The Weekly Chieftain. (Vinita, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, June 26, 1908 Page: 7 of 8
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THE SPLI1L0G DRAG
How to Build and Operate This
Simple Though Useful Article.
One of the latest publications is-
sued by the Oliice of Public Roads
of the United States Department of
Agriculture treats of the split-log
drag an implement which numerous
experiments have conclusively-proven
to be the greatest possible boon to
keep roads smooth and passable.
Because of its simplicity its efficacy
and its cheapness both in construct-
ion and operation it is destined to
come more and more into genera
use. With the drag properly built
and its use well understood the
maintenance of earth' roads becomes
a simple and inexpensive matter.
At the present time there are ap-
proximately 2000000 miles of
earth roads in the United States.
Some of the most important of these
roads will eventually be improved
with stone gravel and other
materials. Many others which are
equally important cannot be so im-
proved on account of lack of funds
or suitable materials while still
others will not require such treat-
ment because ot the light traffic to
which they are subjected. For these
reasons the majority of our roads
must be maintained as earth roads
for many years to come. 'This must
be done by inexpensive methods
and the split-log drag will be a
powerful aid if economy is the
criterion demanded.
In the construction of this imple-
ment care should be taken to make
it so light that one man can lift it
with ease a light drag responding
more readily to various methods of
hitching than a heavy one as well
as to the shifting of the position of
the operator. The best material for
a split-log drag is a dry red cedar
log though red elm and walnut are
excellent and box elder soft maple
or even willow are superior to oak
hickory or ash. The log should be
between 7 and 10 feet long and from
10 to 12 inches in diameter at the
butt end. It should b split carefull
as possible and the heaviest and
best slab chosen for the front. In the
front slab 4 inches from the end
which is to drag in themiddle of
the road bore a 2-inch!ho!e which
is to receive a cross stake- At a
distance of 22 inches from the other
end of the front slab locate the
center for another cross stake. The
hole for the middle stake will be on
a line connecting and halfway be-
tween the two. Then place the
back slab in position and from the
end which is to drag in the middle
of the road measure 20 inches for
the center of one cross stake and 6
inches from the other end locate the
center of the opposite stake. The
hole for the center stake should be
located halfway between the two.
All these holes should be carefully
bored perpendicular or at right angles
to the face of the split-l..
If these directions are followed it
will be fouAJ that when the' holes
of the front and back slabs are brought
opposite each other one end of the
back slab will be 16 inches nearer
the center of the roadway than the
front one. That gives what is
known as "setback". The stakes
which are 30 inches long will hold
the slabs this distance apart. When
the stakes have been firmly w-edged
in their sockets a brace about 2 in-
ches thick and 4 inches wide may
be placed diagonally to them at the
ditch end of the drag. A cleated
board is placed between the slabs
and across the stakes for the driver
to stand ot.
Hy many it is deemed best to
place ajstrip of iron along the lower
face of the' front slab for a cutting
blade and to prevent the blade from
wearing. The drag may be fastened
to the doubletree by meansjof a trace
chain- The chain should be wrapped
around the left-hand or rear stake
and passed over the front slab.
Raisins the chain at this end of the
slab permits the earth to drift past
the face of the drag. The other end
of the chain should be passed through
a hole in a opposite end of the front
slab and held by a pin passed through
a link.
- f
MONTAVILLE FLOWERS
OPERATED BY THE ASSOCIATED CHAUTAUQUAS
JULY 12 TO JULY 23 1908 -TWELVE WONDERFUL DAYS
Thirty Superb Sessions Ten Great Concerts -- Twenty-Five Prelude
Concerts America's Most Noted Statesmen. Orators Lecturers Edu-
cators Entertainers and Musicians Presenting
THE BEST CHAUTAUQUA PROGRAM IN THE WEST
((X) season tickets havo hvvn subscribed for by tbe Chautauqua patrons which
have been placed on sale at a few convenient places at the Reduced Rate of
$2.00 for Adult and $1.00 for Child's ticket. To take advanta-re of the
reduced price you must buy your tickets before the f(K) are sold. After duly
1st and just as quickly as the (00 are sold the regular price of $250 and $1.25
will be strictly maintained. Act now save money and disappointment YOU
ItrX ABSOLUTELY NO RISK.
