Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-01-05
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS
How One Kansas Community
Learned a Lesson.
THE EXPERIMENT A SUCCESS.
Government Expert Showed What a
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 IF
Dodge City. kau.. were put Ia all SVit>
of Inconvenience getting to town WITH
their crops for market. In that section
of Ford county j. AZ good wheat land
probably aS can be found in the state.
The owners II these lands are for The
most part Germans. and their success
in raising large crops was proverbiai
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 thOr"u@hfare passed
through the sand hills. This sand
bill 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
places where The sand WAS deepest an
empty wagon drawn 10y two horses
had hard work getting through There
was only one time when this road was
in fairly good condition. and that
was directly after Il hard rain. II
would then pack itself hard. But this
good condition would last only Il day
or two. ana rs rains are not Ovcrfre
| 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 a
serious problem. for many of the farm
ers were threatening To mcve 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 Il roads
expert be sent to Ford county. The
request was Immediately granted. W.
l.. Spoon was sent 10 Dodge City.
After looking over the sand hills he
made this reaSsuring statement:
Your people can nave as good roads
us anywhere in the country and with
as little expense as anywhere. I'll
show you how 10 build 100 yards of
good road through the worst sand. and
with that lesson yuu can continue It,"
In the low places In the sand hills
Mr.. Spoon found close TO the proposed
road Il gumbo-lke soil which he mixed
with % per cent of sand. With this
mixture be constructed n road that
after Il hard winter and almost con
slant travel Is still like race track.
The proposed road was first lined
center stakes and side stakes set at the
required distances. The roadhrd sur
face was plowed. disorGanizing every
part of II. The harrow WAS then used.
separating turf and grass from the
sand. The grading and lcveling fol-
lowed. making easy grades where re
Guired. The road pillow WIS again
used. this time outside the stakes.
! Three burrows were thrown To the
! stakes. making brace To hold the
} clay in the ruadUed. On top of the
clay bottom in the road trench were
r spread sand and gumbu. care being
taken that no grass or roots were left
, in it. The mixture OF sand and gum
2 DO was Slanted so rs To Shed the WA
: ter. Time hardens the gumbO land
mixture.
This 100 Yards of experiment walked
up the farmers and thescity folk OF
Dodge Immediately two aud one hall
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. J. Fitzgerald. lieutenant governor
q large merchant in Dodge City.
That's hard 10 answer" lie said
"becauSe the benefits have been -
many ana varied. The town peopi'
have had IN increase in business. ant
the farmers have made more OIL thci
produce because Of the ease in whici
they get their stuff To market. But
above I'LL. the farms south of town
whose owners had To depend upon til
old road, have increased in value >
per cent. This is not an estimate. bu
founded upon The transfers actual
made since the new road was bull
Our people. who n year ago were d(
spondent and saw no remedy for III
bad rond conditions. are now enthus
astic good roads builders