Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1910)
r D Road Makers "Who ! ,1 i.-' LDORA, la Jan. 15. A little El north of the fceoKTaplik-nl centor I of Iowa lies Hardin county. EI- uuio is us county hbi. wiau from being a rich farming com- munlty and the alte of the State Industrial School for Boys, Hardin county makes no further claim tn nm.fminnnA compared with the other nlnety-elght coun- ues or me nawkeye stale. Near the centor of thu i-mmtv in i-w iu lenier oi me county is Jaoknon township. Its lurirnst tnwn 1h ii..,t i,.b lunuoiiiy. nm mrgesi lown is uwanp. jack- son township Is similar in all waysf except- Ing one, to the rest of the county. Its long level stretches and its low, rolling hllls- typical prairie land-make the topography of its thlrty.si square miles like the tuner townships which surround It. The single exception, which la at the ame time a dlf- ference and a distinction, when compared with its sister townships, and for that mat- ter others of the slate, are its aood nm.u They are ot such general excellence and such a source of pride to the inhabitants of the township that thuy are called high- y oouievaras, and they well deserve the "me" The traveler may cross the stule from Keokuk to HIouk City, from lJubunie t, Council Blutis, and he may iiaere ull of lis highways and byways, but not In an- other section will he find roads to compare with them. Because of Its good roads end the sys- tematlo work which bus transferred them from Impassable quagmires Into highways, which are not only pu.saule. but wnlch In most places during most of the year are j..iiiu me average paved street, y pvuBuu ivwiiBiiipa tame lias preud all 'over Iowa. The township stands alone as the first one In the world to adopt a plan of systematic road dragging wlili a King drag. With no other materials but the tluy and loam, whlcn are the lop soils of hut uu,.ii..,t ., .( ,, . , , . , ... uu uuiLi i.iipicruciua . 7 . , 7 . of this township, undtr lau leaueisulp of i ientiss Ransom, road superintendent of ..., o, uul uu .aaiiiiuins nign- ways the like of which, when material used is coiialdcrod. cannot be surpassed in the entire west. They have demonstrated be- ond the possibility of successful argument ii,q inunniK yi erMiu TUilUlf 111 H1UU- ridden Iowa without the use of crushed stt ne, macadam, gravel, cinders or hand, all of which are expensive, and noun of which are to be had In Jackson township, van easily be accomplished. y laty-Flvv Miles of Boulevards. Hlxty-flve miles of highway bmilevurds. To these sixty-five miles of excellent roads the people of Juckson lowiiBhlp point with pride when the wayfarer hi within l:s gates. .Ml etching bark und forth across the town ship, dividing It Into hugh t,quarts like a gigantic checker board, run the highway boulevards of which the township Justly boasts. Some of them run for six miles as straight as the bee fli,:!, dipping through thullow valleys and rising over undulating hlils and knolls. And eveiy foot of it U like every other foot, wid-, smooth and hard. Graded to the cen.er tj shed water, drugged to a smoothu.si JfliuuHt untie lieveable for dirt roads Uny are a delight lo the auto owners, the farmers, the resldenls of the township In general, and especially to their nuiintamei and the nuluutor of tne Idea, J'rcml.-s Runboin. Mr- Raiibom, originutor of the ,"s te malic load dragging" by townships Is a hard headed funncr, whose predominating truits are good common sense and stick- loliiveness. For years he cul-rtnlned Ideas touching on the question of making good roads, and the poslblllty of turning II t. I .. .. fc.,.. -eiy apd loam highways into smoolli hard -y atiu iouiu ioh"u iiuo siucnjiii nam Rids. He argued his Ideas presUlciitly When ever be could get a hearing. He w an tnthv.a3t oil the subjuct. Even tually his clamor for systematic road mak ing gained attentive ear uj he wu 1- t I'-1 . -r- . Mt ..,..,-,. . .jf f. ,.. ... r'... . ;, . ...... : ,. 