The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-08
ROADS
In RMfIlSSSSIISSS0lrrl
Mas. M. r. STEELE SAYS THAT
TILE DRAINAGE AND USE OF
SPLIT LOG DRAG I'M DELTA RE-
cloN or MISSISSIPPI HAS RE-
SUITED IN ASTONISHING I'M"
PROvEMENT. ~

Mai. nj. F. Steele returned recently
! from a. three weeks visit with rela'
| tives in the delta country of M1sslsslp"
| pi. near the Junction Of the Taliaha-
| chez and the Yazoo rivers. he says
| that the improvement in that n
| over what it vas when he went
| through it thirty years ago is nothing
| short Of marvellous, and he coQnnents
| especially on the roads.
"The soil Of that region is much the
| same as the soil of the Red river val
ley, a black, sticky gumbo," said Ma
for Steele. when went through there
| thirty years ago., the roads were terri
| BILE. We would be hours in making q
short distance with a horse and Wa2-
"On this last trip, I passed over one
OF those worst sections of road with
an automobile, two days after a very
heavy rain. The road was in perfect
condition. smooth and hard. And |
found the same thing to be true all
through that district. The old roads,,
which were almost impossible, have
become fine, smooth highways.
There are several reasons FOR this
change, two Of which stand out prom
inently. /. e., tile drainage, and the use
Of the split log drag after every rain.
OF course the roads are very carefully
graded to just the right slope also.
THE tiles are not the kind which
fit closely together, blu are simply
straight pieces OF tile, laid closely to-
gether, and covered with a layer Of
eartn. The water finds it's way into
the drain through the loose joints. and
very little slope seems to be required
in order to keep the drain clear.
1.-THE split log drag is one of the
most efficient devices that I ever saw
for the proper maintenance of dirt
roads, In the delta region, each man
whose property borders ON the high
Of his W. section or road, and he
must drag it with the SPLIT log drag
Immediately after every rain. This
soil Is naturally very hard when pack
ed. and Is almost impervious to mois-
cure If given half a chance.
The s. Of the drag prevents the
ruts in which water gathers, and it is
the water in these ruts, with the
wheels continually cutting them deep
er and deeper, that results in the sea
Of mud which we find on the average
dirt road after rains. Keep the surface
free from ruts, n put in the right
sort OF drains, and the water will
drain off at once, leaving the surface
hard and smooth.
Immediately after a rain would drive
a little to one side and avoid using the
center Of the road. there would always
be a fin highway in the center. The
United States government has Joined
with the counties in the delta region
to build twenty miles Of model road
from Greenwood up the Tallahachee
river, and this will undoubtedly fur
nish object lessons in road building
which will result in an even greater
impetus for the good roads movement
in Mississippi.
"Inasmuch as the conditions Of soil
and climate are quite similar in this
region to the part Of Mississippi above
referred to, it would seem that the
methods used there for the building
Of good roads could be used here to
equal advantage. The split log drag is
already used in many places in the
Red river valley, and has amply prov
ed its efficiency" t-c