Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-01-30

sponsible for miles of perfect road in
Missouri and other States. To pass
in vehicle from a road that has
been properly dragged to an un-
} dragged road is like passing from an
asphalt to cobblestone street. Mr..
King maintained a mile of public
road along his farm by use of drag,
and it was famed as the best mile of
earth-road in that pat of the State.
In travelling, people went out of their
way to use this road. 1t was always
good. When runabouts were miring
in undragged roads, heavy wagons
could easily be drawn at trot over
the King road. This sample stretch
was such contrast during most of
the year to the road along the farms
of his neighbors, and it spoke so elo-
quently of the progressiveness of Mr..
King that several of his neighbors
finally yielded to the pressure and
began to drag the road contiguous
to their farms. In time the entire
community was aroused to the use of
the device, and Holt county achieved
celebrity as possessing the best roads
OF any county in the State.
Drass then began to travel. The
Missouri State Board of Agriculture
got behind the drag and issued bul.
letins telling how TO make it and ex-
planning its use. Iowa next took it
up, then Illinois, and now it is being
used In dozen States. Good roads
trains, which gave instruction in the
use of the drag and made demon
strations with it, were run by several
railways. Farmers institute lectur-
ers took up the subject, and in other
ways the drag has been advertised.
And still it has not gained the popu-
larity to which it is entitled. 1t
hasn't anything like the number of
users it ought to have. Farmers
have been asked to adopt 80 many
methods of road Improvement, invol-
wing large expense in most cases and
saddling obligations on posterity, that
they have grown unreasonably sus-
picious of nearly every progressive
movement, resisting it or denying it
active support until it literally over
whelms them The drag is against
this type of opposition, and is over
coming it.
1t is an interesting theory which
explains the success of the ros.d drag.
When he was lad on the farm, Mr..
King, with several of his chums,
used to make "mud pies" and plates,
saucers, cups and the like from the
puddled earth found on the surface
of the road after rains. Most farm
boys have busted themselves at simi-
lar work. Those who have, need
not be told that the dishes, bowls
and other products of their skill
as clay workers would hold water.
The mud used was of such consist
ency and the soil Particles were so
closely held together that it was i'm
pervious. This mud represents the
dust made by constant tramping and
wear of the road surface. When
molstened this fine dust forms a
paste similar to cement. And here
is where the drag suggests its use.
All roads over black prairie, gumbo
or clay soils have few inches OF
puddled earth on their surface after
considerable rains. BY using the
drag on these roads the "dust PASTE
is crudely troweled or smeared over
the surface. Wind, sunshine and
traveli dry, harden aud beat down
this mud mantle until it becomes 9
sort of shell which turns water almost
as freely as slate roof. Trave
soon works up dust on the surface
again.a Then another rain forms
puddled earth or dust paste from
this dust. Another dragging spreads
this coat over the first, and the same
processes dry, harden and tamp it
We now have double shell on the
: road. making IL harder amnotha,