The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-11-09
COST OF SPLIT LOG DRAG
Experience of Iowa Farmers of Inter
est to Nebraskans.


est to Nebraskans.
In the summer of 1904 the people of
Sac City Iowa, experimental on TWEEN
ty-siX miles of road, using the split
log drag, says a good roads" circular
issued by the passenger department of
the Union Pacific. Farmers were al
lotted sections of road to be dragged
after every rain, and paid for it out
of a fund contributed by the citizens
of Sac City. These roads were so
much improved during this single sum-
mer that horsemen abandoned the race
track said to be one of the very best
in the state, and speeded their horses
in preference on the roads improved
by the use of the drag. The farmers
were paid in proportion to the time
expended, and the average cost of i'm
proving and maintaining these roads
was $2.40 per mile. In our judgment,
1t is quite possible to have the country
roads in any part of the state of Iowa
or adjoining states, where the rainfall
Is over twenty-five inches, improved
and maintained and put in better con
dition than country roads have ever
been known to be at an expense not to
exceed $500 per mile per year. Con.
corning the work of the drag in Sac
county Mr. II. II. Fitch writes:
"In the winter of 1904, when Mr..
King visited our county, he explained
to the farmers who attended our inSti-
tute the simple and effective method
of making good, solid dirt roads by us
ing the drag. A great many of our
farmers made drags in the spring and
went to work with them according to
Mr.. Kings directions. The result has
been most satisfactory. In some cas-
es the road supervisor failed to com
prehend the need of using the drag
when the road was still moist and
permitted it to become so dry that the
drag failed to do it's work well. But
this was to be expected. We now
have roads near Sac City over which
the continuous hauling of heavy loads
after heavy rains fails to sink the wag
more than the depth of the wagon
tire Regular use of the drag has put
roof on these roads impervious to
water. Jackson and Cedar townships
have three of these drags and we have
four in the town of Sac City. Where
these are used the roads remain in
good condition Indefinitely. Even
when we have a continued spell of
nasty, damp weather, they do not get
soft to any great depth. Every person
who has had an opportunity to observe
the roads where the split-log drag has
been used must be convinced that it
will do the business and give us good
and serviceable roads without money
and without price, save the small
amount of labor required"
The amount levied for township road
purposes in the civil township of six
miles square in the state of Iowa is
from $1,000 to $4,000, probably averag-
ing $1,000 per year. The amount
levied in the entire state for the year
| 1904 for township road fund was 81,
| 749,395.23; county road fund, $685..
| 409.42; for county bridge tax, $1,947,.
1883; total road taxes, $4,256,22S. 49,
/ Allowing road on every section line
the mileage would be about seventy
two miles. The average voting popu
lation of each township in Iowa is
about 200. If half the voters pay the
poll tax of $500 per annum, the poll
tax alone, if properly expended for the
proper use of the split-log drag, will
more than cover the expense of sur
facing the roads in the state of Iowa
The amount to be expended in other
states WILL of course, depend upon the
poll tax levied, The mileage and ru
raj population in these states would be
approximately the same Therefore