Those of us who live in places where the seasons are Winter and Road Construction may find the following discussion of D. Ward King’s innovative road grader hard to believe, but here you have it. From the July 12, 1901 Skidmore Standard:
It Was Noticed.
Quite a number of our exchanges copied our article, “Good Dirt Roads,” of several weeks ago. We thank them for the same, not that we are specially benefited by it, as we know that any community that will work the roads that way will have much better roads with even less expense.
Colman’s Rural World, in commenting on the article, says: “The chief merit in Mr. King’s plan of caring for the roads is in doing the work at the right time.” The World goes on by saying that could we “keep workmen constantly employed on the roads, a year or two would bring about marvelous changes in the conditions of our roads.”
We shall certainly differ with the World on the “constantly employed” idea as we do not think that is according to Mr. King’s plan at all. The writer knows that more than a week ago he had a short section of road smoothed down and it would not be in any better condition, or not enough to pay for the extra expense, if he had kept a team on it every day since. When a road is smoothed down after a rain, or muddy time, it does not require any more work until it gets muddy again.