The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-03-24
IMPROVE H
COUNTRY ROADS
HIGHWAYS ARE POOR m THIS
COUNTY.
THE KING SPLIT-LOG DRAG
is THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD
OF IMPROVING THEM.

The question Of good roads is a most
pertinent one to the people of this
county at the present time, because a
small amount Of effective work on
them in the next few weeks will keep
the highways good the entire year. If
each farmer would use a King drag
on the road past his farm the result
to the county. Good roads is one of
the valuable assets n community can
have, and are a direct benefit to all
classes.
Many farmers refuse to take an in
terest in good roads because they say
the question is being agitated for the
benefit of a~utomobilists and other resi-
dents of the cities, but in this he is
very foolish. While the people Of the
city would Of course benefit to a GER
tain extent by good roads the greatest
good from them would go to the farm
ers. The farmer uees the country
roads ten times where the man from
the city uses it once. all the
travel the farmer does is over the
country roads. He must haul his
grain to market over them; he must
visit his neighbors. go to church ind
everywhere else over the same high
ways. The rural carriers who bring
his mail must use the country roads
and If they are in poor shape his mail
is necessarily late and at some por-
tons Of the year the carriers are un.
able to travel at all. Many other ar.
guments could be advanced in favor
or good roads, and there Is no good
reason why a community should be
without them when a King drag Is so
cheap and effective. This drag, II
used properly and at the right time,
will make the best dirt road In the
world. 1t has been used to good ad-
vantage in the streets in Brookings
and In other parts of the county.
The following are the directions Civ
en- by d. Ward King for making his
split log drag" Don't imagine you
know more about making the drag
than he does, but make 1t as he sAys
in every particular and the drag will
do the work IL you use it intelligently
Take the two halves Of a split log
ten or twelve inches thick and seven
or nine feet long. Set the halves fiat
sides to the front, fasten thirty inches
apart with strong stakes, the ends of
which are wedged in two-inch anger
holes, bored through the slabs. Put
a solid plank platform on the stakes
for the driver to stand on. The hitch
is made Of strong wire or chain, the
long end fastened to stake over the top
Of the front slab, the short end should
be put through a hole made in center
of the slab and neal the end to prevent
the back slab fitting forward. Face
four or Ave feet OF the ditch end of the
front slab with iron. Don't put on
iron full length Of log) An old wagon
tire, worn share or Of road grader, or
any piece of fiat steel will answer for
this purpose.
Is, without any doubt whatever, the
best shape for drag material. have
made several splendid ones from the
ends of cedar telephone poles. II
forced to use plank, get elm or cypress.
2x12 Of the proper length, and a 2x6 of
the same length. Use the 2x6 to rein
force the PIP lengthwise Of it's center.
so that there will be four inches in
thickness Of the wool through which
to bore the two-inch holes for the
stakes which are to join the W slabs.
BY this arrangement Of the plank the
shape of the log slab is Appropriated.