Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1904-10-20
GOOD ROADS LESSONS
SCHOOL ON WHEELS TO TEACH
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
Frisco Special. with Six Cur Loads OF
Road Building Machinery, VIII
Travel Through Ten states and
Stop at Ninety-tVO Towns.

Travel Through Ten states and
Stop at Ninety-twO Towns.
A good roads campaign will be waged
throughout Missouri and the south this
fall and winter. A special good roads
train" will make Il two OF three
months tour of the states and terri
tories touched by the Frisco railway
system. 1t will he Il strenuous crusade
against bad highways, the incipiency
of movement destined to spread
st. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A dozen officials travelling in two spe-
cial Pullmans with six car loads of
road building machinery and the nee
essary force of workmen, constitute the
train. The visit will take in ninety
two important trading centcrS in ten
states and territories, and there will
be built sample macadam. telford,
gravel Or dirt roads at some OF them,
and good roads conventions will he
held for the purpose of procuring good
roads legislation. Back of this great
educational movement are the United
States government, the National Good
Roads association, the Frisco Hallway
company, Il dozen manufacturers of
roudmaking machinery and the people
of the localities to be visited.
The train is provided at the expense
of the Frisco Hallway company and Is
fully equipped for the sleeping and
commiSsary accommodation of its crew
and party for II trip of $500 miles.
The party includes official representa-
tives of the government and of the Ma
tional Good Roads association, with a
changing list of speakers and organi-
zers. The fiat cars in the train are load
ed with such roadmaking machinery
as graders, scrapers, horse and steam
rollers, rock crushers, plows. ditching
machines. elevator graders, traction
engines, etc.
The officers OF the National Good
Roads associa ton and the officials of
the road department of the govern
ment who have given years of study
to the subject and know every phase
of engineering and road construction,
will be on hand at each convention.
There will also be prominent speakers
including governors. members of con
gress presidents of universities and
colleges, railroad officials, engineers
and the leading officials, including the
mayors and councils of cities. invited
to attend and address the conventions.
This campaign in which all classes are
taking part sweeps through the great
breadstuf1. cotton. coal, iron, timber
and live stock sections of the republic,
Good roads can double the beneficial
results already attained by the de-
velopment of natural resources. for
good roads create markets. The states
and territories through which the good
roads train will pass are Missouri.
Kansas, Arkansas, Indian Territory.
Oklahoma Texas. Mississippi, Ala
bama. Tennessee and Illinois. Some of
these have very heavy rainfall. which.
with the heavy gumbo and clay soils
and bad public roads, makes primary
travel almost impossible during late
fall winter and spring months.
In the different places where the
government is cooperating with the
localities in building object lesson
roads all kinds of road construction
and drainage are eXemplifed. Special
attention is given TO the common
earth, which is the basis of all other
road construction. The earth road is
properly graded or crowned and drain
ed with bitches on the sides and drain
tile and thoroughly rolled with horse
and steam rollers.
Macadam. telford. gravel, sand.
gnmbo and oil roads are also con
structed In many localities where
stone or gravel is not available the
substitution of gumbo or burnt clay
will be thoroughly demonstrated. Oil
applied to surface of roads is mod
ern device. but has proved to be u
cheap and splendid substance in con
nection with road improvement.
At each of the ninety-two points to
be visited in as many days date will
have been set, the event advertised as
sort of autumn picnic, and the town
and country people will assemble by
thousands. Each locality will be eX-
pected to contribute $50 to 5000 to-
ward the expense of the undertaking,
| and after tie proper enthusiasm mas
| been aroused the good roads assocla-
ton will be furmed, and every mem
Der will he asked to s!gn petition TO
his representative in the states gen
eral assembly in behalf of good road
legislation Every effort will be made
by practical demonstration or by or
ganiZation To cause the masses ana
the politicians to demand that candi-
dates pledge themselves for good
roads appropriation. or the project
President Moore of the National Good
Roads association speaks as follows:
"These special good roads campaigns
Will help to accomplish two things
First. in the near future laws Will be
passed providing that all tralnps, va
grants and misdemeanor prisoners