Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-12

talk has transfer med the highways lead
ing into tho town. Twenty-eight miles
were cared for last yea" at an expense
Of s. 40 a mile. and he roads were made
so smooth tnat owners OF trotting horses
invariably choose them for speedways in
preference TO the race track.
This convinced many doubters Of the
value of Mr.. Kings device. He inte-
cstod members Of the Missouri board Of
agriculture in it. and they in turn Sc
cured special trains ~ run, free Of
charge. on trunk lines in Missouri and
Iowa. with Mr.. King preaching his sys-
stem at frequent stops from the rear
platform. He spoke first in the little
town of Cnawa. Iowa. The occasion
was made a festival. Three hundred
visiting farmers were given two good
meals by the entnrprising business mon.
one hundred and fifty dollars was sub
scribced and offered as prizes for the
lest-kept mile and half mile of road dur
ing 1905 by the elome-nade King
road drag. The town agreed to care for
one mile Of our roads leading out in
different directions. and the farmers care
fer seven miles on each route. Within
Il week ~ farmers were using homemade
Ning draRs, and 2o are expected to be
using them this fall. An almost impass-
able business street was converted with
in Il few house into a read solid enough
for a team to haul a ton load with ease.
The success at Onawa has been dupli-
Gated in dozens Of other towns. Denison,
Iowa. chose the street Leading from the
residence of 1~aslia NJ. Shaw. secretary
Of the treasury. to the railway station
as tho one to be improved. and within
a half day it was made as good a village
street as there is in the State.
That the message which Mr.. King de-
livered is simpl. is shown by this brief
bit Of personal experience: II began
with a drag made of an old post and "A
frost'bitten pump stock held together
Ivy two of three short pieces Of board
nailed on top. 1t pulled TO pieces at the
beginning Of the second year. and at
first ! simply drove a team a-straddle of
one wheel track going. and of the other
wheel track and leaving tho road in
E'0d condition for tcamsters to straddle
the rut. After smashing both ruts used
to look down the road aprrovingly: pat
myself on tia back and think . had the
incest road in the country. and while [
ia at that time, yet it would look very
rough to mo now
The drag that Mr.. King now uses is
Hide by splitting a good sized log in
IVAN ana turning the halves on edge.
with the rounding part Of the log in
mont, placing each a few feet apart and
naming cross sections to connect thnm.
me orwar half il shod with a piece
oi IRON. Thc device is Dir, wn ty che or
TWO horses. Wien dragged along tho
ROADS II throws dirt TO the middle and
size OF the road, and smootl.os tie sur
race. IL is used after Il rain. hong
ragged along ono side of the read for
some Instance and then back on the Other
side.
'i'raGGIng,' says Mr.. King. .'destrcvs
the Old trail. and the new trail. each
tme broader and less definite than he
lore. is made or n different portion of
Inc high"ay. BY dragging while the
ehrth is yet moist the road finally ho-
comes n series OF practically waterproof
myers or puddled earth. each one of
which Is rolled and pounded by the
"hceIs and hoofs of travel. Almost i'm
Ferceptibly the centre Of the road is
e'e'ated to a smooth grade that is not
cas'iy affected by had weather. Drorr-
'hS Kills the words in the seed LEM II
"l.o does away with the bu,nrs at each
SIDE OF bridges and culyerts. Rerr,o,
dragging fills them and they become nc
Sohd as tho rest of the road As ~
"heei tracks are wiped ont, the water M
longer runs to tho bridge after eyer,
shower You can thus drive as SWEET,
over the culverts Of q dragged ro,d ~
over any other portion.
Inc drag can bo copct4 49,
ana operated by any boy who can a,,,o
q good farm team. Simple as tho L."
49, It's use. If persisted in. NAV ,,,rs
country roads a comfort instead -
baic. "" VI Il