The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13
what are the wild waves Saying.
BRAwL1Ne Brook, March 25. 1882.

DRAWLING BROOK, Marcn 70, 1857.
EDITOR INDEPENDENT: There is no other
department of Clarke county affairs 70
wretchedly in need of assistance from good
men as the roads. Clarke county needs q
newspaper or two that will help her out, set
her people to thinking correctly on this i'm
portant subject. Our pacific climate is pecu-
liar and calls for special thought and laws
suited to our mild moist winters. Our roads
and road system is Perpetual Demoralizer,
it is cutting the throat of patriotism and
directly in the way of reform of other mat
tiers. 1.-THE long stories and short Jobs" on
the road in road working season must be got
rid of by better laws, or the annual abuse of
officials and localities will raise crop of dis
union that will give work,to our map makers.
Now, in order to have men patriotic there
must be something to be admired. Nature
has given us plenty of that kind now let us
bind our county together with good roads
as fast as we can make them and set other
enterprises aside for the present.
As roads are part of the earth and when
once properly built. "abideth ever" they
are the property of all generations, and the
expense of building them should be born all
along the line. They are really the only le-
gitimate cause of county debts. Situated as
we are, and as good roads are money making
structures, it is safe to run in debt for them,
safe and benevolent to run our children in
debt for them. Well, how to make q road!
Let us take Lord Bacon's method-the SIM
plest and easiest way to solve problem is
the best. Begin at or near the Columbia at
Vancouver, strike out at right angles with
the river into the country on any one of the
roads that the county commissioners may
determine.
Make the road out of the best kind of ma
terial now on the ground and in the way,
red fir inches thick and IL feet long. That
is wide enough. This plank should be put
as low in the earth as convenient-no earth
thrown up beneath it unless absolutely me-
cessary to keep it from floating. and while
We are happy on this plank, with power to
dosoinething!good and patriotic, COVERT with
gravel as fast as possible, or as itshowssigns
of wearing out, foot of gravel would pre-
vent its decaying many years while the
plank would save the gravel from getting
away from usefulness, thus saving more than
the cost of planking in lessening the amount
of gravel needed. Every practical observer
knows that wood does not decay when ex-
cluded from the air, our fence posts rot off
at the top of the ground while the lower
end might last a century.
somewhat wider as a gravel road, say l6 feet,
which is wider than we deserve, but as our
children will be better than we are, they
will widen it to suit their patriotism and
purse. The fir tree can be cheaper and cas-
Ter sawed into plank than split in rails,
while the former is more durable and very
much better. There is plenty of timber and
water on our reads to make it easy to got
our plank, providing we furnish the pluck
and use little common sense
Perhaps the cheapest way to get the plank
is to buy portable mill and let some good
citizen lumberman saw by the thousand for
the county, as the road would bring more
money into Vancouver if she put her Shout
der to the wheel, we see that her merchants
might buy mill for this purpose for the
county. The good will % manufactured
would take some cream out of the Portland
skinner, (please don't make it skinner this
time Mr.. Editor.) But we don't believe in
begging, and if Vancouver projects any good
thing we will let her do it spontaneously,
and then she will reap the benefit.
We are surprised at the apathy of our
citizens on this road question--we had al
most said nuisance. Why Vancouver will
allow this monster milestone to hang ON her
neck is more than we can understand.
/ suppose, that in order to haveour county
commissioners take any action in this mat
ter. the people must begin by petition, which
every sane man, woman and child of our
county ought to be willing to do. If fur
Their legislation is needed We can get that
also.
believe that one road il enough to begin
on, but if we get one. that will ''taste 90
good" that we shall soon have more, and
more people, and better satisfied ones to
build them. More anon. X. CIMID.
l.. l. r II r -.