The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-04-26
n,ss sovs,As 70 A. nAposvla GOOD
noAOo.

Mopfsr YARxrx of MAITLAND sTAKT'
CErsApr IN rHr MIssIssirri sAhLh
ov GKrAT isruRr TO rnr FAn.
MFRS THERE.
II has remsiped for . hissouriAn TO sssss
lhs good roads problem and carry 90
crusade among the farmers Of the hississ'
ippl valley. which one noted Agricultural
s1pert declares to bs the mosi important
work done among the sxrscslta arallsu foi
= score OF years. Tue good reads special
trains orisiuated with d. Ward King. .
modest farmer Of Maitland, Who bss con-
ciusivsly proved that the meaness dirt
resd 10 the state can be transformed into
4 well rounded. weli-drsined puhlic high
xsy, 10 hard aud solid ~ race track, and
Il ainlsined 10 this APPENDED condition st m
snnual expense Of bot e7.5oa mile. How
hss this gres, discovery, Of inessimsoie
value 70 city dwsller o. we'll ~ to farmsr.
been brought about. The story isAsirple
one.
Twenty years ago Mr.. King wss aroused
% the necessity OF improving the road
which leads from bis farm home 10 the
nesrby town Of Maitland. 1t Was rutty,
full Of chuck-holes, uneven, at certain
times OF the year virtually impossible. IL
sss on q par with other neighborhood
roads, but Mr.. King studied the problem
d how TO solve II.
Finally be hit upon 4 homemade con-
rivance 90 homely and simple that the
nelahbors who watched him work With II
sere forced to laugh. Walking through
HI. stable yard Mr.. King CHANGED to Spy
old pump stock which had been torn up
nd which had laid unused for several
years This pump stock he took and, lay
~ log splt In half parallel with II, be
fastened the two together with rough
}. ards and chains then, bitching . horse
the home e-mAde drag and standing upon
1t no dragged the road TO Maitland.
twice, three times. half dozen times,
while the road was still wet from recent
aims, he dragged the entire length and
hen dismounted to look At what he had
done.
A rolling, well-drainsd and compact road
extended from farmhouse to town. Mr.
King had solved the problem.
Every year since that Mr.. King hss
dragged bis roads regularly. VI have KEEP
rack OF II as to the amount Of time and
find that the average is once month";" be
says. "That's not very much work to &c.
cure good road. dragged from my owD
gate to my neighbor's, . half . mile; II
takes about twenty minutes. ! don't make
many trIps to town before have regaiDed
the time expended In dragging, to say
nothipg Of the gain to neighbors and the
general public"
1t WAS not long until the entire Maitland
neighborhood WAS using similar home
made draes, and that section OF Missouri
boasted Of the best country roads extant.
Gradually the fame Of the man who had
brought this about spread. Over . year
sgo Mr.. King received an invitation from
he good roads association Of Sac county,
Ia., asking him to visit Sac county and ex-
plain bis system. He did 80, and was re.
ctived so enthusiastically that over fifty
farmers pledged themselves to try the
work. Asa result the highways leading
into that progressive town, twenty.eight
miles altogether, have been cared for 1t ~
xpense Of but $3.50 mile, and 10 orc
years. tine transferred frsm muddy, M
even roads into thoroughiarss so smooth
and hice that owners Of trottIng horses in-
variably choose the public highways for
speed ways In preference to the race track
The Sac city experience Was the begin.
ming Of the interstate crusade which Mr..
King is now carrying on. Early this spring
be Was approached by officials Of the Chi
cago aud Northwestern railroad and asked
i he would preach the gospel Of good
fosds from = special train. - the gospel
Of seed corn selection had been preached
s.t year BY Professor r. G. Holden. Hr
King consented,
The Northwestern started Its special
train at Onaws, Ia. Announcements had
been scattered broadcast throughout th'
vicinity the traiu would reach each Sta
tion along the line at certain hour, Mr..
King would exhibit bis drag and explain
,ts manufacture and use. for . half hour,
hen he wsuld answer all questioss, and
the train would proceed to the next stop
10 case Of inclement weather the lecture
would be delivered 10 the audience car At
tsched to the sleeper and diner Of the
special train.
The Onawa reception was enthusiastic.
The occasion was made festival day. Al
vi,i n z farmers. and they numbered over
900, were given two good meals BY the en-
terprising busiress men OF the town. The
sum Of $50 was subscribed BY them 10
lbirty minutef, u be offered ~ prizes for
be best ksp. mile and half Of road dur
ing he season Of 1908 BY the use Of ths
King drag. while agreements were secured
whereby the tswn Of 0rawa cares for on'
mile OF road leading out Of town In fouI
d nerent directions, and the farmers carr
for an additional seven miles op eact
route. Enough time has already elspset
to prove the value Of the scheme, Onawi
merchants reportipg their trade 70 bsv'
Increased twenty Ave per cent, - the re-
suit OF the passabls roads.
Asother town which Was early VISITED
BY the 70 roAds train was that Of Dssi
sop, IL the home Of Leslie n ,..Shsw. sec
rotary Of The treasury. TIE town chos'
,hs road lesding from secretary shaw