- 4 J
bishop vm. f. Mcdowell
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ALLAN A. TANNER
SCHILDKRET'S HUNGARIAN ORCHESTRA
EDWARD P. ELLIOT!
Special Musical Features
SCHILDKRET'S HUNGARIAN ORCHESTRA
Finest Hungarian Orchestra in America.
CLEVELAND LADIES' ORCHESTRA
Finest Ladies' Orchestra in America. .
DUNBAR MALE QUARTET AND HAND BELL
RINGERS The best Male Quartet and Finest
Bell Ringing Organization.
THE CHICAGO LYRIC GLEE CLUB
A Great Male Quartet; "The Mikado" in ad-
dition to other features.
TRIER SISTERS QUINTETTE
Most Unique Sisters Company on Platform.
And many other special musical and prelude features.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE
at the reduced price by the following
First National Bank
International Bank
Vinita National Bank
Cherokee National Bank
Farmers National Bank
Money Back if Not Satisfied
The Treasurer of the Chautauqua will refund to
any dissatisfied season ticket purchasers whose sea
son ticket will show that he has attended not less than
ten sessions the full price of his season ticket upon a
signed statement by the purchaser that he has been
dissatisfied with the program and with his purchase.
All season tickets will be sold oi
this liberal guarantee.
FAIR ENOUGH ISN'T IT?
FRED VV. BARTELL Genl. Manager
Siloam Springs Arkansas.
J. Pershing Local Mgr. Vinita Okla.
For ordinary purposes the hitch
should be so made that the unload-
ed draj: wilffollow the team at an
angle of about 45 degrees. The
team should be driven with one
horse on either side of the riht-
hand wheel track or put the full
length of the portion to he dragged
and made to return in the same
manner over the other half of the
roadway. Such treatment will
move the earth towards the center
of the roadway and raise it gradu-
ally above the surrounding level.
The best results have been obtain
ed by dragging roads once each
way after each heavy rain. In
some cases however one dragging
every three or four weeks has been
found sufficient to keep a road in
good condition. When the soil is
moist but not sticky the drag does
its best work. As the soil in a field
will bake if plowed wet so the
road will bake if the drag is used on
it when it is wet. If the roadway
is full of holes or badly rutted the
drag should be used once when
the ground is soft and slushy. This
is particularly applicable before a
cold spell in winter when it is
possible to so prepare the surface
that it will freeze smooth- '
Not infrequently conditions are
met which may be overcome by a
slight change in the manner of
hitching. Shortening the chain
tends to lift the slab and make the
cutting slight while a longer hitch
causes the front slab to sink more
deeply into the earth and act on the
principle of the plow.
It a furrow of earth is to be moved
the doubletree should be attached
close to the ditch end of the drag
and the driver should stand with
one foot on the extreme forward
end of the front slab.
Conditicns are so varied in
different localities however that it
is quite impossible to lay down
specific rules. Certain sections of
a roadway will require more atten-
tion than others because of steep
grades wet weather springs soil
conditions exposure to sun and
wind washes etc. There is one
j condition howeverin which special
attention should be given. Clay
! roads under persistent dragging
j frequently become too high in the
center. This may be corrected by
dragging the earth towards the
center of the road twioe and away
from it once.
There is no question as to the
economy of this road-making imple-
ment either in first cost or in opera-
tion. In six couuties in Kansa-s in
19(36 the cost of maintaining ordinary
earth roads without the aid of the
spiit-log drag averaged $42.50 a
mile. These figures were furnished
by Prof. W. C.Hoad of the Univer-
sity of Kansas who secured them
from official records of counties.
Some figures furnished by F. P.
Sanborn and R. H. Aishton general
manager of the Chicago and North-
western railroad have revealed
wonder of this simple device. Mr.
