The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-07-29
Good Roads Drag.

Dry Goods Reporter q
Simple deyiees are ofen the most
effective. Recently a very plain aud
simple road drag was introduced in
Iowa and Northern Missouri with ex'
oellent and almost marvellous results.
So m~eritorious does the Burlington
railroad consider 1t that MT. Mamanss
Of the industrial Bureau OF the c., B,
and @ R. r., Adams and Franklin
streets, Chicago, has prepared a book
let fully describing the plan. The
Reporter suggests that merchants who
are interested write him for a copy.
The article by Mr.. Cobb follows
In reply to your request for a des-
eriptlon Of the new method Of making
good roads, now being used in Iowa,
would say it is with pleasure l comply
with your request. Every merchant
should be interested in this movement
and do all he can to help 1t along.
The farmers of our county, d r city
street commissioner, and many Of our
citizens are using the new method with
splendid results, In fact, we have
stretches Of country roads in our
county vary in length from one half to
four miles in length, that are better
than our city's asphalt paving, and we
have a first class job, This is the
first season the new method has been
in use. Oar farmers are becoming in
terested and we hope ty another year
TO have the roads OF our county in
f~rst-class condition.
A good earth road must be hard,
smooth and oval. The old method Of
working the roads with the big four.
wheeled road grader makes the roaC
oval, smooth on the sides only, soft
and spongy in the center. The grader
pushes th soft, loose DIRT to the centel
of the road. This absorbs the watel
from the first rain, travel cuts it up
it dries full of ruts and very rough, il
worse condition than it was before tht
grader was used.
WHAT THE NEW METH0E DOES.
The new method-dragging with
King road drag after a rain-make
the road smooth. it dries hard and i
oval. Use the drag after each harl
rain while the surface dirt is IN
''puddled" condition. The drag will
smear the soft mud over the top of th
road bed in a layer; with sunshine
wind and travel this layer will becom
hard. Another dragging will put o
another layer and make the road sti.
harder, smoother and more imperviou
to rain. In a year or two a surface
put on the road that can hardly b
torn up with a pick. The more trav'
the harder the road. The more raj
The smoother the road, provided tt
drag is used after the rain. With ii
old method when the grader is useC
the more rain and travel the deept
the ruts and the rougher the road.
The drag works as we'll on the hi
as on low ground, as we'll in clay SC
as IN black earth. Hundreds of mill
OF Iowa roads are being worked th
season for the first time by this inc.
pensive method.
THE EXPENSE OF THE DRAG.
The expense of running the fou
wheeled grader is from nine to twel
dollars a day. 1t takes from six
eight horses with from three to 70
men. The King road drag can
operated by a boy with two hors,
The grader can only be used when t
roads are dry, a time when most fl
mers have work to do on the far
With the King drag the best resu
are had when 1t is too wet to work
the farm From one-balf to one hou
work after a rain will keep one-h
mile Ct road in splendid conditl
Hitch to the drag SO II will pull at
G,gle of 40 degrees. Drive slt
Ride, don't walk. You can cha
she position of the drag by chang
your position on the drag. Don't
10 move too much dirt. The secre
success is 10 do a little often. d.