1 -' 1 1 a.. ... '-.V TAUT OF A JACKSOX TOWNSHIP 1VELL CROWNED ROAD THit SHEDS WATER AND 13 SMOOTH AS A FLOOR. ''!:' TYPICAL STRETCH OK ROAD IN JACKSON pointed road supertn ten-lent . of Jackaon township. That waa atx yeara ago. For years he had talked and argued harangued at larmers meetings, tnsiituies ana ukb gatherings that by grading the roads In th spring of the year, and then dragging them with ft King drag after each heavy ....... . w .. . ..Au,.i .n,.t ka nnw passable, but excellent roads. Now that hs wtt, road superintendent the chanc. to . . . , , . j . put his Ideas Into operation was opened tq v. . i . i him, and h was not slow to take advan- ttvo of lt $ Origin of Systematic Kot Urasglnw. No sooner had Ransom beta pmced In ,i,.,B ,.r the maris of m- tn,n,m, im. he began to put hi ideas into operation. At first lt was slow work, and It was u equally tedious and hard taK to get the .i w,hm i. -.. and a practical demonstration to convince n.anv. Mariners aceuMtoiiitii t, roads uhl.m were impassable during certain mouths of the year were skeptical. They doubled the leuslbiiity of Random's plan, who was con- sldered by many to oe a sort of a lanaiK ,m xxo gUoJect of road making. Tney wrv umally reluctant to leave tue work in tiiv i..,l to get out and drag and grade in iuuua. 'i ney had, however, this redeem- tllJ leulUfj they were open to conviction. v neu Hansom demonstrated that his theo. iit ure practical by giaulng and Uiug4iu ocrtuin ceciiou of the luguv. ays, anu i.iey uw me vo.meriul chan.e Uccojiipiisntu, u, iuea bct4 t0 ouk U and UKs no.u. and u tttta ut iulltf until lust one and mall anotiier land oviur ai.a venter began to tai.s at first an active, men un entnaaiasuc aim ViuiKin mieixsl in tne road bunuiii. Uaviuu gained a sound louiuo.u lur o.s Idia, itaiioom, with his usual persistency, oi.ttii to i iitii'tiiiL! iii v iiikiiiii it. iiL it lu- T - qu. red tune yeurs' ilme outuie the develop- ",c"t '''"l --vi-y loot ot puolic liign- y i,,B lu,lsll.p. since then tne nia.n- ,ulning of tne loeus has becu...o as inu... tt pa, OI ie tallll wolfc UI laosu wh0 0u u tt !s UlK j,luttUI, 0, lllt. t.ulu plallti.i-. klvre i8 ltausum plttn , tt ..utsneu Hum hi o.u woiua: l grade the loaus in lue apr.ng with mo grade! and men u.ug mem I'cKUlarli Slid s'.emullcaliy atier every uad siurni." But it required tne io-opera-tluu oi the la i oi, -i .i und me j Meinuwjmg or the work. U had lo ue kepi, up lo oe suci tcMui, and URIC had to lie nieu lead to go on thu woiK wiiencvtr caned. iu ace jiniilisa tins iiunboni uiViued ms town ship loaus into "eijujns. ' ,l lost uite nui.ibeicd twenty-live, but later luls num ber was Increased and eatli "muhoii" was illulteiul'l ill leilgtu. lie men bJ.c cacii farmer a ".-i uiu.i to o:ag j.uuj im lui nt and tar.i.tr a u t. j n.niiy iu ii.om; me "stui.ui.s ' tint.! tar no us pobloie he i.uji.uyi'u u.o-e who hud telephones, l.urly id tne spi.ng the toicc v. ui sent out to grade lhe rouus wlln giadcr.s. Later when tne li:li,yj need diariing Ruiisjiu calls lliono wuo iulu 's.a.i..n;i) lo mug un the eieplioue and seis tneiii to wora. 'i ne rt-bUit ts t.iut vvllhln three hours alter every Lad ruin every loot of the si.uy-flvu mills oi toads is gone o,cr and madu us kiiuioih us the Door. This then was me, origin and the method of dcveiopim nt, muni., lis minor di.iuiiu, of ,hu of yKtt.m,iu ,ad jiByhig whicn has niaoy th.-bu roads lunilv ueservlnn of fame. Has it pruvid succissful durlnti the three ytais that it has be .n fully developed? Has It puid. Tne best answer lo lne questions Is a visit to Jackaon towusiiip and a talk with its best people. The next b. si is the accompany Ins ,uv., made tioiu photographs of average pieces of the roads of this township. ..y Idea Farther Deteloprd. Ransom, Iu developing hls scheme of sys- temutic road drugging, fuuud that at times nd In certain places the clay and loam highway became flat, failed to drain ur TUB OMAHA Have Turned Iowa ' I ROAD BEFORE DIIAGCJIKQ. 