Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1913-07-10
!, GAVE A GOOD
DEMONSTRATION
LOCAL MAN USES AUTO TO PULL
DRAG OVER sTREET-OTHER
THINGS


is what does the work. The Graphic
man saw q real demonstration one
evening this week when well known
gentleman had drag hitched behind
his auto dragging the street which
runs past his home, and for several
blocks toward town.
The demonstrator was L. 0. Hig-
ley. Mr.. Higley is busy for about
ten hours a day registering deeds.
The rest of his time he puts in at
something. If it is not in fixing up
the neatest lawn about town. or build
) ing something about his place, he gets
out and fixes up the street. There's
always something doing.
Well, Tuesday evening Mr.. Higley
hitched an ordinary drag behind ms
Hup runabout and made several trips
over Fifth avenue west, from his
home down three blocks. The street
has been rough and the Improvement
by this dragging was very noticeable.
After he got through dragging he
went along the street and picked up
the stones. The little car handled the
drag very nicely, and while watching
this something in this line that we
;, have noted before came to mind.
This happened in southern Mime
sofa. Between the towns of Madison
Lake and Mankato there used to be
perhaps the worst piece Of gumbo
road that ever existed. The distance
is about fifteen miles. 1t used to be
50 bad that after q rain it was impos-
sibele to get wagons or rigs Of any
I sort over the road The wheels would
get SO full of mud that an empty
rig made load and Mr.. Geo. w. AL
lyn, the good roads enthusiast of
Madison Lake, told me that he had
counted dozens of rigs pulled out be-
side the road to wait better condi-
tions. Now then here is what hap
pened. They went to work and gray
elled a few miles Of 1t at first.
It was such success that they soon
praveled the entire stretch, and a
1 trim over the road last summer re-
vealed the fact that it is a better
piece of road than any of the streets
Of Williston.
After they graveled it they did not
stop. They then put the road drag
into operation via the auto power.
Several medium weight road drags
were provided and when any Of the
auto good roads enthusiasts had a
little time they went out and dragged
this stretch of road by hitching one
Of these drags to their machine, after
the manner demonstrated by Mr..
Higley, on Fifth avenue.
: Now the people in the vicinity Of
Madison Lake and Mankato have
been greatly rewarded. This piece of
road IS to become a part Of great
highway to be built through that sec
ton from Minneapolis and st. Paul
y south. This piece of road proved a
strong drawing card toward the loca-
ton Of the highway through that sec
tion when that matter was up to be
settled.
John H. Holman, of Mankato, is
another great enthusiast. He told
me also that in building this piece of
road very little gravel was used at the
|, start. He said that the common mis-
take of using too much gravel was
often made in graveling streets or
roads. Two or three inches was all
that was used at first. This was al
lowed to work into the soil of the road
and was kept we'll dragged. A lit
tie more gravel was used occasionally
in weak spots, and now there is a
roadbed of permanency. If the prop
er amount of gravel is used it will
work in with the heavier soil and make
binder that will turn off the water
rapidly. Mr.. Holman also said that
by all means gravel put on any road
Should be screened and nothing larger
than the end of your finger allowed
to 20 into the work.
The little demonstration by Mr..
Higley could be carried out to some
proportions if every auto owner in
this section would provide himself
with small road drag and put in an
.yhour or so occasionally leveling up
some of the roads or streets.
rnED0C CAoE