The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-21
Two Good Roads Days Resulted in i
Million Dollars Worth Of Work
Being Done on the
Highways.
GOVERNOR TOOK PART
Plan May Result in National Action
and Federal Aid for the Roads
Of the United
states.

4 United Press Leased Wire Service.
4 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Aug. I'll
Before the sun goes down tonight
more than $1,000,000 worth of work
Will have been done on the roads of
old Missouri, according to statement
today by Governor Major. More than
a quarter million Missourians awoke
/ this morning with burned arms and
caloused hands and followed the lead
of their governor back to the roads for
a second days work
Early today Governor Major accom-
panied by his guest, Governor Hodges
of Kansas and state highway commits
sioners and road officials OF neighbor-
ing states started tour of inspection
over the principal roads of Galloway
and Boone counties.
They intended to stop at Columbia
for dinner. Governor Major was high
/ ly pleased by reports reaching him of
yesterdays road building. Practical
lly every county in the state reported
encouraging work. Only few locali-
ties failed to catch the spirit and they
were excused on account of the
drought in their sections, which one
road overseer reported made the roads
SO hard that they could be worked
with nothing less than dynamite.
i Organization for the campaign to
pull Missouri out of the mud was
caught. For weeks road overseers Of
the state have keen assenb bling equip
lment and outlining the work so syste-
sn1atically that every squad OF men
was put to work without confusion
Two national good roads days are
expected to result from Governor Ma
jor's proclamation this year AS soon
as the Missouri executive can deter
mine the value of the two days work
he says he intends to call upon every
governor of every state in the union
and ask them to join with him next
year in calling two national good roads
days If the governors will act Major
feels that they can exert such influ-
ence upon congress that federal aid
for roads can be obtained Every
where throughout the state women
proved as enthusiastic workers as
men and thousands served appetizing
meals to the men folks along the route
tof their labors Kansas City members
of the Daughters of the American Rev.
olution took advantage of the occasion
to outline the route of the historic
Santa Fe trail through Kansas City.
Governor Major and Governor Hodges
admitted this morning that they were
lust a little sore from their operation
Of road grader, but pointed with con-
siderable pride today to quarter of
mile of graded road which they fin
ished while the movie men were on
the Job.
What the two days meant to Mis-
souri, has been summarized as fol-
lows:
TBy Elliott w. Major. governor of
Missouri
From reports received by wire from
county seats and the best information
obtainable can now give an estimate
of the net results of two good roads
days. The same may be summed up
as follows:
AT least 250000 men will have work
ed during the two days making a.
total of 100000 days work done upon
the roads or at the equivalent at So
per day, of $10O0,O00 improvement.
The work was done by large num-
ber OF splendid road equipments,
some OF which can do as much as 25
teams can In week plus graveling
and grading with teams, etc. plus tbs
free material furnished by the coun.
ties and contributions by various con
Germs for concrete bridges and cul-
verts, etc, can be safely estimated n;
100000. One first class road equip
ment can grade and level FIVE to ten
miles of dirt road per day. Cash con-
tributed by counties and cities can be
estimated at $4,000 Thus the actual
work placed upon the roads, material
and cash will safely make grand
total of $1,50O,0o0. One Of the great
features is the fact that the good road
spirit has been kindled in Missouri
which will bring rich fruitage through |
out and will not ahate until Missouri
has n system of good roads unequa]sd
by any other state in the union. Re-
suits are such that no horizon can I
bound present and future benefits |
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