Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-11

OF organized action for good roads,
| with indications that real results were
going to be accomplished in and OUT
side OF the city for dragging the roads.
| were the principal and much-to-be de-
| sired results Of the Marshalltown CLUB
entertaining the township trustees, road
| supervisors. and members Of the coun-
! tv board of Supervisors Friday night.
Just what will be actually accom-
! plished depends largely on how ener-
| getically the movement Is followed up
! by the township trustees and CLUB
| workers. The clubs object In getting
! the movement started. was highly sue
cessful.
Make Verbal Good Roads Compact.
The specific result OF the meeting
was that the representatives OF SIX
townships expressed a hearty desire to
cooperate with the city. and entered
into a verbal agreement to drag their
township roads whenever they needed
1t Il the city would maintain and DRAG
all OF the principal roads leading INTO
the city. This was the proposition made
by Mr.. A. A.. Moore. on behalf OF the
club and the city. He assured that
! the promise would be made good II the
townships would see that their roads
were dragged. Those townships that
were heartily in favor Of the plan were
Jefferson. Vienna. Timber Creek. Iowa.
TAYLOR. and Greencastle. Marietta
showed an inclination to be allowed 70
! 90 on and complete the building or con-
crete culverts. before doing more
IN road work and particularly road
dragging. Washington township men
confessed that they had no organized
system and could not definitely promise
ANYTHING until they knew how much
was needed for grading.
Hope to Organize Ten.
II "a the hope and the purpose OF
those most interested in the movement
in this city that ten townships at least
NAV be secured TO cooperate with the
city in this movement. To this end 1t
Is the Intention to send committees into
the townships and personally interview
| the trustees and others and arrange. II
pos.ible. to have an organization per
fected IN each one. % that systematic
work can be done.
In return the city men behind the
project agree to see that the city not
only drass all che main roads leading
into town. but also all OF the unpaved
! streets of the city.
Ransom Unable 20 Talk.
". W. Dooiittle. president OF the
| club. placed the meeting In charge OF D.
W. Norris. Jr.. who. after brteflv OPEN
ing the subject. introduced Mr.. Prentiss
Ransom, Of Jackson township. Hardin
| county who has made his
roads good by persistent md systema-
tic dragging. and who has thereby
gained a name and fame for his town.
shin roads and himself. Mr.. Ransom
smoke at the farmers institute IN the
afternoon, and his voice was In such
bad shape that ne could not talk more
than very briefly at night.
Only Uses Drag and Grader
tn only implements used are the
drag. similar TO the split log drag and
better. so Ransom claims. road graders
| and blows. The only material used Is
the material found in the roads them
selves. which range from sandy soil.
thru black loan, to clay.
Ransom's plan perfected shows the
simplicity Of road work centralized un-
der one man. The sixty miles of road
are divided into what are called sta
| tons. of about two miles each N
! length. One man IL assigned to drag
each station. o his he IS paid 80
cents a iineal mile. For a round trip
over q mile OF road he gets 81.
Drag After Storms.
Thu roads are dragged after every
heavy storm. When a storm Is brewing
Ransom telephones each OF the men
about when ne thinks the roads should
be dragged. The individual must use
his judgment as to the exact time to
get to work. AS n result. when they
80 a-.--:-~ tive nntfra afvfv rnl10Q
IL gone over in two or three hours. h
persistent dragging. together with the
grading that has accompanied II. has
made splendid roads.
The plan was not put into effect
without great effort. Prejudices had to
be overcome. and Ransom was even
threatened with injunction TO stop him
if he persisted. He did persist. how
ever. and he overcame the prejudice.
got the farmers to working in harmony.
and now there 10 but one opinion as TO
road dra gging in Jackson township
When a tenant, who has had charge
of a station, moves away he lines up
the new man who comes on the farm.
or II he refuses, he gets some one else
who has land abutting the road.
The work is paid for from the ordin-
airy tax levy for road purposes, which
in Jackson township is I mills. tho
same as It is in most Of tho townships
OF this county. One year the read:
were dragged as many as eighteen
times at a cost OF $40. but this was
the exceptional e owing to many
heavy storms.
Mr.. G. T.. Arney. OF iowa township.
urged on the farmers the necessity of
c%entralizing and organizing road work.
He advised the organization Of each
township into four road districts.
Trustee Aeainst Bill.
Tho meeting was a Joint session OF
the Institute and the township trustees.
who were called together for the annual
conference on road work and weed exc
termination. The trustees adopted .
resolution smphatically opposing the
Whitney road bill. house hls $50. which
IL now before the legislature, or any
similAT. bill. Copies OF the resolution
were ordered sent to Senator G. n.
van Law uua ;svp. q. =.
LounshesFy.
rats a4sernoen the Institute met IN
Joint Sessien With ahs Nsrshan county