Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-21

the tale. This was, as YOU see, slow
and patient missionary work, as we'll
as somewhat disheartening to some
natures, but had the pleasure of ses-
ing an enterprising merchant in town
the fifth year after began WORK,
| make drag for his own use and pub
lic-spiritedly, he dragged the road him
self. He was followed the next year
by seven farmers in my neighborhood,
and now. gentlemen, the blacksmith
shops in that country are making
them of all the time and everyone has
drag and uses it. This has been
gratifying to me, and Uncle Henry
| Wallace of Wallace's Farmer, claims
| in his journal that the saving to the
state of Missouri roads annually by
the road drag is S2,0U0,000.
Don't Wait For Your Neiahbor.
You see how easy it is for the
relghbors to sheer at q fellow for
working on the roads without pay.
| That is why they laughed Al me. 1t was
not that they did not as whole see
the value of the drag, but they could
not or would not see the value to them
| in having roads that would be hauled
over at all seasons and with a maxi
mum load. They think differently now.
l am familiar with every problem of
| this road matter for have given IL
thorough study and am especially at
my best when answering your ques-
+, lions which l see awaiting expression.
for know that many of you doubt my
| theories about the accomplishments of
the drag. Then, too, another obstacle
to the dragging of the roads is the fact
that you won't drag it for this or that
fellow whom you do not like and let
| him. use your road when he would not
do as much for you. Oh yes, men, I
know all these little differences that
! arise between the farmers, for re-
member that / am farmer of thirty
years practical experience. But this is
narrow and shortsighted. The thing to
l do is to take the interest yourself
without waiting to get your neighbours
ideas as to its ACCESSIBILITY. Let the
roads do the talking, and then the plan
to persue is to begin at your own front
gate and drag the road towards town
ito your neighbours front gate. You can
see the wisdom of this. for when your
lneighbor does the same thing and his
next door neighbor does likewise all
along the route to town, the result is
we'll you know it yourselves.
| Used Many Places.
| Understand me now that I am not
here to sell you anything, nor have /
ever received or asked a cent for the
| drag that bears nv name. Sufficient
for me that the farmers use it and
improve the roads. / have the graft
| fcation of knowing that my labors
have not been in vain for now the King
Split-log drag Is used on the roads
throughout this country from ocean to
ocean, from the gulf to and through
| Canada. Australia and the Philippines.
l came here to tell you how to improve
| your roads and what ] know Is at your
disposal.
Not Partial to Dirt Roads.
81 do not wish to be understood as
a crank for dirt roads, for l have
studied roads of all kinds and would
say build the road that you need. If
you can afford gravel use it, the same
regarding nlacadam and if neither of
these suffice then use brick or asphalt.
You question the advisability of these
latter? Then let me tell you that you
can afford the road you need. The
amount of use your road is given de-
termines the kind of a road you
|need.
In response to what land sells for
III this vicinity he continued. IF your
land is worth 5000 per acre, you need
not tell me you cannot afford good
roads. If necessary you can use almost
any OIL these / named. Bear in mind
THAT I do not oppose the macadam or
gravel road. / favor them, but it all de-
Ponds upon the travel over it and the
care taken of it. A macadam road will
go to pieces, figurativelv speaking, if
you do not use it enough and so will
jany road go to ruin If not used and