Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-18
GOOD ROADS BUILD
UP TOWNS BUSINESS
Mt. Ayr, Iowa Example OF How "a
Pull Out of The Mud.

Mt. Ayr, Iowa, is one of the smaller
county-seat towns in Iowa, but for
four years it has been one of the most
noted. The state of Iowa is now en-
gagged in the job OF pulling itself out
of the mud, and four years ago Mt.
Ayr took a pull at itself and has
shown many other towns how the
ud-pulling act may be done.
r To pull itself from the mud Mt. Ayr
used a team which is not often hitch
| ed together: it used cooperation and
competition and succeeded most re-
markably. To stimulate the spirit of
cooperation a banquet was given to a
representative body Of farmers living
within a few miles of the town. The
president of the commercial club ask
ed a few of those present from the
farmers to talk to them of the import
ant question of improving the roads.
Talks by the farmers were followed
by talks from the members of the
commercial club, and when the talk
ing was concluded the president of the
commercial club announced that it
had been decided by the merchants
of the town of Mt. Ayr TO offer three
hundred and fifty dollars in five cash
prizes TO the organizations of farmers
who best improved certain plated
tportions Of the road leading into the
town. The organizations were to
choose their own road for improve
ment, and to elect officers and to do
the work. Judges on the first day of
the following November would decide
what club had done the best work.
and the prizes would be awarded to
the five. clubs standing ahead,
Seven road clubs were organized
before the banquet hall had been de-
serted, and in few days the principal
thought and topic of conversation
around Mt. Ayr was improving the
road TO Mt. Ayr. Work was perform
ed at all times when farm work was
not demanding attention. Road tools
became at a premium. In one town
ship it became necessary for the ones
in possession of road grader TO take
the wheels from ii at night and lock
them in caves, to prevent the grader
from joining another road club in the
night time.
Highways that had been but neg
lected by-paths were converted into
good roads before the time for the
final judging was to be done. Brains
were combined with labor to get the
results. Men working in the daytime
would meet at a convenient home in
the evening and discuss methods for
working the roads. One road copied
the work of another, and as result
uniform methods Of bodybuilding
were worked out. And now the new
Iowa State Highway Commission has
followed many of their methods in
improving the roads of the state.
Business followed the better roads,
and the trade territory OF the town
has more than doubled in the four
years the plan has been followed. Men
striving to learn how to get interest
in road making aroused have come
many miles to see what has been done
and who, are doing it. Farmers, mer-
chants, commercial clubs and farmers
clubs have. sent delegations in autos
to see the work and learn from the
workers. Merchants, trade journals,
and automobile journals have told of
the scheme to every corner of the
country. The town mas been adver-
tised and the work has been copied
until Mt Ayr thinks it's business men
and the farmers near it have had a
great part in the great better-roac
movement that is sweeping the coun-
try. American Magazine.