Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-06-13
HOW TO MAKE And Use The SPLIT LOG
DRAG.

I When the soil Is moist but not sticky
the drag does its best work. AS the
soil in field will bake If ploughed
wet, SO the road will bake if the drag
is used on it when it is wet. If the
roadway is full of holes or badly rut-
ted, the drag should be used once
when the ground is soft and slushy.
This is particularly applicable before
a cold spell in winter, when it is pos
sible to SO prepare the surface that
| it will freeze smooth.
Not infrequently conditions are met
which may be overcome by a slight
change in the manner of hitchiag.
J Shortening the chain tends to lift the
front slab and make the cutting slight
while longer hitch causes the front
slab to sink more deeply into the earth
and act on the principle of a plow.
If furrow of earth is to be moved,
the doubletree should be ATTACHED
close to the ditch end of the drag,
and the driver should stand with one
foot on the extreme forward end of
the front slab.
Conditions are SO varied in different
localities, however, that it is quite
impossible to lay down specific rules.
Certain sections of roadway will re-
quire more attention than others, be-
cause of steep grades, wet weather
springs, soil conditions, exposure to
sun and wind, washes, etc. There is
one condition, however, in which
special attention should be given.
Clay roads under persistent draggings
frequently become too high in the
center. This may be corrected by
dragging the earth towards the cen2
ter of the road twice, and away from
it once.
There is no question as to the econ
omy of this road making implement,
either in first cost Or in. operation.
In six counties in Kansas in 1905 the
cost of maintaining ordinary earth
roads, without the aid of the split
log drag, averaged $42.50 a mile.
These fgure were furnished BY Pro-
fessor w @. Hoad, OF the University
of Kansas, who secured them from
official records of the counties.
Some figures furnished by E.. P.
Sanborn and r. Ell. Ashton, General
Manager of the Chicago and North
western Railroad, have revealed the
wonders of this simple device. Mr..
Sanborn said: "the least expense per
mile per annnm for split-log drag
ging was $1.60, the greatest little
over $6 and the average expense per
mile for five and one half miles a lit
tie over $3. I have lived along this
road all my life and never In forty
years have seen it freer from mud
and dust, despite the fact that during
the season we have experienced the
extremes of weather conditions.
The testimony of Mr.. Ashton is
equally strong. Learning that O.
township IN Iowa had De6n making
an investigation of the split. log drag
and had been experimenting with it
for year on twenty eight miles of
he sent an agent to secure
It was reported that although the
town board had paid the cost Of max
ing the drags and of hiring men to
operate them, the total expense for
one year averaged but $2.4O a mile,
and the roads were reported to have
been "like a race track" the greater
portion of the year.
We might say as concluding this
article that the drag is now in use on
hundreds of miles of road in Minne-
sofa and on the streets of many towns
and cities with great success The
drag does all that is claimed for it, 1t
is the cheapest and best device for
keeping the roads and streets in good
repair that has ever been invented Or