Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-04-09

was for years baked in my efforts to
start the road drag movement there
because OF the lack OF central insti-
tute authority I'm those states, weak
ness which has since been remedied.
Now, Wallace's Farmer of Des
Moines, Ia, had given considerable
space to the King drag, so | wrote to
its editor, asking advice My letter to
him was brought to the notice of Gen
eral Manager Ashton Of the Chicago
and Northwestern, leading to the spe-
cial TRAIN campaign over the North
westerns Iowa lines in the spring of
1905. The Burlington carried on
similar campaign the same fall. and
In the following winter we had the
pleasure of seeing n road drag law
passed by the Iowa legislature.
The rise Of the road drag to fame
has been marked by number of OPP
perfume accidents, each of which has
had an influence ON the outcome. In
fact, as / stated In a previous article.
the inception Of the King drag system
was itself largely accidental. And the
success of my letter to Mr.. Wallace
was another instance, being due to the
accidental coming together of Messrs
Wallace and Ashton I'm a Des Moines
bank, they never having met before
At the bank the conversation drifted
to corn, and Mr. Ashton went to Mr..
Wallace's office to see some fine sam
pies. BY chance my letter lay open on
the desk as they passed, and Mr. Wal
lace remarked, There, Mr.. Ashton, Is
n matter in which you and all railroad
men ought to take an active interest"
Mr.. Ashton gave heed and began an
investigation which ended In my en-
gagement to make the tour of his road
in April.
Another such occurrence which con
meets later on with the one just re-
lated had its beginning when the
brother Of our rural free delivery car
rier visited him I'm 1902 This brother
accompanied our carrier over the
rural mail route and saw what the
King drag was doing lie returned to
his farm home near Sac City, Ia, built
a drag and made road which be
came the talk of the vicinity. The
township authorities decided to expert.
ment with the new method, built
drags, hired men and teams. made q
close record Of expenses and noted re-
suits.
IL happens that Sac City is Chicago
and Northwestern town, and when MI
Ashton visited there TO investigate he
was shown the roads and the records
The showing satisfied him. and he at
once wired me to visit his Office at the
first opportunity is it not clear that
the writing of ibis telegraphic message
began on the day th0t the visitor from
Sac City Journeyed over our rural
route?
Not long after this railroad work I'm
Iowa the Alton In Illinois and Missouri
and the Santa 70 I'm Kansas adopted
the same general plan Of campaign.
and all three Of these states have since
fallen into line by enacting road drag
laws
These campaigns by the railroads and
the publication by the Saturday Even
Ing Post or an article bearing on the
subject gave the movement great pub
licity, and the news has Travelled
around the world Papers I'm Canada
Australia and England have been
urging the use Of the drag Paris has
been heard from. Just now I was
shown a letter stating the Missouri
Road Drag Bulletin has been trans.
lated into Spanish. ! have reason to
believe the King drag is in use in
every state Of the Union. and 7 have
the names OF more than fifty Cana
dams who are dragging tho roads
Moreover. the people arc showing nm
appreciation OF the drag and n desire TO
know more about it by demanding my
presence at Chautauqu0s and good road
meetings so constantly that / have 1T