The commonwealth., 1905-11-17
WORK OF THE DRAG.
What One Years Work DID on q Bad
Missouri Gumbo Road
The King Drag.

~ holu nluS answer, OT attempt ~
answer IL" says f. G. Fulton, OF Gal.
latin, Mo. Well, Mr. King went
around the bush and under the bush
and finally got up in the bush, and
left us not knowing where we were
at. | have made one mile Of road
through almost just such fiat coGn-
try as you described in your inquiry
through what some people call gum
no. had no drainage, and the water
after each rain, not only would get
within two feet of the crown of the
road but it would get over ii in a
dozen or more places. In fact, 1 had
nc grade TO speak OF. not over IL
inches above the bottom of the bitches.
Allow me to disagree just a little 10
show the actual condition of this road
when 1t was first dragged. In the
springs of 1859, inclusive, you could
not get through one.fourth of mile
of this piece of road with an empty
wagon. In the spring of 1897 ! saw
five wagons stuck in this quarter mile
of road. The same spring we hauled
40 large loads of rock and put into
the mudholes, but in the spring OF
1899 1t was as impossible as ever,
In July, 1899, began dragging ono
mile Of road, including this bad quar-
ter-mile-with Kings drag? Not al
all We at that time had not heard
of Mr.. King used common rail.
road rail, "a feet long, In 1901 | cut
that rail at the center and used II
Gouble, placing one piece two feet be-
hind the other, and ! continued TO use
it up to 1904, when ! made split
log drag (slx months after this
heard of Mr.. Kings work., and ! ar
using that drag yet
ALLOW me to say that during TIE
years of 1899 to 1902 there We're saw.
logs, lumber and cordwood hauled
ever the worst part of this road at the
rate of from 20 to 50 loads every
day, and to-day ! have the finest mile
Of road in this (Dayiess )county. In
deed, IL Is called the model road Of The
county. So | will say you can make
& good road through that corn-belt
land you speak of within one years
time, and not put In more than Sc
hours time doing 1t.
81 appreciate what you are doing fol
good roads, and like your paptr fine
Let the good work go on
Replying to a letter from the Voice
editor in which Nh. Fulton was asked
What becomes of the water that falls
upon that mile of road? Mr.. Fulton
writes: "As to what becomes Of the
water that falls upon that dragged
road, would say that up to tae fal
of 1904 1t stood in bitches at the road
side until it evaporated. 1t is nov
drained, but 1t was as hard last yeal
as 1t is now" Mr.. Fulton also says
that in the wet year. from June, 1903
to June, 1904, the drag raised tho
crown of the road five inches. but
would not do SO much in an Ordinary
season. However, 1t shows how the
curvature of the road is improved by
the use of the drag. Mr., Fulton, by
the way, has standing offer open tc
anybody in his county, Of five dollars
cash. to the man who will use The
drag for one year and then say he has
not been well repaid for his trouble,
In word of further comment, the
Voice says: We are sure that jdr
King will take great satisfaction II
reading that Endorsement of his con
tention that the drag will make goot
road under very discouraging condi.
tions. Indeed, Mr.. Fulton's actual ex'
perience as here described gives
ground for stronger claims for the
drag than any we have heard Ms. King
make. One word in justice to Mr.
King. He does not call the drag @the
King drag" and he is not responsible
for this title. 1t SO happens that
IL was due to Mr.. Kings persistence
in the use OF the split-log drag in
front of his own premises near Malt
land, Mo, that the attention of the
public In general, and that Of Secre.
tary Ellis, of the Missouri state board
of agriculture, In particular. was at.
tracted to the extraordinary results
accomplished by the inexpensive drag
in transforming impossible roads into
splendid highways. 1t was inevitable
that the public should give to the
drag the name Of the man most close
ly identified with IT Ia the peoples
mind, hence It is commonly called The
King drag.