The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-03-12
TO WORK
STAFFORD ROADS
Supervisor Lee Makes Proposition
- Mr.. Terrell Accepts.
He WILL USE THE KING DRAG, ETC.

fredericksburg, Va, March u, 1907.
To The Free Lance:
Nv recent road article brought the ac-
companying note from MIR. Lee. In 1t
be puuests that make certain an
nouucements publicly through your
pap r. Probably the best way for me to
comply is by asking you to publish his
letter in connection with this | rather
suspect Mr.. Lee of irony. but accept his
PROPOSAL, hoping TO prove that existing
road taxes and road law can be made
to very materially improve our country
roads.
MR. LEES LETTER
Mr.. Lee writes as follows:
Monteithville, Va, Feb. %, 1907.
Mr.. John S. Terrell,
Dear Sir--I have read your commu-
nication in The Free Lance oil February
%. which understand TO be "A public
proposition 10 improve the condition OF
the "old Ferry Road" provided "the
money now spent" be turned over 70
you for such purpose. | akeforgranted
that this offer is made in good faith, and
cheeriully accept il, believing as do
that the betterment OF our roads de-
bends greatly upon men who know how
10 do things. wish particularly that
you take hold and give us an object les
son in road making with the king
drag" leave it with you when to be-
gin and impose no conditions, except
that you give the people good dirt
road" as promised.
The amount expended on this road
last year can be ascertained from the
accounts fled in the clerks office, and u
similar sum shall be paid you when the
proposed Improvement isfully completed.
hope you will kindly announce through
The Free Lance that your proposition
has been accepted and state when work
will begin. so as 10 give road oinclals,
and the public as well, an opportunity
TO see the much talked OF King drag at
work ia the mud ifyou can show that
this magic eontrivance will accomplish
but hall its advocates claim for IL, you
will most certainly he accounted a great
benefactor.
Yours very truly,
Jas. U. Lee.
Mr.. Lees proposal to have road Off
cials. etc. shown what the King drag
can do ''in the mud is due TO misappre-
hension, though primarily the imple-
ment Is a mud-naahine. MIR. King ;
idea is 10 apply to road Improvement
the fact known TO every farmer, that
ground worked while wet always hardens
10 drying. He proved that well
rounded road surface dragged while yet
sloppy" after rain during spring, sum-
mer and fall resulted in an almost water
and frost proof coating that only broke
through for short time IN spring. or
rather at the usual breaking up OF win
ter. Ii is, therefore, necessary TO walt
(cr wade) till this mud dries. We can
then make q road. Once made, we can
properly show what the King drag can
do in the mud The western King drag
users have a constitution and bylaws,
consisting OF just one article: u agree
to drag the road from my front gate to
my next neighbours toward town" But
the use hope to make OF the King drag
Is as a cheap, easily obtained road
grader. An up-to-date steel grader
costs about $3.50 and requires six to
eight horses or a traction engine. On
our roads such a machine could not be
effectively used till enormous expense OF
stump and stone grubbing is incurred.
hope to prove that King drag grader
can be made al less than one per cent. OF
the others cost, can do effective work
with two to four horses and can be used
to immediate advantage in very many
places where the other could not.
By "a good dirt road" | did not mean
that dirt road can he madeeq at all
times to McAdam or gravel, but that for
eight or ten months year "a good dirt
road" will be superior to any, and it is
within our power to have such roads
without much additional cost.
New York has contracted to pay over
IS, 600 per mile for 704 OF her "a, 900
miles OF roads. We can haze good
enough roads for small fraction OF such
cost. Let our plan belgrade no, drain,
make plenty OF culverts and surface
otherwise incurable places with gravel
or corduroy.
Yours, ETC.,
Jno. S. Terrell.