Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-23
THE STATE WAGON ROAD.
1t is Not Built decorating to the
Adrerfised SPECIFICATIONS,
and Should not Hare
Been 1cceDteR
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.

A trip over The state wagon road be-
Tween Camas Prairie and Warm Spring
, convinces us that all the mean things
whispered about its condition are fnlly
warranted by the facts. 1t is libel on
the state to call it a state" wagon road.
, In the places where the route leaves the
old trail and takes through new country
it is not so good a road AZ Nh old char
coal burner living away off all alone In
the timber would build to haul his coal
, TO the settlements. After travelling 1t
we fully appreciate the wisdom OF our
, county commissioners III refusing 10
accept it as a county road and declining
10 expend any county revenue upon IT..
For this they are honestly entitled to
re nomination and lie election. The
road is not built according to The speci-
I ications called for in the advertisement
for bids published 10y the state wagon
road commission in the +. 7 in 1870.
! These specifications are as follows:
az The road shall be eight feet wide
: in all places where grading is necessary
and ten feet wide at all inward curves
with turn-outs each 100 yards, and shall
follow substantially the route created by
/ the commissioners.
f'4 (2j All trees, stumps and roots shall
be removed from the line of the road
! for clear width Of ten feet.
(3) All running streams and all stand
3 ing water and mud holes must be
bridged culverted or corduroyed rs con-
dition ofground may require. A Il bridges
shall be above high water mark. All
bridges must be covered with plank not
less than four inches thick and twelve
feet long, or with timber of like thick
! ness hewed two sides. All bridges must
have five stringers.
l4) In all matters and details not
herein mentioned the road must be con-
structed in a good substantial and work
. manlike manner.
We do not believe that there is rod
of the road which honestly fills the re-
quirements called for in these specilica'
tions and we do not see how any mem
Der of the state wagon road commission
, could have accepted the work as an hon
est fulflment of the conditions of the
contract. But accepted it has been, ant
paid for, and the people of the state car
now foot the bills with the assurance,
that they have not got value received
for the amount expended.
The section between Warm Spring
. and Salmon Meadows is reported to bt
fully as bad as the rest. There seems t
have been a studled desire ON the par
Of all the contractors to put as littl,
time, labor and money on the road a
possible. We are told that some of TIT
contractors cleared sixty per cent. OF
their contract. This, of course, is per
fectly legitimate business, from the con
tractors point of view, and even tn
ever-grumbing taxpayers would fin'
no fault with such large profits il TIN
road had been built according TO speci
ficaiions. But the fact is, rs we hav
before said, that there is not rod o
the road which comes up to the contrac
requirements. The responsibility for it
acceptance must rest upon the stat
wagon road commissioners who has
jurisdiction over the whole matter an,
who drew up the specifications whicl
they afterward allowed the contractor
to violate. No mining superintendent
would accept such road as fit to hau
ores or machinery over.
But while we condemn the work don
by the contractors and its acceptance b.
the commission it must be steadily KEEP
in view that it can be made good am
seryicable road. The original appropri
alton was enough to have built splendi
road every foot of the way If the none
had only been put on the road instea
of in the pockets of the few contractors
The grade is all right, and the approach
es up and down the Salmon river Can
yon are not nearly SO bad as the grade
between Lewiston and Uniontowr
There are so very many miles whereGo
Almighty has done so much to make
natural wagon road that the contractor
were unable to spoil 1t, and it is onl
here and there that work is required
The commissioners made good surve
and located the route to good advantag
THE IRON BRIDGE
The superinten lent of the bridge con
pany engaged in constructing the lro
bridge at French creek across Salmo
river found the material made for II
bridge sixty feet too short for the spal
He therefore went to Weiser and tel
graphed to Pittsburgh for new materl
and ordered it forwarded by special c.
regardless of cost The measurement
made by the bridge company's engine
were at fault. Consequently the 10
falls upon them. but they are making I
honest effort to fill their contract in
honest manner. although they will n
have the work completed 10y the tin
specified in the contract. The compal
will he out and injured to n large anon
by their contract on this bridge. L