Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-16
Better Highways Propaganda to
BE Spread After Manner Of
Good Seed Gospel
SPECIAL TRAIN is PROVIDED
o. Ward King Will Accompany the
Train and Give Farmers Lecture
and the Benefit of His Experience in
Practical Road Building and Main
tcnance.

Des Moines March 16.--An Iowa
good roads gospel train is to be rum
by the Northwestern railroad thru
those sections of the state now most
sadly in need of improved highways
and the gospel of good roads will be
preached by d. Ward King of Matt
land, Mo-, a farmer, much as tie gos-
pei of good seed corn has been preach
ed by Professor Holden of Ames. This
is the first train Of its kind even sched-
uled in the history of railroads and
the teachings which 1t will mplant
bid fair to solve the problem Of good
roads in Iowa
The itinerary has been made up and
the first meeting will be held in Ona-
wa on April 10. Then for the remain
ing three weeks of the month lectures
will be given in fourteen towns along
the Northwestern. a day being given
to town.
The trip has grown out of a SUCCESS
ton made by Henry Wallace, editor of
Wallace's Farmer, to r. Fl. Ashton,
assistant general manager of the
Northwestern railroad with offices in
Chicago, some three months ago, when
Superintendent Ashton was in Des
Molnes. The arrangements have now
all been made and this annou 1cement
is given with full authority The
Northwestern road and Wallace's Far
mer are backing the expedition.
The plan is to make one town per
day. starting at Onawa on April 10,
and giving two lectures per day in
each town as follows:
Onawa, April 10; Odeboldt, April II;
Holstein, April IL: Denison, April 10;
Lake City, April IA: Jewell junction,
April IS; iAmes, April II; Eagle Grove,
April 1s; Luverne, April 10; bancroft,
April 20; Rolfe, April 81; Eldora, April
Is; GladbroolS, April &c; Belle Plaine,
April 81; Dewitt, April %.
King Not Theorist.
d. Ward King, who delivers the lee
ture, is q farmer who discovere how
to keep the roads in good condition and
il now enthusiastically telling the rest
of the farmers about 1t. AT his farm
near Maitland, Mo-, he made simple
drag or scraper by splitting; a good
sized log in twain and turning the
halves on edge with the rounding part
of the log TO the front, placed each half
a few feet apart and nailed cross sec
lions connecting the two halves. The
forward half he shod with a piece of
iron of some sort and then attached
double trees to the contrivanca SO that
in being dragged along the roads it
would throw the dirt to the middle and
side Of the road. This he used just
after rain, dragging up one side of
the road and down the other, and he
has made in front of his place one Of
the best country roads known.
Mr.. King will tell the Iowa. farmers
on this trip how this is done. He will
be taken on special car Of tie North
western, accompanied by r. H. Ash
ton, assistant general. manager of the
Northwestern railroad; G. a.. Cairns,
general passenger and ticket agent;
Uncle Henry Wallace of Wallaces'
Farmer, and other newspape1' men.
Mr.. Wallace is greatly interested in
the success of the trip, as are also the
Northwestern men, who say they will
go over the entire Iowa system next
year if this trip is success
Twenty-three miles of road were
kept in good condition in Sac county
last year at a cost of s1.5O to 50 per
mile, Mr.. King personally introducing
the system there.
Makes Apology to Students.
Columbia, Mo-, March 15.-Presi-