[AT] OT: Flashback - Early Farmers Building County Roads

[Ronald L. Cook]

Ralph,
	I believe that tool was called a "slip".  At least around here. 
Probably has different names in different areas.

Ron Cook
Salix, IA

Ralph Goff wrote:

> Farmers building roads was a common practice here in Sask. in the 
> thirties according to stories my Dad used to tell. "Road work" was a way 
> of paying off your land taxes, or portions thereof. A farmer might 
> supply his own team of horses to use on the equipment. Now I am trying 
> to remember the name of the scraper type implement they used to dig the 
> ditches and build up the grade. Sort of a big scoop shovel shaped thing 
> with two handles and pulled by a team of horses as I recall. I've heard 
> there was quite an art to making it work and not getting hurt in the 
> process.
> As years passed and machinery got bigger there were municipal 
> "maintainers", basically a pull type grader on 4 steel wheels. It took a 
> man on the platform to work the big wheels controlling cutting depth and 
> angle. And I believe farmers would put their own tractors on the 
> maintainer to grade the roads in their local area.
> I've posted a pic before of one of the later maintainers with a 
> Wisconsin engine powered hydraulic system that was used here in the 40s 
> and 50s. Being pulled by a big old crawler tractor, not likely owned by 
> a small farmer.
> 
> Ralph in Sask.
> http://lgoff.sasktelwebsite.net/