Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1909-05-06
GOOD ROAD DRACCERS
Organization Fer Improving High.
ways Formed at Sturgeon, Mo.
BEGINNING OF A GREAT WORK.
How the Members Of the Brotherhood
Ct Dragsers Have Pledged Them
selves to Work For Improved Roads.
Conviets For Road Building.

There was good roads crusade re-
Gently started at Sturgeon, Mo-, which
is deserving of warmest praise. At
The head is farmer, George w. Rat-
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 s@ne OF the principles
he had becM preac h'ng and set a good
example for his neiGhbors, Accord
ingly he made Il drag of oak lumber,
and to the edge OF the front piece he
bolted Il blade of steel. made by the
local Blacksmith which acted us
light scraper to throw the dirt coll
lected in front of the drag to the cor
ter of the road When he visited Stur-
geon, three miles distart 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 Il read
which he and the residents of the Sec
IfoIf tIdllu 70 Uc super iCl w loNiN iS.tA3
eleven months in the year, while at no
time does ii become so muddy as to
impair seriously its usefulness in haul
inc heavy loads over it when it is at
its worst.
1t is as smooth and hard as a boule-
ward today though there were heavy
rains recently for two days ut Stui-
geon and in it's vicinity. Mr. Battcrton
is SO afflicted With rheumatism he ca!.
hardly walk. Sill 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 a few days ago and organized
a brotherhood of good road draggers.
all agreeing to follow the example of
attaching q drag to the vehicles in
which they drive about on ordinary
business. Several autonobilists prom
/ Used to hitch the drag to their motor
cars. Bankers, farmers, DOCTORS gar
dencrs, lawyers, merchants and huck.
sters propose To cooperate and devote
/ themselves for one year in making and
maintaining good roads. no matte,
| what else may happen. 'sDragging is
! the best, simplest ard least expensive
method to obtain good roads. There
is nothing which will add so much tc
the PROSPERITY and general advance
ment of the communities as gooC
! roads," asserts one enthusiast sound
ing the keynote of the brotherhood
This should be an example for othe1
communities to follow What has beer
done can be done, and the best ha.
never yet been attained in any phase
of life. The Missouri enthusiasts hav,
started great work. They deserve
not only praise, but that imitation
which is the sincerest form of fattery
There is Il great awakening Just a
present in this matter of good roads
The Missouri legislature has passed
resolution which proposes to submit t.
the people the question of leyying
state tax of cents on each hundre,
dollars of assessed valuation, to be sc
apart and apportioned to the severa
counties as permanent road fund
One Missouri county has recently pu
a gang of convicts to work on the pub
lie highways, ordering several portabl
steel cages, In which the convicts cal
be confined at night, so as not to los
; time transporting them to and fron
work. All over the country super
visoral boards and city councils ar
getting together and deciding to d
something besides talk All thes
things are good. but there is somethin
even better, and that is activity on tn
part Of the farmer in road dragging
. Let him set an example and prov
, the system Is good and feasible an
legislatures. supervisors and city cour
ellis will fall In line quickly enough
There has been plenty of talking. 1t /
time now to go to work Individual
and collectively.
The Whole World For Good Roadr.