Sanborn said "the least expense per
m'rie and per annum for split-log
dragging was $l.$0 the greatest a
little ver and the average ex-
pense per mile for 5 1-2 miles a
little over $3. I have lived along
this road all my life and never in
40 years have I seen it freerer from
mud and dust despite the fact that
during the season we have experienc-
ed the extremes of weather con-
ditions." TSie testimony of Mr. Aishton is
equally strong. Learning that a
township in Iowa had been making
an investigation of the split-log drag
and had been experimenting with it
for a year on 28 miles of highway
he sent an agent to secure informa-
tion. It was reported that although
the town board had paid the cost of
making the drags and of hiring men
to operate them the total expense
for one year averaged but $2.40 a
mile and the roads were reported
to have been "like a race track"
the greatest portion of the year.
Ww
"--TTlfnnr iinfr Win
WIS
nn
IVMUL
If so can accommodate you with a nice loan on your
land at a low rate of interest. All loans closed promptly
the money being ready as soon as the papers arc signed
and the title approved. If you need the money let me figure with you.
R. V. McSPADDEN
1
Real Estate Loans & Insurance. Raymond Building. I
A DELIGHTFUL SERVICE
Ue. O. J. Douell paitor of the
Presbyterian church kv a lecture
Sunday evening illustrated by Stera-
optlcon tiews. The views were un-
usually lare and clear made by the
calcyum liKht process. Dr. E. A.
Ntubbletleld operated the slides arid
although without previous etperience
did the work like a veteran. The first
slitetsn views were Illustrative of the
Prodigal Sou . Ot tiers were of t he
Agony in the Garden of Gethsetntne
and of the Cruclflilon. The K'rand
old hymn "Rock of Ages" "was thrown
on the canvass and t lie lare colore-
jfAtion 9;Uiu It with unction.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS SERVICES
The services at the Presbyterian
'Jhurch neit Sunday morning will tie
under the auspices of the Knights of
Pythias. Itev. . J. Cuimell the pas-
tor will dollver the sermon at eleven
o'clock and in the afternoon there
wtll le memmorlal sen ice at the
cemetery where a rumberof Knights
are hurried. '
The Craij? County Election board as
now constituted consists IHv. III11
M. E. Mllfordand J. n. Richie.
Mm CITY MARKET
K. C Stock Yard June 22 P.0.
Small receipts of live stock began to
arrive here last Thursday and there
was a pretty kooI run on Friday.
Rains west of us late last weelc kept
the rivers here in a threteulns; state
and abov the danger line. This has
held down the run today which
I amounts to 3'Xh) cattle .tox) hok'S and
and MOtM) sheep. There was a bltf break
In cattle prices at all the markets last
week account of liberal supplies
especlaly of ijuarantine cattle. The
dally newspapers in the bltf cities all
over the country have exploited the
hltfh price of bt'ef lately to such an
eitenr that consumption has been
If really curtailed which together with
the heavy runs put buyers in a
position to hammer the market
successfully. Prices are steady to 10
lower today and whereas a top of
is (() or better would have been possl
ble a week ao for fancy steers r.C0
would be about the limit today. Sales
of steers ranged from to ;.!)
here today. Cows and heifers are also
lower today at $ UK) to '!.: The
hot? market opened live higher but
Improved up to the close when aales
auarage i 13 higher top 15. i0 to bui
to tjx. yuality ct sheep is not
very jrood today market slow choir
ipriujf lambs worth 1.50 ruuttoD
1 00 to $1 23. The stock yards with
the eiceptlon of the quarantine cattle
yards are la as good condition as be-
fore the late Hood and all the facili-
ties for handling toek are all in usa.
The quarantine cattle yards will be in
operation In a few days If the rivers
continue to fall. Witu the eiceptica
of the Morris plant all the packing
houses are in operailou and will he
able to produce their usual output
within a day or two. Morris i Co.
are buying live stock for shipment to
their plants at other points. Ail the
railroads out of Kansas Citv are open
and outside order buyers are In the
market the same as before the Hood.
J. A. lilt KAItT
L S. Correspondent.
LEWIS ROGERS
Leading Undertaker
AND KMBAI.MCR
UCENSG No. 251
Bth Phone 243 Ojea Day an Mi4bl
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The Weekly Chieftain. (Vinita, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, June 26, 1908, newspaper, June 26, 1908; Vinita, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc773039/m1/7/: accessed May 2, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.