7 TOWN8HIP, HARDIN COUNTY, IOWA. and were cut up with wagon tracks and developed mud holes and mires. Such places require special treatment. In his own wards, this is how he cares for them: '"When the roads become flat and sodded and do not drain properly there should be a couple of furrows plowed along each side " rod 88"?n " th oe" "1 "" " , " ' oi:ed so It will pulveriie, commence In the , , . , j . . . ft I'rows to drag, dragging the dirt to the , , . .. . ! , center, and In a few times of dra wing there will be well-crowned road. In tlio averaBe Iowa rouJ the furrows Bhould be ?'?,"""! ab!Ut ,roI ,,rom f,ince- By '""owing these directions and applying the 5"g In ys ematlc drawing any town- Bhj,p eun have "'K""" boulevards." hor th'CP year" noW hls p,an ot k niwiiv; luau uiabiiii'K nan uecn Lltl l lttn out on evry rod "f highway in the township ln. ,h sprln" 'uch rod Bded. and bere he rood has become sodded the fur- V... -: - i ill.. . i '--st... ?J?.: .. .. fiA- , Quaint lieu Itie Tenth Failed. FT ICR giving nine upplieunts for Lis L.und in marriage, a nine months trial each to move A their worih as housekeepers, and having rejected them all for the tenth, Frank Bowman. 47. of 1w..ju city has been able 'to keen tha one he chose as his b.ide only six months. Having tr!ed the nine women Just long enoui;h to find out their virtues. Bow- man vtas "rpl'.cd us u husbdtid," uccord- lng to his wife, und brcause he was too rnriMi'lfinv ut (iA ....!.. ..s iuim ui iiiq wjman he finally chose. She couldn't stand the strain of his constant domestic science criticism. Today Lucy K Bowman his bride of last Aueust. sued him fr' a i"r e "f told him," she says, "that I was merely looking fjr a place to work and that I did not desire to' marry him, but by tho end of a month I had become so attached to the three youngest children that I consented. "He said thut I did everything belter than any of the.other nine housekeepers. in ract. he liked me so well that he threatened to kill himself If I did not marry him. lie suid that months of ex perimenting had caused him much dis appointment, but that I hid compensated for It all." But no seoner had the marriage hepn celebrated than Mrs. Bowman's troubles begun. She didn't make as Rood coffeo us Miss White did; she couldn't "fix up" the two little girls as well am Mrti. Fletcher (tin. ard Miss Murphy had managed the giocery buying better, etc. i-uriaii iu ld 4 beat. Mrs. Emma Pulley died at New London, nun., five months ugo, leaving a com- loi.uoie noma to ner daughter, Miss Alice BUlleV. bUt FhP iff! lltlla l.. .. . anvbndv kiin-y m i. n... ... t. - rnnrj lo ui e I rs OKI ,ie looked forward to spending the rMl "r ,,er ute I" the co:;y little home, keeping the wolf from the door by sewing or ",'1' "lore prosperous neighbors anH friends. One day Mis Bailey took a notion to go through un old cedar chest thut her father t'aptsln William Rallry, had carried to sea' with Mm when he was muster of whaiin ships many years nitu She took out all the clothing, which had been kept there away from the moths, und ut lhe bottom of the . .'. enesi sue loiiiiu iiiree oank books, which showed that $3,500 had been deposited. A hurried calculation was made by Sum- uel M. Hinckley, president of the Whaling bank, where the money waa deposited, and It was foui d that cumpound interest for SUNDAY BEE: JANUARY -. : . ...... r . : L.'vi ;. : " " . . rows are plowed. Then after each 'heavy rainstorm the drags are sent over the roads. Because most of the heavy rains fall dur ing the months of April. May and June the roads are dragged oftenest during that nilArter nf thA vplir Tnrlnir tha dttur uu. sens, weeks and sometimes months elapae without It being necessary to go over the roads with the drair. Tl'e work Is kept up s late In the winter as the weather will permit. What Has Hern tbe Cost