The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-07
Inventor Of Split Log Drag
Talks in Topeka.
D. Ward King Tells How High
ways May Be improved.
is SMALL.
All That Is Needed Is a Cheap
Apparatus and GumptiOn.
One Hundred Shawnee Farmers
Get Pointers.


the Commercial club Tuesday after
noon TO nearly a hundred of the in
duential farmers of Shawnee county
on the subject Good Roads and How
60 Build Them.
The speaker is himself farmer in
the truest sense of the term, having
lived for the past twenty-six years on
mis- farm near Maitland, Missouri, ana
is farmer not by theory but by actual
practice. His hands have become
eoftened and from appearances he
would easily be mistaken for q pros
porous professional man, but this con-
dition has been brought about by the
1act that for the past I'VE years ne mas
travelled almost continually advocating
his pet hobby of better roads.
Mr. King is the inventor of what he
calls the split log road drag but
what is better known as the hlhS
Road Drag. The first name was ap-
piled to the invention because IT'S m
ventor used log split in the center IN
making the drag. The second name
has been applied to It by the users who
have found it nearly indispensa Bile in
the making of good roads ana paNe
sought to honor the inventor by at
1achiug his name to the article when
if adopted by the public viii revolu-
tionize road building in the United
States.
The road drag used in making good
roads may be described as two pieces
of log two pieces of plank, Two
boards or for that matter two pieces
OF most anything about seven feet
long and separated by pieces ABOUT
three feet i'm length and dragged over
the roads by team of horses
There is one thing about the IN
ventor Of the King road drag Whlch
should not be overlooked and that IS
the fact that he has the faculty or
handling a subject which would APP
pear to be so DUH and unlntereStlng
in such q manner that ne IS apie 10
hold his audience While he explains the
merits Of his invention.
The subject of good roads is one OF
vital importance to every one, for the
roads are used to greater or less .ex-
tent BY every one and TINS may II d
degree account for the interest taken
5n the meeting Tuesday afternoon MI.
King has been employed for a NUMBER
of years by commercial clubs falllOdus
and townships in delivering lectures
on the use Of the road drag and It's
use i'm building better roads The ope-
ration as described by Mr. king IS
very, simple and most of the work is
done by nature itself. Just the round
ing IN of the edges falls to the lot
of the operator and the road drag
The invention is used just AFTER q
rain when the roads are wet, ana the
purpose of the drag is to move the
soil from the edges Of the road 10 the
center where the passing OF teams
does the rest. According to MI KING
and he should know what he is talking
about the expense of making one OF
the best classes OF country IOduS, d
solid dirt road is from $2.5U TO 80 per
mile After each rain the farmer takes
his road drag and drives down the
road to his nearest neighbor towards
Town and returns on the opposite SIDE
of the road. His neighbOr IS supposed
TO do the same thing; then, after a
short time. If all of the neighbors re-
main true to their trust. they have a
road completed to town and at min
frouuq cost The cost of such a drag
&c f7a6 from
two to three dollars. and all the addi-
tional expense that there is to making
a solid dirt road is the time that II
takes to drag the drag over the road
after each rain.
Strange as it may seem Mr.. King
has nothing to sell. as the article is
not patented at all, and the invention
and idea is offered free to all and car
be made by any farmer in an hours
time and with practically no cost il
the timber is available on the farm.
The railroads have become inter
ested i'm the subject, and Mr. King
services have been much in demand IL
the central west where he has beer
furnished with private cars in which
TO travel while covering the variou!
systems. The Santa Fe railroad has
just published 24-page pamphlet
illustrating and describing the working
Of the split log drag, which are being
sent over the state with a view o.
stimulating the building of bette
roads by the farmers.
After the talk Tuesday afternoon
Mr.. King stated that he would b'
glad TO answer any questions tina
might be asked by members of hi
audience. and was kept busy for
portion Of another hour in answering
queries
During the discussion the roac
graders which have been so much il
use in road building came in for sever,
condemnation by the speaker, who in
sists that the same work may be ac
conphshed by IS road drag as il
done By a $500 road grader. anC
with the use of but one team of horse
and driver. while it is necessary t,
use from two to three teams and threr
men on grader Mr.. King claim
that it costs from S25 to $50 nili
70 construct a road with grader. ant
that after the road is completed Their
Is only foundation there for a roa,
and that this is quickly destroyed b,
lack of attention on the part of TIL
road bosses. who feel that if they hav
been over the road once at an expens
OF $25 or $50. they have spent all tha
they are justified in doing on one mill
OF road in a year
TIE. split log road drag has beef
tried IN this county, in truth i'm thf
city on one of the unpaved streets. b.
Street Commissioner James RAMSEY
who said. II began using the split loj
9fag ABOUT q year ago on Fifth stree
from Topeka avenue to West street
distance of about ten blocks, and thf
street is at this time in the best. condi
ton Of any of the unpaved streets il
the city and I am satisfied that tn
split log drag viii DO all that its in
ventor claims for it. 1t is much cheap
err to operate than the road grader
formerly used by the street force ant
great deal easier to handle, especial
ly on narrow roads, and in future
shall use them nearly exclusively il
working the unpaved streets of tn
city"