The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-01-20
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS
How One Kansas Community
Learned a Lesson.
THE EXPERIMENT A SUCCESS.
Government Expert Showed What
Composition of Sand and Gumbo
Would Do When Properly Handled.
Many Benefits Realized.

Composition of Sand and Gumbo
Would Do When Properly Handled.
Many Benefits Realized.
Until recently the farmers south of
Dodge City. Kan. were put to all sorts
of inconvenience getting to town with
their crops for market. In that section
of Ford county is as good wheat land
probably as can be found in the state
The owners of these lands are for the
most part Germans. and their success
in raising large crops was proverbal
But they had one particular legitimate
complaint. That was the condition of
the road between their farms and
Dodge City.
For about two and one-half miles
the main county thoroughfare passed
through the sand hills. This sand
hill road was about the worst to be
found in that section. There were
places in which the wheels sank into
the sand halfway to the hubs. while
the remainder of the distance was
most difficult of passage. In the
empty wagon drawn by two horses
had hard work getting through. There
was only one time wher this road was
In fairly good condition. and that
was directly after a hard rain. 1t
would then pack itself hard. But this
good condition would last only a day
or two, and as rains are not overfre-
quent in this part of the state the sand
hills road was bad nearly the year
around. The citizens of Dodge City
realized that they were confronting IA
serious problem, for many of the farm
ers were threatening to move away.
They appealed to Representative Ed
ward II. Madison. who became inter
ested. He went to the good roads bu-
reau of the department of agriculture
in Washington and asked that a roads
expert be sent to Ford county. The
request was Immediately granted. w.
l.. Spoon was sent to Dodge City
After looking over the sand hills he
made this reaSsuring statements:
Your people can have as good roads
as anywhere In the country and with
as little expense as anywhere. I'll
show you how to build 100 yards of
good road through the worst sand. and
with that lesson you can continue it."
In the low places in the sand hills
AIr. Spoon found close to the proposed
road a gumbo-like soil which he mixed
with IS per cent of sand With this
mixture he constructed a road that
after a hard winter and almost con
slant travel is still like a race track.
The proposed road was first lined
center stakes and side stakes set at the
required distances. The roadbed sur
face was plowed. diSOrganiZing every
part Of it. The harrow was then used.
separating turf and grass from the
sand. The grading and leveling fol-
lowed, making easy grades where re
quired. The road pillow was again
used. this time outside the stakes
Three burrows were thrown to the
stakes, making a brace to hold the
clay in the roadbed On top of the
clay bottom in the road trench were
spread sand and gumbo. care being
taken that no grass or roots were left
in it. The mixture of sand and gum
bO was slanted so as to shed the wa
ter Time hardens the gumbo land
mixture.
This 100 yards of experiment walked
up the farmers and the city folk of
Dodge Immediately two and one-half
miles additional road were construct
ed. For nine months the road has
stood the test. and the farmers in 9th
er parts of the county are building
similar roads.
What benefit has been derived from
this road Improvement was asked
w. ]. Fitzgerald, lieutenant governor,
a large merchant in Dodge City.
That's hard TO answer" he said.
because the benefits have been so
many and varied. The town people
have had an increase in business, and
the farmers have made more on their
produce because of the ease in which
they get their stuff TO market. But,
above all, the farms south Of town.
whose owners had to depend upon the
old road, have increased in value -
per cent. This is not an estimate, but
founded upon the transfers actually
made since the new road was built.
Our people. who year ago were de
spondent and saw no remedy for the
bad road conditions. are now enthusi-
astic good roads builders"