t One of the first questions that will arise In the farmer's mind Is, What has It cost? The cost has been small and bo ln.signlfl- oant In comparison with the results aceoni- pllshed as to be hardly comparable to what has been attained. The cost has been on an average of about $," per hiile per year, It has not always cost that much, nlthou;h the exact amount depends, of course, upon the season. Years when theru has been abnormal rainfall the cost has exceeded Features of Everyday Life twenty years had accrued and the amount how worth (considerably over $10,000. t- T,,c "" Mistake. ceitain go.ia naturcu aoctor, wnose door be" ,ank" lu't0 on Christmas evening, ""I'Pos'nK that the summons was from (,"le one who needed his services, rose 'rom lhe bed. put on his dieesing gown, an1 wcnt to t,le door. A man stjod there, holding huge paper package, from which buJ aiul leavei w"' protudlng. ",s llH3 '"'""'e Wu.d In?" he asked, "She hus retired." returnoil tin; ilnetrir. , ' , Mls" Caroline Ward wus his cook. t m soiry, sir, lo can so late, homeiiung went wrong with the car I was In. I'll leave this for her. sir. if you will kindly give Is to her in ths-'motnlng." "Cerlulnly," said the doctor. He took the flowers into tho kitchen and placed H dishpan In tho sink, drew a few Inches of water in ii, carefully pressed the huso of the package into the water and went back to bed. ihiiikl.iu how n. ' " a " cook would be. me next nioming ne round the cook holding a dripping bundle. She v.us angry, "If I had the pusson wot did this," said she, "Id empty the kettle on 'em! I'd let 'em see If they could put the hut what my young man brought me in a dishpan I would!" The doctor left the kitchen somewhat hurriedly. i A Courageous Vlrainlau, Let the nam,, at "n Vii'l' ihuh natticM Mlattrr" h. ,.,,,t..i,.i n,.. ,.,i trance to the Hall of Fume; between those of Roscue and Snuke Eater and "my friend, crl Akeny of Chicago," who choked a lion to death with his bare hands and crushed a leopard's lungs with his , - UUIU leiits kntes. The Wushington corretpoiid liui-a 1..l.n..ln , v U.,. ,.,, i.a ..... , w . luuvi . Ulll irnuiunil uior tliey are copiously eloquent. He Is no common hero of the garden variety no cheap pur- uer of runaway horses or rescuer of boat rockers at Sunday school picnics or slaver 0 senile hippopotami but a veritable ulI'an, heaven-kissing, unrivaled, unique, To coln ' the point at once. Mr. Slattcr ,'u,, "'f'1"1 to niarry Carrie Nation. Tl,e true quality of this remarkable offer, observes the Bultlniore Sun, will not be up- Patent at once, tin lis fuce, Indeed, it up- Pt'r to be nothing more than un act of k.l t ... .... . . "esiees uiavauo a vyinpioin or a iiiag- gadocla spirit, more picturesque than brave. 1,ut careful examination of the nature of he man marriage and particularly of mar- ru t0 n elderly widow armed to the teeth, Invest It with colossal daring. Even 1G, 1910. Soil Into ? r " ..ili.. 't'n. .H. IK r1? - V Li 11. Stlelow: 2. Frank Fuller: H. CleorKe Lynk, Jr.; 4. L. II. Granxow; 6. August 8. Hj Fouls; . Dell Cross; 10. O. Huffman; Shanner; 10. J. U Simpson; 17. George Khanner; 23. V. Ran,om. drier years. The average Is about J:100 for each twelve months, but In l:0S the cost was $100 leBs than that amount. How Is this expense for roids met? The poll tuxes of those who do the work takes care of part of it. Instead of paving their tax In money the farmers go upon the roads ard work It out with, the grader or drag. The rest of tho cost Is paid fojr ut the rate of 50 cents for each mile dragRed each time. ThlB money Is raised by goncrnl tax on tha lund of the township. It amounts to but a small fractional part of one mill ' of the annual assessment for taxes, tho amount paid by each individual being very small Inedeed. During the month of April of last year there came a number of hard rains, more than usually fall In that wet month. The result was that it was necessary