Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-10-31
TINE EXTENDED
Gold and Silver Medals to School
Children For Prize Essays On
Earth Roads.

roads, in competition for the gold and
The two silver medals, has been ex-
tended to March 2, 1914. As there
are a number of children in Berkeley
county who will compete for the
prizes, it has been suggested that the
following information be published
The conditions for the essay con
eest are as follows:
l. The subject of the essay will
be the repair and keeping up Of earth
roads
2. 1t is open only to children from
en- to fifteen years, inclusive, who
are actually living on farms and who
are actually attending some school
3. The essay should be not more
than eight hundred words m length.
IN the handwriting of the child, and
should be written on only one side
If the paper.
4. In the upper left hand corner
Of the first page should appear the
following statement: Essay on Earth
Roads by name of child; age of child;
actual residence of child; school at
tended by child.
5. Children wishing to enter this
contest may ask the advice Of their
parents, teachers, neighbors, highway
commissioners, and Other people, and
read books or magazines giving in
'ormation about the subject They
must not give the information they
gain in this way in the exact words
Of an adult or the author of book
They must express the ideas in their
own language They will not be
expected to use technical terms and
any words that make the meaning
clear will be acceptable.
G. The essays will be rated by an
impartial committee according to the
understanding Of the subject shown
by the child and according to the pen.
manship, English and spelling. The
writer Of the best essay Will receive
4 gold medal the writer of the next
best essay, a silver medal; and the
writer of the third best essay, a sill
yer medal
Z. All essays should be plainly ad-
dressed, in an envelope stamped with
two cent stamp, to: Committee on
2hildren's Road Essay Contest, Office
IF Public Roads, U. S. Department Of
Agriculture, Washington, d c., and
should be mailed to reach that Office
not later than a m Monday,
March 2, 1914
s. Children who have already sub
mitted essays in that contest which
was originally announced to close
October 18th may if they wish, sub.
nit a second essay
As a help to children, the sugges-
ions given below are made Chill
iren need not follow these sugges.
ions absolutely. They must not sub
init essays in the form of direct an.
swers to these questions They must
not quote any of the following ma
terial word for word
How to Tell a Good Road From a
Bad Road.
To the Children; In getting facts
to write your essays for the prize
contest on the repair and mainten,
ance of earth roads, use your eyes
Look at bad piece of road and a
good piece Of road when both are
dry. Study particularly, the ruts and
holes and uneven places in the road
TO see whether they make it easier
o.. harder for the wheels of a loaded
wagon to go along. Study the kind
Of footing that the two roads give to
the horses,
Now. study the same stretches Of
road after a good rain storm. You
will see that one road holds small
puddles. or pools, of water that keep
the road soft and so allow it to be
emit up by the wheels of the wagons
and the hoofs of the horses. How
do road builders keep water from
Gathering on the travelled way Of a
road? Should the road slope to the
side bitches? How much higher
shOuI., the center or crown, of the