Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-23

the main subject of Mr.. Johnson's talk.
| He explained the advantages of this
/ drag, showing how it maintains the
crown of the highway, and how it re-
suited in making a hard crusted sur
face In conclusion he called attention
to other organizations of the state for
highway improvement, and suggested
| that for any permanent value to result!
| from such meeting as the present
one, ii is necessary that the subject OF
, good roads be thought of 365 days
year. not once or twice year when
good roads meetings are held.
John w. Parker.
John w. Parker. secretary of the
Tri-City Pasteurized Milk company,
who has taken an active part in the
movement for road Improvement, and
who is an enthusiast on the split-log
drag, addressed the meeting. and in
response to a suggestion by Mr. John
son that the good roads agitation might
be furthered by awarding prizes, offer
ed to secure a sufficient fund by sub
scription among the merchants and
business men of Rock Island to give
material incentive for the Improvement
OF the roads. He spoke of the expert
ments made by the company's EN-
ployes, and of the possibilities of the
split-loS drag He said that in all of
the state of Illinois between Savanna
and Cairo, there is no stretch of road
in as poor condition as that which
leads from Milan west past the old dis
tillery buildings. 1t was at Mr. Park
er's suggestion that the Organization
was formed Supervisor Matthews, who
was unanimously elected president of
the association. has been an advocate
of road Improvement for years, but as
he stated in accepting the position, has
been particularly in favor of hard
roads. He expressed himself as con-
vinced that the spiit-log drag is an eX-
cellent devise. and that it will do much |
toward securing better highways. Com |
missioners Kane. Brasher. and Dixon |
were authorized to name pathmasters |
or vice presidents. from residents |
along each of the five principal roads |
in the township.
Work on Ninth street.
The question of the Improvement of |
Ninth street and Twelfth street be- |
tween the bridges and Rock Island was
brought up by Mr.. Parker. who in his
called on Mayor McCaskrin
to state his position on this matter.
Mayor McCaskrin recalled the expendi-
lures of the city on the improvement,
of the bridges in the last three years,
to S2S,000, and it was at his
suggestion that the delegation was
named to present the subject to the
city council. Mayor McCaskrin eX-
pressed himself as willing to do all i'll
his power to secure the entire income
from the toll gate, about $4,000 yearly.
for work on the Improvement of the
two streets, and said that he thought
il probable that if the matter was
presented it would meet favor
from the council.
Give Demonstration.
A general discussion followed. in
which Hon. William Payne, Mr.. Par
ler, S. w. Heath, Mayor McCaskrin, Da
vid Sears, Mr. Caldwell, and others par
icipated. Following the meeting the
OF the split-log drag was dem
>nstrated on a stretch just west of the
'ailway tracks, the drag being one fur
lished by Mr.. Parker. The roads were
still somewhat frozen, and for this rea-
son the test was not as successful as it
otherwise would have been, but, not
the frost near the surface
wo rounds with the drag carried all
he loose earth to the center of the
Dad, leaving smooth sides down which
he water flowed to the cutters. The
was considered very
by the large audience who :
the work. That the drag will i.
'e put in operation is assured, and Mr..
Parker agreed that he would deliver
he materials for the construction of
he drag, at Milan. to any citizen OF
he township who did not have the ma E
erials at hand. He received num-
Ter of requests, and it is evident that