was in perfect condition. When he or
gan to drag the road many Of his In
'ighbors told other neighbors that h,
ing was crazy. Others told King IN
mself that he was crazy. The others IN
int say anything, but they believed
was crazy just the same. But the On
periments proved that Kings meth he
was successful, and he extended his nm
erations until he was dragging all vo
e road I'm front Of his farm. His to
ighbOrs took it up, and in few ar,
)nths the road from his farm to otl
,itand was as good as any in the DIR
tie. eo