Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-08-15
A HOME MADE
ROAD MACHINE
The Department of Agriculture
Is Booming the Split
Log Drag.

The public roads bureau of the depart
ment of agriculture, having figured out
that there are 100000 miles of earth roads
in the United States, has hit upon an in
expensive way for their Improvement. The
split log drag is its solution Of the prob
lem, and the bureau is telling the larmer
how to make It.
The main thing needed is a dry red cedar
log, although red elm and walnut are good
while box elder, soft maple or even willow
may be used. Oak, hickory and ash are
not recommended.
The log, seven to ten feet long and tea
to twelve inches in diameter at the butt, is
split as near the center as possible. the
larger piece being used as the front OF the
drag and sometimes being shod with iron
along the lower or cutting edge
The two slabs on edge and thirty inches
apart are fastened together by stakes IN
such a way that when the drag IL III use
on one side of a road the end of the back
slab is about sixteen inches nearer thu
center of the driveway than the end of tho
front slab This gives what is called the
setback. Between the heavy slabs and
resting on the connecting stakes is a
board on which the driver stands.
A team of horses is hitched 10 this COM
pleted drag in such a way that the drag
unloaded will follow at an angle OF chou.
with one horse on either side of the right
hand wheel track or rut the full length Of
the part to be dragged, and made to re-
turn in the same manner over the other
half of the roadway. Such treatment will
move the earth toward the center of the
roadway and raise II gradually above the
surrounding level.
The department recommends the use Of
the split log drag after heavy rains, when
a he
way, but much depends on the quality Of
the soil, some roads requiring frequent
treatment.
How economical the method is is shown
by figures of actual tests submitted by
the bureau. In six counties in Kansas in
1906 the cost of maintaining ordinary earth
roads without the aid of the split log drag
averaged $3.50 a mile These figures were
furnished by Prof. w. c. Hoad of the
University of Kansas, who secured them
from official records of the counties.
Other figures are credited to +. p. San
born and r. II. Ashton, general manager
Of the Chicago and Northwestern. Mr..
Sanborn said the least expense n mile
per annum for split log dragging was
$l.50, the greatest a little over Sc, and the
average expense a mile for five and n half
miles a little over SO. | have lived along
this road all my life and never In forty
years have | seen ii freer from mud and
dust. despite the fact that during the sea-
son we have experienced the extremes of
weather conditions"
The testimony OF Mr.. Ashton Is equally
strong. Learning that township in Iowa
had been making an investigation of the
split log drag and had been experimenting
with 1t for a year on IS miles of highway,
he sent an agent to secure information.
1t was reported that although the town
board had paid the cost of making the
drass and OF hiring men to operate them
the total expense for one year averaged
but $40 a mile, and the roads were re-
ported to have been like a race track"
the greater portion of the year.