The record-union., 1896-01-03
COMMISSIONER MANSON RETURNS.
Two Hundred and Five Miles of
SIeighriding.
People In the Mountain Counties Fully
Alive TO the Importance of
Good Roads.

Commissioner Manson, of the Bureau
of Highways, returned to the city yes
terday morning after his trip through
upper counties of the State and a visi:
TO his home.
He gave to a Record Union" re-
porter yesterday a graphic report OF
his experience in crossing the mount
aims in Siskiyou and other counties. His
trip extended over 40 miles of road, OF
which 205 were Travelled in sleighs upon
snow from six inches to five feet deep.
II suppose you enjoyed the sleigh
riding very much, as 1 often hear old
Californians say they would like to
take sleigh ride again?" said the re-
porter.
mo, I cannot say that I did" said
Mr.. Manson. Part of the time the ther-
mometer stood at nine degrees below
zero, and an open sleigh is not the most
comfortable place in the world at such
a time.
"On my journey over the divide be-
tween the headwaters of the McCloud
and the Sacramento Rivers, we had to
break the road through several feet OF
snow for nine miles, and ii took US six
hours and half.
Half the time we were travelling in
sleighs, too, it was showing heavily.
The coldest weather we experienced
was nine degrees below zero, and that
was cold enough for me. Tam glad,
however, that l took the trip, for have
gained much valuable information
about snow roads that can be turned to
advantage hereafter I guess l had
about as rough and uncomfortable a
trip as any State officer has ever expe-
rienced, but it will be a paying one.
DO the inhabitants of mountain
counties take more interest in the good
roads question than those of the val
leys? Yes, think they do. The people
up there are specially interested in the
question-as much so as the officials.
Take Shasta County, for instance. They
are greatly interested there, for the
best roads they can get is what they
want. Their business is largely freight
ing into the mountains, away over into
Nevada and Oregon, and even up into
Idaho. Good roads, therefore, mean a
great deal to them, and they feel that
the subject is one of Iuch Importance.
The valleys let their interests slacken
some times when their. roads are pas
sable.
''I find that in the more isolated
places the business depression is felt
far less than with us, for the reason
that they have most of their resources
within themselves, and their products
are mainly consumed at home There is,
however, an engagement of fruit and
stock in the northern counties, on ac-
count of their lack of facilities for dis
posing of it to the outside world They
have the finest of apples up there, and
1 should think they would find other
methods Of disposing of them, as max
ing cider or brandy, for instance, al
though the price of the latter is not
high They could be converted into such
products at home, however, and dis
posed of more easily than now, and
would bring considerable income in
that way. As it is, there is much cider
made, which is used by them instead of
beer and other drinks.
I'VE had thirty-six hours delay at
Bear Flat on account of a heavy storm,
and twenty-four hours more at Glacier,
which prevented my fulfilling my Siski-
you engagement, and / shall have to
make another date to meet the officials
and people there. We shall make the
same trip over again during the next