Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-04-13

So far no iron has been used.
Make platform of inch boards to
drop between the slabs on which
the driver may stand. Nail the
boards TO cleats so that they will
: not interfere with the cross stakes
, of the drag. Cut the cleats about
an inch shorter than the places
they are TO fit; and nail the boards
! half an inch from the ends of the
J cleats. Use at least three boards
and space them an inch apart so
that earth can sift through. other
wise there will be occasions when
dirt will come over the top of the
slab and you will be obliged TO lift
the platform, dirt and all, to dump
it.
Next bore an inch and one-half
hole close 10 the ditch end of the
front slab and in the center of it.
Get this hole within an inch of the
end of the slab if the wood is
sound and tough. Secure a trace
chain, regulation length, and 10 feet
Of No. 8 smooth wire. Pass the
wire around the stake that is at the
middle of the road. Pass the wire
around the stake twice and through
the round ring in trace chain twice
and tie. Then slip twisted snatch
link onto the chain, pass the free
end of the chain through the inch
and one-half hole, drop an old bolt
into link to hold it there and you
are ready for the double tree and
team. Do not put the clevis through
Il link of the tree chain or 1t will
break. Put the clevis around the
chain and tie it there, If you have
no snatch link Fasten the clevis
at a point on the chain about
feet inches from the IL inch hole.
Stand on the ditch end of the drag
and drive off BY changing the DO
sition of the cleyis on the chain
your own position on the drag you
will be able to meet the most varying
conditions.
1t is well to put three or four
feet of iron on the ditch end of |
the front slab. There may come
times when you will wish for sharp
steel.
1t is probable that you can improve
the road by dragging it the moment
the drag is finished, no matter
what is the condition of the earth.
Ordinarily, however, it is best to !
drag when the soil is moist. but
not sticky"
Don't get in a hurry to build
high grade. Obtain a smooth. hard
foundation and then build onto it
gradually.
The formula for making Good |
Roads without Money" is based on
several truths which have been
more or less ignored by the road
makers Of the past.
In the first place a travelled road
that has been undisturbed for year
or more possesses a tough hard |
crust which is a valuable asset.
Many road men cover this crust with
a heavy blanket of soft, loose earth |
the first thing they do. While 9th
ers tear it all to pieces and try
(unsuccessfully) to rearrange it.
Now the crust should be neither
broken nor covered; it should be
smoothed, all the wrinkles and
ruts taken out of it, and then it
should be thickened gradually. No
matter how flat this crust may be
it is the best available surface for
travel and a serious mistake is
made when it is put out of order
Again: / believe a blunder is
made whenever loose material of
any sort is placed on the road in
quantities TO drive the
travel away from the middle OF the
highway. Still again: not a few men
seem to confuse slope with surface
drainage.
A loose, porous earth surface
will not shed water, it will absorb
it. Now the formula for building
good roads without money avoids all
these mistakes. 1t is given below.
Read it carefully.
This formula will work on gravel
roads just as nicely as on earth
roads but more time is needed to
get results.
Do not wait for anything. Build
a drag and get out onto the road.
The formula will work in any
state on any average mile Of road.
Good Road Formula.
Build a King drag according to
Hitch the team TO
the drag as directed, so that the
drag will follow the team at an
angle of about As degrees. Drive
with one horse on each side Of the