Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1915-03-10
The Early Spring Dragging.

The Early Spring Dragging. :
| four readers really want good
roads next summer, they must
not forget the early spring drag
ging. In the southern part OF
our territory, the time to do this
will have come by the time this
article reaches their eye. Down
in that section, and sometimes
even in the central portion of
our territory, the roads begin to
get muddy for few days along
in February and then freeze up
again. If the farmer will get out
his drag then, and drag his roads
so that they will freeze up
smooth, he will have fairly good
roads till spring. At the time
the frost is out the roads should
be dragged after every rain.
Farmers don't realize the value
of the drag. If it cost twenty-five
or fifty dollars, and was painted
up, and somebody could make
money by going around selling
drags, it would be better. For
the farmer would then think he
must use it to get his money out
of it. It's cheapness and simpli-
city work against it. In the
years time, when we have had
experience, we will find that the
drag is the easiest and best
m hod Of road mainte-
rance after the road has been
properly located. graded, drained
and bridges and culverts put in.
The drags in a township are
worth many times as much as
the expensive machinery. in the
way of graders. which the town.
ship usually buys.
If you really want good road
this summer, don't forget this
winter and early spring drag
ging. Ifyou dragged your roads
smooth last fall after the last
rain, so that they froze up
smooth, you have had good roads
all winter. If not, You have
smoothed them down by bump
ing over them, and then smooth
ed them only in the tracks, tor
turing your wife and ch1idler.
and yourself simply because you
would not follow our advice.
There will always be trouble
about getting the township trus-
tees to drag the reads at the
proper time. Surely we shall
soon reach a time when every
farmer will take pride in seeing
the road in front of his farm kept
smooth and hard, whether he is
paid for it or not The best
work we get done in this world,
the work that counts for the
most, is that which a man does
for love of it, and because of his
own self respect, rather than for
the money he may make. This
is true of about every thing we
do. The best work is work that
can not be paid for in cash, but
is the outward expression of the
inward life of the man.
Let's get over the idea that wa
must do only what we are paid
for doing, and that when we are
paid for doing it, it is all right to
do less work for the same money
for the township or county than
We would do for a neighbor or
employer. Let's develope a 10y
atty to ourselves, to our farms,
to the township, to the state, that
will lead US to do things because
they should be done, and not for
the gain we get out of it, not pri-
marily for the pay.
Ruskin has notable passage
in which he describes the differ
ence between two kinds of men,
one kind with whom the work is
first, the fee second, and the
other, the fee first and the work
second. The passage is this:
Fee first, and you are the SER
want of the fiend of tiends, whose
service is perfect bondage.
Work first, and you are the ser.
want of the King of kings, whose
service is perfect freedom.
Try this on dragging your
road.-Wallace's Farmer.
We Need ''Hane Guards.