The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-08-17
GOOD A GOSPEL.
(By Paul Crissey.)

n time the railroads have come 10
see what a tremendous bearing good
roads have upon the general pros
perity OF the country, and they have
inaugurated what are known as Cos
pei trains
by far the nos important of these
is the Good Roads Special a train
of private cars that visit the stations
along the various railroad lines and
carries the gospel OF good road build.
Ing. Expert road builders accompany
this train, and free lectures are given
70 the t~ownspeople and the farmers
at each stop. Practical illustrations
Of how good road building may be
done inexpensively are features OF
each program. and the lectures are
al to the point.
Here is q Town that has gradually
dwindled into comparative ~obscurity.
The merchants have been losing bust
ness and they are Disguised. The
town is surrounded by roads in such
poor conditions that motorists shun
the place. The people in the town
and out on the farms are doing their
purchasing by mail. Conditions must
be remedied. None wish 70 assume
heavier axes All want better roads.
however How may this be accom-
plished? Here is how one town man
aged 10 improve its roads and rebuild
its broken business enterprises:
A good roads club was organized by
m OF the progressive citizens, and al
most Immediately the idea found popu-
larity among the majorityof the in
habitants OF the community. Local
merchants showed an ~eagerness to CO.
operate, even in a substantial way,
and in a short time an expert road
maker was called in TO lecture on the
subject. The active good roads
movement dated from that moment.
Every farmer and villager was
notified that he had been delegated
TO take care Of the road adjacent to
and abutting upon his own property.
Every farmer in the locality received
the same notice. No one had ever
thought of doing the work himself,
All of the road building energies Of
the community had heretofore been
devoted TO berating the road commits
sioner. Instantly a sort of individual
pride sprang up in the hearts of the
people. Heaps or rough stone disap-
peared over night, and the small boys
were gathered into a club of their
own and spent much of their spare
time under the direction of an elder
person cleaning up the sides of the
roads and cutting away weeds. A
general cleaning day was set aside in
which every man, boy and woman
turned out to improve the looks and
the condition Of the roads in the
town. That is what happened in the
town. But in the adjacent country
a bigger movement was on foot.
Farmers who had waited patiently
for the road gang to repair the roads
now strolled out Of their barnyards
and wondered how they might best
do the work themselves. They asked
the good roads club about it, and in
return they received literature telling
how to construct the simple, yet ia
nous King split-log drag. 1t was an
easy matter after that, Every farmer
in the locality spent his time scraping
the rough road around his land, filling
in holes with mud, disposing Of huge
stones that Uttered the roadway, and
in dragging out the ruts. The spirit
Of rivalry entered into this, and later
the good roads club offered prizes for
the best sections of good roads. Pol
ished country roads, like boulevards,
were the result. The young people on
the farms came to town and felt
more satisfied. The rural mail de-
livery man began to whistle on
his route, and the storekeepers brigh.
tened up ~perceptibly. 1t wasn't long
before the automobiles began coming
through. and the money they brought
to that town made the old days, whe,
bad roads were common, a time to be
forgotten.
Such is the story of how one town
developed it's roads and built itself
up from an obscure little village to
a busy little city. There must be
at least one progressive man in every
community who is looking forward to
developing himself and his business
along with the community in general
1t takes only one word Of this gospel
OF good roads to start the ball NOV.
ing, although there is on record the
story of one dying community that
refused to allow the state to build a
beautiful boulevard through the town
because n would disturh tho ola coh