The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-07-29
KING DRAG CLUBS,
How to Organize Them and Start
Eeighbors Dragging.
VALUE OF CONCERTED ACTION
Importance Of Using Draes at tho
/ Riebt Time Proved by Statement Of
a Townshlp supervisor-Fe of
Neishborhood Organization.
Lcopyrisht. loOS BY y. Ward King

Township superVisor-Fentures of
Neiahborhood Organization.
Copyright. 1905. by y. Ward King.l
After the public spirited leaders In
the movement for bettor roads have
convinced the community tho King sys-
TEN is all 1t Is claimed to be there will
arise the question of how to get overy
mile of road dragged, for the less pro
gressivc men Will allow stretches of
rough road between the smooth pieces.
Now, in times past used to shy ut
Organization. was more afraid OF
the word than the average farmers
family horse Is of an automobile. The
worst fool over an auto OH my farm
today is tho twenty ear-old standby
who has helped to raise tho children;
not that was foolish about It. but be.
cause knew the ease with which good
people win elect n president and sec
rotary, adopt constitution and quilt.
i am still opposed to organizing FIRST.
Before such an attempt is oven sug'
gested lively demand for It Should be
created When the people are convinc-
ed by object lessons. then tho timo Is
ripe for organization.
ton OF officers is not an absolute no
cesslty, for when the community has
reached the proper frame of mind the
desired end may BIO reached by sort
of common consent. just as villages
gradually get rid of the front fences
and take better care of the lawns with
out the passage of special ordinance.
In thousands of instancl7 long stretch
es-twenty miles In some cascs-are
kept In order by an unspokcn under
standing. But formal organization Will
do no harm and often will succeed
where tho spontaneous kind has failed
to develop.
L am acquainted with four styles of
nelghborhood organization, three of
them developed by unselfish indiyidu-
als having In view the good Of the
community solely The differences in
the plans are due partially to local en-
vIronments and partially to tho busl-
ness occupations Of the persons who
formulated them.
The organization OF the residents
along suburban roads was first &c.
complished by Mr. Clarence D. Skin
ner of Topeka, Kan. Mr.. Skinner In
tercsted the people along his own
street and used the drag to make
boulevard which became the talk OF
tho city His success WINS so great
that he was nude assistant secretary
OF tho Kansas Good Roads association,
in which capacity he aided Secretary
/. %. Graham to spread the club Idea
throughout the state. tho newspapers
of Topeka Joining heartily In the
project
Postmaster Ellison of Cameron, Mo.
was the author of scheme for divid-
ing each rural route In two parts with
n captain for each part He called
mass meeting OF all tho patrons of oil
the rural routes and after explaining
to them he divided the audience into
groups by routes and had captains
chosen. 1t was the business Of one
captain to manage tho outgoing half
of the route which passed his house.
and 1t was the business of the other
captain to attend to the incoming end.
About two years ago Thomas w.
Larkin, secretary OF tho Dennison
(Tex) Commercial club, made and
tested n King drag. He was converted.
The roads were very, very bad about
Dennlson. One of them. known as
Carpenters Bluffs road seemed much
tho worst The Commercial club do.
mated sum of money to put this road
in order, but stipulated that tho farm.
ers must pledge like amount In
money or labor, and also must promise
to drag the road carefully after II was
repaired. Mr. Lnrkin called meetings
at schoolhouse or two out near the
end OF the road, presented the PROPOSE.
tIon md organized tho farmers. To
day the Bluffs road is known by repu.
tntion throughout Texas. and its ex-
cellcnce Is the standard by which
other good roads are measured.
The fourth form OF organization can
be used only in localities where the
road officers Join the movement and
tnke the management In charge. can
outline tho workings OF this plan most
quickly and clearly by repeating
statement made by Il township super
visor from Clayton county at the Iowa
etnfe road convention, Des Moines. In
January, 1908. Tho value OF the King
drug and tho Importance OF concerted
action in It's use wern under discussion.
and tho supervisor said that on cor
tain afternoon, naming q day several
were little sloppy The wind got
into the north and It was evident
freeze was coming. 80" said he. 81
stepped to tho phone and ordered out
every drug In the township The
weather turned very cold that night;
the ground frozo hard and remains
frozen til now. Tho undragged roads
were so sharp and rough tho next
morning they we're well nigh impnssa-
BILE but the dragged roads wero ns
smooth ns door and as hard ns cast
iron and have been so every since"
1t eeems to me this statement con-
tains In nutshell proof OF the value
of tho drag even 10 winter, evidence
OF the Importance OF using the drag Mt
tho right moment, and also points to
tho necessity for some form of organ.