The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-12-09
Noted Spit-Log Road Drag
Man Calls Secretary Houston


drag. who visited Grangeville some
three years ago, end did more fer he
Improvement OF roads than all other
things combined. Is now having it out
with Secretary of Agriculture David L.
Houston, who, under the influenc or a
gentleman named Page. has issued a
pamphlet under government frank which
is contradictory in its statements re-
garding road construction, and also un-
dertakes to take a fall out of the King
drag. Mr.. King wrote Secretary Heds-
ton a lette- setting forth some II the
Inconsistencies contained In the Page
bulletin, and Mr.. Houston then propos-
ed a compromise Mr.. King rejected
the proposal. stating that he could not
compromise with foolishness, or sub
init to havirg instructions given regard
ing the use of the King drag, such as
looping of the chain over the cutting
end of the runner" which was very
dangerous, and then cited the death OF
a boy. the news OF which he had just
received, os the result of the looping
of the cham In that manner. Continu-
ing, Mr.. King says:
An offe- to compromise is strange
anyhow; because II the Page bulletin
Is correct, then the writer's advice and
instructions all these years have been
wrong. II the Page bulletin is right
then no compromise is needed; but If
1t is wrong and Is dangerous to the
people who read 1t. why not abandon 1t
instantly?
Nor is the wrong looping of the chain
the only elementary blunder made by
Mr. Page. The suggested substitution
Of IAN ordinary clevis'' for the twisted
snatch link is just as impractical,
though fortunately for those who try to
follow his instructions, not so apt to
prove fata'. For clevis will slide ON
a coil or cable cnain unless 1t is tied.
Yet in spi of this fact so evident to
practical men, M Page calmly advises
us:
''If desired an ordinary clevis
may be substituted for the hitch
ing link shown in the designs"
An Ordinary clevis'' will slide from
end to end of the chain as quickly and
as often as a driver can turn his team
and would prove decidedly discourging
to a beginner who had faith in the
teachings @: this teacher. No erson
who has common, everyday acquaint-
ance with these simple drag accessor-
les could he guilty of such plumbers
The advice is ridicuiously wrong.
LET me make clear, Mr.. Houston
that the objection to the Page bulletin
is not thsl. those who prepared 1t are
ignorant of their subject-though !
grant that would be sufficient-but the
protest is due to their assumption of
expertnesst Truly, sir, but for the dig
nifty and authority conferred on the
Page booklet by the stamp of the United
States Department of Agriculture, not
single Argument would be wasted on
1t; other booklets almost as foolish have
been ignored And this argument is an
effort to persuade you, who have SUI
preme aut-oity under congress-. to de-
stroy the document before it does fur
Their damage.
BY way % illustrations: When in pri-
vate conversation an unimportant indi-
vidual falsely asserts that a King drag
(the term King drag is used because
there are row so many styles of drags
is merely maintenance tool and has
little value as a constructive implement.
one laughs and goes on. But II ths same
person issues the same challenge pub
icly in the presence Of an audience
there is differenc, and one feels COM
PEELED to stop to overwhelm the challeng
err with testimony; testimony that, in
these later days of numerous drag en-
thusiasts, "a generally drawn from drag
men in the audience.
In like manner one smilingly ignores
the writings of the swivel-chair city
theorists, o; the cross roads correspond
anfo rf ha ufu xuha tbsaxy
glibely explain the failure of the split
log drag. l sually such are not worth
while targ a: But when the great Unised
States De,artment Of Agriculture guar
antees with it's seal of authority similar
false assertions and publishes them
there is a difference.
and again there is an audience to con-
vince.
So we come to the testimony:
Our first witness will be found at
the bottom of page II. In pamphlet
issued by the Department of Agricui-,
ture entitl.l ROAD MODELS" num-
bered go. The sentence reads:
Some REMARKABLE RESULTS
have been accomplished with the
DRAG WITHOUT THE AID OF
THE Ro Nd MACHINE" CThe cap
itals are mine.)
There is here u contradiction of the
protested Iage bulletin, for MIR. Page
states twice that the split-los drag
Is not a constructive tool Moreo er.
thread Of thought carried through
the idea Of maintenance only Is a
whole bulletin.
We now j! ave the Department " Ag-
riculture en- both sides Of the case, de-
nying and affirming the same PROPOSE
ton. Bulletin No. 220 admitting that
the drag Goes do REMARKABLE and,
presumably, satisfactory work unassist-
ed by the h'g grader-and the Page de-
MAJ that tire drag can be used with
success unless the roads have frs been
graded ami drained. Thus. one bulletin
nullifies the other, as both are publish
ed by the same department and both
cannot be light.
At this Joint with the evidence at
a balance, we introduce a witness from
the Pacific coast, Mr.. s. p. Davis. of
Olga. San Juan county. Washington. is
the man.