Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-06-28
ROAD DRAG DAY.
Merchants Offer Prizes to Farmers
Driving Into Town on Drag.

Road Drag Day is the latest plan
not only for the Improvement of the
country highways, but also for that
harmonious cooperation between
farm and town dweller on which the
complete success of both depends.
As tried out within the past few weeks
in a number of grain belt communities
the scheme is eminently successful
The manner in which the plan was
tried out in Stuart. Iowa, last weeN
shows its possibilities and is an object
lesson to other communities Stuart
is town of 1000, located on the main
line of the Rock Island railroad. forty
five miles west of Des Moines 1t j.
on the across-the state road known
as the Great White Way, brought into
existence and kept in good condition
through the progressive cooperation
of farmers and townspeople. The
merchants of Stuart offered prizes to
all farmers who would drive into town
on certain day on road drag, add
ing special prizes to the farmer who
came the greatest distance, to the one
with the heaviest outfit and to the one
riding the best drag.
Twenty-Five farmers co-operated
with the Stuart merchants and drove
into town from their farm homes rid
ing drags, the the first prize (S3 III
cash and a pair OF gold spectacles)
going TO a farmer Twin" ten and hall
miles distant. who thus made a round
trip of twenty-one miles astride a
home constructed drag. The second
prize (S3 i'll CASH went to a farmer
coming nine and half miles, while
the third prize went to a farmer whose
round-trip was eigteen miles. The
prize for the best drag was pair OF
shoes, the contestants deciding this
feature by voting among themselves
The Stuart prize for the heaviest four
horse team hitched to a drag was won
by farmer whose horses tipped the
scales at 6.720 pounds. the second heav-
lest weighing 6,l80 pounds and the
third heaviest 400 pounds
Each farmer who rode into Stuart
that day on a drag was welcomed on
the main street by delegation from
the Commercial Club who furnished
him with market basket and certiii-
cate good i'll trade at practically all OF
the stores of the town. Armed with
his market basket and his certificates
each of the farmers made the rounds
OF the stores collecting the articles
OF merchandise, which ranged from
household necessities to personal
trinkets and in value from twenty
five cents to several dollars each. In
addition to the articles thus given him
for his market basket each road-drag
farmer was given twenty-five cents
worth OF cigars, an ice-cream Soda, d
pair OF socks and new necktie. One
OF the surprises of the day occurred
when two farm girls appeared, riding
a homemade drag which had been
made comfortable and presentable by
means of seat taken from another
piece of farm machincr". covered with
rugs. The girls were among the most
enthusiastic OF the road draggers and
by their example showed the manner
in which the feminine members of any
farm household may cooperate in this
all-important matter
BY means of twenty-five farmers
making the round-trip to and from
town on road drags. the highways rad
iating from Stuart were put in splen
did condition al the verv time of the
wear when communication between
town and country was most desirable
both from the standpoint of the farm
er and OF the local merchant. The
in the proper spirit being careful not
to pick out the best and smoothest
parts of the roadway. but dragging
the rough and impossible parts so as
To put the roads in good condition and
thus fulfil the exact spirit of the occa-
sion. Practically every one OF the
farmers who entered Stuart was an
enthusiastic dragger and declared that
road RI iS a 81 n : a
piece of farm machinery as anything
they know Many of the road drags
were simple. homemade. split-log af-
fairs. but few beino purchased ones
showing that road dragging is not de
pendent upon expensive machinery
but that enthusiasm and time are the
main factors. the expense of dragging
being of minor consideration.
Other towns have followed the
Stuart example with good success and
many miles OF highway have been pit
in successful condition. Cooperation
between the small-town merchants
and farmers is all that is necessary,
the merchandise prizes being sufficient
to give the proper incentive, the farm
ers being only too glad to do actual
work The amount OF merchandise
pledged by the town merchants to
each farmer approximated 80, so that
the entire outlav for this successful
Stuart Road Drag Day was only Sis,
distributed among practically every
merchant of the town, small indi-
vidual outlay considering the bcne-
fit to trade from the improved roads
and from the winning OF the friend
ship OF a score of progressive farmers
Plans are being laid already for
similar celebrations, not only through
out Iowa generally, but throughout
the entire grain belt. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that the farmers are busy
in their fields there is a general realiza-
ton that a half day spent in as good
a cause as road dragging is time. well