The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-08

Good Road News
and Trade Matters
| In the local improvement of high
| ways, no one method has given as
| good results for so little expenditure
and has SO much inherent simplicity
as the split log drag. This was in
vented by man In Iowa named King,
| and it's ready adoption in his home
| State and the neighboring ones has
I done much to give that middle por-
ton of the country Its many miles Of
! fine road surfaces.
1t is of SO much importance to those
| of our readers interested in this sub
| ject. that We present on this page 8
| picture of an actual drag In use. AS
| made, a good stout log fairly straight
and true, from ten to twelve inches
| In diameter and upwards of twe.ve
feet in length. is split longitudinally
| into two equal parts. The fiat sides
are dressed down smooth, and then
| the logs are laid with these facing in
/ the same direction (fofward), and
/ fastened together by 'rleagls sof sew
| eral diagonais and one right-angled
! piece. Usually the lower edge or the
| front half is faced with wide strip
| OF metal. both as a cutter and to
! preserve tho surface Of the log. TO
the forward log of the front ends OF
the diagonals, chains run TO the CEN
trail ring. to which the team is at
| tached.
! In use, two horses are attached
! by the usual singletree, while the
/ alnnREi6p stands
upon the front log and cross mem
! 'bers To some extent this device
| flattens the crown of the road, but
| not very markedly, it's principal func-
| ton being levelling the surface. This
1t does by cutting off high spots and
!, dragging tha material along to the
next hollow or throwing 1t of to the
sides. The logs have sufficient weight
to give the required cutting effect
in ordinary dirt roads.
| Chalmers Looks Ahead.
| That the automobile industry IS
| finding the 1913 season one OF I'M
| usual prosperity. is evidenced by the
reports of some Of the leading COM
| panles. The presidential election
seems TO have had no effect on BUSH
ness conditions generally. Reports
/ from all parts OF the country are
| highly optimistic.
| The Chalmers Motor company states
! that actual sales were never so good.
! In August the Chalmers company had
the largest single months business in
| It's history. September and October
ran very closely behind August, and
now November bids fair to set a new
| record.
| Especially do thu 1913 motor car
! sales indicate unusual prosperity
| among farmers. Nearly all of me
| big agricultural districts show in
creases In sales of from IS to so per
J cent. Most of the cities are also well
ahead OF tho same period of the
| 1912 season in actual sales. Chalmers
| business in general shows an increase
| over 1912 of nearly As per cent for
| the first four months.
A single fact of the 1913 season is
that the standard manufacturers are
increasing their plants while the So
called "assemblers'' are cutting down.
The whole buying public seems to be
inclining more and more toward the
strictly manufactured car. The new
season has been fruitful of receiver
ships, but II Is q good indication of
the stability of the industry that the
failures have all been among the
lesser lights. The big standard COM
panies were never SO sound
The winter season--generally re-
garded as the slow season--finds few
of the large builders retrenching. The
Chalmers company, for instance. is
running full capacity. with many de-
partments working night as well as
a day shift 1t is reported by this
company that the Chalmers plant
will not even be shut down for the
usual winter inventory.
An interesting feature of the 1918
business Is the great advancement OF
the Pacific coast and the Southwest
as an automobile market or course.
weather plays large part in creating
big sales in these two territories, but
the actual sales reported from Cali
fornia, Oregon. Texas. Missouri and
Kansas indicate the truth OF the ex-
ceptional crop reports sent out. In
the list OF actual sales. the Chalmers
company reports these ten cities In
the lead: San Francisco, Los Angeles,
San Antonio, New York, Chicago.
Boston. Philadelphia, Kansas City. st.
Louis and Detroit.
Foreign shipments are unusually
strong. The American car finds spe-
cial favor in the comparatively new
countries. With representation In
such points as Australia, New Zea-
tdnu, AESGuttilS,
South Africa. Ceylon and Philippines,
the Chalmers foreign sales depart
ment Is in close touch with export
conditions. And shipments to these
points are said to show an increase
OF about rs per cent over 1919. Even
tumultuous Mexico Is doing better
automobile business than in 1912.
Especially encouraging is the brill
liant opening Of the winter season !
The Chalmers company has more |
cars ordered for winter delivery than !
ever before.
He-ds 80 Real Estate o., .iopsrA
Among IN numerous other benefits
r.. ( or !nt..,ct which have been
c.f-.mSd for improved highways. that
Il reS..y developer Is tie latest
few yeas 40. II was considered that
he matter Of railroad and trolley car
facilities made or broke q suburban
development. but It Ii being brought
% light that the majority Of people who
80 frolB the city 70 the suburbs to