Middletown transcript., 1910-02-05
THE GOOD ROADS MISSIONARY
What D. Ward King ls DOisg to Redeem
highRays From Their Siafml State

nome is near MAITLAND, in Holt coun
.o Mo-, is about taken up with the work
= proselytinR for his road drag. Yet
h though he has it patented, he never 90
any. Hi invention, before and afl
issuance Of his patent papers, has alWa
been dedicated to che public use. An
body can make them. But there 10 o.
man, in Indiana, who can's--aud 4
away with il.
That man, having seen prints Of sou
early drawings picturinE Mr.. Kings il
: vention, eoolly took out q patent in WasI
ington on road drag, and proceeded |
sell large numbers Of them.
When the inventor learned Of the Iric
the business was growing 90 large that Oh
popular extension Of the idea was In Clar
ger of being bluffed by q monopoly.
he went to Washington himself, prove
his claim to prior invention, secured
monnply to himself, used It 10 quaeh th
illegal mouupolist, and then did his bea
to let every farmer in the United State
know that he could make drag ont Of
couple of plain logs and never pay cen
for the idea.
As for himself, he is continually en-
gagged in lecturing on its use and benefits
before Chautauquas, farmers meeting
and railroad traveling-csr audiences, sC
that he embodies in himself it's livinG
gospel, while the government dissemi
mates its scripture as he wrote it.
He is q native Of Springfield, Ohio, 8
city man, born and bred. He was in biz
early twenties when his ebbing vitality
made it imperative that be live the out.
door life. His father owner large tract
Of land in Missouri, fifty miles north ol
st. Joseph. It was the obvious recourse.
The yonBg man went thither TO farm and
be healthy.
He was twenty miles from q railway
when he settled in Missouri, bat the rails
came up the valley later and the town Of
Maitland sprang up within three years
after his arrival.
lie didn't know what genuine, old
fashioned mud was until he struck that
clay ground in Holt county. When IL
gets amply wet, it makes gunbo mud;
and when You land iu gumbo mud, you
stick.
They used to tote cofius three-quarters
Of mile for fear the corpse 10 the hearse
would be held up till doOmsday. When
an old man ventured to cross Q street
filled with gumbo mud il took part Of the
remaining population to haul him out.
Grocers' wagons, mired, had to transfer
their loads. A cali, falling, simply died
of it.
King realized, ct she very beginning,
that the roads in his neighborhood meant
endless trouble and protisless farming
He tried the good, old American way Of
organizing OeighbOrhood cooperation TO
make good roads. Macadam was his
hope, but he might 40 well have urged
Holt county to pave its roads with dia.
monds. Il wouldn't even pave them
with good intentions.
Lone hand that he was in the wilder.
ness, he made it his practice to carry .
hoe 10 his buggy and cus q channel through
the ruts, allowing the water to flow off 70
The side Of the road. But thae was little
more effective than the laboFs Of the litsls
boy whom Saint Augustine saw at the
seaside bailing the ocean.
1t happened one day that be had oc.
,asion to haul along the road the familiar
Missouri implement used 10 break down
in the spring. They can make
i Of anything In general; buI Kings was
of frost. bitten pnmp stock and |
| tolerably straight oak post laid parallel |
IN the ground thirty inches apart and /
connected by mailing 20 both three pieces ]
II six.inch fence board. A piece Of smooth |
Eire was attached TO either end of che /
,ump stock, and the doubletrees we're
attached near the middle OF the wire.
The road at the time was moist, but not
ticky, the ideal and the only condition
lnder which the subsequent road drag
loes its perfect work when drawn along
he surface at an angle with the road, 10
g to push the dirt toward the middle Of Il.
CHANGING backward to make sure that
lis stalk breaker was travelling safely,
ling was amazed TO note how smooth,
low brand new, the road appeared. He j
rove on, distance of half mile, % far
8 the gate Of his neiRhbor on the way 20
iaitland. Then he drove back to bis
ront gate. He had leveled and abso.
ltely perfect road.
That was thirteen yeRrs ago, and for
our years or 60 his neighbors enjoyed
oking fun at him and sticking in the
aud.
In Maitland there was . merchant,
'harles T. Groves, who owned a farm
here and fancied trolters and Jersey
ows. He is now one of the bess-known |
reeders of Jerseys in the country.
Ten years ago King, the farmer, Wit.
essed the amazing spectacle Of Groves,
le breeder, driving all she way from
laitland 70 exercise his colts on the half
lille of straightaway track now regularly
'veled by she road drag. King began to
ave hopes. They were coon more shan
lstified.
First Groves riRged- up drag Of bis
wn, and leveled the half mile OF road
EteDding outward from the town. Then
3 waxed enthusiastic. l.
King" he told his farmer neighboF,
it's the best ever. I'm going 70 build
rag that'll be credii to my farm. You
e."
King saw visions Of the merchant with !,
Oney spending S25 for 3 thing shat !.
louldn't cost cent, saDdpapering it,
ainling it. making It . grand and i'm. 4
,sing work Of art. He tsetnbled for his
vention. !.
"Now see here, Charlie" be sxpostu. +
ted, ''if ron go spending real money 5