Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1909-02-11
Farmers Have Taken Up Motor Cars
and Improved Roads In Order to Use
Them-Remakins Sand Highways
With Clay.

The farmers motor car has worked
a transformation ON the country roads
Of central Kansas. For many years
there was Indifference regarding the
roads The old fashioned plan OF
working the road in theory and doing
nothing in practice was carried out.
Now there is levied road tax in
cash, and the money is used to hire
competent men to do definite work in
keeping the roads in good condition.
A striking example is the road from
Abilene to Enterprise, six miles along
the bottoms where gumbo soil is fire.
quent. For two decades it had been
almost impossible for heavy wagons
in wet weather owing to the great
ruts cut III it. Little more than a
year ago the township entered on the
new plan. 1t is now dragged after
every rain, and the transformation Is
notable, says an Abilene QHanJ cor
respondent of the Kansas City Star.
1t is smooth, even and has become
one of the favorite runs for the mo-
torists of Abilene owing to its fine
condition. AS matter of fact, it is
kept smoother than are the city streets
that lead to it. The same is true Of
road to Detroit, in the line Of the
Kansas City-Denver run for tourists.
1t, too, is dragged after rains and has
become very attractive highway.
Those who have not been over the
roads cannot comprehend the change
that has taken place in them.
Up in Hayes township. eight miles
from Abilene. are two brothers, Jo-
seph and Isaac Page, who own motor
cars. They are enthusiastic drivers
Of their touring machines and have
learned to appreciate good roads. They
have taken up the road drag in their
own communities and are giving the
residents of their locality practical
examples of what can be done in max
ing good roads. Joseph Page says he
has the best half mile of road in the
county, and he feels offended if mo-
torists pass along its smooth course
at less than thirty miles an hour. AS
Il result, largely of their efforts, there
are a dozen drags in constant use in
the township when the farmers can
get time to use them. In the summer,
with so much rain and such Il rush
of work on the farm, 1t has been neg
lected, but now they are at 1t once
more. The tendency of the farmers in
that part of the county toward proper
road work has greatly increased. and
the road tax is being used with bet
ter effect than ever before.
One of the farmer motorists of the
county. r. II. Gfeller of the northeast
part of the county, was asked by the
city officers of Junction City recently
to show them how to make good road
drags that would keep the roads lead
ing to the city in good condition. They
intended to make Il bid for trade by
dragging the roads In all directions
from the city and are asking the farm
ers to come there to trade because OF
the excellent highways leading into
town.
Mr. Gfellcr recently returned from Il
200 mile trip to western Kansas IN
which he was accompanied by his fam
ily. They We're gone a week and had Il
successful journey. Their car has prov
ed great satisfaction to the family,
living, rs they do, twelve miles from
town Now the members are seen ia
junction City and Abilene frequently,
and there is nothing going on of con
sequence in the county that they do
not attend. The sandy loan of the
uplandS gives fine basis for the
dragged roads. and Mr. Gfeller has he
come an enthusiast on the subject.
He advocates this as the solution of
the road question at all times.
Another Interesting experiment that
has been made by the farmers of the
county who have become interested in
good roads is the remakipg Of the sand
roads by paving them with clay. For
instance, the main street of Detroit. a
little town five mites east of Abilene.
was for years waste of deep sand.
The road is much Travelled. and all the
motor car parties from Kansas City to
Denver go through this street. The
town trustees tried to grade it up, but
were unsuccessful, so they finally de-
termined to pave.
They hauled from the clay beds
along the Smoky Hill river enough clay
to make covering for the roadbed,
and this was smoothed down until It
became a fine. hard road, one of the
best in the county. while the sand be-
meath takes up the moisture. and the
road is always dry. This proved so
satisfactory that other sand roads in
that vicinity have been similarly treat.
ed and are passable for every sort of
vehicle. The hills that formerly could
only be traversed by the well equipped
teams ard where motor cars could not
go now are excellent highways. and
the cars are frequently run over them.
Roadmaking has received decided
impetus since the introduction Of the
motor car to the rural districts cf the