to drag the roads many tlmos. Ransom says of that month's work: "We dragged the roads of our , township six times In seventeen 5ays; th0 ,8ult beln thut throe V a',Pr the last storm we. had the roads of the township free from ruts, mud holes and smooth as a hoard walk. The cost of drag ging was about $2li for each time or about $150 In nil. Whllo that may seem a Large amount to expend for dragging In seventeen days, yet wj know from experlepce that our roads can be graded anil maintained enouHh cheaper during the rest of the veor to offset th cost of dragging during the seventeen days. We can grade and repnlr with the grader quicker and easier thrpe miles of road that has been dragged rrgii- larly and systematically than one mile that hts not been dragged at fill. I not morn to Infer that our townahln can afford to expend SIM a month the year around ui del circuinstunct-s the must favorable the ordinary man turns pale at the ailar. Kiubotate precautions are taken to divert his n Ind from the future, but with ull thut lie still trembled. If It were not fur the fuel that his faculties are bsnumoed by the loud music, th raltllng of hankies and artificial palms, and the ecstatic buKaiinr of ihe uinnariied ladlts In the audlenoe and the further fact that hls distrust is anayed by the appearance of the bride. who is carefully stnooled in shrinking guiule ness, he would Jump out of the wln- Him. But the man who marries Carrie Will bcnefll by no such benign deceits and anodynes. If ihcru Is uny music at all It will be the alarming cucaphony of fifes and snare drums. And Carrie herself will weur no musk of tulle and talcum. L'pon her iace will be that same stern fiown which bartenders see In the silent watches of the nlulit: uoon her head will h iimi same black bonnet which ha long breathed t.,.,.1, ..i. . w B.i, uuuil lin IICKII mil UK LI1UL " - x.WNJMVUS, tut v u 10, HIIU III Ji vr I IK I IU will be the ancient symbol and Instrument: of her gum calling her glittering hatchet with Its sinister liquorish stains. Fancy tliu ugitallon of the bridegroom when her glance fixes him! Fancy it and then fall on your face before that Virginian named Blatter. He belongs to the old race of giants. Of such were the men who bravo the demons beyond Jehelal-Tarik and rid the earth of goblins, tyrants and necro- mancy, , December uud Mar. It Is ireitliiir in ha ih fhi.,n nn,H.vi '''is muting of December and May. Re- cently a weulthy woman of Hartford made I'laus for marrying a schoolboy at New Haven. She Was about 70 and ho about 110, ri,l km. ,1,11,1,.., ,r.u r,.l..hll.l... i. ' ' ' ' " .iiui.iiiimii,, lll, r"' heard about it, went to the courts mill HmI.I uhM u-fltf ruvv lint t... l n.h.-u. ., v... , .... " wfc. " ...... .i4 pv, nci ui.g auu i w her continue mistress ot her own fortune, ihen there was the lady of a noted American family who lived" in her mansion un the Hudson. For sixty-eight years she bad lived alone, and then she married her hostler, aged 24. What of that? Shall a woman who has lived nearly three score year and ten and still Is an old maid, continue so until her death? Mine. FrancuUe Mantaiselu. 67 years old, "' Arthur Springer, U3 yeais old. have taken out a license to many iu New York r'l... Unuuliln. ..... It... ....... ..-.II. 1 - I , o. m, muj anu iinnaeii, Master Springer makes this statement: "H no one' business except our s if we niarry." The' boy Is right; he can niarry hi tepgrandmother If he wish, and hot vn 'he law can say him nay. Smooth Boulevards VIEW OK THE VNnUA(JGEl) IIOAO AKTKR DRAOGINO. r ' - ib .'' !' 'it j - p 11. Guy Baker; 12. II. I. Doud: 13. Fred Cross; IS. E. W. Wolfe; 19. A. J. Boar; 20. bn whq draq rqad '"''' ' ' 1 ' ' " '..' M: A t ' .1 j ; ' . . 