Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-07-10

In view of the fact that the people
are interested in the King
split-log road drag, the story of the
drag from Mr.. King will be interest
ing. At Nez Perez the Herald said
In opening his address Mr.. King said
that while he had not been born on
farm, he wanted to impress the fact
that he was thoroughly a farmer and
understood from farmers standpoint
what a road ought to be. He was
born in Ohio city and on account of
not being rugged in health had enter
ed upon the avocation Of farming
some 80 years ago, settling on his
present farm in northwest Missouri
before there was not only no railroad,
but no wagon roads through his
section.
In time the railroads came, and
with them more settlement, the fenc-
ing of the land and the development
of bad roads. He related his discov-
cry of the split-log drag; how he
made the road from his front gate to
his neghbor's the best in the country
and that he has been maintaining that
road for twenty years and it has
never cost him cent in money. He
said he dragged this road about
twelve times year.
Mr.. King said his aim was to show
how to secure better roads for less
money. By the expenditure of from
third to one-half less money his
plan would produce roads for 100 to
500 per cent. better than under the
present system. He said the split
log drag had been demonstrated and
proven success in every state in the
Union, and in many foreign countries,
and had been used in all kinds of soil
and that no matter what the soil con-
ditions may be, the split-log drag
will make better and cheaper road
than any other device known.
! He gave his famous hog-wallow
story in explanation of his discovery
of the interpreting effect his drag
has upon road when used after a
rain or wet spell.
He said the people Of the middle
west are SO thoroughly organized in
their road work that every road in a
township will be dragged within three
, hours after each rain or wet spell.
He told of mud hole on the road be-
tween his place and town that ex-
tended entirely across the road, which
he had practically obliterated by
, crossing with his drag four times, and
: he said there had been no mud hole
( there since. 1t has entirely sue
; cumbed to repeated dragging.
: Briefly, M. Kings formula fol-
2 building a road is first to construct
: King split-log drag and after each
: rain or wet spell drive from you,
front gate to your neighbours front
3 gate and in five or six treatments ar
oval surface is secured. He said il
the road is not wide enough, furrow
s can be plowed at the outer edge Of
the drag marks and the drag agar
t put over the road to spread the dirt
t and the driveway is widened two feet.
This method can be repeated until the
desired width is secured, but people
often endeavor to make a wider drive
way than is necessary to handle thu
traffic. He said the traffic determined
= how wide the road should be. H,
!. said the split-log system is not only
\ the cheapest way to make road bu
. is the only method ever discovered
:, that does not make road worse be
!, fore it is better.
. At the close Of the meeting in tn
hall, the speaker and the crowd ad
a journed to the piece of road jus
4 north of the public library and Their
q with one of the city drags, fixed VI
especially for the occasion by Mayo
y Miller, Mr.. King demonstrated hi
9 system of making the best dirt roa'
a possible.
q In his visit here he planted see
on good road making that will Civ
q the generations to come on Nezperc
prairie as good roads to travel over a
{ can be found, and far better tha
' their daddys Of today have enjoye
/, and cussed.