Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1905-07-06

4AVW00 201V0te0Oe00 0xts&4 ~ NV -
the road commissioners Of the state
Of Missouri could stand here and
see what I see, the result would be
worth . hundred thousond dollars
. year to this commonwealth z"
In nine states hundreds OF inset
ings have been held in which
thousands of persons have pledged
themselves TO make and use . split
log drag; hundreds Of newspapers
hsve taken up this movement and
the public sentiment Of scores Of
communities has been stirred in
this matter, according to- these
people.
Our people should know that
many propositions suggested - TO
the making OF good roads are i'm
practicable, and the demand for
good roads having been 20 great il
10 we'll to remember that in our
eagerness TO adopt some plan to
have them our people may fall in
WITH some very expensive and
visionary schemes that might in
volve ~ financially in such . man
ner that . burden weuld be saddled
upon ne and our children after ne.
The boards Of county commits
sioners can not do il all; they are
limited by law in their allowances
for the repair and building OF roads.
It is out Of the question to even
talk Of expanding an average Of
800 per mile on the roads Of this
county, in which II is estimated
that there are three or four thous-
and miles of road.
In the larger states Of the union
there lie only . small percentage, IL
is said, Of the public roads that are
macadamized. In Missouri and
Iowa, according to d. Ward King,
ninety-nine per cent. Of the roads
are earth roads, and he quotes .
stste official of Iowa as saying that
to have fifteen per cent. OF the main
travelled roads Of his state mac
adsmized would be to realize the
most ambitions dreams Of those
men of the state especially inter-
ested in improving the condition Of
the highways.
Il would be folly to bond this
county, Is some have proposed, for
the purpose Of even making a be-
ginning towards macsdamizing the
rosds, which would cost at least
$4,000 per mile.
The philosophy Of the sssplit-
log drag road' does not appear at
frst sight to the casual observer.
With this drag . perfect drag
road can be .made:~ According to
the authority I am quoting, "to be
perfect an earth road must be at
one and the same time oval, hard.
and smooth. All OF these indi-
~spensables are acquired by the use
of the split-log drag in any coil
that I have ever come in contact
with-and / have worked in the
various kinds of clay soil, in the
gumbo of the swampy lowlands
and In the black mud of the prai-
Iries."
According to his observation and
experiments the use of the drag
.spuddles' the earth and water to-
gether, forming q kind of cement
which dries into . hard and prac-
tically waterproof surface.
The process, it seems, is this:
The drag (Which is described
and . diagram Of same given in the
article from which l Am quoting)
is used just after q rain or damp
spell; there is to be no blowing
and scraping before the drag is
used, because when q pillow and
scrsper is used ssthe bottom falls
out Of the road" in the spring
time. But to use Mr.. Kings own
words, "the grading is done with
the drag gradually, and by 30 do
ing the road is solid all the time
and is built on . solid foundation"
When there are ruts in the road
drag them when the surface is
moist, first dragging the wheel
tracks.
The cost Of working the roads in
this manner, it will be seen, is
very small.
To make the drag, take the two
halves Of = split log ten or twelve
inches through, nine feet long, set
edge thirty inches apart, both
fist sides to the front, strong hard
wood or iron bars connecting the
two split logs. On the fat side
Of the front log have fastened a
loose chain with each end fastened
about one foot from the end OF the
drag, this chain to be about ten
feet long. To this chain attach a
ring OF rings to connect with
double-tree clevis; across the bars
which hold the drag together place
plank . foot or 80 wide, and
stand in the middle Of the drag
while using it; two horses are all
that are necessary.
So AZ not to make this article too
long ] have cut short some OF the
suggestions made by the author, TO
whom I feel we are indebted for
this valuable method, so simple as
to make VI smile, "absurdly