'A ' '.'; '-x ' k;vea. ' . .f .. .... I'RENTISS RANSOM, ' Owussa, la. for road dragging, but we can afford to wure openly sceptical or luke warm In drag our township roads regularly mid their interest In this systematic dragging systematically after each rain on an avci- of the roads, arc now, with scarcely an ago of from $250 to $.Ki0 a year, and we be- exception, warmly enthusiastic In the work, llcve every cent Is returned to us In the They have seen their bottomless road saving of grading." trunsformrd into smooth, hard highway and they are not willing to return tu the Mhut Una Been the Kesnlt. days of Impassable, rut-furrowed roads. The result of this systematic grading und a t .. m j ... a. .1 . . , : ",U88lnB, l "-' ' 'as roads Unsurpassed by any of Us kind in the entire Mississippi valley and equalled by few If any. The township s-iids an open challenge .to the world thut by Its sys.em lt can put Its roads In the best of condition In less timo than by any other method. It Is regularly done In three hours It has been done on a wager In an hour, and that means that every foot of the sixty-five miles has been gone over, some of It twice ln thut time. Other results are that lt has Increased farm values. The amount Is estimated at from $1 to llOan acre. It has lessened the cost of transportation, by reducing the wear and tear on horses, vehicles and harness. It has brought town closer to th farmer, or moved the farm closer to, town, because of the lessened time It takes I. Iiilii rw.-r tl, muili ,w.in. . . . . un.. w-v. ' " ' "J " . ......... v... pared with tha old muddy roads, It makes ,k viiral nulla n.Ara Mviila, unH o rllar- ....!,. ,u. . ......... vi.u iv , 1 1 . . . ,md iubiibiiii, a uti iu, ij.awv ,u live In, and the pride which Its people take in the road are reflected constantly in the additional Improvement of the home and the bsautlfying of the grounds. Here is the tre way one farmer enumerates th compensation lie get for each time he drags th roads. "Driving over my own dragging. Driving, over the dragging of others, lt Increase the value ef niy farm. It beautifies my home. I get my miiu from one to three hour earlier. The distance to town Is shorter. The . . pleasure of being one to help carry along (hl, grand work. Fifty cent a mile for draKClns." 3, Faratere Are Kathaalastle. Farmer of the township, who at first iff " "fc'V - 1 ! .lass; 6. August Btlolow; 7. Frank Hlserotr; Trlckey: 14. H. Illckembottom; lr. W. Earl Eick; 21. T. E. Crlppen; 22. K. a. With one voice those who aro engaged ... . "! work of keeping up th. roads Wl'i ;"VVe deem It Just as Important to drag th roads when they need lt as to till the soli on our farms when it nerds It." So enthusiastic are they, that It matter not what they are doing, when the word comes over the wire from Ransom to get onto the roads, the plow Is slopped In. the furrow, the harrow is left In the field, and, quitting ull else for the time, the hitch to the drag and go skating and slid ing back on forth over the highways. The contention la not made that Jackson township roads are never muddy. Ran som, the oracle on the subject, says re garding this point, "ln rainy weather dirt roads are muddy, they always were, they always will be, but get after them with the ro,:d drag at th first opportunity and lh,V U'tll nAunt hat ku.t .(, I . . .. . a. " "'J '""J yje A point In controvcrsary between ad- voe.ales of the road dragging yatcm la , , , ., , . when Is the proper time to drag? Ransom Mgree with D. Ward King, thi "f'lf'nfttor of the Kiug rod drag, that th 10 Qre 0a'l the road la piaatle ljut no tlcl'y. In aummlng UP hi plan Rn'n encompasses It In the following paragraph, "Th road drag I a road, builder, road smoother, a money saver n1 ' statin is for people to. put It Into toh'P1' operation. I have given my plan, a thorough test for three years and 1 have f""ed consistency from almost every nnn anJ I liov. V..KM. ...II.. 1 , o"lfc wsvomv fuor uoiivineeu, " ' th best Hid th cheapest way to maintain earth road. If all the town- ship would adopt tb systematic- method the roads of the state could b dragged Ilk clock work."