Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-06-21
GOOD ROAD DRACGERS
Organization For Improving High
ways Formed at Sturgeon, Mo.
BEGINNING OF A GREAT WORK.

How the Members Of the Brotherhood
Of Draesers Have Pledged Them
selves to Work For Improved Roads.
Convicts For Road Building.
There was good roads crusade re-
Gently started at Sturgeon, Mo-. which
is deserving of warmest praise. At
the head Is a farmer. George w. Bat
terton, who has been an enthusiast
on the subject for the past forty years
and who four years ago decided 1t was
time to practice some of the principles
he had been preaching and set good
example for his neighbors. Accord
ingly he made drag of oak lumber.
and to the edge of the front piece he
bolted n blade of steel. made by the
local blacksmith. which acted as
light scraper to throw the dirt COL
lected in front Of the drag to the cen
ter Of the road. When he visited Stur-
geon, three miles distant, he attached
this drag to the rear of his wagon or
buggy and dragged the roads both
coming and going. In this way he con-
sumed very little more time in making
the trip to and from town and in the
course Of year had made road
which he and the residents of the sec
ton claim to be superior to rock roads
eleven months in the year, while at no
time does it become so muddy as to
impair seriously it's usefulness in haul
Ing heavy loads over it when it is at
its worst
1t is as smooth and hard as boule-
yard today, though there were heavy
rains recently for two days at Stur-
geon and in its vicinity. Mr.. Batterton
hardly walk. Still he has made three
miles Of country boulevard practically
with his own efforts in four years.
With this inspiring example as an
incentive the business men of Sturgeon
and the farmers Of the country got to-
gether few days ago and organized
a brotherhood OF good road draggcrs,
all agreeing to follow the example of
attaching drag to the vehicles in
which they drive about on ordinary
business. Several Automobiles prom
ised to hitch the drag to their motor
cars. Bankers, farmers, doctors, gar
deners, lawyers, merchants and buck
sters propose to cooperate and devote
themselves for one year in making and
maintaining good roads, no matter
what else may happen. dragging is
the best. simplest and least expensive
method to obtain good roads. There
Is nothing which will add so much to
the prosperity and general advance
ment Of the communities as good
roads," asserts one enthusiast sound
ing the Keynote Of the brotherhood.
This should be an example for other
communities to follow. What has been
done can be done. and the best has
never yet been attained in any phase
Of life. The Missouri enthusiasts have
started a great work. They deserve
not only praise. but that imitation
which is the sincerest form Of f1attery
There Is great awakening Just at
present in this matter Of good roads.
The Missouri legislature has passed a
resolution which proposes to submit to
the people the question Of levying a
state tax Of cents ON each hundred
dollars Of assessed valuation, to be set
apart and apportioned to the several
counties as permanent road fund.
One Missouri county has recently put
gang of convicts to work on the pub
lie highways, ordering several portable
steel cages, in which the convicts can
be confined at night. so as not to lose
time transporting them to and from
work. All over the country SUPER
visoral boards and city councils are
getting together and deciding to do
something besides talk. All these
things are good, but there is something
even better. and that is activity on the
part Of the farmer in road dragging.
Let him set an example and prove
the system is good and feasible and
legislatures. supervisors and city coun-
els will fall in line quickly enough.
There has been plenty Of talking 1t is
time now to go to work individually
and collectively.